| ![Show Contents]() Slock History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of SlockWhat does the name Slock mean? The name Slock is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the village of Slack in the county of Yorkshire. The original bearers of the surname Slock were named due to their close proximity to a place where the road becomes less steep. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word slagg, which denoted such as place. 1 2 "The word slack signifies valley, a small shallow dell. Black, slak, slake, an opening in the higher part of a hill or mountain, where it becomes less steep, and forms a sort of pass; a gap or narrow pass between two hills or mountains." 3 Early Origins of the Slock familyThe surname Slock was first found in Yorkshire where "this is an ancient name; it designates the site of a Saxon royal residence in the north division of the West Riding, and as a surname it was represented by Adam Slach in Cambridgeshire in the time of Edward I. " 4 The Yorkshire heritage can be of no doubt, but we must look further south to Lincolnshire to find the first record of the family. The Pipe Rolls of 1195 include an entry for Gerebod le Slac. 5 Back in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 have three entries for the family: Johannes del Slak; Thomas de Slake; and Johannes Sclake. All three held lands there at that time. 1 "The Slacks of Derbyshire are numerous in the Derby district. In 1674, Arthur Slack gave £40 to the town of Buxton (G.); and about the same time Robert Slack resided at Hayfield in this neighbourhood (Earwaker's "East Cheshire"). The name is still represented in the Buxton district on the Staffordshire border. Slack is the name of a place in the parish of Ashover. Thomas Slack was rector of Bolton, Yorkshire, in 1680. The present Slacks of this county have their principal home in the Macclesfield district. In 1662 Nicholas Slack held an estate called Dunge in Kettleshulme; Mr. Hewitt Slack was a Stockport surgeon in the first half of last century (E.). The Slacks are also established in Derbyshire, Cumberland, Staffordshire, and Nottinghamshire, and further reference will be found to them under one or more of those counties. " 4 In Scotland, the name is "recorded in Dumfriesshire. Of local origin, perhaps from the old lands of Slake or Slack in the parish of Roberton, Roxburghshire." 6 Early History of the Slock familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Slock research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1579, 1587, 1900 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Slock History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Slock Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Slock are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Slock include: Slack, Slacke, Slach, Slagg, Slag, Slak and others. Early Notables of the Slock familyMore information is included under the topic Early Slock Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Slock family to IrelandSome of the Slock family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Slock migration to the United States | + |
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Slock or a variant listed above:
Slock Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Robert Slock, who landed in Maryland in 1658 7
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
- Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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