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The surname "MEACOCK" (Pronounced: Mek'ók) is believed to be of 'Anglo-Saxon' patronymic origin; patronymic names being those that are derived from the first name of the father of the initial bearer. To properly understand the development of the surname it is useful to look at the development of the British Isles; the origins of the 'Anglo-Saxon' people; and the exploits of certain notable kings and chieftains.
In pre-Roman times the native peoples of the British Isles were generally comprised of two principal groups: the Gaels (Irish, Scots and Manx) and the Britons (Welsh and Cornish); and these were known collectively as 'Celts', a term which had been applied by ancient Greek writers, from around the 5th century BC, to a fair-skinned race of people who inhabited central and western Europe from the second millennium BC. The Celts spoke various Indo-European dialects that were later classified as 'Celtic Languages'. The Celts occupied the majority of the British Isles before they were largely subjugated by the Romans between 55 BC and 410 AD. Those that wished to remain free of Roman domination were inevitably pushed into the far western reaches of northern and southern Britain, into Cornwall, Wales, Northumbria, Scotland and Ireland, where the modern populations still retain strong Celtic elements in their language and culture. However it is important to note that not all of Britain became part of the Roman Empire, and even the areas that came under Roman rule were governed with differing degrees of intensity.
During the time of Roman influence a variety of religious cults spread throughout Britain. In addition to numerous Celtic deities of local or wider significance, the gods of the classical pantheon were introduced and these were often identified with their Celtic counterparts.
In official circles the worship of the state gods of Rome and of the imperial cult were duly observed, but merchants and soldiers also introduced oriental and middle-eastern cults, among them Christianity. The latter, however, made little impact in Britain until the late 4th century AD.
With the departure of the Roman legions early in the 5th century, power gradually fell into the hands of various tyrants. Most notable amongst these was Vortigern (c.425) who rose to power through ruthless political intrigue. Unlike earlier usurpers, he had no desire to become a Roman Emperor but sought to secure absolute power in Britain. In the absence of the Romans, the Celts gradually began to reclaim the land, with significant insurgences from Ireland and Scotland. In 449 Vortigern encouraged the migration of certain Germanic mercenaries: the Angles, Saxons and Jutes under the leadership of princes Hengist and Horsa to assist him in repelling the insurgents. Following their success Vortigern rewarded them with grants of extensive lands in the southeast. Their subsequent settlements in what is now England laid the foundation for the later 'Anglo-Saxon' kingdoms of Essex, Sussex, and Wessex (Saxons), East Anglia, Middle Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria (Angles), and Kent (Jutes). The various kingdoms spoke dialects of what is now known as 'Old English'; and yet the term 'Anglo-Saxon' itself did not arise until continental writers in the late 8th century used the term to distinguish the Saxons of Britain from those of the European continent. During this time Christianity also made considerable headway in establishing itself in Britain, usually by overlaying its 'Holy' days over existing local festivals, and tolerating some of the less harmful, yet overtly pagan traditions.
By the middle of the 6th century the British Isles was divided into many sub-kingdoms, each of which had its own king. However, several 'Bretwalda', or 'Great kings' arose, also ruling lands outside their own kingdoms, and they often exercised considerable power over the lands held by the Celts. It must also be remembered that at the same time it was the norm for other kings to hold power in the remaining kingdoms, and this often resulted in intense rivalry as they claimed kingship for the same lands.
Æthelberht king of Kent (c.560-616) married Bertha, the Christian daughter of the Frankish king Charibert, in an attempt to strengthen his political links with the continent of Europe. This marriage may well have facilitated Pope Gregory's attempts to convert Britain to Christianity. Saint Augustine was despatched to Kent in 597 where he successfully baptised King Æthelberht, and then gained permission to found both a cathedral and a monastery at Canterbury. The oldest known document written in English (albeit 'Old English') comes from Æthelberht's law-code, which includes 90 laws.
Offa of Mercia (757-796) developed one of the greatest of all the 'Anglo-Saxon' kingdoms. During his reign Mercia absorbed the lesser kingdoms of Lindsey, the Hwicce, and Sussex, and both Kent and East Anglia came under Offa's control. To further strengthen his position, he secured the marriage of his daughters to the kings of Wessex and Northumbria. Offa was the first to call himself "king of the English" although he did not control every area of the country.
In 793 the Vikings began invading England from the northeast, and over the next 80 years expanded their influence and territories in Britain. They had already defeated East Anglia, Northumbria and Mercia, and were pushing to take control of Wessex by the time Alfred 'The Great' of Wessex (871-899) was crowned king at the age of twenty-one. Alfred is probably the most famous of the Anglo-Saxon kings, yet much of his fame rests in legends that are not necessarily based on historical fact. More important events of his reign, such as his contribution to the education of his people are often forgotten. Notably, Alfred was a fierce and determined warrior who had built a strong army and fleet of ships, and through cunning and strategy he was ultimately successful in battle and defeated the Vikings at the battle of Edington in May 878. Nevertheless Alfred realised that he could not drive the Vikings out of the rest of England, and so concluded a peace treaty at Wedmore in 878, and then a partition treaty in 886, which led to the country being effectively split in half, creating an area of Danish rule, known as the "Danelaw", north-east of a line from London to Chester.
In the years that followed the distinctions between the Celts and the Saxons gradually diminished as they banded together against what was now perceived as the common Viking threat, and it is true to say that ethnically speaking, the term 'Anglo-Saxon', which was then coming into use, actually represented a mixture of Germanic peoples with Britain's pre-existing Celtic inhabitants.
In 954 King Eadred (946-955) son of Edward the Elder, fought a decisive battle at Stainmore, against Eric Bloodaxe, the last Viking king of Northumbria; and this paved the way for Edgar of Wessex (959-975) who, when he ascended to the throne, simultaneously became King of Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex (the three most powerful kingdoms in England at that time). Edgar can be considered the first ruler of a United England, which was further emphasised by the ceremonial submission of the other eight 'kings' in Britain, when they rowed him down the river Dee at Chester.
In 1013 the Scandinavian king Sweyn, defeated the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred the Unready. Æthelred was enabled to regain the throne for a short time after the death of Sweyn, but shortly afterwards Æthelred and his son Edmund Ironside died in close succession, and so Sweyn's son Knut (Canute) who already had control of Denmark and Norway became king of England in 1016. During Knut's reign some of his earls amassed great power, and Earl Godwin of Wessex even tried to seize the throne. Despite this unsuccessful attempt, the next decade saw all of the earldoms of England, with the exception Mercia; come into the hands of the Godwin family.
Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) was the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings. He was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, and had fled to Normandy when Knut took the throne. He later returned to Britain in 1040, and after Knut's son Harthaknut died in 1042, Edward became king. Edward remained childless, and the question of succession grew in prominence towards the end of his reign. With the death of Edward in January of 1066, the throne was left to the son of Earl Godwin, Harold of Wessex. But Harald Hardrada ("The Ruthless") of Norway, and William of Normandy also laid claim to the throne, and as a result the Norwegians invaded the northeast of England, but were defeated at the battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire. After a fierce battle and long march south Harold and his exhausted army were then faced with the impressive invading army of William of Normandy, at Hastings in October of 1066. Harold was killed in the Battle of Hastings, and England then fell under total Norman control, as William appointed his barons over the newly conquered land.
The surname 'MEACOCK' literally means "Matthew's Son" or "The son of Matthew".
Matthew was of course, the name of the Palestine-born Christian apostle and evangelist, and author of the first gospel of the New Testament. The "'Personal' or 'Christian' name Matthew was itself derived from "Mattathiah" which means "Gift of Jehovah", and from the late 4th century, as with other biblical names, it was popularised in the British Isles with the spread of Christianity. Although the names "Matthew", "Mathew" and "Mattew" were used on occasion, the growing influence of the Church meant that it was frequently Latinised as "Mathieu" and "Mahieu".
The word 'coc', sometimes written as 'cocc', 'cok' or 'kok' was an Anglo-Saxon word, which originally implied pertness. The term was originally applied to the scullery lad or stable boy, and was later used to denote 'the son of''. The term 'coc' has survived to the present day, where it is still used in parts of Lancashire as a close form of endearment for members of either sex.
Just as in modern times when the name Matthew is often shortened to 'Matt', the Christian names "Mathieu" and "Mahieu" were often reduced to "Mai" or "May", and these subsequently had the Anglo-Saxon term 'coc' or 'cock' added, thus giving the derivative Anglo-Saxon patronymic surname "Maicoc" or "Maycock". On other occasions the Latinised form was used, giving rise to surnames such as "Mathieson". Although it is highly likely that various versions of the surname were in use long before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, this cannot be proven absolutely as there are few detailed records remaining from the preceding period.
After the Norman invasion of England Anglo-Saxon influence diminished throughout England, and during the next three centuries the nobility and courts gravitated towards the predominant use of French, whilst the Church continued in its traditional use of Latin. Nevertheless many Anglo-Saxon words, phrases and names remained in common usage.
The earliest known record of the Anglo-Saxon patronymic surname is in the year 1284, when "Maicoc le Crouder" was listed in the assize rolls for Lancashire. The term 'Crouder' being Manx-Gaelic for 'farrier'.
From its early beginnings branches of the family spread throughout England, and established themselves as notable owners of estates and manors. The family name went through numerous changes as the branches of the family migrated, and there are widespread records of several variants of the original surname arising. These include "Macock" "Maycock", "Maycocke", "Meakocke", "Mecock", "Mecocke", "Mecoke", "Mecouch", "Mekocke", "Meekock", "Meekocke", "Micock", "Mocock", "Mococke" and "Moycock". Also the forms "Myock" and "Mycock" were commonly found in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is believed that the different spellings were often influenced by the differences in local dialects, accompanied by the 'Poetic Licence' of the person recording the name, who simply wrote the name as it was given to them. It is known that the variations in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son, and there is one record, of a father and his eight sons, all buried in the same graveyard with different spellings of their surname. On other occasions the names have changed to include other forms such as "Heacock", "Jeacock" and "Neacock".
In 1323 a William Maycock was recorded as a landowner in the assize rolls for Stafford; and in 1327 John Moycock held land in Derbyshire.
Between the 15th and 17th centuries England was ravaged by religious and political upheaval. During such conflicts as the 'Wars of the Roses" (1455-85) and the 'English Civil War' (1642-51) it was common for members of the same family to hold differing allegiances, and consequently variations in the family name also occurred as individuals attempted to distance themselves from branches of the family on the opposing side.
The surname "MEACOCK" is a further variation of the earlier forms of the surname. The earliest known reference in this particular form is to be found in Harbury, Warwickshire, UK, where on 2nd February 1568 the birth of Roger Maycocke is recorded, as a son born to Johis MEACOCK and his wife Katherine. The second known reference, is in the records of Plemstall Church, Plemstall, Near Chester, Cheshire, UK, where a Robert MEACOCK married Joan Cook on 1st September 1574. Clearly this particular form of the surname was already widely in use by this time.
To this day many of the derivations of the surname 'Maicoc' still survive, whilst other forms have disappeared completely. In more recent times there are records of emigrants to Australia and Canada varying the pronunciation and spelling to "Meacoe", although the reason for this change is uncertain.
Whilst holders of the different variations of the family name are undoubtedly spread across the whole surface of the globe, and are all distantly related in some way, it is encouraging to see that at the start of the 21st Century there are still branches of the 'MEACOCK' family alive and well in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
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