DOWNLOAD GROCOCK FAMILY TREE (pdf)

Grocock Family
Descendants of William Grocock and Anne Hooper of London
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In a privately published (Glen Innes, 1976) short history of the Grocott Family in Australia, Alan M Grocott MA(Hons) LittB DipEd DipRE wrote in part: The surname of Grocott (and its variations), remains a rarity in Australia. It would seem that all those who presently bear the name throughout the entire continent come from a handful of British immigrants who settled in Australia over the past 150 years.

Like most English surnames it is of medieval origin. It is of interesting derivation and suffix change. The word literally means "male crane". The Norman invasion brought many changes to Anglo-Saxon England, not the least being the introduction of a considerable number of new words. "Grew" is Medieval English of French origin for "crane" (the present French word is spelt "grue"). The word "crane" is of Old English origin, and relates to the common European crane /Grus cinerea/, of an ashen-gray colour, formerly abundant in Great Britain, but now extinct.

The surname "Grew" or "Grewe" was first used about 1230 AD. The suffix, "cock", was added during the following generation. The earliest known individual to bear the name was apparently a Margeria Groucok who appeared in the Worcestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1275. A William Grucock was recorded in the Staffordshire Assize Rolls of 1312. At Barstyon, Leicestershire, a Margaret Growcocke left a will in 1579.

The compound of "grew" and "cock" is really a nickname which relates to that particular variety of wading bird, characterised by very long legs, neck and bill. Such a spindly bird provided an apt nickname for tall men with long, thin legs and arms. There is little doubt in this case that the suffix relates to "male". Surnames of a similar origin include Peacock, Woodcock and Moorcock.

Over the centuries, the surname has been spelt (or misspelt) in a bewildering variety of ways, though they all spring from an original of the same type. The known variations include: Grucock, Grucock, Grucod, Groucok, Groucock, Groocok, Groockok, Groocock, Groococke, Groocick, Grewcock, Grewcoucke, Growcock, Grocock, Groucott, Groucutt, Grewcott, Grewcote, Grucott, Growcott, Groocotte, Groocott, Groocot, Grocotte, Grocott, and Grocot.

(Information provided by J.D.Grierson 2012)

 

The direct line to Libby Shade is
(1) William Grocock & Anne Hooper
(2) Samuel Grocock & Susannah
(3) William Henry Grocock & Emily Watson
(4) Walter Henry Serle & Kate Grocock
(5) Percival Serle & Dora Beatrice Hake
(6) Katharine Beatrice Serle & John Sampson Grierson.

Recent Changes

Photos of 7 Westbourne Park Rd, Paddington on photopage added 10 Jan 2022

Enlargement of some Grocock descendant families added 24 Nov 2019

Contact Libby Shade for further details
email:
libbyshade@westnet.com.au
P.O. Box 105, Rosanna 3084, Victoria, Australia

This family tree is provided for mutual information within the family.
The information given will be referenced by official documents, family bibles etc.
Information that is uncertain or unreferenced will not be published.
For privacy of the present generations, the family tree will halt at the generation born around the start of the 20th century.
Discussion gladly entered into.