Simcock

Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Simcock, Simcocks, Simcox, Symcox and the transposed variants Sincok and Sinncock, this is an English medieval surname of Greek-Hebrew origins. Developed from the personal name Simon, which itself was the Greek version of the Hebrew "Simeon" meaning "he who hears", the name was always popular in Europe as a Saints name. It was not recorded in England before the Norman Invasion of 1066, and thereafter owed its medieval popularity to Simon de Montford who organised the 1264 opposition to the despotic reign of Henry 111. The developed patronymic surnames included the recordings of Simon Simcocke of Somerset in the Subsidy Rolls of the year 1327, and Thomas Symcokes of Staffordshire in 1395. Later recordings include Thomas Simcock, whose will was proved at Chester in 1616, Mary Sinnecock, who was christened at St Ann's church, Blackfriars, in 1646, and Nicholas Sincock, a witness at St Olaves church, Hart Street, London, on October 20th 1725.The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Symcock. which was dated 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire. during the reign of King Edward 1, known as the Hammer of the Scots, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.