Pickston

Recorded in many spellings including Pecksen, Pecksome, Pickson, Picton, Pixon, Pickston and Pickstone, this is an English surname. For most nameholders the origin is almost certainly one of the villages called Picton found in the counties of North Yorkshire, Cheshire, or Pembrokeshire in South Wales. It is believed that the village name and hence the later surnames, translate as "Pica's farm" from the pre 7th century Olde English word "pica" meaning an elf or goblin, and "ton", a settlement or farm. It is just possible, although we have no definate proof, that in some cases the name where it appears with the suffix -on, -son, or -sen, it could have been a patronymic from the surnames Peck or Peak. These names were originally occupational for a civic official responsible for weights and measures in a town. Early recordings include Richard Pixon in the pipe rolls of the county of Norfolk in the year 1209, whilst later church recordings in the diocese of Greater London include: Elizabeth Pixon who was christened at St Andrews, Enfield, on August 2nd 1590, Abraham Pecksome, who was married at St Matthews, Bethnal Green, on December 10th 1776, and Frederick Pecksen who married Eliza Calvert at St Phillips Stepney, on February 2nd 1868. Sir Thomas Picton, the famous cavalry leader, was killed leading his regiment in the famous charge at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.