Tassaker

Recorded in an extraordinary number of spellings including Tassicar, Tassaker, Tassiker, Tasicar, Taziker, Tushaker, and others, this is an English surname. It is locational and usually only recorded in the county of Lancashire. As to where the place was, and what was the original spelling, is unproven. A search of the Medieval 'Lost' Village list prepared by the English National Monuments archelogical section, has also failed to provide any answer. All we do know with some certainty is that three thousand surnames of the British Isles are known to originate from now 'lost' places, of which in most cases, the only public reminder in the late 20th century is the surviving surname. As also in many cases, and certainly with this name, there are myriad surname spellings, the mystery deepens. The meaning is uncertain, but is probably something like 'land overgrown with teasel' from the Olde English pre7th century 'taesel-acer.' Teasel, a very tough thistle, was used for centuries in the textile industry for cleaning the finished cloth. Early examples of the name recording in the surviving church registers of Lancashire include: George Tushaker who was a witness at Manchester Cathedral on February 17th 1594, and later Catherine Tassaker, the daughter of Richard Tassaker, who was christened at Penworth, on March 31st 1729.