Widocks

This most interesting and unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a variant of "Whittock", which has three possible origins. Firstly, it may derive from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Hwit(t)uc", a diminutive of "Hwit", White. Secondly, it may have originated as a nickname surname for someone who had white hair, from the Olde English element "hwit", white, and "locc", locks, hair. Finally, the surname may be a topographical name for a dweller by the white clear lake, from the Olde English "hwit", and the 13th Century word "lac", lake. Early recordings of the surname include: Robert Wytcok, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273; John Wyttok, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327; John Wyhtlok, recorded in 1327 in the Essex Subsidy Rolls; and William Whittoc, listed in Wiltshire Records in 1334. Alice, daughter of John Widdock, was christened on March 3rd 1686 at St. Mary's Castlegate, in Yorkshire, and Susannah, daughter of William and Sarah Widocks, was christened on May 30th 1830, at Sandon, in Hertfordshire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Toke Wictlok, which was dated 1208, in the "Curia Rolls of Norfolk", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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.