This Genealogy stuff

My Grandfather used to say he was decended from a Viking. How do I find out the history of the Orrick's.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

Answers

Maybe he was actually descended from the Chinese and saying, "This Genealogy stuff is Orricks"?

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

I found this;
"Excerpt from "Colonial Families of the Southern States of America": The Orricks (or Oric, Orrok, Orrouk, Ourrouck, etc. as the name is variously spelled) are of an ancient family of Scottish origin. According to the authority of "Nesbet's Heraldry," Vol. II: "Simon de Orrock is without question the ancestor of the House of Orrock of that ilk in the Country of Fife, reputed an ancient family," and an honorable one. Sir Simon de Orrock's name is inscribed upon the Ragman's Roll, which for antiquity is the rival of the British Dooms Day Book. The name of Orrick or Orrock is said to have originate from the rock upon that part of the Fife coast where lay the great landed estate of Orrock, belonging to the family of the same name. A history of the Orrock or Orrick family of Scotland, whose arms continue to be borne by the Orricks of America, takes us back to the 13th century."
And This:
According to venerable Bede, the “Father of English History” who was born in 673, the Pictish race, one of the founding races of the British Isles, arrived in Scotland from Brittany about the 15th century BC. From France the Picts had sailed northward to Ireland. The ancient Monarchies of Ireland refused them permission to land, but they were allowed to settle in the eastern part of Scotland on condition that all their Kings marry an Irish Princess. This established a matriaichal hierarchy, first in the annals of British history. The family name Orrock is believed to be descended from this source.
Could be a load of Orrocks of course, so you could try e-mailing someone who's done some research on their particular branch of the name
http://www.gendex.com/users/branscombe/genuki/nblduro.htm you might find you're related and it'd save you a lot of time and effort!!
Try also:
http://genforum.genealogy.com/orrick/
where I found the above

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

Alas poor Orrick, I gnu him well. Or, more probably:

Alas poor Orrick - I ken him weel.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

Hey Windy aren't you supposed to be scouring the Carribean and central America for new toon talent, rather than looking up peoples orricks?

or is that a differn't Peter Miller?

Ta though.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

So I am decended from the Scottish not Vikings? Actually PETE we might be related, My Sir name being Mills no doubt an Ango Saxon name with Miller a varient?

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

Windy, that genforum thing looks great! I just did a quick look-up of one of my irish great-grandparents names(the least common one among those I do know) and found a few postings from folks who could very well be related as there weren't that many Gavaghans around Co. Roscommon at the time. One branch of them landed in Lancashire. Figures I find this and now have a stack of work to do today. Will have to explore further when I get home and can look up what little info I've already got. :-)

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

Err.possibly, but where there was a mill, there was always a Miller (or Mills perhaps) so it's not exactly an unusual name and isn't really traceable by surname only. Most surnames like Miller were given by administrators and those in power to help identify people, who amongst themselves would just refer to each other as Jim, John, Peter, or oy you, fatty. Only those with claims to nobility, like Orrocks, had 'proper' surnames ;-)
As for Latin America and the Caribbean, I'd be only too willing to scour the beaches looking for talent...not sure football would come into it though.

-- Anonymous, February 21, 2001

Hello Odin......we could be blood kin...my name means Sea Dog or Sea Warrior :)

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2001

How very apt, LR.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2001

Spent a few hours on those Geneology sites last night, It seems that a lot of people have traced their family trees back to the 1700,s and 1800,s . How do you start?

I want conclusive proof that I'm not related to a Man U fan.

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2001

Best advice I can give Rik, is buy a realy good book on the subject first. Second, canvas your family for any copies of birth, death, marriage, christening etc., certificate that they have, plus any anecdotal information as to where various family members lived, came from, their trade etc. You can do a lot of searching on the internet, but at some point you will require to visit the appropriate public records office, and you need to be well prepared in order to make the most of your time. This is the stage I have reached. I am currently making a list of all the information I am hoping to get from the Public Records Office in Morpeth. There`s also a North East Genalogy Society which I have only just joined, so I don`t know how much assistance that will be yet.(:o)

-- Anonymous, February 22, 2001

Rik...I have "proof" .....i.e Parish records, of a Katherine Syborn dated 1300's!!

-- Anonymous, February 23, 2001