• People living in the early Middle Ages did not have a surname as we would recognise it; instead, it was common for them to insert the name of the parish where they were born after their Christian name as a method of identifying themselves when they went somewhere else.
  
  
• Surnames did not develop until the mid-thirteenth century. An example is given below with the reference taken from a book by J. Charles Cox; he identifies a Gilbert de Matlock, which means Gilbert of Matlock. In later centuries, this man would have become simply Gilbert MATLOCK, just as John the Smith became John SMITH, though in the latter case John was named after his occupation of smith rather than the place he was born. There were two additional ways surnames originated - from the father's name (patronymic) and from nicknames.
  
  
• So it isn't unreasonable to suppose that those who were and are born with the surname of MATLOCK should originate from the early inhabitants of the place known as Matlock in Derbyshire, England.
  
  
  

1. "1388. Gilbert de MATLOCK." (Cox^[1])
   
   Cox found the name under the Institutions to the Chantry of the Blessed Virgin for the church at Dronfield, DBY. The Guild of the Blessed Virgin was founded within the church at Dronfield in the year 1349. Gilbert's name was the first on the list. Cox used as his source the Lichfield Episcopal Registers, vol. vi., fo. 104 and Addy's "Beauchief Abbey", pp.119-122.
   
   
2. "From the particulars of the 'Gild of Our Blessed Lady of Dronfield' we get the fact that "Gilbert de Mateloc, chaplain, and his companions enfeoffed Johanna, widow of Robert Bretone" ...^[2]'
   Although the above quotation is undated, it is clearly the same Gilbert as that found by Cox.
   
   
3. In 1840 William Adam wrote^[3]:
   
   

   "The following singular circumstance was communicated to the Author by a respected inhabitant of Matlock Bath, who conversed with the party named:- A person engaged in Mercantile affairs in New York came to Liverpool on business, in 1816, and finding himself on his arrival, not far distant from Matlock, he felt exceedingly desirous to visit it, being the birthplace of his ancestors, and from whom, in his youth, he had heard some wonderful things respecting it. He came accordingly. On conversing with the parties here, he stated that he always understood that hot water flowed out plentifully at the foot of the hill where his ancestors resided. He gave his name as Timothy MATLOCK. This name being singular, and no one recollecting such a name, search was made in an old Parish Register, where the following entries were found - "Richd. Filius Thos. MATLOCK, Baptised April 28th 1660. Grace the daughter of Richd. Thos. baptised May 1st, 1661" It would appear that the place alluded to was the Upper Wood, a small hamlet, as all the hot springs issue out at the foot of the hill below it ; and this somewhat confirms the idea already thrown out, that this was the original Metesford". [Written in a footnote at the bottom of page 25]: "Filius" means son of.

   
   Adam also noted that Mestesford or Nestford was assumed to have derived from the Nester Mine as Nestes or Nestus was the name originally given to the Heights of Abraham. There was supposedly also a ford across the river below this.
   
   
4. "In an early volume of The Reliquary there are recorded a series of Matlock deeds, in which occur the names of Henry de MATLOCK and Maud, relict of John de MATLOCK" (Bryan^[4]).
   
   There are copies of "The Reliquary" at County Hall Local Studies Library.
   Vol II (1861-2) pp.174-5 refers to ancient Latin Deeds in which these names occurred.
   How to contact County Hall Local Studies Library
   
   
5. Bryan also wrote of the possibility of people being named after the place they lived, as I have discussed above. He mentioned the story recounted by Adams, though changing the register findings slightly to Grace, daughter of Thomas [MATLOCK]. He also mentions the MATLOCK Memorial Inscription in All Saints' Church, Derby :-
   
   "Near this place lies the body of Robert, only child of Robert and Sarah MATLOCK, who was born October 26th, 1726, and departed this life October 25th, 1730^[5]".
   
   This clearly refers to the son of Robert MATLOCK who married Sarah PARTRIDGE at Duffield, DBY on 6th February 1725/6.
   
   
6. The following extract is taken from an early twentieth century publication and the points raised by the author, W.N. Statham^[6], are discussed below it. The book includes details from the Domesday Book and then discusses the various early forms of Matlock (i.e.Meslach, Mathlac and Matlok). The author then goes on to say:
   
   

   "In the list of Rectors who held the living of Matlock[Note 1] it will be found that two possessed the name of MATLOCK, vix.: William de MATLOKKE in 1325[Note 2] and Robert de MATLOKKE in 1397, these were undoubtedly the eldest sons of the descendants of the first Knight of Matlokke or Meslach, or Mathlac, who undoubtedly must have owned at that time the greater part of the land and possessions round about the Parish Church and would in all probability hold and live at the Manor House. In all cases where an individual's Christian name followed by de and the name of the place where he lived is recorded, the meaning is that his title would be Sir of Knight of that place. [Note 3] It may be of interest to the readers of this history that within the last few years I have seen communications from two heads of families living in America who are descendants of the de MATLOCK's, and are seeking any information respecting their ancestors that can be obtained; one of these took a very prominent part in the government of that country at the time of the Declaration of Independence and lived to a good age of between eighty and ninety, thus showing that Derbyshire stock is of an enduring kind and full of grit. I believe one branch of the family eventually became Quakers [Note 4] and would possibly leave this country at the time, those holding that belief were more or less persecuted, with a view to stamp out the denomination. It is just possible therefore the American families are descendants of these emigrants from Matlock; there are still in existence old Deeds recording the transfer of lands from the de MATLOCKs of long ago".

   
   This is very interesting, as Statham has made some fascinating points, though some of them cannot be proved.
   
   [Note 1]
   Disappointingly for those researching the name, this statement cannot be verified at present. No Matlock rectors have been found with the name de MATLOCK, though there was a William de Matlok, clerk, living in the 14th century. Without further checks, this writer is unsure whether William was directly connected to the church in Matlock.
   Rectors from St. Giles Church
   
   [Note 2]
   There is documentary confirmation of William, son of Richard de MATLOKKE, living in the fourteenth century. He would have been the same William identified in Note 1.
   Please see below, under "suggested areas for further research".
   
   [Note 3]
   This interpretation of "de MATLOCK" possibly gives more importance to the rank of people with the surname than may have been the case, although the de Matlocks certainly held land within Matlock.
   The Manor of Matlock
   Charters and Early Deeds
   The Wolley Manuscripts
   
   [Note 4]
   Statham's belief can only be proved by the examination of the names of early emigrants from England to the United States and in Quaker records, but it seems unlikely that anyone named MATLOCK emigrated to the New World directly from Matlock itself although Matlock families (Ludlam and Bowne) were amongst the early settlers.
   
   Jana Black^[6] writes that researchers in the United States have traced their origins to John MATLOCK, known to have been born in England between 1560 and 1580 in the adjacent county of Nottinghamshire. From what we know so far, it is quite possible that early inhabitants of Matlock, known by the name de MATLOCK in the fourteenth century, moved from Derbyshire to Nottinghamshire. But this is pure speculation at the present.
   
   

There weren't many in the 1881 census - there were only 173 people with the surname of MATLOCK who were living in Great Britain which is not a large number. None of these individuals were born in Derbyshire. Henry and Mary MATLOCK were the only MATLOCKs living in the county in 1881 - at Litchurch near Derby. Only five MATLOCK's were living in neighbouring county of Nottinghamshire.

The oldest and youngest MATLOCK's alive then were both female.

• Mary MATLOCK, a widow, was the oldest and aged 72; she was living alone in Essex at Workhouse Cottage, Peldon.
  (RG11/1796 fo.40 p.8).
  
  
• The youngest, Fanny MATLOCK, only 2 weeks old, was in the "Union Work House" Union Place, Loughborough, LEI, ENG. She was with her mother Elizabeth, brother, sister and 21 other people were also inmates.
  (RG11/3144 fo. 114 p.14).
  
  
• The oldest male was 70 year old gardener Joseph MATLOCK of In The Park, Trumpington, CAM, ENG
  (RG11/1663 fo.88 p.19)

Forty years earlier, in 1841, there were only 69 people with the surname MATLOCK living in England and Wales. By 1861 this number had increased to 138 people. After 1881 the number first declined to 153 in 1891; Henry MATLOCK (49), Rose MATLOCK (50) and Sarah Ann MATLOCK (7) were living in Derbyshire. Henry died in 1901 and Rose lived until 1915. Sarah Ann's fate is unknown at present although she might have married John Salt in 1901 at Derby Register Office. The 1901 census, the last census currently in the public domain, lists 228 MATLOCK's in England and Wales.

Local newspapers have occasionally featured requests from people with the surname for information about the town. For example, I have a copy of The Derbyshire Times of 21 March, 1958 which featured a photograph of a letter from Maryland requesting a copy of the paper's latest issue.

• Matlock and Matlock Bath Names in the London Gazette - See 1855 for someone called MATLOCK
  
  
• Charters and Early Deeds - on site Details of Documents from the Middle Ages relating to Matlock, DBY where Gilberti and Henricco [Henry] de Matlock are named.
  
  
• Also read one of the Derbyshire Record Society publications as there is more information that cannot be quoted here.
  Please see Volume XI. Garratt, H.J.H. and Rawcliffe, Carole. (edited by) (1985) "Derbyshire Feet of Fines 1323 - 1564" ISBN 0 946 324 042 (p.42).
  Onsite link to The Derbyshire Record Society
  
  

1. Matlock Churches
   
   
2. References to early forms of spelling the place name, such as Meslach and Mathlac are to be found in Volume XXIX of the English Place-Name Society Series:
   Cameron, Kenneth (1959) "The place-names of Derbyshire". Cambridge University Press, Part II. See: pp.388-339
   
   
3. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~szmatlok/ Shaun Matlock and Jana Black have collaborated on "MATLOCKs in America"
   http://www.surnameweb.org/registry/m/a/t/matlock.shtml for the MATLOCK surname on the Surname Web
   
   
4. Subscribe to the Rootsweb MATLOCK Mailing List if you wish to contact others who are interested in this surname. To subscribe, just write the word "subscribe" in the body of the message, and nothing else. To unsubscribe, just write just the word "unsubscribe" in the body of the message, and nothing else. It helps the list owner if you turn your signature files off before sending the e-mail.
   
   
5. There is information about other Derbyshire surnames elsewhere on the Internet
   What's in a Name?
   
   

References (coloured hyperlinks are to transcripts elsewhere on this website):
All books below are also referred to on: Old Books & Other Publications

^[1] J Charles Cox (1879) "Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire" Chesterfield: Palmer and Edmunds, London: Bemrose and Sons, 10 Paternoster Buildings; and Derby. Volume 4, p.459. Addenda.
^[2] R.P. Ely, W.S. Ely and D.B. Ely (1910) "Ely, Revell and Stacye families" Fleming H. Revell Company, New York, Chicago, Toronto, London, Edinburgh, p.98
^[3] W. Adam [1840] "The Gem of the Peak" by pub. London; Longman & Co., Paternoster Row
^[4] Benjamin Bryan (1903) "History of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish": London by Bemrose & Sons, Limited, pp.116-117
^[5] Stephen Glover (1833) "History & Gazetteer of the County of Derby", pub. Derby, p.467
^[6] "History of Matlock Parish Church", W.N. Statham, (1925) Printed by Geo. Hodgkinson, pp.5-7.) With thanks to Jana Black who manages the Rootsweb MATLOCK-L
^[7] St. Giles Church Hatches, Matches and Dispatches - baptisms, marriages and burials at the Parish Church
^[8] With thanks to John Palmer for the Wirksworth information

Please note:
1. Whilst I've attempted to establish the link between the surname and the parish, none of my own known ancestors had the surname of MATLOCK.

2. Quite a few people who live in the United States have been told their ancestors were originally from Matlock in Derbyshire and there are now entries in the IGI for an early MATLOCK marriage as well as baptisms that supposedly took place in Matlock, but these have no source. One example records a given birth year of 1643 in Matlock followed by a death given as 1778 but it clearly cannot be correct.

3. I would very much like to hear from anyone who has definitely traced their ancestry back to the town or knows of further references or documents which point to people with the surname of MATLOCK living in the parish in early times.