Blastock

Recorded as Blastock and the rare Blasstock, this unusual name is English and medieval. It clearly originates from 'a place', although research through the records has failed to find anywhere in this or a possibly associated spelling. This is not in itself very unusual. It is estimated that at least three thousand surnames of the British Isles do orginate from now 'lost' places, of which the only public reminder in the late 20th century, is the surname itself. This is often in a myriad of spellings, some so far removed from the original as to be almost impossible to link with accuracy. Indeed this may be the situation with this name. The few place names which do commence with 'Bla-' derive from the Olde English pre 7th century word 'bleap' meaning small or slight, whilst the suffix '-stock' does mean a place. If this is correct Blastock means 'small place' and therefore it is not perhaps surprising that it seems to have disappeared from the maps and gazetters of the past three centuries. In the surviving church registers of the diocese of Greater London we have recordings which include: Robert Blastock who married Blanchia Younge at St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on June 14th 1575, and later, that of Frances Blassock who married John Speller at St Mary Magdalene, in the city of London, on April 2nd 1749.