Walcot

Recorded in many spelling forms including Walcot, Walcott, Wolcott, Woolcot and Woollacot, this is an English surname. It is locational and either from the West Country, originating from such places as Woolcot near Dulverton in Somerset, or possibly Woolcott near Bristol, or from the various places called Walcot or Walcott, which are to be found in several counties including those as far apart as Lincolnshire and Wiltshire. The place names have the generalised meaning of 'the cottage of the Wealisc', a reference to the Olde English and later Welsh, who were largely dispossessed of their lands by the invading Anglo-Saxons of the 7th century. More specific meanings in some known cases are 'the cottage by the well' from the Middle English 'wull' which later transposed to 'wool', or 'Wulfriges cottage', the former being a personal name of some popularity in ancient times. The surname spelling as Wollacott or Woollacott suggests a meaning of 'Wulfrige at the cott', but this is conjecture as no definate proof seems to exist. Early examples of surname recordings include Stephen de Walecote in the 1199 tax rolls known as the 'Feet of Fines' for Oxford, John Walcott of Northampton, in the poll tax rolls of 1379, Edward Wallcott who married Sarah Field at St Mary's church, Putney, in 1721 and John Woollacott, who married Sarah Littlewood at the famous church of St Mary-le-Bone, London, on December 10th 1794.