RETALLACK SURNAME March 9 2000 by Greg Retallack
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RETALLACK SURNAME March 9 2000 by Greg Retallack, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1272:gregr@ darkwing.uoregon.edu;http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~dogsci Abstract Retallack is a name endemic to Cornwall, and traceable in that southwestern English county back to 1497. The name is probably derived from Talek, recorded back to 1349, by addition of a demonstrative pronoun (those Taleks!). Talek in turn is most likely from the old Cornish talawg meaning high forehead. The comparable Welsh name Tallwch and Pictish Talorc can be traced back to the 6th century. There are numerous other ideas concerning the origin of the Retallack surname from Cornish place names, Cornish saints, mine workings and Norse and Greek gods, and these are all reviewed here. Retallacks in Cornwall were largely miners and farmers. Many left Cornwall for the United States and Australia in the 1850's. I emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1977, but my great great grandfather emigrated in 1852 to Australia, where I was born and raised. Introduction The Retallack name is unusual and often requires careful spelling out. Pronunciation is also a challenge (correct is r'-TAL-lack, rhymes with metallic). With the advent of the internet and computer-generated genealogical research I have been getting frequent requests for information on the surname and its ancestry. Here is as much as I can reconstruct. Retallack is endemic to Cornwall, England, where it has been a rare name back to the 15th century (Table 1). Since the 19th century it has been part of a global emigration (Table 2) so that there are now more Retallacks in Australia and the U.S. than in Cornwall. A computer search (Halbert's Family Heritage, 1998) revealed 294 Retallacks in Australia, 173 in the United States, 151 in Great Britain, 48 in Canada and 2 in South Africa. Table 1. A tentative reconstruction of Retallacks in Cornwall (from LDS, 1997; K. Retallick, 1998) Children of Children of Children of Children of John Children of John Children of Children of John Children of John Retall- John and John and Mary Children of and Jane Retallack and Jane John and and Martha John and acke at St Dorothy Retall-ack at John and at Manaccan Retallack at Margery Retallack at Jane Columb Major Retallack at Saint Columb Catherine Constantine Retallack at Manaccan Retallack at Saint Col- Major Retallack at Falmouth Helston umb Major Saint Columb Major Philllepa c. 24 Grace c.14 Joane c.16 Dec Anne c.29 Jun Margery c.14 May Jane c.27 Dec Anthony c.24 John c.16 Jun Jane c.6 Oct May 1573 Jun 1607 1632 1662 1700 1731 Nov 1767 1793; labour-er 1819 in 1819, m. 25 Sep. 1816 Jane John c. 26 Aug John c.31 Constance Frances c.25 John c.19 Nov. Roger c.25 Oct John c.28 Mar Chipway at John c.10 1574; m. 20 Aug 1617 c.10 May 1635 Sep 1664 1702; m.24 Jul 1733 1770; m.20 Jun Feb 1822 Helston Oct 1604 1731 Jane Wilmot 1791 Martha Dorothy at Constant-ine; Williams at St Randle at Saint John c.24 Mar Mary c.20 d.21 Apr 1816 at John c.6 Jan Anthony in Mary Ann 1736 died in c. 10 Dec Columb Major 1638 Oct 1666 Constantine childhood? (see Meneage 1826 below) Honor c. 11 Mary c.3 Mar Jane c.31 Bernard c.25 Jun Margery c.31 Dec 1580 1641 1705 Parnella c.10 Jul 1772 Mar 1739; died Jun 1668 in childhood? Richard c. 3 George c.3 Jun (see below) May 1583; 1707 died in child- Elizabeth c.29 hood? (see Jun 1670 Parnella c.6 Jun Samuel c.2 Jul below) 1742 1710 Joanne c.18 Thomas c.6 Aug 1672 John c.1 Dec Anthony c.16 Jun Apr 1586 1748; m.3 Aug 1713 John c.11 Jul 1767 Margery Williams at Richard c.15 1674 Falmouth Aug 1584 Table 2. Retallacks in Australia and U.S.A. (W.Gollan, pers. com., 1993; B.Hallam pers com. 1998) Emigration of John from Cornwall to Children of John Children of Charles John Children of Leslie John Children of Kenneth Children of South Australia and Caroline in and Margaret in Mitchell, and Elsie Ruth in John and Moira Wynn Gregory South Australia Queensland Queensland in Tasmania and John and N.S.W. Diane Alice in U.S.A. John Retallack b.1822, farmer and Seth, b.17 Jul 1854, Olive Maud b.23 Jan Betty Sylvia b.1923 Gregory John b.8 Nov Nicholas carrier, emigrated from Redruth, Mitcham, S.A., 1897, d.25 May 1954, Brisbane, Qld; d.5 Oct 1951 at Hobart, Tas., John b.13 Cornwall to South Australia 1852 (?) farm-er, d.9 Jul Toowong, Qld 1923 emigrated to U.S.A. Jun 1986 on "Himalaya": d.8 Aug 1890 1939, Korunye, 1977; m.30 May 1981 Adelaide, S.A. at age 69; m.7 Nov S.A. Diane Alice Johnson in 1853 in Mitcham, S.A., Caroline Ruby Caroline b.16 Sep Kenneth John b.12 Aug Joliet IL, U.S.A.; b.12 Jeremy Rashleigh who was b. 9 Feb 1832 at 1898 Brisbane, Qld, d.28 1926 at Brisbane, Qld, Dec 1952 at La Salle, Douglas John b.19 Apr Sep 1974 d.27 Jan 1969 at Sydney, b.29 Jan St Keverne, Cornwall, emigrated to IL, U.S.A. South Australia 1852 on "Caucasian" 1857, Angaston, N.S.W.; m.18 Nov 1950 1988 to join a sister, d.5 Aug 1896, Forster, S.A., farmer, d.17 Moira Wynn ("Wendy") Sep 1928, Adelaide, Eric Thomas Charles b.25 Dean, b.8 Nov 1928 Michael Leslie b. 1 Jul S.A. Apr 1900, Brisbane, Qld, S.A. Evandale; widow 1954, Arncliffe, newspaper worker, remarried Alan Bruce Sydney, N.S.W.; m. d.1976 Gollan, with no issue Bridget Clare Mabbutt, William b.20 Aug b. 25 Oct 1957, one 1858, Angaston, daughter, Jemina Clare, S.A., farmer, d.27 Leslie John b.31 Dec b. 29 May 1988 Aug 1934, 1901 at "Cocaigne", Mitchell, Qld; newspaper Mitcham, S.A. printer; d.7 Jun 1965 at Christopher Charles b. Sydney: m.Elsie Ruth 2 Sep 1956, Arncliffe, Thomas b.18 May Ireton b.in Brisbane Qld: Sydney, N.S.W.: m. 18-60, Angaston, after divorce remarried Maria Nikitaris, b. 16 S.A., d.15 Aug Neridah Blanch Fletcher May 1966, two sons, 1863, Angas Park, with no issue Jack Kenneth b. 11 Oct S.A. 1985; Adam Michael b. Cyril Rashleigh b.29 Dec 15 Sep 1988. Charles b.3 Jul 1903, newspaper worker, 1862, Angaston, d.1977 S.A., d.10 Nov 1863, Angas Park, Roy Mitchell b.11 Dec S.A. 1905, Brisbane, d.1978 Elizabeth b.4 Apr 1864, Angaston, Sylvia May b.17 Dec S.A., d.17 Nov 1907 1948, Karrakatta, W.A. Ilma Jessie b.23 Jan 1910, d.1942 Thomas b.14 Jul 18-66, Steinau, Maurice Francis b.16 Feb S.A., builder, d.17 1912, Brisbane, Qld; bank Feb 1934, inspector; d.1990 Fremantle. Charles b.25 May 1868, Steinau, S.A., d. 18 Jan 1964; m.1896 in Brisbane, Qld, Margaret Jane Dobbin, b.1871 near Goulburn N.S.W. James Williams b.13 Sep 1870, Point Gawler, S.A., d.12 Dec 1957, Karrakatta W.F. b.20 Nov 1872, d.21 Feb 1872 Francis Rowe b.13 Jan 1873, River Light S.A., d.15 Feb 1873 Meaning of the name Most surnames are either physical descriptions (eg. Longfellow), occupations (eg. Smith) or localities (eg. London). For Retallack a case has been made for each from Cornish language and geography. All of these conflicting claims will be discussed here, but I will also make plain my preferences. The search for meaning can be guided by a chronology of first appearance of variants of the name (Table 3). The extant surname Retallick first appears as Retallicke in 1609 (K. Retallick 1998), and was presumably derived from Retallack. The Retallack spelling is traceable back to 1497 (Rowse, 1941) and is likely to have been derived from the surname Talek recorded as far back as 1349 (Hatcher, 1973). Early variants such as Rettelehc of ca. 1250 are also likely to have been predated by Talek, incorporated in such place names as Botalec of 1262, because of the much wider distribution of Talek than Retallack in Cornwall before 1600 (K. Retallick, 1998). Comparable names such as Tallwch and Talorc can be traced back to ca. 550 AD (Eisner, 1969). Table 3. Chronology of first appearance of names similar to Retallack (from Henderson, 1937; Graves, 1966; Rowse, 1941; Eisner, 1969; Hatcher, 1973; K. Retallick, 1998) Similar names in Variants of Cornish surname Variants of extant surname Variants of extant surname Other variants (including place antiquity Tallack Retallack Retallick names) Tammuz ca.1800 BC Talek 1349 Retallack 1497 Retallicke 1609 Rettelehc ca.1250 Talus ca.1450 BC Talkard 1379 Retallacke 1567 Retallicker 1619 Botalec 1262 Telmen ca.1400 BC Tallocke 1542 Retellacke 1575 Rhetallick 1637 Reshelec ca. 1270 Pallas ca.800 BC Tallacke 1588 Retalake 1611 Rhitallick 1637 Retelek 1284 Atlas ca.800 BC Tallack 1593 Rettallacke 1612 Retallick 1640 Rekadrek 1296 Tantalus ca.700 BC Talacke 1600 Retalack 1613 Retalicke 1678 Retalec 1309 Queen Tailltiu ca.350 Tallock 1628 Rhetallacke 1624 Retalick 1700 Rettelek 1311 BC Talack 1636 Retallac 1624 Rettalick 1727 Restalek 1316 Tallwch ca.550 AD Tallett 1661 Retalacke 1624 Retallic 1728 Rettalek 1318 Taliesin ca.550 AD Tallak 1668 Rhetallace 1640 Retalik 1752 Rystallet 1327 St Dallan 598 AD Talleck 1674 Ratallacke 1641 Rettalic 1770 Ristaloc 1327 Talorc 780 AD Tallecke 1674 Retallaks 1657 Rettallick 1800 Restallek 1334 Thorlack ca 1000 AD Tallach 1684 Rettallack 1661 Retillick 1805 Restelek 1370 St Tallan 1452 AD Talluk 1690 Ritallack 1670 Retablick 1806 Reystalek 1390 Talleuk 1692 Retallak 1674 Retellick 1827 Reystallek 1396 Tallick 1706 Rettalak 1678 Retollick 1841 Retalek 1522 Tellick 1714 Retallaffe 1685 Retallich 1850 Retaleke 1535 Tallake 1728 Retallark 1701 Retattick 1857 Retallek 1543 Talick 1787 Rettack 1705 Retullick 1860 Retallock 1565 Tullack 1832 Rettallack 1717 Retelick 1890 Retalleck 1573 Retallach 1718 Retallecke 1573 Retalback 1724 Botolag 1580 Ratalack 1726 Trevallacke 1580 Retsallack 1750 Retellecke 1580 Restallack 1758 Botallock 1584 Retellack 1776 Tretallock 1584 Ridallack 1826 Retaller 1594 Retullack 1837 Botallack 1602 Rotallack 1834 Retalecke 1606 Retaback 1844 Retalock 1607 Rettalack 1868 Rhetallecke 1635 Tretallack 1640 Rettalleck 1641 Retaleck 1676 Retallyck 1710 Retania 1711 Retalluck 1845 Thus the re part of the name is probably a prefix., and in my opinion is most likely a demonstrative pronoun meaning "the ones", "those" or "some".