RETALLACK SURNAME revised September 12, 2015 by Greg Retallack, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1272:[email protected] 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, farmers and farm laborers. Many left Cornwall for Australia and the United States during the potato blight and mining slump of the 1850's, so that there are now more Retallacks overseas than in Cornwall. 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). Retallack is endemic to Cornwall, England (Fig. 1), where it has been a common name back to the 15th century (Table 1). Since the 19th century there has been a global Retallack diaspora (Table 2) so that there are now more Retallacks in Australia and the U.S. than in Cornwall. A computer search1 revealed 294 Retallacks in Australia, 173 in the United States, 151 in Great Britain, 48 in Canada and 2 in South Africa. 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 Retallick2 first appears as Retallicke in 1609, and was presumably derived from antecedent Retallack. The Retallack spelling is traceable back3 to 1497, and is likely to have been derived from the surname Talek4 recorded as far back as 1349. 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 16002. Comparable names such as Tallwch and Talorc can be traced back to ca. 550 AD5. 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". The re prefix is commonly used in swearing oaths such as "Re Míhal" ("By St Michael!6). This would imply some Taleks or Tallacks of greater fame or notoriety than others, such as Richard Talek on trial in 1349 for 1 Figure 1. Retallack and similar sounding localities (boldface), and distribution of mines and Retallack and Tallack families in Cornwall2,7. beating his mine labourers4, Ralph Retallack, a prime agitator in the tax rebellion3 of 1497, 1941), or the church warden Marke Retallacke2 of 1589. The prefix could also be from the Cornish re or rid, meaning free, clear14. Other ideas based largely on the idea of Retallack as a 2 2,8-9 Table 1. Partial reconstruction of author’s Retallack paternal line in Cornwall Marke Children of Children of Children of Children of Children of Children of Children of Children of Children of Retallecke John John Retallack John John John Richard Henry Richard William (b. about Retallecke and Dorathy Retallack and Retallack Retallack Retallack Retallack and Retallack Retallack 1535) at St and Jane in or Dorithie Mary at St and and Mary and Grace Elizabeth and Amelia and Lydia Columb St Columb (Randall) at St Columb Katherine at (Tippit) at St (Brenton) at (Brenton) at (Prior) at St (Beason) at Major Major Columb Major Major St Columb Wenn St Wenn St Wenn Austell, and Luxulyan Major Luxuylan John, b. Phillep, c. Mary, born Joane, b. 16 John, b. Richard, b. John, c. 1 Richard William c.22 Jemima b. 8 about 1560 14 May about 1606 St December about 1674 about 1696 June 1719, St Retallack, c. May 1785, March 1820, at St 1573 St Columb 1632 St St Columb St Wenn, Wenn, d. 13 23 November St Wenn Bible Columb Columb Major, d. 29 Columb Major, m. 31 d. 25 June 1799 1754 St [died Christian Major, d. Major, d. April 1606 St Major December November Roche Wenn, m. young?] Church about 1624 July 1573 Columb Major 1700 in St 1746 St 1782 at Luxulyan at St Constance, m Wenn to Wenn Elizabeth, c. Tywardreath Hennery c. Emilea b. 12 Columb John, c. 26 Grace, b. b. 10 May Mary Tippit, 26 June to Amelia 30 July 1824, 8 Major March 1574 about 1607 St 1635, St d. about James, c. 17 1721, St Prior December August 1824 St Columb Columb Columb 1707 St July 1701 St Wenn 1787, St Bible Major, d. Major, d. Major Wenn Wenn Henrey, c. 24 Austell Christian 1629 St about 1607 St Richard, c. October 1756 Church Columb Columb John b. about Anthony, b. 22 July 1723, St Wenn William, Luxulyan Major Major. 1638 St about 1707, St Wenn c.18 July Columb d. about Grace, c. 3 1790 St John b. 28 Honor, c. 11 John, b. about Major, d. 13 1807 Thomas, c. November Austell, d. June 1826 c. December 1617 St March 1684 15 October 1759, St 1843 St 16 July 1826 1580 St Columb St Columb 1726, St Wenn Columbus, Bible Columb Major, d. 15 Major Wenn Ontario, Christian Major, d. 1 March 1683 St Francis, c. 27 Canada Church August 1583 Columb Major Joane, b. Henry, c. 17 March 1762, Luxulyan, d. St Columb about 1641 March 1728 St Wenn Emilia, c. 26 1890 South Terrace Major St Wenn, m. April 1793 Adelaide, Mary, b. 7 November John, c. 2 St Austell Australia Richard, b. about 1641 1753 at St March 1767, about 1583 Wenn to St Wenn John, c. 29 Lydia b. 26 St Columb Elizabeth December January 1829, Major, d. Brenton Thomas, c. 1793 St c. 15 about 1584 27 March Austell February St Columb Alvon, c. 17 1769, St 1829, Bible Major March 1728, Wenn Elizabeth, c. Christian St Wenn 1 January Church Thomas, b. William, c. 8 1797 St Luxulyan about 1586, William, b, May 1774, St Austell d. about about 1731, Wenn William 1635 d. 29 April Harriet, c. 26 Henry b. 4 June 1831 c. 1808, St July 1807 28 August Richard, b. Wenn Luxulyan 1831 Bible about 1589, Christian d. about Samuel, c. Francis c. 26 Church 1629 about 1731 July 1807 Luxulyan Luxulyan Grace, b. 4 Amelia b. 16 June 1733, d. Jemima, c. August 1833 20 June 1733 25 October St Columbus, 1813, Ontario, Christopher, Luxulyan Canada, d. 12 c. 2 December December 1906 Flint 1734 St Michigan, Wenn, d. USA 1839 Luxulyan place name are that the re prefix comes from Cornish ryd, rit, or res meaning ford, or rydh or ruth meaning red14-17. Each of these place names will be discussed in due course, but the earliest spellings of each are more like the surname than spellings compounded from res, rid, or ruth (Table 3). Neither is the re prefix likely to be a corruption of bos (Cornish for dwelling), as in the 3 10-13 Table 2. Retallacks in Australia and U.S.A. Emigration of Children of John and Caroline in South Children of Charles and Children of Leslie Children of Kenneth Children of John from Australia Margaret in Mitchell, John and Elsie John and Moira Gregory John Cornwall to Queensland Ruth in Wynn in Tasmania and Diane Alice South Australia Queensland and N.S.W. in U.S.A. John Retallack Seth, b.17 Jul 1854, Mitcham, S.A., farmer, Olive Maud b.23 Jan 1897, Betty Sylvia Gregory John b. 8 Nicholas John b.28 June 1826, d.9 Jul 1939, Korunye, S.A. d.25 May 1954, Toowong, b.1923 Brisbane, Nov 1951 at Hobart, b.13 Jun 1986 c. 16 July 1826. Qld Qld; d.5 Oct Tas., emigrated to Bible Christian John (“Jack”) b.19 Apr 1857, Angaston, 1923 U.S.A. 1977; m. 30 Jeremy Church S.A., farmer, d.17 Sep 1928, Adelaide, Ruby Caroline b.16 Sep 1898 May 1981 Diane Douglas b.29 Luxulyan, Brisbane, Qld, d.28 Sep 1974 Kenneth John Alice Johnson in Jan 1988 Cornwall, d.8 William b.20 Aug 1858, Angaston, S.A., b.12 Aug 1926 at Joliet IL, U.S.A.; Aug 1890 farmer, d.27 Aug 1934, Mitcham, S.A. Eric Thomas Charles b.25 Brisbane, Qld, b.12 Dec 1952 at La Adelaide, S.A. Apr 1900, Brisbane, Qld, d.27 Jan 1969 at Salle, IL, U.S.A. at age 69; m.7 Thomas b.18 May 18-60, Angaston, S.A., newspaper worker, d.1976 Sydney, N.S.W.; Nov 1853 in d.15 Aug 1863, Angas Park, S.A. m.18 Nov 1950 Michael Leslie b. 1 Mitcham, S.A., Leslie John b.31 Dec 1901 at Moira Wynn Jul 1954, Arncliffe, Caroline Charles b.3 Jul 1862, Angaston, S.A., d.10 "Cocaigne", Mitchell, Qld; ("Wendy") Dean, Sydney, N.S.W.; m. Rashleigh who Nov 1863, Angas Park, S.A. newspaper printer; d.7 Jun b.8 Nov 1928 Bridget Clare was b.