WELCOME & OVERVIEW

SHELVOCK is a name of Saxon (Old English) origins - from the Old English 'scelf' or 'scylf' meaning a shelf of level ground, or flat topped hill, and 'ac' meaning oak, taken from the ancient Manor of Shelvock and nearby locality, near Ruyton-XI-Towns, Shropshire, England, originally pronounced "shelf'ac", "shelv'ak" or "shelv'oak", but today as "shel'vock". All families with the SHELVOCK name today descend from one small surviving C19th Shropshire group. There were only 25 individuals of voting age with the name in the UK's 2000 Electoral Roll, all with a proven connection to the same small family tree. More recently, the Surname Database suggests that the Welsh "oeg" for salmon may be the second syllable, thereby making Shelvock on a bank of a river with an abundance of salmon. As there is no immediate proximity of Shelvock to a river, and the combination of Welsh & OE may be an unusual one linguistically, this author continues to favour the explanation that matches geomorphology.

SHELVOKE is a variant of the SHELVOCK name which has small clusters in C18th/C19th Wolverhampton, Willenhall, and the West Bromwich & Aston areas of Birmingham. C20th records and more recent research (assisted by online computerised records) has provided the proof that the majority of this variant stems from one branch of SHILVOCK who move from Halesowen to Birmingham in the early C19th (Henry SHILVOCK & his wife Ann SAUNDERS). The name is primarily in Birmingham with C20th descendants in the London area (Lambeth, Croydon, Bromley & Hitchin). The origin of the name may well be the true original Anglo Saxon pronunciation of SHELVOCK, where one particular branch of the family pronounced the name in its original form, with a longer "o" sound, i.e. SHELVOAK (also an occasional spelling variant). It is interesting how the name morphed as it travelled, from SHELVOCK in Shropshire, to SHILVOCK in Halesowen, becoming SHELVOKE in nearby Birmingham. The SHELVOKE name survived in a small number of UK firms, the most notable of which is Shelvoke & Drewry, which later became incorporated into Shelvoke Dempster, Dennis Shelvoke, & other spin-off companies, all associated with this particular branch of the family. There were only 9 individuals of the name in the 1901 census, and only one surviving person in the C21st.

SHILVOCK - pronounced "shil'vok" - the variant created in the C17th/C18th by Black Country (North Worcestershire/South Staffordshire) dialect and is the dominant standardised spelling today with many hundreds of related families. No more than 1600 people have been born with the name in the last 200 years. In Clent & Halesowen certain families also had the following clan aliases: SHILBURNE (seen in C18th/C19th Clent baptisms), BARLOW, PROPHET, MANLIE & DAY, apparently to distinguish themselves from each other. This appears to be based on some earlier maternal family names (at least possibly for DAY a wife (1815-45), although people with the other surnames have yet to be located). Many of these families still have ancient stories of “lands in Shropshire” which supports the evidence provided in this Study that this name derives from SHELVOCK, although no ownership rights have ever been documented since the Lords of Shelvock were the THORNE family.

Note: Some SHILVOCK descendants today, particularly the USA, have the SHELVOCK name as a result of name changes during the US immigration processes. The uncommon name has resulted in dozens of variations existing in the UK's written records (particularly census and church records) due to mistranscription, such as SHILOOCK & SHILLOCK. These are highlighted in this study as they are discovered. So far, there are over 45 spelling variants! In one case, due to the name being common in Halesowen, a genuine SHILCOCK family had their records assumed to be SHILVOCK.

This website also has information on the origins of the C19th/C20th family of SHILVOCK-WRIGHT, and the family tree on Ancestry contains other persons who may have one of these unusual family names as a middle given name. In a unique example, a daughter has been given the name of Shele after her SHELVOCK grandfather.

Importantly, these webpages document the true story of the origins of the family name, which despite the unusual spelling and foreign sound is a family name of very early English origins. While not the Lords of Shelvock, they were no doubt connected with the Manor of Shelvock (peasant farmers belonging to the estate) and adopted the location when the use of surnames became more common. Commercial "genealogy" firms that sell certificates describing the names with a foreign origin, even suggesting the families have 'crests' or entitlement to bear coats of arms are incorrect and misleading. There are no coats of arms for the SHELVOCK or SHILVOCK family name (confirmed by the official offices for heraldry in London) and those advertised are often the one belonging to the THORNES family of Shelvock of Melverley.

It has been speculated that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who lived at Cliffe House, Ruyton, near Shelvock, may have used the name as a basis for his legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, however this author believes it is more likely to be derived from his time as a resident in Aston, Birmingham, where he lived near Sherlock Street and reputedly bought his fiddle from a music shop there.

Despite its ancient origins and rarity as a surname, the name SHILVOCK has more recently entered the Urban Dictionary in a more derogatory sense, for a person who praises people only for their own personal profit, and dismisses others when it brings them any negative attention (from "Shill" (slang) - a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty, and "Voc" (slang) - To do with the voice, voice controlled; the oral equivalent of “shiltex” in the written form.

- Some Family Myths Exploded -

• Despite family tales, the family name does not originate from Poland, Ukraine, Norway, Denmark, or any other foreign parts;

• The name has no connection with occupations such as tailoring or an association with plums, as promoted by certain companies defining origins of family names;

• The families are not descendants of "red-haired Jewish gypsies from Eastern Europe";

There are many connected webpages and numerous downloadable data files on this site. The contents are a culmination of over 30 years research by this webauthor, with contributions from many individuals worldwide. Despite the rarity of the names, most families have been successful in finding some "long lost" relatives through these pages. All modern families are probably related within the last three centuries, specially those bearing the name SHELVOCK and SHILVOCK in the West Midlands. With your input some of the connections can be proven. 2012 celebrates the 15th year of this ONS on the Internet.

In addition to finding contacts actively researching this name or just interested parties, you can also find detailed information about the origins of the name and an extensive reference data of public domain information (birth, death & marriage indices, etc.). Earlier family trees have been removed having been transcribed to Ancestry and can be viewed there. There is also a list of ongoing puzzles where you can contribute to the research effort if you have a genuine interest in the names.

The best way you can help the study is to relate stories about your family so I can see where you fit in. Even to a small degree, all families worldwide have so far contributed. By covering the C20th - the period of current living memory - there's a good chance you can be taken back several hundred years or receive help to research your own family once your grandparents origins have been established.

The Index from the UK 1901 Census has been added, demonstrating many of the typographical errors by those who thought one of these names must be something else. If you're part of the greater Black Country family (Halesowen & Stourbridge), then your family information is key to sorting the hundreds of families in the area that aren't yet linked. Somehow, you're all related!

While browsing, why not download and listen to my concept music album "Shelvock" inspired by some of the findings during the course of this study?

Data, new information or occurrences of this name, and feedback on this site is encouraged and welcomed though Email, Facebook or Skype.

Please note: This site is for the amateur genealogist/family historian and no offer of professional research is intended or implied. Maintenance of this website and research contributions are purely on a volunteer basis by a distantly-related enthusiast who has normal work & family commitments. Data is all public domain information (PDI) and other family tree information has been supplied by consent or interpolated from PDI. I do my best to keep information as accurate as possible, and I welcome collaboration and feedback on extrapolation or corrections based on your own information. The transfer of paper data to Ancestry.com has solved many of the puzzles by using the computerised search for missing public records. Research has been over more than a 30-year period and sources are improving all the time. Some data and conclusions you may have read in earlier version may have been corrected. Therefore, you are strongly recommended to verify all information at source, and don't just take my word for it!

Thanks for your interest and participation in the last 1000 years of this family's history.

Please report any difficulties in navigating this site or any errors, however small. Many thanks.

Best wishes,

Mark A. S. Grace - One-Name Researcher - “The Geneal Geologist“