The Ancient History of the Distinguished Surname

ORROCK

According to venerable Bede, the "Father of English History" who was born in 673, the Pictish race, one of the founding races of the British Isles, arrived in Scotland from Brittany about the 15th century BC. From France the Picts had sailed northward to Ireland. The ancient Monarchies of Ireland refused them permission to land, but they were allowed to settle in the eastern part of Scotland on condition that all their Kings marry an Irish Princess. This established a matriarchal hierarchy, first in the annals of British history.
The family name Orrock is believed to be descended from this source.
Nechtan was the first recorded Pictish King about 720A.D, although, according to Roman history, many Pictish Kings before him had fought gallantly at Hadrian`s Wall against the Roman invasion many centuries before. From the north, after the year 900, the Picts were invaded by the Orcadian Vikings who penetrated as far south as Caithness, and they were left with a territory on the eastern coast of Scotland from Aberdeen, south to Edinburgh.
From some of the many early documents researchers examined such records as the Inquisitio, 1120 A.D., the Black Book of the Exchequer, the Exchequer Rolls or Scotland, The Ragman Rolls, the Chronicles of the Picts and Scots, and various other cartularies of parishes in Scotland. From these archives they produced the early records of the name in Fifeshire where they were anciently seated in the lands of Orrock some say well before the 12th century. Simon Orrock is recorded as holding those lands in the year 1248. Simon, with his brother Freskinus and son Robert agreed to give the convent of Dunfermline the lands of Muyoch and Knokduy, part of the clan lands of Orrock.
The surname Orrock was found in many different forms and spellings. From time to time the surname was spelt Horrock, Horrocks, Orrock, Orrocks, Orrox, Horrox, and some of these versions are still used today. These changes in spelling frequently occurred, even between father and son. One clanswoman on record was born with one spelling of her name, married with another and died with yet another. Scribes and church people frequently selected their own version of what they thought the spelling should be.
The family name Orrock emerged as a Scottish Clan or family in this territory. More specifically they developed in their original territories of Fifeshire where they were anciently seated. Robert and Simon Orrock, his son, both rendered homage on behalf of their clan to King Edward 1st of England in his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. In 1316, Robert and Simon witnessed the Earl of Fife`s homage to the Abbot of Dunfermline. As early as 1513 the clan were moving northward toward Aberdeen and David Orrock was recorded there. Robert Orrock was Steward Clerk of St Andrews in 1672, registering his arms as the Chief of his clan with Scottish Parliament. Escaping the 17th century religious turmoil and being essentially protestant, one member of the clan joined the cause in Holland in 1690, and became Provost Marshall of the Netherlands. In 1750 Robert Orrock sold the clan lands in Fifeshire and bought lands in Aberdeen which he also named Orrock in memory of his ancestral heritage. Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Simon Orrock of Orrock.
Scotland, during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, was ravaged by religious conflict. The newly found passionate fervour of Presbyterianism and the Church of Scotland rejected all who could not pass "The Test" of taking the oath of belief in the Church. Those failing the "Test" were sometimes burnt at the stake, more kindly, banished to Australia, the Carolinas or the West Indies.
Many Clansmen were freely "encouraged" to migrate to Ireland. Families migrated from Scotland to Ireland with cheap Irish land. They became known as the "Scotch/Irish". There is no record of this distinguished family migrating to Ireland, but this does not preclude the possibility of individual migration.
The migration or banishment to the new world also continued, some went voluntarily from Ireland, but most went directly from Scotland, their home territories. Some even moved to the European continent. They sailed to the New World across the stormy Atlantic aboard the small sailing ships known as the "White Sails", ships such as the Hector, the Rambler and the Dove. These overcrowded ships, sometimes spending two months at sea, were racked with disease, sometimes landing with only 60% of their original passenger lists.
In North America, some of the first migrants which could be considered kinsmen of the surname Orrock, or having a variation of the family surname spelling were Elizabeth Orrox who landed in America in 1764; Thomas Horrocks settled in Virginia in 1635; George, Henry, John, Jonathon,Thomas, Willoughby, Wright, and William Horrocks all landed in Philadelphia Pa. between 1850 and 1870; Jeremiah,and George Horrock landed in Philadelphia Pa. in 1819 and 1851 respectively.
From the original ports of entry the immigrants moved westward, some to the middle west, some across the prairies to the west coast. During the American War of Independence some remained loyal to the cause, whilst others became United Empire Loyalists and moved north to Canada.
Many prominent people were a part of this notable name, Lieutenant General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, K.C.B.

The most ancient grant of a Coat of Arms found was :
Black background on a chevron between three silver stars, three black chessrooks.
The crest was :
A falcon.
The ancient family Motto for this distinguished name was:
"Solus Christus mea rupes"


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Excerpt from "Colonial Families of the Southern States of America" - (pp.400-401)

The Orricks(or Oric,Orrok,Orrouck,Ourrouck, etc, as the name is variously spelled) are of an ancient family of Scottish origin. According to the authority of "Nesbet`s Heraldry," Vol II: Simon de Orrock is without question the ancestor of the House of Orrock of that ilk in the County of Fife, reputed an ancient family, and an honourable one. Sir Simon de Orrock`s name is inscribed upon the Ragman`s Roll, which for antiquity is the rival of the British Dooms Day Book. The name of Orrick or Orrock is said to have originated from the rock upon that part of the Fife coast where lay the great landed estate of Orrok, belonging to the family of the same name. A history of the Orrock or Orrick family of Scotland, whose arms continue to be born by the Orricks of America, takes us back to the 13th century.