Blacow is a locational surname from the Blacko area of Lancashire, which was in medieval times merely a scattering of farms with no hamlet or town. It is located in the north of the county a couple of miles north of Nelson, northwest of Colne, and east of Clitheroe. (See the red pin on the map below.)
Map of Blacko, Lancashire, England and surrounding areas. Image courtesy of Google Maps.
Blacow: Blaec Howe: White Hill. (White used for pale or shining--there was no word for white in Anglo-Saxon, also the root of the word "bleach.")
Blakey: Blaec Hey: White Border/Boundary. Blacko Hill is a limestone outcrop, and shows evidence of extensive ancient quarrying--the source of the name "White Hill."
The Anglo-Saxon word for "black" was "blac" and has confused translators for centuries, with many names now being re-translated as "white." The Black Dyke, for example, should be called the "White Dyke" as a lot of it was made of limestone.
Note that the ancient Black Dyke (the northern boundary of the old Anglo-Saxon country of Mercia) ran up and over one side of what is now Blacko Hill. The most prominent family of the area was Blakey, of Blakey Hall. There are several more areas in Yorkshire that produced the same name for the same reason, so there are many more Blakeys from and in Yorkshire than Lancashire.
The oldest document I have for a Blacow in Goosnargh is from 1526, and was for a Christopher Blakho. There are many other records found dating into the 1600s where similar spellings show that the "h" in "howe" was still being pronounced.
Being a locational surname, the Blacows in Lancashire are not necessarily related.
0 comments:
Post a Comment