Nock Family Heritage

Hello Nocks, we just had a wonderful Family Reunion in Chincoteague, Virginia. Since my family is from Accomack County, we wanted to have our Reunion somewhere in our ancestral home. We had a great time and it was a reminder of how important our family is. It was also a reminder of how much we all love being Nocks! We have such a wonderful history, whether you’re American, British, German, French, Swiss, Canadian, South American, or anywhere else in the world, it’s an absolute pleasure to a part of the Nock family! If any of you are thinking about having a Reunion of your own, I highly recommend it.

-Damon Nock

We’ve previously discussed the Nock family of New England. This booklet gives quite a bit of detail of the Nocks, and some of their exploits over a number of generations. Click on the link below and I think you’ll find it quite interesting.

https://archive.org/stream/thomasnockknoxof00laph#page/n3/mode/2up

At the dawn of the 19^th century, there was much unrest in England. Whether from volatility in the banking industry, or the threat of invasion from France, there was a need for volunteers to serve in the armed forces, and for state of the art weapons. For the latter, the authorities would turn to Henry Nock. Click on this article, and I think you’ll see that it does a great job of painting a picture of those turbulent times, and the impact of weapons developed by Nock.

Courtesy of Michael Danks

In the past, I’ve posted information about the English gunsmith, Henry Nock. His work renowned in the late 1700’s. I recently spoke to Michael Danks, a direct descendant of Henry Nock. He had a plethora of information and facts about his ancestor. Below, is an abridged family tree of Henry Nock. It also includes other gunsmiths in the family. Going forward, I will be posting more information about this amazing family.

Courtesy of Michael Danks 

One of the by-products of the creation of this blog has been the opportunity to meet so many new people in America, and around the world. This is something that I never imagined would happen when I began this journey. I want to thank each and every one of you who have been so supportive of us, and our efforts here on Nock Family Heritage. We know that we have so much more to learn about the history of the Nocks, and we could not do this without the support of people like you.

I, along with some family members have been a little busy recently with the planning of our family reunion. The interesting thing is that a number of the family members on the reunion planning committee, and many of the folks who will attend the reunion, are family members that I met through Nock Family Heritage!

I’ve said this before, but I want to say it again. The Nocks may not be as large of an extended family as some other families may be, but we are a proud group, committed to our families, and with a strong desire to strengthen our families, as well.

-Damon Nock

From: History of Delaware

Adjoining ‘’Howell’s Lott’’ and ‘’Dundee’’, on the south, is located ‘’Longacre’’, containing one thousand acres, taken up by Nicholas Bartlett under warrant from court of Kent County, dated the 20^th for month, 1682. In 1742 seven hundred and forty-five acres of this tract were in the possession of Andrew Caldwell. This ancient tract is now in possession of the heirs of Rev. I. T. Cooper, L. e. Neilson, John B. Cleaver, heirs of Samuel B. Cooper, Rev. Joseph E. Waugh, Mrs. C. I. Du Pont, land late of S. J. Everett, of Harvey Soper, of W. D. McGloghlan, and of S. M. Thomas.

            Little Geneva is a tract of four hundred acres, taken up by Alexander Humphreys, and surveyed for him March 4, 1680. It adjoins ‘’Dundee’’ and ‘’Brecknock’’, on the south of them, and ‘’Great Geneva’’ on its southwest boundary, and lies on both sides of the Upper King’s Road, just outside of the town of Camden, leading toward Canterbury roads, were in the possession of Andrew Purdon. This part is now owned by William K. Evans, William P. Lindale and Matthias Jerman. The part lying east of the Canterbury road was owned in 1783 by Warner Mifflin, George Truitt and others. This part is now chiefly owned by Levi S. Proud and the assignee of Samuel J. Everett.

            Upon this tract is the colored people’s church, called the ‘’Star of the East’’, which was described in connection with ‘’Brecknock’’. There is a hamlet of colored people, who have bought small parcels and built upon them.

            On the southeast side of Tidbury Branch and southwest of the tract ‘’Tidbury’’ lies a tract of land containing four hundred and sixty-five acres, resurveyed August 15, 1733, for Ezekiel, Daniel and Thomas Nock, the sons of Thomas, deceased. This tract remained in possession of the Nocks as late as 1783. Some time about 1760 Ezekiel Nock built a grist-mill there, and left his property to his sons, of whom Thomas remained on the homestead.

            About the 1783, or a little later, the mill property passed into the possession of Daniel Mifflin, who left it to his two sons, Daniel and Samuel. The mill was known as ‘’Nock’s Mill’’ and ‘’Mifflin’s Mill’’. Some time about 1852 the property passed into the possession of James Green, now deceased. William B. Nock, druggist, of Camden, is the sole survivor bearing the name of the Nock Family.

            West of the Nock tract, on the opposite side of Tidbury, is a tract called ‘’Gainsborough’’, comprising four hundred and forty-five acres, surveyed for John Nowell December 16, 1680.

            West of ‘’Gainsborough’’ and south of ‘’Little Geneva’’ is a tract called ‘’Grigg’s Purchase’’, taken up under a warrant of December 21, 1681, containing one thousand acres. It lies on and adjoins Tidbury stream on the north, and is on both sides of the upper king’s Road. It was originally surveyed for Alexander Humphreys, but is now in possession of Henry C. Cooper, George Gibbs, John Evans, J. B. Slaymaker and others.

            South of ‘’Grigg’s Purchase’’, and on the south side of Tidbury, is the tract ‘’Tiocullever’’, taken up under a warrant dated August 17, 1682, by Robert Betts and John King, and contained twelve hundred acres. It is now chiefly owned by Samuel W. Derby, Thomas B. Coursey, heirs of Mrs. Powell, B. F. Abbot, heirs of Dr I. T. Cooper and others. The land late of James L. Dyer and of William T. Maloney was also of the tract.

            On this tract, on the Upper King’s Road from Canterbury to Camden, is situated a grist-mill. It was bequeathed by Mary Caldwell to her son, John Caldwell, for a grist-mill seat October 15, 1786, and a mill was soon after erected. The grist-mill is now owned by Thomas B. Coursey.

            South of ‘’Longacre’’ and southeast of ‘’Grigg’s Purchase’’ and ‘’Tiocullever’’ is a large tract of land called ‘’Rhodes Forest’’, containing two thousand acres. It was taken up by John Rhodes, of Wherekill County (Sussex), on warrant from that court November 23, 1679. It was inherited by his son, John Rhodes, who, May 8, 1725, sold it to Andrew Caldwell, of Kent County, and took in exchange therefore parts of tracts of ‘’Bartlett’s Lott’’ and adjacent tracts, lying towards the mouths of St. Jones’ and Murderkill Creeks. This tract, on account of the change effected, was called by Caldwell ‘’The Exchange’’, by which name in subsequent deeds it is generally known. It is described as being on the west side of Tidbury Branch, beginning at the mouth of a small run that falls into the branch a little above an Indian path(Camden and Willow Grove road at Red House Branch) that leads from Jones’ Creek to Choptank. It extended from ‘’Indian Path’’, west by south nearly three miles, and southeast by south nearly two miles, and thence in a northerly direction about three miles, to the forks of Tidbury, and up Tidbury to beginning.