Foreword:  In the beginning our family surname was Haddock. The earliest record of the Haddock family was located in a book, which is one of a series of books that is known as the "Domesday" Collection. The "Domesday Books" is a series of books that were published during the era of William of Normandy. He asked that the information be collected and published so that he would have the use of the information. The Domesday books date the first official record of our Haddock family. Domesday indicates that the Haddock family was property owners and was living in England in a section that was called Essex, and also that this same family was living at a place that would someday be called Leigh-by-the Sea.

William of Normandy claimed he wanted to know how the people of England were living and how much land that they owned. The survey of these early Englishmen began in the year of 1085 and was soon completed by the year of 1086. There are two pages that address the inhabitants of the village of Leigh. And those inhabitants that are mentioned are important to the understanding of the genealogy of the Haddock family. Haddock family historians should note that there is a written record of the family that dates itself nearly a thousand years ago. This research project shall refer to that record as the beginning, because it's the beginning of the written record as far as anyone has been able to locate.

The writing that is, mentioned above, is another record, one of John Haddock, who died in England in 1327, and also another record was of William Haddock, who is known to have lived in that same village or nearby. Both were living near or in Leigh, in the year of 1309. In that early record, there were nine free tenants in the manor where William lived. He rented from the Lord somewhere near four acres of land, which was called Heyronesland. The record listed William Haddock of Heyronesland-Tenement. William paid his rent in the form of attendance at the Manor Court and also paid two shillings at Michaelnas. However, he was not listed as one of the tenants living there after 1309.

This research project includes the area that lies on the north bank of the Thames, about thirty miles east of London, that is in the borough of Southend-on-Sea. There nestled by the sea is an old fishing village by the name of Leigh-on-Sea. It's steeped in a wealth of history and legends of by gone days and of stories of the Haddock family.

Leigh has its history too, because the earliest known written record of the village - Leigh (or Legra as it was once known) is in the entry that was given in the Domesday Book, which is mentioned as having been compiled in the year of 1086. [Ref Domesday Books] Legra was once held by one free man as a manor and as a one hide, is held by R in demesne. Then as now (Semper) two villeins, and two bordars, and one plough on the demesne, and half a plough belonging to the men, and five bordars by the water (super aquam), who hold no land. There is pasture for one hundred sheep. Then it states for one rouncey (horse); five cows; five calves (and); one hundred sheep; now two rounceys; four cows; five calves (and); and one hundred and three sheep. It stated that it was then worth forty shillings; but now one hundred.

From the beginning, it is stated that Leigh's long history was that of a small town settlement, which was then and now dependent on the sea. It's an old historical seafaring community. With trade that increased somewhat during the Middle Ages, the small settlement took advantage of its sheltered position and its important shipping route to London and with that it began to grow. By the 13th century it had its own parish church, which was called St. Clements. The list of Rectors of that same church date from 1248. Although the present church structure itself dates from the 15th century, it is still the same parish as that of 1248. By the 16th century, Leigh had become a fairly large and prosperous port, handling mostly coastal and some continental trade, and especially with France and the Low Countries.

Shipbuilding was one of the activities that inhabitants benefited from and used to increase the trade of the area. Ships of up to 340 tons are recorded as once having been built at the sea village of Leigh. In addition to trading ships, many others were built for the local fishing fleets. The list of Leigh-built ships begins with the Speedwell, a ship of 105 tons built in 1579, and one that had in its command an admiral by the surname of Haddock. He an alleged descendant of William Haddock, was born in Leigh, England in the mid fifteen hundreds, and is the same William that was included in this research project. The Vineyard a 240 tons ship; Merry England, 190 tons vessel; the Ruby, 280 ton ship, Mary Ann, that weighed 302 tons; and the Salamander, a 180 ton vessel. The Mayflower, the ship in which the Pilgrim Fathers made their voyage to America, was built and owned by seaman of Leigh. It was sailed by a Haddock family seaman. Must history be rewritten to record that the Haddock family did not come on the Mayflower? Apparently no one has reviewed the historical aspects that surround the seaman who brought those early English families to the New World and recorded their history.

The 16th century seems to have been a prosperous time of shipbuilding for the small community of Leigh. And it was during the next two centuries that the Haddock and Goodlad family sailors achieved distinction for their service either to the English Royal Navy or in some other seafaring way. Then a little later, Sir Richard Haddock, became Comptroller of the Navy and by the later part of the 17th century, a number of the Haddock family members, who were seamen, were honored with titles and achievement awards. Some were given metals for distinguished service.

It was during the 18th century, that ships were becoming somewhat larger and the patterns of the trade became altered from the traditional small vessels of the past. At this time, it is said, that the sea level rose, resulting in the silting up of Leigh's deep water channel and, consequently it's thought that was what caused the town's importance to decline and for it to become less noted among the seafaring communities of England. And so gradually, Leigh reverted back into a fishing village, like it once had been in the very beginning of its founding. And so, small barges did the working of local fishing grounds and the supplying large markets. By this time some of the Haddock families had removed to London, and were living about thirty miles away and were serving in the Royal Navy of the King's Army.

The history of Leigh seems vital, because it's the beginning place for the Haddock family. Some of the Leigh wharves were built at an early date and are said to be of medieval origin. In 1406, Henry 1V, endeavoring to avoid the plague then raging in London, crossed the Thames from Sheppey to Leigh. Halfway across the Thames, the king's ship was attacked by French pirates, and a chase ensued and, had it not been for the skill and navigational prowess of his crew, they claim that the king would have been captured. After he set foot on the Strand, the King of England went down on his knees and gave thanks for his safe arrival to Leigh. True - the king didn't live in Leigh, but a lot of Haddock family members did and some still do even today almost a thousand years later.

Concerning the history of the surname of Haddock, it's most interesting to note that most of family members spell their name Haddock. One can not but wonder if the origin of the Haddock name might have come from the Haddock [sic] fishing industry that surrounded this Leigh fishing port area and that the name derived from that of a fisherman. Yet, most researchers that have studied the name tend to think that it's intended to be pronounced "Had ock", "Had duck", or "Had ox" and not "Had ick." Perhaps one should look at the days pre-dating 1300 and 1400 to see if there is a written record that dates our Haddock ancestors as "had-ok" fisherman. But this research project did not address that issue.

Haddock historians have been known to state that the surname derives from Anglo-Saxon as "Adda," which is said to have originated from "Ead-Wig" meaning "fortunate in War". Whatever the case, the name is interesting and has taken as its own different spellings and pronunciations especially in the United States. It appears that it is an ever-changing name and takes on a certain pronunciation according to the region or area that it is located in. Some families have reported that they have taken a new spelling and changed their named to spell "Haddox" and some to have changed to "Hadduck", and still others have taken the spelling to "Haydock". Whatever the case, most Haddock family members have made claim that they do not like to hear their name mispronounced. And most do not want hear it pronounced "Had ick". Some families have even concluded that the only way to stop that certain "unwanted" pronunciation is to change the spelling entirely. Yet, most of we Haddock family members think that it's such a unusually interesting name that we'll keep it - just the way it is!

And so today, Haddock - a name of choice - has become many different surnames and the owner of the name has the choice of tag. One can be called "Had ick", "Had ock", "Had duck", or even "Hay dock". What other surname has so many options and allows you the choice of sound as well as the choice of spelling? Perhaps then - being born into the Haddock family is a God given blessing and should be treasured as such! The purpose of this book is not only genealogical in nature, but also to restore the Haddock legacy that the Haddock family calls our "Haddock Heritage". Donna Haddock Cooper, Registered Professional Genealogist, 2002