Jerkins

The surname JERKINS is of English origin, originating in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "jerkin," which referred to a short, close-fitting jacket or coat worn by men during that period. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname for someone who made or sold these garments.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the JERKINS surname dates back to 1587 in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Hertfordshire, England, where a Thomas Jerkins was mentioned. The surname also appears in the 1642 Protestation Returns of Gloucestershire, indicating its presence in that region during the English Civil War era.

In the late 17th century, the surname JERKINS is found in various records across England, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1673 for Buckinghamshire, where a John Jerkins is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that members of the JERKINS family had established themselves in different parts of the country by that time.

One notable individual with the JERKINS surname was Sir Thomas Jerkins (1633-1694), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire in the late 17th century. Another was William Jerkins (1768-1847), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London during the early 19th century.

Other historical figures bearing the JERKINS surname include John Jerkins (1802-1876), a prominent British businessman and industrialist who founded the Jerkins Ironworks in Staffordshire, and Mary Jerkins (1824-1898), an influential educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the JERKINS surname can be found in various parish records, census records, and other historical documents across England, Wales, and Scotland, suggesting its continued presence and spread across the British Isles during that period.