Pollard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The notable Pollard family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymicsurnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the popular religious given name, Paul. Pollard is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronymic surnames were formed by adopting the given name of an ancestor of the bearer, while others came from popular religious names, and from the names of secular heroes. However, this surname may have also been a nickname, taken from the Old English word poll, which means head, and the suffix -ard, which referred to something big. [1]

Early Origins of the Pollard family

The surname Pollard was first found in Cornwall where one source claims “the barton of Trelleigh in Redruth, was ‘the seat of that most ancient family or Pollard, from whence all of the of that name were descended.’ ” [2]

We cannot verify that this is true, but it is important to note that the name was also scattered throughout Britain as in Pollardus Ostiarius who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201 on Suffolk, Pollardus Forestarius in the Curia Regis Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1207, Stepahnus filius Pollard in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 in Kent. [3]

The various Pipe Rolls list: William Pollard in Surrey in 1181; Richard Pollard in Hertfordshire in 1192; and Richard Pollard in Lancashire in 1195. [1]

Also of note was the Abbey of Ford, Axminster, Devon. “The Abbey passed in the first place by lease to Richard Pollard, but was afterwards bought by him. Sir John Pollard, his son, sold it to his cousin, Sir Amias Poulett ; and he to William Rosewall, Elizabeth’s attorney-general.” [4]

“Horwood [Devon], for many years the chief residence of the Pollards, of whom one notable monument still remains in the church a fifteenth-century effigy of a lady, with three children in the folds of her robe.” [4]

Early History of the Pollard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pollard research.

Pollard Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Pollard, Pollarde, Poullard, Pawlarde and others.

Early Notables of the Pollard family (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Lewis Pollard (c. 1465-1540), English jurist, son of Robert Pollard of Roborough, near Torrington, Devon; Leonard Pollard (died 1556), English divine from Nottinghamshire; Sir Lewis Pollard, 1st Baronet (died 1641) of King’s Nympton, Devon; and his son, Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Baronet (1603-1666), an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1667, he supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War; Sir Amyas Pollard, 3rd Baronet (1616-1701), an English gentleman of Devon; and his illegitimate son by unknown mistress.

Pollard World Ranking

In the United States, the name Pollard is the 866^th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. [5] However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Pollard is ranked the 751^st most popular surname with an estimated 57 people with that name. [6] And in Australia, the name Pollard is the 430^th popular surname with an estimated 8,718 people with that name. [7] New Zealand ranks Pollard as 662^nd with 1,064 people. [8] The United Kingdom ranks Pollard as 472^nd with 13,764 people. [9]

 Migration of the Pollard family to Ireland

Some of the Pollard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Pollard migration to the United States +

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Pollard: 

Pollard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• Anne Pollard who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship “Ambrose” as part of the Winthrop Fleet
• John Pollard, who landed in Virginia in 1642 [10]
• William Pollard, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1644 [10]
• George Pollard, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1646 [10]
• Digon Pollard, who landed in Virginia in 1649 [10]

Pollard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Sarah Pollard, who landed in Virginia in 1701 [10]
• Jonathan Pollard, who arrived in America in 1765 [10]

Pollard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• H Pollard, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [10]
• B Pollard, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 [10]
• Joseph Pollard, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1866 [10]
• Mr. Henry Pollard, (b. 1876), aged 21, Cornish miner, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship “St Louis” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 9th October 1897 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA [11]

Pollard Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

• Mr. John Henry Pollard, (b. 1877), aged 24, Cornish blacksmith, from Penzance, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship “Campania” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 28th September 1901 en route to Bayonne, New Jersey, USA [11]
• Mr. Thomas Pollard, (b. 1874), aged 29, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship “St Paul” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th February 1903 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA [11]
• Mr. Jacob Pollard, (b. 1883), aged 21, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship “Philadelphia” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 14th May 1904 en route to Idaho, USA [11]
• Mr. Edward Pollard, (b. 1877), aged 28, Cornish miner, from Gunnislake, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship “St Louis” arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 9th July 1905 en route to Nelson, British Columbia, USA [11]

 Pollard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Pollard Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

• A E Pollard, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

 Pollard migration to Australia+

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: 

Pollard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Mr. John Pollard, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the “Duke of Portland” in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [12]
• Mr. Robert Pollard, English convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Englandfor life, transported aboard the “Atlas” on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [13]
• Wentworth Pollard, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the “Asia” on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia [14]
• Miss Ellen Pollard who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the “Burrell” on 31st December 1831, arriving in New South Wales [15]
• Mr. William Pollard (b. 1786), aged 48, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 1st July 1834, sentenced for 7 years for stealing from Philip Nicholls, transported aboard the ship “Hooghley” on 25th July 1834 to New South Wales, Australia [16]

Pollard Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

• Miss Ethel Pollard, (b. 1886), aged 15, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship “Duke of Norfolk” arriving in Queensland, Australia on 16th February 1901 [17]

 Pollard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: 

Pollard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• John Pollard, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship “Ballarat” in 1867
• Thomas Pollard, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship “Excelsior” in 1869 [18]
• Elizabeth Pollard, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship “Excelsior” in 1869 [18]
• William Pollard, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Strathnaver” in 1874
• Mr. James Hy Pollard, (b. 1855), aged 19, Cornish labourer departing on 10th April 1874 aboard the ship “Stonehouse” arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 29th June 1874 [19]

 Pollard migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960’s many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [20]

Pollard Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

• Thomas Pollard, aged 23, who arrived in St Christopher in 1633 [10]

Contemporary Notables of the name Pollard (post 1700) +

• Sir Reginald George Pollard (1903-1978), Australian army officer from Bathurst, New South Wales, Chief of the General Staff from 1960 to 1963
• Michael J. Pollard (1939-2019), American actor and comedian, best known for his role as C.W. Moss in the film Bonnie and Clyde (1967), for which he received an Academy Awardfor Best Supporting Actor nomination
• Scot L. Pollard (b. 1975), American professional (NBA) basketball player
• Carl Jesse Pollard (b. 1947), American Professor of Linguistics at Ohio State University
• George Pollard (1920-2008), American portrait painter
• Harry A. Pollard (1879-1934), American silent film actor, director, and screenwriter
• John Garland Pollard (1871-1937), American politician, governor of Virginia (1930-1934)
• Fred G. Pollard (1918-2003), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State House of Delegates, 1950-65; Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, 1966-67 [21]
• Frank B. Pollard, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Brantford, 1898 [21]
• Ernest Mark Pollard (1869-1939), American Republican politician, Member of Nebraska State House of Representatives, 1897-99; U.S. Representative from Nebraska 1st District, 1905-09 [21]