Heckels or its alternative spelling Heckles are a family who are known to have been living in North East England for at least three hundred years. There is a continuing oral history in the family which suggests that the Heckels originate from the low countries. While such handed down "memories" are often inaccurate they are consistent with the fact that in Flanders one of the steps in preparing flax for weaving was hackling, or in Flemish/Dutch "vlas hekelen".

This phrase was used until the early part of the twentieth century in certain parts of Flanders along the Leie and Schelde rivers where flax was still processed at that time. Flax has been grown for centuries in Flanders. The fibre was obtained by first uprooting rather than cutting to avoid damage to the fibres. The plants were then piled in the fields to dry and then allowed to undergo partial decomposition or "retting" which then permitted separation of the fibre from the woody portions by hackling (combing) to yield relatively long and straight fibres. These were used in the manufacture of various threads employed in the bookbinding and shoe industries, and in such products as twine, fishing nets, and laces. Flax fibres were also used extensively in various types of linen cloth and other fabrics. The economic importance of Flax in medieval times resulted in a thriving flax trade between England and Flanders and many Flemmings settled in England as a result.

The earliest known record of a Flax associated surname in England is that of William le Hekeler who in 1297 AD, during the reign of King Edward, was listed at the Court of Wakefield Manor in Yorkshire. However it is during the 16th century that Protestant religious refugees from the Low Countries helped to establish the linen industry in England. It is therefore likely that today’s Heckels are descendants either of William le Heckler or the others who subsequently came to England as part of the Flax trade.

However there is no documentary evidence for this and the earliest traces are records of members of the family living in North East England particularly around Newcastle on Tyne.

Early History of Heckels/Heckles in North East England

 

Although a record exists of the marriage of  of a Margaret Heckles in Queniborough, Leicestershire in 1548 and others in the same area in the early seventeeth century it seems likely that these early records are mis-spellings of the Heckle surname which was common in the area at the time. The earliest consistent mention in records are of members of the family living in Newcastle in the early seventeenth century. The first recorded event is the marriage in 1638 of Elizabeth Heckles to Thomas Bates in St. Nicholas Church, Newcastle. Shortly after this other Heckles (or Heckels) are also recorded as living in Rothbury, Alnwick and Tynemouth.

 

Several members of the family worked in Newcastle as butchers. Andrew Heckles the son of John became an apprentice butcher in 1641 and was then elected a freeman of the city in 1649. At the same time Daniel Heckles, a wealthy merchant lived and owned property in the Groat Market and Pudding Chare. He was a freeman of the city and a member of the butchers guild. He and his wife Jane had at least four sons, Luke, James, John and Peter. When he died in 1666 he left the bulk of his property to his wife, for her lifetime and subsequently to his son Luke. His sons John, Peter and James all became apprenticed as butchers, Peter and James were subsequently elected as freemen. This part of the family tradition continued. James’ son John, also a butcher, was elected freeman in 1710 and his son James followed in his footsteps in 1771. Other members of the family followed different trades, Ralph a glazier was elected freeman in 1697 and his son Garret in 1720.

 

Around this time, one branch of the family were involved in the occupation which was to become the foundation of the family for over two hundred years. During this time, the history of the Heckels family mirrors the history of the Northumbrian coal field. The founder of this tradition George Heckles, born in Newcastle in about 1725, became a coal miner. At the age of twenty five on 8th September 1750 he married the twenty one year old Rebecca Harrison, who was also a native of Newcastle, in All Saints Church. Ten months later their first child Mary was born on 14 July 1751. Their first son George was born on 15 March 1753 and baptised in All Saints Church on 15 April. In the following years four more children were born, Elizabeth in 1755, Anne in 1758, Rebecca in 1760 and a second son Richard in 1764 when Rebecca was thirty five. Soon after the birth of Richard the family moved a few miles east along the Tyne to Wallsend. Throughout our story the spelling of the surname often varies, even for official records documenting different events for a single individual but all Heckels/Heckles associated with the North East of England can traced back to one of the two brothers George and Richard.

 

Although many of their descendants can still be found in the North East of England members of the family can be found throughout the country and in Australia, Canada, the USA and South Africa. 

 

George Heckels of Newcastle and his descendants

George Heckles and Rebbecca Harrison married in 1750 at All Saints Church, Newcastle on Tyne where he worked as a coal miner. His origins are not clear, it is possible that he is the son of George Heckels and Jane Newton who married in 1722 at Christ Church, Tynemouth. It is their sons George II (born 1753) and Richard (born 1764) who are the direct ancestors of all the Heckels family members originating from North East England. Some time after Richard's birth the family moved to Wallsend where both sons also became coal miners. Rebecca died there in 1883 and George in 1792, both were buried at St. Peter Wallsend.

    George Heckels & Isabella Stamp

i. George Heckels II married Isabella Stamp in Wallsend in 1776, their children born there 1776-1785 were Thomas, Rebecca, George III and Richard.

ii. George Heckels III carrying the family tradition of married Mary Huggup in Longbenton. After living in Jarrow the family moved to South Shields, they had a total of twelve children George, John, Thomas, Margaret, William, Rebecca, another Thomas, Matthew, Mary, Sarah, Isabella and Joseph.

iii. George III and Mary's son John Heckels also became a coal miner. He married Ann Pearson at Christ Church, Tynemouth on 13 March 1831, they lived in South Shields all their lives  where John became under viewer (manager) at Harton colliery. They had a total of eight children born 1832-1849, Albion Pearson, George, Thomas Bolton, Thompson Pearson, John William, Matthew, Joseph Septimus and Ann  Pearson .The name Albion became common in this branch of the family.

iv. John and Ann's sons all became involved in coal mining.

Matthew was born in South Shields on 18 September 1843. He left school at age ten to work down the pit. He educated himself by attending night classes and was soon appointed overman at Templetown Colliery, South Shields. After a short spell as overman at St. Hilda Colliery he was appointed viewer (manager) of Boldon Colliery and then at Castle Eden Colliery where he was responsible for doubling production by reopening disused workings. In 1878 he was appointed manager of Walker, Colliery Northumberland. He became a member of the North of England Mining Institute and was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society. He was also active in local affairs, a member of both Walker and Longbenton School Boards, Chairman of Tynemouth Rural Sanitory Authority and President of Byker Conservative Club. He died on 16 August 1887 at the age of fourty three after suffering a long illness following a fall on ice near his home.

John William was born in South Shields on 17 August 1841. He left school to become a coal miner. He married Elizabeth Wigham in on 27 September 1863 at St. Mary, Gateshead. They lived in South Shields where their children Albion, George, Ann, another Albion, Hannah, another Ann, Richard, John William and Matthew Henry were born 1864-1879 before moving to Burnhope, Co. Durham where John William became manager of the coal mine. Their daughter Elizabeth was born there in 1887. He is also recorded as a Volunteer Lieutenant in the 2nd Brigade of the Northumberland Fusileers. John William died of kidney disease on 14 April 1899  at the age of fifty seven. Elizabeth continued to live in Burnhope as the head of the family and died there of heart diesease on 13 Jun 1911. They were buried together at St. John, Holmside, the Burnhope parish church.

 v. John William and Elizabeth's son Matthew Henry Heckels was born in Templetown, South Shields on 10 January 1879. After moving with his parents to Burnhope, in a twist to the family tradition he did not become a miner, instead gaining a position as a cashier at the colliery office. He worked for a short time as a cashier in Wooler, Northumberland where he met Alice Beattie. They were married at St. Mary's church Wooler on 4th April 1904 and moved back to Tyneside when Matthew was appointed manager of Ritson's Colliery Depot in North Shields. Their four children were born there 1905-1916. Following the birth of their youngest son Matthew was called up for service in WWI and served in the Royal Garrison Artilliery until the end of the war. He returned to work at the depot and was tragically killed there in an accident on 8 Jul 1930.

    Richard Heckels & Sarah Morgan
Richard Heckels married Sarah Morgan in Longbenton in 1791, they had a total of thirteen children born 1793-1815 including George, Elizabeth, John Morgan, Ann, Rebecca, Mary and Richard.

George Heckels married Rebecca Dawson in 1813, and the family lived for some time in Ireland where George was chief viewer to the Hibernian Mining Company. their children included Richard (1818) who became a noted mining engineer. Anne and Rebecca who married the brothers William and John Ramsay. After William's death  Anne emigrated to the USA with her family who became succesful mine owners and engineers with over 500 descendants.

Richard and Sarah's daughter Elizabeth Heckels married James Nesbitt in 1817. Their son Richard Heckels Nesbit made his fortune gold prospecting in Australia before being responsible for the development of much of the town of Whitley Bay.

 

 

The Cumberland Heckels

 

A second group of Heckels are associated with Cumberland in the North West of England. They are descended from Christopher Heckels an agricultural worker and his wife Arabella Waugh who were married on the 27th December 1790 in the Parish Church, Farlam, Cumberland. They lived in Dean, Cumberland and the known members of the family are descendants of their sons John and George. No connection had been established between this family and the North East Heckels.

 

 

Some Notable Members of the Heckels Family

 

Some noteworthy members of the Heckels family (under construction)

• Ann Heckels (Ramsay, 1816-1874), matriarch of the Ramsay family of Illinois, USA
• Richard Heckels (1818-1877), mining engineer and inventor
• Richard Heckels Nesbit (1830-1911), gold prospector, brewer, farmer, brick maker and builder
• Richard Alfred Heckels (1859-????), marine engineer who "disappeared"
• Graham William Heckels (1895-1994), medical practitioner
• Mary Elsworth Greaves MBE (1907-1973, dau. Mary Beatrice Heckels), campaigner for the disabled
• Geoffrey Thomas Heckels (1904-1996), solicitor, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent
• Patricia Dorothy Mary Heckels (Batty-Shaw, 1928-2004), National Chairman of Women's Institute

Other Heckels web sites

The Heckels surname is also being investigated other members of the family.
I am grateful to my 6th cousin Mr. Dennis Heckels who generously shared his information in the early stages of this project
Mr John Heckles, my 4th cousin once removed has carried out extensive detailed research on the family and has published a well-documented family tree on Ancestry (link)

© J.E. Heckels (2020)