The Allsopp name and its variants (Alsop, Allsop, Alsopp, etc) are believed to have originated around 900-1000AD in the village of Alsop-en-le-Dale, anciently the town of Elleshope, located in Derbyshire, England.
It was originally a Chapelry in the parish and Deanery of Ashbourne with the church dedicated to St. Michael.
Documented in 1086 as forming part of the land holdings of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, King of England the land was called Alsop-en-le-Dale (or the Lands of Alsop). These lands were given to William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby, in 1199. Hugh de Alsop, Crusader and Knight Templar received the land from William de Ferrers.
Gweno de Alsop (son of Gamellus de Alsop) became a vassal of William de Ferrers, in 1200, receiving the fief of Alsop-en-le-Dale. He did not own the property, but could keep possession as long as he fulfilled his military duties and other services as required by the Earl. Gweno kept what the land produced, set up a court, passed judgement, and used the several peasant families living there for farm labour, building, construction or repair and road work. For 500 years the Alsops resided here until 1666-1669.
In 1811 village consisted of about 14 houses only ( source: Derbyshire’s Parishes, 1811 Section 2 From: ‘History of Derbyshire’ by David Peter Davies (Makeney – April 10th, 1811). Today, very little remains of the village.
Today, many descendants from the original inhabitants of Alsop-en-le-Dale still reside within the Derbyshire/Nottingham areas, whilst sizeable populations also reside in Australia and the USA, each having direct roots to England.
The Dictionary of British Surnames (Reamy, P.H, 1958; Routledge + Kegan Paul Ltd, London) gives the origin of the Allsopp surname as:
Allsep, Allsepp, Allsop, Allsopp, Allsup, Allsupp, Alsop, Alsopp, Elsip, Elsop:
Gamel de Haleshoppe 1175 P (Db); Philip Alsope 1279 RH (C).
From Alsop en le Dale (Derby), Elleshope DB.
Gweno de Alsop 1150-1224 (Family Search)
