Oldbuck Family

The Oldbucks were descended from Bucca of the Marish, the Shire's first Thain, and indeed the name 'Oldbuck' is partially derived from 'Bucca' (which means 'buck'). Bucca lived in the fourth century by the Shire-reckoning (becoming Thain in S.R. 379) so the Oldbuck family must have emerged after this date. They were said to have been one of the oldest families in the Shire, so the first Oldbucks would presumably have appeared relatively soon after Bucca's time. We might surmise that the family would not at first have been the 'Oldbucks' (which would be a strange name for a newly-arisen clan). The family was perhaps originally known simply as 'Buck' (following their ancestor Bucca) with the 'Old-' prefix being acquired in later years.

All we know for sure about the Oldbucks was that they had their roots in the Marish, and that region evidently remained their folkland until the time they removed to Buckland across the Brandywine. Stock was the largest town in this region, and indeed the only significant town of any size, so on balance it seems likely that the Oldbucks were historically associated with that settlement. We cannot be certain on this point: the Oldbucks might potentially have originated in the village of Rushey, south of Stock, or may have had some other seat not mentioned in later records of the Shire.