No matter how you spell it, Pinchbeck is an unusual name. Wikipedia reports the following:
“Pinchbeck is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. The name Pinchbeck is derived from either the Old English pinc+bece(Minnow Stream) or pinca+bece (Finch Ridge). A family long associated with the area took its name from the village, one member of which was Christopher Pinchbeck, a watchmaker responsible for the invention of the Pinchbeck alloy, which was once used for imitating gold in cheap jewelry.”
The English have apparently settled on Pinchbeck with an e based on the spelling of several towns in England. A check of the BT directory in Great Britain did not indicate a single household of either spelling in any of five large metropolitan areas of England. Americans remain divided in their spelling of the name. A global check for Pinchback or Pinchbeck in the US Anywho white pages indicates there are at least 100 and probably more individuals with the surname Pinchbeck or Pinchback, and the spelling is about evenly divided.
The original signatures found in the chancery case to settle the estate of John and Mary Pinchbeck in 1829 reveals the spelling differences in their surname practiced by the siblings. William, Thomas, and Mary signed their names Pinchbeck. Nancy and George signed Pinchback. Descendants of George continue to use the “a” and descendants of William use “e”. View the complete chancery cause here. (1)
Footnotes
(1) Pinchback vs Pinchbeck Chesterfield County Virginia Chancery 1830-035. Library of Virginia.
Cultivating Family 
It is interesting to have connections to such a common name as “Taylor” and such a unique name as “Pinchback.”. People often buy chocolate from me at farmers market just because their last name or maiden name was Taylor. I like how you researched the origin of Pinchback name. This was a very interesting read.
LikeLike
Thanks for reading cousin Steve. There’s more Pinchbeck to come.
LikeLike