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FAMILY NAMES
AND THEIR STORY
BY
S. BARING-GOULD, M.A.
AUTHOR OF "THE TRAGEDY OF THE C^SARS " "CLIFF CASTLES AND CAVE
DWELLINGS OF EUROPE," " CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE AGES,"
Sfc.
" I do beseech you
(Chiefly that I may set it in my prayers)
What is your name ?"
Tempest, Act III., Sc.
NEW EDITION
LONDON
SEELEY, SERVICE & CO. LIMITED
38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET
1913
PREFACE
MR. M. A. LOWER was the first in modern times to break
ground in the domain of family nomenclaturein 1842, when
he published his first edition of " English Surnames." There
were in it many mistakes, and the work was tentative. A
better book of his was " Patronymica Britannica," a dictionary
of family names that appeared in 1860.
But the share of scientific research first entered the soil
with Canon Isaac Taylor's " Words and Places," 1864.
Since then there have been various works on the subject,
some good, some bad, some instructive, others misleading ;
there have been treatises on Irish and Scottish, and on
particular county names. Mr. R. Ferguson, in his " English
Surnames and their Place in the Teutonic Family," 1858,
and "Surnames as a Science," 1883, and "The Teutonic
Name-System applied to Familv Names in France, England,
and Germany," 1864, went too far in deriving most surnames
from Teutonic roots, led thereto by Forstemann's "Alt-
deutsches Namenbuch " (Nordhausen, 1856), a vast work that
has been condensed by Heintze in " Die Deutschen Familien-
namen " (Halle, I882). 1 Mr. Bardsley, in his " English Sur-
names," dealt almost wholly with those found in the
1 There is also Dr. F. Tetzner's "Namenbuch" (Leipzig, 1893). The
most exhaustive German work on names is Pott, " Personennamen,',
(Leipzig, 1859).
vn
PREFACE
Hundred Rolls, 1273, and other documents of the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries. Dr. Barber, in " British Family
Names " (London, 1894), gives perhaps excessive pre-
eminence to Scandinavian and Flemish names, to such
an extent that he derives the family name Bevan from the
Flemish Bevenot, whereas it stands for Ap Evan. Carter,
according to him, comes from the Norse Kottr, and Child from
skjoldr, a shield. Shepherd he cannot deduce from a sheep-herd,
but derives it from a place called Chebbard. The book has,
therefore, to be used with caution. " Ludus Patronymicus ; or,
The Etymology of Curious Surnames," by Richard Stephen
Charnock, 1868, as the author is a scholar, may be consulted
with advantage.
" Homes of Family Names in Great Britain," by H. Bing-
ham Guppy, M.B., 1890, is a scholarly work, the result of
much research, and evincing a wide knowledge of names, if
not of their meanings. Its great value is in the location of
family names. There are many other books whose titles and
the names of their authors I refrain from giving, as they are
often misleading the blind leading the blind into pitfalls.
In treading the mazes of English nomenclature, one is
surrounded by such pitfalls ; it is like the road to Plessis
Castle, according to Scott in " Quentin Durward " : " Every
yard of this ground is rendered dangerous by snares and
traps and caltrops, and pitfalls deep enough to bury you in
for ever." One has to walk warily. It is noticeable enough
where others have slipped and fallen in or been caught ; and
I cannot flatter myself that I have myself wholly escaped.
But it must be borne in mind that some names may have
distinct derivations, though identical in sound and spelling.
For instance, Tozer signifies one who dresses cloth in a fulling-
mill with teazles, to bring up the nap. But at the Revocation
viii
PREFACE
of the Edict of Nantes, a family of Thorzeau, Huguenots,
settled in Plymouth, let fall the r out of their name, and
accommodated it to Tozer. The Dacres no doubt in some
cases derive from a crusading ancestor who won distinction at
Acre, but in most instances take their name from a village near
Penrith so-called ; and a Ranulph de Dacre, co. Cumberland,
who figures in the " Placita quo Waranto," in the reign of
Edward I., certainly was designated after this village.
What is the true origin of the surname Kaye ? Sir Kay
was one of the Knights of the Round Table, and King
Arthur's Seneschal ; and the romances of the Middle Ages
furnished names adopted by people in England and in
France. But John del Kai, Sheriff of London in 1207,
obviously took his name from the Quay, near which he lived.
And Kay is a common pronunciation of Key, and a man who
had a key for his shop-sign may have by this means acquired
his name. How can we decide whether the family of Kewe
derives from the parish of that name or from a Cook ? The
same individual is described in the Parliamentary Writs for
1301 and 1302 as William le Keu and William Cocus.
Some names are supposed to be derived from seasons, as
Noel, Pask, Lammas ; it may be so in some cases, but Noel
may come from Noailles, or be a form of Nigel ; and when
one finds the same man registered in 1273 as Richard
Lammesse, and Richard de Lammesse, and when one knows
that there is a parish of Lammas in Norfolk, one is disposed
to doubt the temporal derivation of some of these names.
But a good many such season-names were given to found-
lings. A Leach is unquestionably a physician, and the
horrible creature that was formerly supplied to suck one's
blood was so named because it served as a useful doctor in
cases of inflammation. But the surname Blackleach does not
ix
PREFACE
derive from one of these. Such an entry in the Hundred
Rolls for 1273 as that of William le Leche undoubtedly
describes a physician. But Henry del Lache, in 1397,
indicates that Henry lived by a Lache, or lake, or pool ; and
Blackleach means the man living at or by Blackpool.
" What variety of herbs soever are shuffled together in the
dish," says Montaigne, " yet the whole mass is swallowed up
in one name of a salad. In like manner, under the con-
sideration of names, I will make a hodge-podge of differing
articles."
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I'AGE
I. INTRODUCTORY - 13
II. THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME - 28
III. SIRE-NAMES - - 38
IV. TOTEMISM AND NAMES - 74
V. THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR - 99
VI. THE VILLAGE - - 114
VII. THE TOWN: TRADE-NAMES - -126
VIII. PLACE-NAMES - -154
IX. ANGLO-SAXON NAMES : DOMESDAY - 184
X. SCANDINAVIAN NAMES I THE ''LIBER VIT^E " - - 19!
XI. THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY - - 199
XII. FRENCH NAMES : I. EARLY - - 248
xiii. FRENCH NAMES: n. THE HUGUENOT REFUGEES - 277
XIV. NICK- AND DESCRIPTIVE NAMES - 295
XV. PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES - 318
XVI. NAME STORIES- - 328
XVII. THE EVOLUTION AND DISINTEGRATION OF SURNAMES - 345
XVIII. SCOTTISH AND IRISH SURNAMES - 370
XIX. CHANGED NAMES 39O
XX. COMPOUND NAMES 402
xi
xii CONTENTS
PAGE
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER IX. : ANGLO-SAXON AND DANISH NAMES
IN DOMESDAY - - 408
APPENDIX I. TO CHAPTER X. : SCANDINAVIAN NAMES- - 4IO
APPENDIX II. TO CHAPTER X. I SURNAMES OF THE FIFTEENTH
CENTURY IN THE "LIBER VHVE " - 412
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XI. : LIST OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR TO ENGLAND, ACCORDING TO
THE "ROMAN DE ROU"- - 412
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XII. : HUGUENOT IMMIGRANTS* SUB-
SCRIPTIONS TO A LOYAL ADDRESS, 1744 - - 414
FAMILY NAMES
AND THEIR STORY
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
WE cannot deduce our English surnames from the nomen-
clature of any single people, for the English of to-day are an
amalgam of many races that have been fused into one. We
have among us British names as Wynne (white) ; Hoel, that
has become Howell ; Caradog, now Craddock ; Morgan,
Madoc, now Madox ; Gruffydd, that has become Griffith ;
and perhaps Coel, that is now Cole.
There are Saxon names as well Algar; Joll ; Eadmund,
become Edmunds ; Godwin, now Goodwin ; Godric, now
Goodridge.
Mr. R. Ferguson wrote three books on the subject of Anglo-
Saxon names, and their survival in English nomenclature.
But a great gap intervenes between the use of Anglo-Saxon
names before the Conquest and the adoption of surnames
by the conquered; and Anglo-Saxon Christian names, as
shall be shown later on, died almost completely out before
the assumption of family nomenclature became general ; and
their existence among us is due to a cause to be noted in the
sequel.
Scandinavian surnames based upon' personal designations
are more numerous in England, but these come nearly all, if
not all, from ancient Northumbria, which included Yorkshire.
'3
INTRODUCTORY
There the descendants of the old Danish and Norse settlers
clung to their ancient nomenclature later than elsewhere
indeed, till the fashion of adopting surnames prevailed. We
have such names. Bard has become Barth, unless it be a
contraction, as is probable, of Bartholomew ; Jokull yields
Jekyll, Halfdan is now Haldane, Sweyn is Swayne, Olafr
yields Oliver but this comes to us through Normandy.
Ragnar is now Rayner, and this, again, comes in a roundabout
fashion through the Regnier of the Conqueror. HavarS
is Howard, HjorvarS is Harvey, Steinarr we recognize in
Stoner, Ketill is Kettle, Grimm is Grymes, Hamund is
Hammond, FrrSestan is Featherstone, Thorfin is Turpin.
But it is in Yorkshire, East Anglia, Durham, and Northum-
berland, that these are mainly found. Elsewhere, if we
trace them, it will usually be found that the families bearing
these names have at some time come into other parts of
England from the ancient Northumbria or from Lincoln.
We have, indeed, elsewhere names that came originally from
Norway, but they have somewhat altered their form by
transmission through Normandy. These latter names are
numerous, for it was with the Conqueror that family nomen-
clature may be said to have had its beginning in our land.
Of such I shall have to say more hereafter.
Then, again, we have Flemish names, not only the surnames
Fleming or Flamank, but also such as Catt ; Phayre, which
is still common in Belgium ; Bowdler and Buller, both
derived from Boulers or Boilers, one of the principal fiefs in
Flanders. Baldwin de Boilers received from Henry I. the
barony of Montgomery and the hand of his niece, Sybilla de
Falaise. But most Flemish names are of late introduction,
not earlier than the sixteenth century. In Pembrokeshire,
where was planted a colony in the reign of Henry I., there
are none. Flinders is from Flanders, Clutterbuck is Cloeter-
boeke, and Cobbledick may be from Koppeldijck, Mossop from
the Dutch Masdorp, Vandeleur is undoubtedly Van de Laer,
and Fullalove is from Vollenhove. But the Dutch and
Flemish names are not numerous.
There are also among us Germans and Jews. In fact, we
INTRODUCTORY
have in our island a vast heap of names, and it is no easy
matter to sort them out according to their various origins.
Let us take the largest county in England, the old Deira,
Yorkshire.
The original population were Celtic, and even after the
Angle Conquest the kingdom of Elmet remained to the
Britons, seated among the Western Hills, and stretching as
far as Leeds. Yorkshire and the whole country to the north,
to the Firth of Forth, the Scottish Lowlands, were sub-
jugated by the Angles from Schleswig, a people one in blood
with the Danes of Zealand, with only slight dialectic differ-
ences in their speech. Scandinavian Saga asserts that the
Kings of Zealand claimed suzerainty and exacted taxes from
Northumbria from an early period, and that there was a
constant influx of Danes into it during many generations.
But it was not till 790 that Yorkshire was invaded in hostile
form from Denmark. In 876 King Halfdan settled the
country, apportioning the land among his Danish followers.
The Danes, moreover, spread into Mercia that is, the Mid-
lands and numerous place-names there show that they not
only conquered it temporarily, but that they also settled
down there permanently. Lincolnshire also was peopled by
Danish settlers, and they not only gave names to places, but
retained their Scandinavian personal designations, to transmit
them to the present day.
The population of Yorkshire underwent great changes
during the twelfth century. " As the various industries grew
up, they invited skilled workmen from different parts. Not
only the Normans, but Flemings in the twelfth century and
Germans in the fourteenth, came into the country. The
mines at Alston were worked about 1350 by a party from
Cologne, under Tillman, and the great German colony under
Hochstetten, in the time of Elizabeth, made a notable
addition to the Lake District population. Even in the four-
teenth century, as can be seen from the poll-tax returns of
Yorkshire, names suggest immigration from various parts of
England, from Scotland and Ireland, and from France." 1
1 Collingwood, "Scandinavian England." S.P.C.K., 1909.
'5
INTRODUCTORY
What was true of Yorkshire was true of the rest of
England.
When the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles, invaded and subjugated
the land, they did not come to light their own fires and clean
their own boots, but to take their ease as masters, and turn
the natives into hewers of wood, drawers of water, and tillers of
the soil, for their advantage. Nowhere, save at Anderida, can
there have been wholesale extermination of the inhabitants.
Conquerors would no more think of wiping out the working
population than they would of killing all the sheep and oxen.
The fighting man was not so eager to lay aside spear and
sword for plough and oxgoad, as to deprive himself of the
men who could drive the plough and the oxen for him, while
he lounged and caroused at home.
At the Norman Conquest there was even less loss of life
among the natives. Only in Northumbria was there devas-
tation and wholesale slaughter, for there only was the rest-
lessness deemed to be otherwise incurable. Elsewhere the
old freeholders were dispossessed of their freeholds, but
suffered in many cases to remain on as tenant farmers.
When a great Baron had 100 or 170 manors given to
him, he could neither occupy them himself nor place his
retainers in them at once, for he needed his Norman men-
at-arms about him in his castle to watch and keep in
control the subjugated English. He could not afford to
disperse them over the country. He was compelled to
leave in the several manors men who understood the soil,
the ways of the country, and who would pay him an annual
rent.
In time, however, he would establish his superannuated
servants in these manors and farms, as he filled their places
about his person with younger men from abroad, and by
this manner much Norman blood, carrying with it Norman
nomenclature, was dispersed over the land. Where we
encounter a Peters and a Pierce, a James and a Jacques,
we know that the first descend from an English and the latter
from a French ancestor.
Many of the Norman names which have been foisted into
16
INTRODUCTORY
the Roll of Battle Abbey are those of men that never fought
at Hastings, but came over later to better their fortunes
under Henry I., or still later under the Angevin Kings.
Indeed, during 300 years of English grip on Normandy,
Maine, Anjou, and Guienne, there was incessant flux and
reflux between England and France, and many a knight and
man-at-arms of French blood, who had served under the
banners of English nobles during the wars in France, was
rewarded with a grant of land in England, and a little
homestead in which he could hang up his battered arms and
rest his grey head.
Isabella of France, the wife of Edward II., introduced in
her train many persons bearing surnames hitherto unknown
in England.
And they came to stay.
Even at the time of the Conquest there were Flemings in
England. Later on an eruption of the sea compelled them
to abandon their dwellings, now covered by " the deep and
rolling Zuyder Zee," and many wanderers sought refuge in
England and were allowed to inhabit the Scottish border-
lands. Not long afterwards, about 1107-08, Henry I.
removed the colony to the Welsh south coast, and gave up to
them the fertile district since called " Little England beyond
Wales," which had been wrested from the Cymri. "And so
it was," says Florence of Worcester, " that these strangers
settled there as loyal men to the King ; and he placed
English among them to teach them the English language,
and they are now English, and the plague of Dyved and
South Wales on account of their deceit and lies, in which they
exceed any settlers in any other part of the island of Britain."
Two other settlements of Flemings were made in Norfolk
and Suffolk one by Henry I., the other under the direction
of Edward III. and this made of East Anglia for centuries
the great cloth-weaving district of England. " Worsted " or
" Lindsey-wolsey," " Kerseymere," and " Bocking," derive
their names from the several villages that became flourishing
weaving centres in Eastern England.
Many Hollanders were also invited over to assist in the
17 B
INTRODUCTORY
dyking, draining, and embanking, of the low watery lands in
Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire and in Holderness, and
settled there.
During the persecution of Alva a great flight of harassed
Flemings came over the sea, and many settled in Spitalftelds
and Clerkenwell, others in Devon and Cornwall, and in
Yorkshire, near the wolds and moors where were the sheep-
runs.
When Richmond came over and landed in Milford Haven,
he was accompanied by a considerable body of recruits from
Brittany
" A sort of vagabonds, rascals and runaways,
A scum of Bretagnes, and base lackey peasants,
Whom their o'ercloyed country vomits forth,
To desperate ventures."
King Richard HI., V. Hi.
After Bosworth these soldiers of fortune had to be rewarded
for their services, and the cheapest way of so doing was to
dispossess the adherents of Richard, and install in their
places those who had come over with Henry.
It was principally at this time that the name of Britten or
Le Breton as a surname came among us, and to the same
period we owe some of the Morleys (from Morlaix), though
others had arrived earlier with the Conqueror. The name
Lempole also came in, a corruption of Lamballe, Kimber of
Quimper, and Pimple of Paimpol. 1 During the reign of
Elizabeth many Germans arrived to show the English
better methods of mining and smelting of ores, and some
went, as already intimated, to Yorkshire, but most to Devon
and Cornwall, the stannary counties. It is stated that
many, if not most, of the technical terms employed in tin-
mining in Cornwall are German. Thus we meet with Mullers,
Wagners, Bomgartners, and Aikebaums.
After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, a
stream of fugitive Huguenots flowed into England. Some-
1 But there was an earlier settler from Paimpol, for in 1360 Stephen de
Penpel, or Pempel, was Archdeacon of Exeter.
18
INTRODUCTORY
thing like 70,000 are said to have settled in the United
Kingdom. The crypt of Canterbury Cathedral was sur-
rendered to them for their religious meetings. Till the end
of the eighteenth century, in some parish churches in Essex,
Divine service was held in French for their convenience.
In London they settled about Soho and St. Giles ; 2,576
went over to Ireland. In Essex at the present day remain
many of their descendants bearing French names, as Pertwee
for Pertuis, Cockrell for Coquerell; Melonie, a coal-merchant
at Colchester ; and Deval, a plumber there.
Many settled in Plymouth. Such names still found there as
Gruyelien and Lamoureux (a seed-merchant) are easily identi-
fied, but others have undergone some amount of anglicizing.
Thus, Cherri has become Cherry, Pare is Park, Benoit is
Benoi ; Tardieu, Tardew ; Viall has become Vile, Condi is
Cundy, Guillard is Jillard; Jourdain, Jordan. 1 I knew a
schoolmistress who wrote her name Blampy. She came
from Dittisham, on the Dart, where, as I had studied the
parish registers, I knew that her ancestor was a Huguenot
refugee named Blancpied. Some of the same family migrated
to America, where the name has become Blompay.
In 1709 a multitude 8,844 poor wretches arrived from
the Bavarian Palatinate, where their homes, farms, crops,
even churches, had been wasted and utterly destroyed by
order of Louis XIV. A great camp for them was established
at Hampstead, and Queen Anne and the noble ladies and
gentlemen and the citizens of London visited and relieved
the unfortunates. The able-bodied men were drafted into
the army, married, and founded families that thenceforth
bore German names ; some were sent to Ireland, others
deported to Yorkshire and other parts of England.
The accession to the throne of William of Orange was an
inducement to a number of Netherlanders to come over and
feather their nests at our expense. Much bitter feeling was
aroused by the favour that William accorded to his country-
men. To him we owe the Bentincks, Keppels, the Vansittarts,
and that soldier of fortune from Germany, Schomberg.
1 But there were earlier and English Jordans.
19 B 2
INTRODUCTORY
So also, with the promotion to the English throne of the
Hanoverian dynasty, the natural result was a swarming over
of North Germans.
And what can be said of the inflow of representatives of all
nationalities since the French Revolution ?
We have Swedes and Poles naturalized among us so
much so that in the clergy list may be found the names
of Swedes and Poles who have become incumbents to English
livings. Swiss have found homes here as well, as clock-
makers and opticians, as cooks and confectioners.
Germans have arrived in shoals to escape compulsory
military service. We have but to look at the names over
the shops in Oxford Street to see how these foreigners
are elbowing out our native tradesmen. The Italians have
monopolized the restaurants, and the old English chop-house
exists no longer.
In the mercantile offices the foreigner proves a useful clerk,
and in nine cases out of ten remains, and his family becomes
entirely English : only the name proclaims whence he came.
The English commercial traveller is also being displaced by
the foreigner. German Jews are naturalized, many become
Christians or drop their Mosaic peculiarities, and they all
contribute names to the general stock, not only Levi, Samuel,
Nathan, and Cohen, but also Goschen, Holzapfel, Cassel, Wolf,
Rothschild y 1 also Spanish and Portuguese Jews, as Montefiore
and Lopes.
1 The Rothschild family was from Frankfort, where Mayer Anselm
Rothschild was a small money-lender, born 1743. The Landgraves of
Hesse-Cassel disposed of their male subjects to England as mercenaries,
and Amschel (Anselm) acted as intermediary. In 1775 as many as
12,800 Hessians were thus sold to the British Government to be sent to
fight in America, and the number was afterwards swelled to 19,400, or
one-twentieth part of the entire population of Hesse-Cassel. Huzars
were despatched to patrol the frontiers and drive back the wretched
peasants who attempted to escape. The subsidies passed through the
hands of Amschel, and a good deal of English gold adhered to his fingers
(Vehse, " Geschichte d. deutschen Hofe," vol. xxvii., pp. 174-6, 226).
J. Scherr, in " Der rothe Quartal," says, after mentioning the fortune
amassed: "To think that one family should have acquired such vast,
almost wicked, wealth out of blood-money, when those fathers of their
20
INTRODUCTORY
It is not possible to fix a date when surnames became
hereditary. There are surnames given that were personal,
and such there have ever been, but these ceased to be used
with the decease of the bearer. But when at what date a
to-name was transmitted to a man's posterity cannot be said
with any confidence. Hereditary surnames stole into use
by slow degrees and imperceptibly. They began with the
assumption of territorial designation by the Normans at the
Conquest, as shall be shown in another chapter, but did not
become general among the middle classes till the fifteenth
century.
Of surnames in Germany it has been said : " Family
names did not come into general employ until late in the
Middle Ages. First of all, the nobility in the twelfth century
called themselves after their ancestral seats, as Conrad von
Wettin, Rudolf von Habsburg ; then among the citizens
they were adopted in the fourteenth century, but did not
become general till the sixteenth century."
What is true of German surnames is true also of such as
we find in England, only that the acquisition of family names
with us came in somewhat earlier than in Germany.
Mr. Bardsley says of nicknames and such other to-names
as were given in Anglo-Saxon and early Norman times :
" They were but expressions of popular feeling to individual
persons by means of which that individuality was increased,
and passed away with the lives of their owners. The son, in
due course of time, got a sobriquet of his own, by which he
people, Charles I., William VIII., Frederick II., and William IX., sold
their subjects by thousands and tens of thousands to various war-loving
potentates, and en gros to the English during the War of Emancipation
in America ! This family treasure, to which more curses clung than to
the Nibelungen-hort, came in the Napoleonic age to be further swollen
by old Amschel, the founder of the Rothschild dynasty ; and he knew so
well how to turn money over that his son became, so to speak, the grand-
master of European jobbery." But, after all, the real iniquity lay, not
with the Rothschilds, but with the Landgraves who trafficked in their
subjects, and not much less with the British Government which entered
into and encouraged such a scandalous negotiation.
21
INTRODUCTORY
was familiarly known ; but that, too, was but personal and
temporary. It was no more hereditary than had been his
father's before him, and even, so far as himself was concerned,
might be again changed, according to the humour or caprice
of his neighbours and acquaintances. And this went on for
several more centuries ; only, as population increased, these
sobriquets became more and more common.
" In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, however, a change
took place. By a silent and unpremeditated movement over
the whole of the more populated and civilized European
societies, nomenclature began to assume a solid, lasting
basis. It was the result, in fact, of an insensibly growing
necessity. Population was on the increase, commerce was
spreading, and society was fast becoming corporate; with
all this arose difficulties of individualization. It was im-
possible, without some further distinction, to maintain a
current identity. Hence, what had been but an occasional
and irregular custom became a fixed and general practice
the distinguishing sobriquet, not, as I say, of premeditation,
but by a silent compact, became part and parcel of a man's
property, and passed on with his other possessions to his
direct descendants." 1
There were, however, instances, few and far between, in
which a nickname extended to children beyond the father
to whom first applied, and that before the Conquest. Mr.
Lower quotes from a document among the Cottonian MSS.
in the British Museum that, though bearing no date, is
certainly earlier than 1066. It states that
" Hwitta Hatte was a keeper of bees at Haethnfelda, and
Tate Hatte, his daughter, was the mother of Wulsige, the
shooter; and Lulle Hatte, the sister of Wulsige, Helstan
had for wife in Wealadune. Wifus and Dunne and Seolce
were born in Haethnfelda. Duding Hatte, the son of Wifus,
is settled at Wealadene ; and Ceolmund Hatte, the son of
Dunne, is also settled there ; and Aetheleah Hatte, the son
of Seolce, is also there ; and Tate Hatte, the sister of Cen-
wald, Moeg hath for his wife at Weligan ; also Ealdelm, the
1 Bardsley, "English Surnames." London, 1889.
22
INTRODUCTORY
son of Herethrythe, married the daughter of Tate. Werlaff
Hatte, the father of Werstan, was the rightful owner of
Haethnfelda."
Here we have four generations of Hattes, and the females
keep their names of Hatte ; but apparently these all derive
it from Heathfield, which is Hattes-field, being owned by
Werlaff Hatte. It is quite possible that those who drifted
away from Haethnfield ceased to bear the to-name. The
document is curious, as it shows that before the Conquest
the tendency to assume surnames had already spasmodically
manifested itself; but we have no authority to say that it
had done more than manifest itself.
In the great confusion of names, the alteration, the modi-
fication, the corruption, they have undergone, it is not easy
for every man to discover whence he came, how he got
his name, to what race he pertains. Yet every man
must desire to " look to the rock whence he is hewn, and
to the hole of the pit whence he is digged." It is hoped
that this book may serve him in some fashion to discover
his origin.
But continually we hear men make the most incredible
assertions relative to their families and the family name,
unconscious that documentary evidence could demolish
what was assuredly put forward. I can find space for two
instances only.
Some fifty years ago there lived an old gentleman of
the name of Gill in a country town. He was a pompous
man who wore two waistcoats, a high cravat, and a beaver
curled up at the sides, after the fashion of the Count
d'Orsay. What filled him with pride was the conviction
the absolute conviction that the blood of Kings circulated
in his veins. The sole foundation for this belief was that his
surname was Gill, and that once upon a time there had been
a Norwegian King of the name of Harald Gill.
Now, in the first place, Harald Gill reigned from 1130 to
1136, and at that time hereditary surnames were unknown in
Scandinavia. In the next place, we know what became of
all the race of this King that it was blotted out in blood,
23
INTRODUCTORY
In the third place, he was hardly one to be looked back upon
as a glory to the family.
Now hear his story: In the year 1129 there arrived in
Norway an Irishman named Gillchrist, who presented him-
self before King Sigurd the Crusader, and declared that he
was his half-brother, the son of Magnus Barefeet, who had
been killed in battle in Ireland in 1103. He was a tall, lanky
fellow, with a long face and neck, and, unlike a Scandinavian,
had black eyes and hair. He spoke Norwegian but brokenly.
He pretended that King Magnus had had an intrigue with
an Irish girl, and it was said that in the battle in which he
fell the King had sung this stave :
" In Dublin town my hopes reside,
No more are Norway's maids my cheer.
Them I'll not see till autumn-tide,
I love my Irish wench so dear."
Gillchrist brought his mother with him, but no other
evidence to establish his assertion. King Sigurd was subject
to fits of insanity, and, against the advice of his Council,
accepted the claim, and made Gillchrist, or Harald, as he
now called himself, swear that he would not contest the
kingdom, after his death, with Magnus, his son and sole
male issue. Harald took the required oath, and broke it so
soon as the King was dead.
Norway at the time was not a compact nationality, and a
strong hostility existed between the men of the North and
those of the South. The Northerners, or Drontheimers, at
once accepted Harald as their King, whilst those of the
South proclaimed Magnus so soon as Sigurd was no more.
Harald succeeded in getting Magnus into his hands, where-
upon he blinded him, cut off one of his feet, and otherwise
mutilated him.
Harald Gill, or Gillchrist, " was one of the most unworthy
Kings that ever disgraced the throne of Norway," says the
historian Boyesen. He left behind him but one legitimate
son, Ingi, who was deformed, hunchbacked, and with a
withered leg. He died without issue. But Harald left three
bastard sons and as many baseborn daughters. Not one
INTRODUCTORY
of the brood inherited the name of Gill. One of them was
called Sigurd Mund, from his ugly mouth, and he left issue
by his mistresses. His eldest son was born of a slave-girl
when he himself was aged but fifteen. A more disreputable
set than the spawn of Harald Gill can hardly be conceived.
They fought and killed each other, and of those that re-
mained, King Magnus Erlingsson, or, rather, his father
Erling, set to work to exterminate them root and branch.
But when he supposed that not one of Gill's race remained,
there suddenly started up a new claimant, Swerrir, from the
Faroe Isles, who pretended that he was the bastard of
Sigurd Mund by his cook, who was the wife of a comb-
maker named Uni, though Swerrir had been born after Uni
had married her. The faction of the Drontheimers was
quite ready to admit his claim, though totally unsubstan-
tiated by any evidence, and in a battle fought in 1184
Magnus Erlingsson was killed. Now, Swerrir did have sons
by the daughter of Roe, the Bishop of the Faroe Isles, but
it is very doubtful whether he were married to her, and we
know what became of his sons and grandsons. But Swerrir
himself, by his own showing, was the illegitimate son of a
bastard of Harald Gill, who was himself, as he pretended,
an illegitimate son of King Magnus Barefeet. 1 But that was
not the end of the farcical tragedy. A man turned up a
little fellow with an ugly face, named Eric who also pre-
tended to be the son of Sigurd Mouth, on no other grounds
than that when in Palestine he had prayed that, should he
be a King's son, he might be able to wade or swim across
Jordan with a lighted candle in his hand. He does not seem
to have known who was his mother. But his son died with-
out issue. All the sons, or pretended sons, and grandsons
of Harald Gill bore nicknames, but not one called himself
Gill.
Harald's original name was Gillchrist that is to say, the
servant of Christ. It was customary among the Irish and
Scots to call themselves servants of Christ or of some saint,
1 The male line, but only through another bastard, came totally to an
end with Hakon Longlegs in 1319.
25
INTRODUCTORY
and some of the noblest in the land were Gillmichael, Gill-
patrick Gillbridget, etc. But the name was unknown in
Norway before the arrival of Harald, and it perished there
with him. So much for this claim put forward to give a
false gloss to a name in itself ancient.
Now, Gill was a highly honourable name, taken by some
of the men of highest rank in Scotland, Cornwall, and
Ireland, coupling with it the name of Saint ; but it was not
Norwegian.
Now for another instance. In the Western Morning News
for June 10, 1909, is an account of the millenary service of
the anniversary of the foundation of the See of Crediton, and
also in memory of the martyrdom of Wynfrith (St. Boniface),
who was born in Crediton in 680. The newspaper says :
" At yesterday's service conspicuous places were occupied by
the Rev. A. Winnifrith (Rector of Mariansleigh) and Rev.
D. P. Winnifrith (Rector of Igham), father and son, who
claim to be descendants of the great St. Boniface."
Now, neither the father nor any brothers of St. Boniface
bore the name of Wynfrith ; nor, of course, being a monk
and an Archbishop, did he himself leave issue. Moreover,
hereditary family names did not come into existence in
England at all events, among the English people till some
500 years after the death of Wynfrith of Crediton.
I give these two instances of the mistakes into which people
may fall by making claims as to the antiquity and origin
of their names, without having investigated whether any
basis exists on which they could be established.
From the moment we come into the world we have, as our
very own, our names and our shadows. The latter attend us
only when the sun shines, but the former cling to us night
and day. We are sensitive about our names : we resent their
being misspelt or mispronounced; we fire up at any dis-
paraging remark passed upon them. But otherwise we do
not concern ourselves about them. We do not ask when
these names came into existence, what their signification is,
and what is their history. And yet they deserve more con-
sideration than has been accorded to them ; they are heirlooms
26
INTRODUCTORY
of the past heirlooms to be kept unblemished, to be passed
on without a stain to our children. And they are historical
records when rightly read. They inform us to what nation
our ancestor belonged, or what was his occupation, what his
principal physical or moral characteristics. That man who
first had a surname which he transmitted to his children was
the Adam of the family. Of all who went before we know
nothing ; of those who followed we may, perhaps, know
nothing till the time of our grandfather; but he, the Name-
Father, stands out as the family progenitor, and if we desire
to know something about him we must question our surname.
Our surnames are at the least 300 years old, many from 500
to 600 years old. Language changes it is in constant flux ;
but the name, after it has been adopted as a hereditary sur-
name and fixed in registers, is petrified. Spelling was tentative
and capricious, and Smith, for instance, was, when enregis-
tered, rung through all changes of Smeeth, Smythe, Smeyt,
Smyth, etc. ; and Faber, the blacksmith, became Fever,
Feures, Ferron, Fieron, etc. Because of the arbitrary manner
in which names were enrolled, so many are to us unintelligible
at the present day.
This year (1909) I have had difficulties relative to applicants
for old-age pensions, because the same person had his sur-
name spelled in one way when baptized, in another way when
married, and in a third when he made application. The
arbitrary way in which the owners of some of the best of our
family names treat them as to pronunciation shows what
confusion and mistakes must have been made in registration.
Mainwaring is pronounced Mannering, Leveson-Gower becomes
Lewson-Gore, Marjoribanks is Marchbanks, Cholmondeley is
Chumley. It was largely due to such mispronunciation, or
to caprice, that so many apparently vulgar and opprobrious
nicknames are to be found among us. Originally they were
not nicknames at all, as we shall presently see.
27
CHAPTER II
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
THE flight of the hermit from the society of his fellow-men to
bury himself in the desert, the bitterness expressed by Timon
when he said :
" Be abhorred
All feasts, societies and throngs of men !
His semblable, yea, himself, Timon disdains "
these are products of an exhausted, dying civilization. The
primitive man finds his pleasure, his ratio vivendi, in associa-
tion. He cannot think outside his community. He cannot
understand the possibility of man living as a unit, not as a
digit in a sum. The most extreme condemnation that could
be passed on a Norseman was to proclaim him an outcast,
a " wolf" 1 who might not lie under the same roof with, nor
speak with, a fellow-man. As one outside the commonwealth,
every man's hand was against him. He might be killed
with impunity. And the horror with which excommunication
was regarded by a man in the Middle Ages was due, not to
dread of deprivation of the Sacraments, so much as to dis-
sociation from fellow-men who might not house and converse
with him. When the Popes excommunicated whole peoples
it lost its force, and sectaries were willing cheerily to excom-
municate themselves, for they went forth from the Church
in bodies. When Innocent III. excommunicated King Sverrir
of Norway, and laid the land under an interdict, it was
1 So also to be proclaimed a " wolf's-head " in England. Cant. Pil-
grims : "The Coke's Tale."
28
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
generally disregarded, and no one was a penny the worse,
though the ban lasted from 1194 to I2O2. 1 Everywhere and
at all times do we come upon men living in community,
meshes in one net, their habitations clustered together as
cells in a honeycomb, living in communal houses, as the
Bornean Dyaks, where each house constitutes a village, or
as the North American cliff-dwellers. The family was un-
questionably the egg out of which the tribe was hatched,
and out of the tribe, but long after, grew the nation. But
the tribe itself in time ramified into subdivisions or septs.
The original idea certainly was that all members of a
tribe were of one blood, and it was on this account that
such strict rules existed against intermarriage between the
members. But in process of time this ceased to be strictly
true, as by adoption individuals pertaining to one tribe
might be taken into another, and a clan which was reduced
in numbers through war or plague was glad to recuperate by
this means.
So homogeneous was a tribe, that a crime committed by
one member of it was resented against the whole ; and when
a murder had been committed outside it, retaliation was
made, not necessarily on the murderer, but on any innocent
and innocuous member of the murderer's tribe. We have
excellent opportunity for seeing this in operation in the early
history of Iceland, where families were established in their
several homesteads, but had not as yet multiplied sufficiently
to constitute clans ; or in Borneo, where this system of
vendetta prevails to the present day.
From a very early period indeed, from the very time
when a tribe was formed it became essential to place some
mark upon each member, so that he might be recognized by
friend and foe as belonging to it. This is the signification
of all the mutilations and disfigurements that are found
among men in a primitive state of civilization. It continued
even under later conditions. Circumcision among the Jews
1 Remarkably enough, from the moment that the ban was fulminated
Providence blessed Sverrir, and his fortunes assumed a favourable turn.
He was one of the best Kings Norway ever had.
29
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
was the placing a mark upon the Beni Israel, whereby they
might be distinguished from the Gentile nations around.
And circumcision has the same significance among the
Mohammedans only that with them it is the badge, not
of uniqueness in blood, but of oneness in faith.
Among the ancient Irish, the Druids wore a particular
tonsure, indicative of their pertaining to the sacred, in
contradistinction to the secular tribe. The Christian mis-
sionaries adopted another kind of tonsure. They shaved
the head from ear to ear in front, and the native Irish called
them " adze-heads " because this gave to their faces the shape
of the weapon we commonly call a " celt."
The Normans who followed William the Bastard to
England, to distinguish themselves from the Anglo-Saxons,
shaved the backs of their heads from ear to ear, as we may
see them depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.
The Romanist tonsure of the priest and the monk has the
same significance the indication by an outward mark that
those so disfigured belong to a sacred caste.
Many savage races flatten the head, pierce the cartilage of
the nose and insert rings, knock out one or more of the
teeth or file them to sharp points, draw forth the nether
lip, pierce it, and insert a stick; or else tattoo the face,
or face and body together. All these disfigurements had
originally, and have still, the object of marking a man or
woman as a member of a particular tribe.
When a female marries out of her tribe, then she is re-
quired to have additional flourishes tattooed upon her ;
and anyone acquainted with native ways can read upon her
body the history of her life that she was born into one tribe,
but was taken by marriage into another.
On the Congo, says Frobenius, every group, even every
village, bears, so to say, visibly on its head its own coat of
arms. Nor is this custom confined to the region of the
Congo, but prevails beyond Africa over a great part of the
world, especially in the region of the Pacific Ocean and the
lands bordering on it.
When Julius Caesar first landed in Britain, he noted that
30
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
the natives were dyed with woad. What he saw was the
painting or tattooing that indicated the distinctions of tribes
ranged against him.
Long after tattooing had ceased to prevail in Europe,
down to our own times, every village distinguished itself, in
France, Germany, and elsewhere, from every other by some
peculiarity of costume. Costume is now rapidly disappear-
ing, but fifty years ago it prevailed. In 1847, when my
father drove through France from St. Malo to Pau, I
sketched the head-dresses of the women. Not only was
there a difference between those of the different provinces,
but there was distinction between those in the several
villages. In the National Museum at Munich is a hall given
up to the costumes worn by men and women alike in the
kingdom. There is, or were, precisely the same differences
there. At the present day, in the market at Quimper in
Brittany, one may distinguish at a glance a Bigauden from
any other peasantess by the hair tightly drawn back from
the face, and collected in a black box-cap at the back of the
head. The Bigauden is believed to be of a different race from
the Breton, and to have Mongolian characteristics. She
proclaims the difference by her coiffure.
The author already quoted tells the story of a young
French trader who in 1895 started for the Congo, and
reached Lake Leopold, where he did so good a business
that he resolved on establishing a permanent station there.
" But scarcely was the axe applied to the first tree, when
one hand of the village chief's was laid on the woodman's
shoulder, while the other indicated with unmistakable
emphasis that the business must proceed no further. So a
palaver was held, and the gentle Mongols insisted that the
trader must become a member of the tribe, without which
he might not settle. He was rejoiced. He nodded his
assent, and through his interpreter asked how this was to
be done. * You must receive the tribal scars,' was the reply.
He pulled a long face, but there was no help for it. On all
sides, right and left, ivory and rubber were to be had in
abundance, and all at the cost of a few gashes.
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
" Next morning the ganga that is, the priest of the tribe
introduced himself. On a leather cloth he spread out all
sorts of little objects a couple of horns, black ashes, red
dyes, a few small iron implements, and four little wooden
figures tied up in a bundle.
" The white brother of the tribe was first manipulated on
the temples, a black mixture was rubbed in, and his head
scarred with various red lines. Even that did not suffice.
Inflammation set in with the wounds, which festered. . . .
After four weeks the ganga presented himself again. The
scorings were repeated. Again he fell ill, lost all patience,
and in a few days returned to Europe. The affair had a
sad ending. The poor fellow never recovered, and died in
the hands of a surgeon, trying to get the hateful disfigure-
ments removed from his temples." 1
That in time men should revolt against the tortures and
mutilations to which they were subjected, in order to ear-
mark them as members of their tribe, may well be supposed.
The tartan, the costume, the various modifications of
the plaiting of the hair, are substitutes, in the interests of
humanity, for the bodily disfigurements. But another sub-
stitute was found in the registration of the tribesmen.
In all probability, among the Celts generally, and among
the Irish and Welsh certainly, the bard was instituted as
the genealogist of the tribe. It was his obligation, for which
he was liberally paid, to know and recite the pedigree and
position and achievements of every individual of the tribe.
The man who founded a family had a personal name, and
imposed that name on his descendants. The sons of Adam
were Adamim. But as families multiplied, and became
detached more or less from the parent stock, the head of
each branch became in turn an ancestor, giving his name
to the sept. Yet, as in the subclans of the Highlands of
Scotland, the original filiation was never wholly forgotten.
In Genesis we read : " Now these are the generations of
the sons of Noah : Shem, Ham, and Japheth ; and unto them
were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth :
1 Frobenius, "The Childhood of Man." London, 1908.
32
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
Gomer and Magog, and Madai and Javan, and Tubal and
Meshech and Tiras. And the sons of Javan : Elishah and
Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. By these were the isles of
the Gentiles divided in their lands : every one after his tongue,
after their families, in their nations."
The sacred writer goes on in like manner to give the sons
and grandsons of Ham and of Shem. He clearly notes that
the tribes and races of whom he had knowledge claimed or
were accorded descent from certain named ancestors, but
they did not all take the name of the remotest forefather,
but of that one which formed the radiating sept.
This fissiparous formation of tribes may go on for a long
time, but it must come to an end eventually, so far as reten-
tion of relation with the parent stock and with the collateral
branches goes ; and then in the general welter and confusion
of relations the idea of the nation rises to the surface.
Among the Norsemen, the Royal Family was that of the
Ynglings, deriving from a mythical ancestor, Ingvi. The
Saxon and Angle Kings all traced back to heroic ancestors,
and the Saxon Chronicle is careful to record the pedigrees.
The Danish Royal Family was that of the Skjoldungs,
descended from an ancestor Skjold, of whom this story is
told : One day a skiff arrived on the coast of the Baltic with
a little boy asleep within it on a shield. He was reared
among the people, and became their King. Because he
slept on a shield he was called Skjold, and because he was
found in a boat he was fabled to be the son of Skiff. Simeon
of Durham, in his history of St. Cuthbert, calls Halfdan and
his brother, the two Danish Kings of Northumbria, Scaldingi
i.e., Skjoldungs.
But the royal Danish race of this stock expired in the
male line with the extinction of the family of Canute the
Great, and the crown passed to the son of an Earl Ulf
whom Canute had murdered, and who had married his
sister. Thenceforth the Danish royal race was entitled the
Ulfungs. But among the Northmen there were as well the
Bjornings, sons of the Bear ; Hundings, sons of a dog ;
Arnungs, issue of an eagle ; Nifflungs, children of the mist,
33 C
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
But no member bore the name Bjorning, Skjoldung, Hunding,
Arnung, etc., as a surname ; only the family generally was so
designated. It was a tribal name, but it did not adhere as
yet to the personal name.
In the Scandinavian stock, the tribal formation had broken
down or been dissolved, and descent from the heroic ancestor
was attributed to the Royal Family alone. The dissolution
of the tribe was largely due to the conformation of the land,
which threw people together about the fjords, and forced
them to adopt a territorial rather than a tribal organization.
The ancient social organization of the Romans was tribal.
The tribe, or rather house, was called a gens, and the idea
was that all members of a gens were of one blood. The
most ancient gentes were all patrician the Ramni, Titii,
and Luceri. But as they died out other gentes were formed.
After the reign of Servius Tullius arose plebeian gentes. In
some cases in the same gens existed at the same time patrician
and plebeian families. Such was the case with the gentes
Claudia, Cornelia, and Junia. This arose through a plebeian
family being elevated into being patrician, whilst the others
remained in their former position. Or else a patrician by a
marriage out of his order might found a family that became
plebeian. Each gens had particular rights. There existed
mutual protection ; property could not be passed by bequest
or sale out of the tribe ; and each gens had its own sanctuary
and a common burial-place. Every Roman had three names
one personal, one designating the family to which he
belonged, and one indicated his gens.
The title of " gentleman " originally signified one belonging
to a gens, or tribe, in contradistinction to the rabble without,
who pertained to none.
Among the Celts it was much the same as among the
Romans. In the Highlands of Scotland, theoretically all
Campbells, Ogilvies, Camerons, Farquhars, were regarded as
of one blood, when they bore the same clan name. But, as we
shall see in the sequel, this was theoretical only. The Irish
had the Fine, consisting in the first place of the children,
brethren, and other relatives, of the Flath, or chieftain ; but
34
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
it actually comprised as well all who were under his pro-
tection and paid him rents. Each of the smaller clans
comprised in a great clan gradually assumed a distinctive
surname, though they often continued to be regarded, and to
regard themselves as included, under the great clan name.
The clan names of O'Brian, O'Neill, O'Donovan, O'Sullivan,
O'Donnell, like the Greek Homerids in Chaios, the Codrids,
the Butids, the Roman ^Emilii, Julii, or Fabii, were originally
family organizations, swelled later on by adoption from with-
out into the clan.
Like the Roman gentes, the Irish tribes had their tribal
cemeteries. Indeed, those mysterious people, who strewed
so many lands with their megalithic monuments, had
unquestionably a tribal organization also as certainly
tribal names, for their great dolmens and sepulchral
chambers were clan mausoleums, and it was only on the
dissolution of the tribal formation that the small kistvaen,
containing but a single interment, came into use. It is
interesting to note that the old clan feeling survives
among us relative to our dead. Families like to have their
mausoleums and vaults, in which may be gathered together
all of the same blood and name.
Sir Henry Maine says : " It would be a very simple
explanation of the origin of society if we could base a
general conclusion on the hint furnished us by Scripture,
that communities began to exist wherever a family held
together instead of separating at the death of its patriarchal
chieftain. In most of the Greek States and in Rome there
long remained the vestiges of an ascending series of groups out
of which the State was first constituted. The family, house,
and tribe, of the Romans may be taken as the type of them,
and they are so described to us that we can scarcely help
conceiving them as a system of concentric circles which have
gradually expanded from the same point. The elementary
group is the family, connected by common subjection to
the highest male ascendant. The aggregation of families
forms the gens or house. The aggregation of tribes consti-
tutes the commonwealth." 1
1 Maine, "Ancient Law," p. 128. London, 1885.
35 C2
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
All in the tribe had one name ; but with the division of the
tribe into the gens, house, or clan, a new name was taken
from the new founder. The original idea was that first the
tribe, then the clan or gens, constituted men of one blood.
But this ceased to be true when adoption took place, and
this took place on a large scale ; nevertheless, those adopted
assumed the tribal or clan name. Not all the Fabii were of
Fabian blood, nor all the O'Brians descendants of Brian,
nor all the Camerons of the original crooked-nosed ancestor
(Cam-rhon). "The family," says Maine, "is the type of an
archaic society in all its modifications which it was capable
of meaning ; but the family here spoken of is not exactly the
family as understood by a modern. In order to reach the
ancient conception, we must give to our modern ideas an
important extension and an important limitation. We
must look on the family as constantly enlarged by the
absorption of strangers within its circle, and we must try to
regard the fiction of adoption as so closely simulating the
reality of kinship that neither law nor opinion makes the
slightest difference between a real and an adoptive con-
nection." 1
We shall see, in the chapter on Scottish and Irish Names,
that the adoption of a clan name in a vast number of cases
implies no blood relationship whatever.
Tribal organization was a stage in the development of
mankind, useful and beneficial for a time, but for a time
only, after which it became obstructive to the formation of
the greater and nobler conception of nationality.
Tribal organization must inevitably come to an end in
time, with the multiplication of families, and instead of asking
how it came to an end, the question to be asked is : How did it
manage to continue so long as it did in Wales and Scotland ?
And the answer in both cases is : Constant wars with the
English, with each other, and with the Lowlanders, kept the
tribal organization from falling to pieces.
With the extinction of tribal differentiation through the
melting of all the members of the several septs into one
1 Maine, "Ancient Law," p. 133.
36
THE TATTOO AND TRIBAL NAME
race, the tribal name falls away or adheres to the King
alone, and each member of the race is left with his personal
name only ; and this is how we find our forefathers in
England Celtic, Anglo-Saxon or Danish with singular
names, or personal names, to which were attached descriptive
appellations that perished with the bearer, because such de-
signations were not applicable to his sons.
The sequence in the formation of hereditary nomenclature
was this :
1. The tribe was at first distinguished by bodily mutila-
tions.
2. Mutilations were abandoned for costume, differentiating
tribes.
3. The tribal name fell away, and the personal name
alone was left.
4. Personal names were found to be insufficient for differ-
entiating man from man.
5. Consequent introduction of descriptive appellations.
These were personal, and expired with the bearer.
6. Finally surnames become hereditary.
37
CHAPTER III
SIRE-NAMES
A TIME was when, by a sudden cataclysm, the climate of
Northern Asia was changed. One day it was temperate if
not tropical ; then came a wave of glacial cold, and the
temperature of Siberia was altered for ever. At once, in one
day, all the mammoths that had browsed on the luxuriant
vegetation fell, and were congealed and embedded in ice,
that preserved them flesh, skin, and hair, even the un-
digested food in their paunches revealing what was the
vegetation once found on what are now the frozen tundras
that grow nothing but grey moss.
We do not know when this event took place ; we know
only that it did take place, because these frozen monsters
strew the lands that fringe the Polar Circle.
In like fashion, at some time, we know not precisely when,
but certainly not simultaneously, all the Toms, Jacks, Wills,
Peters, and Harrys, in England, went down and were frozen
so far as their names were concerned. If the original Tom
could be exhumed from a block of frozen rubble, what a rush
would be made from all quarters of the English-speaking
globe of the Tomsons, Thompsons, Thomassons, Thorns,
and Tomkins to have a look at the ancestor from whom
they derive ! He would be an object of greater interest than
the red-haired, mummified, primeval Egyptian in the glass
case in the British Museum. But actually all the Tomsons,
Thompsons, Thomassons, Thorns, and Tomkins, do not
descend from an unique Tom. There was no sole Tom
38
SIRE-NAMES
among men, the Adam from whose loins issued all these
families that bear his name, as the rivers that watered the
Garden of Eden issued from a single fount. There were Toms
many dotted over the counties of England, who spawned in
all directions about the same period, when the blast of
fashion swept over the country and fixed them for all time as
ancestors, bequeathing their name to generations yet unborn.
There was an ancestral Tom, of course, to every family of
Tomson, Thompson, Thomasson, Thorns, and Tomkins, but
not the same Tom to all. It would be highly instructive to
be able to dig each out and study him scientifically. One
may conjecture that he was a Tom of Titanic stature, of
superhuman beauty, or of prodigious intellect, so that all his
issue were eager to arrogate to themselves his name, and to
insure that it should be known to all the world that they
had sprung from him. Some, overcome with modesty, feel-
ing their unworthiness to be ranked even as his sons, measur-
ing their littleness against his greatness, were content to call
themselves, and to be called, Tomkins or Tomlins, with a
diminutive ending.
But in all probability the ancestral Tom was not more
than a shrewd, worthy man, perhaps broader in beam,
stronger in grip, louder in voice, more potent in swallowing
tankards of ale, or could draw a straighter furrow, than any
other ploughman in the hamlet ; and his sons desired that
his mantle might rest on them all, just as, in Memling's
painting, that of St. Ursula envelops the 11,000 virgins that
bear her company. The fashion or the need of having a
to-name determined the adoption.
Among the Hebrews there were no family names. Joshua
was the son of Nun, Caleb the son of Jephunneh, David the
son of Jesse, Isaiah the son of Amos. Not till the reign of
Joseph II., Emperor, were the Jews in Germany constrained
to adopt surnames.
In the twelfth century was drawn up the Domesday Book
of Iceland, recording the land-taking of all the early settlers,
with their pedigrees. Not a single family name occurs, and
to this day there does not exist a family name in the island
39
SIRE-NAMES
pertaining to a native. Every man is known by his personal
designation, and as the son of his father.
When I returned from Iceland in 1861, on the boat with
me was Eric Magnusson. He became a teacher of the
Scandinavian languages and literature in Oxford, and there
he was known as Mr. Magnusson. But his son, in Iceland,
would not be Magnusson, but Eric's son ; only if he remained
in England would he be called Magnusson.
Among the Angles, Saxons, and Norsemen, the system of
nomenclature was the same, and among ourselves the sur-
names Johnson, Thomson, Dickson, Wilson, and the like,
are mainly Northumbrian in origin that is to say, proceed
from families in the land north of the Humber up to the
Tweed; for this was largely colonized from Denmark, and
patronymics clung to usage among them more than among
the Anglo-Saxons. " A Cumberland deed of 1397 mentions
Richard Thomson, showing the true patronymic as still used
in Iceland. . . . Many more examples might be given from
Yorkshire and Cumberland. It has been thought that the
termination son is a mark of Scandinavian origin, and,
without pressing this too far, it may be said that such
surnames are more common in the old Danelaw than
elsewhere." 1
Among the Picts the descent was through the mother.
Almost certainly the matriarchate indicates a low moral
condition, such as did not exist among the Germanic and
Scandinavian peoples.
The Welsh were very late in adopting patronymics as
hereditary surnames. Some of the principal landowners did
so in the reign of Henry VIII. by the King's desire, but tbp
commonalty did not follow their example till much later.
Every man among them was known by his Christian name,
followed by ap and that of his father.
Cheese has thus been described as
" Adam's own cousin by its birth,
Ap Curd, ap Milk, ap Cow, ap Grass, ap Earth."
1 Collingwood, " Scandinavian Britain," 1909.
40
SIRE-NAMES
M. A. Lower tells the following story: "An Englishman,
riding one dark night among the mountains, heard a cry of
distress proceeding from a man who had fallen into a ravine
near the highway, and, on listening more attentively, he heard
the words, ' Help, master, help !' in a voice truly Cambrian.
' Help ! What are you ?' inquired the traveller. ' Jenkin-
ap-Griffith-ap-Robin-ap-William-ap-Rees-ap-Evan,' was the
response. * Lazy fellows that ye be,' replied the Englishman,
setting spurs to his horse, * to lie rolling in that hole, half a
dozen of ye ! Why, in the name of common sense, don't ye
help one another out ?' "
In 1387 Ladislas Jagellon, King of Poland and Duke of
Lithuania, required all his subjects to be baptized. The men
were divided for the purpose into two companies ; those in
the first were named Peter, those in the second Paul. In
like manner the women were ranged in two batches ; all in
the first were christened under the name of Catherine, all
in the second under that of Margaret. Conceive the bewilder-
ment in a village when there were, let us say, a hundred
Peters and as many Pauls ! How difficult nay, how impos-
sible it would have been in it to establish a case of breach of
promise of marriage, when the gay defaulter could dive in
and out among the Catherines and Margarets, and perplex a
Judge's mind past drawing a conclusion of guilt ! It would
be absolutely, imperiously necessary for all the Peters and
Pauls to assume each a surname for the purpose of identifi-
cation. Indeed, it would be necessary for the Prince to insist
upon it, otherwise what evasion and subterfuge would be
resorted to in order to escape taxation or shirk military
duty!
To the present day, in the western hills of Yorkshire, the
people know themselves, and are known among their com-
rades, by their descent. A man is John a' Jake's a' Hal's,
and a woman is Mary a' Tom's a' Bill's. Should there have
been a moral slip, it is not forgotten ; it is duly represented
as Joe a' Tom's a' Katie's. The people employ their surnames
for registration alone, and, were it not for being enrolled at
school, most children would be ignorant of the fact that they
41
SIRE-NAMES
possessed a surname. Indeed, it would seem that the people
themselves a few generations ago had none, and arbitrarily
assumed any that entered their heads when it came to the
matter of a marriage or a christening. At Hebden Bridge
nearly everyone called himself Greenwood.
Masses of rock, angular and rugged, that have fallen into
a torrent, by the time that they have reached the plain have
lost their asperities, and have been converted into smooth
and rounded pebbles.
Names also, since their first adoption, have been abraded
almost past recognition in rolling down the stream of
time, before they became fixed in registers and legal docu-
ments.
1. A sire-name is simple enough when it is plain Thom-
son, Tompson, Johnson, Jackson, Wilson, and the like. But
even here there has been some loss, for the original form was
Thomas-his-son, John-his-son, William-his-son. The pro-
noun has been elided, and even the 's of the genitive case
in some cases, as Williamson.
2. A further abbreviation took place when the son fell
away, and the name remained as Thorns, Johns, Jacks, or
Wills. Here the mark of the genitive case remained. But
where the employment of the final s was uneuphonious,
because the paternal name ended in that letter, and a dupli-
cation of it would be intolerable to the ear, it was dropped.
Thus we have Francis, Denys, James, Charles, Nicholas, in
place of Franciss, Deniss, Jamess, Charless, Nicholass.
3. A termination expressive of sonship or descent, in use
among the Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians, was ing. In
the pedigree of the West Saxon Kings it is used system-
atically. Edgar is Edmunding, Edmund is Edwarding,
Edward is Alfreding, Alfred is Alfwolding, and so on. But
ing was also broadly applied, much as O' in Irish and " the
son of" in Scripture, to signify descent from an ancestor
more remote than an immediate parent. Moreover, we
cannot assure ourselves that all names that end in ing are
patronymics, for the same termination is employed in a
variety of ways, as shall be shown in another chapter.
42
SIRE-NAMES
4. Ap, as already stated, signifies " the son of" in Welsh.
It is a contraction of Mob. This has gone through corrup-
tion, in being anglicized, as Prodger for Ap Roger, Bowen
for Ap Owen, Beaven for Ap Ewan.
5. Mac or Me in Scotland stands for "the son of," and
is the Gaelic form of the Brythonic Map. It is applied to
clansmen, although not necessarily blood relations of the
chief. Me A lister is the son of Alexander, MacCheyne or
MacShane is the son of John, Macgraih or Macreath is the
Weaver's son, Macdermot is the son of Diarmidh, MacPherson
is the Parson's son.
6. 0' has much the same significance among the Irish
as has Mac. But it is employed as grandfather, or some
remoter progenitor. It was said :
" Per Mac atque O, tu veros cognoscis Hibernos.
His duobus demptis, nullus Hibernus adest."
That may be rendered :
" By Mac and O you the Irishman may always know.
Take both away and no Irishman remains."
7. Another word for " son " is the Norman- French Fitz,
for fits. When Henry I. desired to marry the wealthy heiress
of the Baron FitzHamon to his illegitimate son, Robert of
Gloucester, she scornfully replied :
" It were to me a mighty shame
To have a lord withouten his two name."
Thereupon Henry gave him the sur or sire name of Fitzroy.
The Duke of Berwick was named Fitzjames as being
the illegitimate son of James II. The Duke of Grafton
is Fitzroy, as descended from a bastard of Charles II. by
Nell Gwynn.
But Fitz by no means originally indicated bastardy. We
find in the Roll of Battle Abbey and in Domesday a con-
siderable number of Normans who were known only as Fitz
this or that, and these did not acquire an hereditary surname
till a long time after. Godric de Clairfait, supposed to have
been the son of Ketilbern or Chatelber, named in Domesday,
lived in Yorkshire during the reign of Henry I. His son
43
SIRE-NAMES
called himself William FitzGodric, and William's son desig-
nated himself William Fitz William. Next came a Thomas
FitzWilliam, and then a William FitzThomas, and so on
till the latter part of the fourteenth century, when a Sir John
called himself FitzWilliam, and settled that this name
should be hereditary.
Some I may say almost all personal names have gone
through sad corruption. I need here only instance Batt
for Bartholomew, Taffy for David, Kitt for Christopher, Bill
for William.
These corrupted personal names have been taken up into
the composition of family names.
Herodotus informs us that in Scythia existed a people
addicted to eating their parents. When a father became
venerable he was set to climb a tree, and made to hang on
to a branch. The children then shook the trunk, and if the
parent clung successfully he was pronounced to be not fully
ripe. If, however, he dropped, his offspring considered him
to be in prime condition, and devoured him with avidity.
It was regarded as the highest compliment that could be
paid to him, to be devoured, for it showed an appreciation
of his qualities, mental, moral, and physical, in which his
children desired to participate, and that could only be
acquired in the manner described. This is no fable of the
Father of History.
On the same principle all cannibal races devour their
enemies. The most heroic and able-bodied foe is esteemed
the choicest morsel. Lunholtz says of the Queenslanders
of Australia that they are cannibals. " The most delicate
portion is the fat about the kidneys. By eating this they
believe that they acquire a portion of the strength of the
person slain, and, so far as I could understand, this was
even more true of the kidneys themselves; for, according
to a widespread Australian belief, the kidneys are the
centre of life."
In South Guinea the natives devour by preference the
brain of some highly respected member of their own tribe,
in order to acquire his admirable qualities. Indeed, the
44
SIRE-NAMES
more gifted in every way a man is, the more eagerly are
eyes fixed on him, and mouths water to enjoy him as a meal.
The custom assumes an even more repulsive form when the
deceased man's relatives consume the maggots bred out of
his decaying body. To them these maggots appear to be
the life of the dead man escaping from his carcass in another
form, and by this means they are able to possess themselves
of his estimable qualities in a concentrated extract.
With this practice is closely associated the horrible custom
of pressing out and swallowing the moisture of the moulder-
ing corpse. This custom is by no means rare among the
natives of the East Indian Archipelago, of Western Africa,
and of North-Eastern Brazil. Among the Indians of North-
West America exists a class of hametses, or medicine-men,
held in high esteem. To become one of the number requires
long preparation as long as four years. Part of the ceremony
of investiture consists in biting pieces of flesh out of living
members of the tribe. Jacobson says : " The hamets's
highest privilege consists in his right to feed on the corpses
of his dead associates, since his mere partaking of these
meals raises him in the opinion of his fellow-tribesmen to the
highest pinnacle of worth and holiness. In the deep recesses
of the forest the hametses gather together for their cannibal
banquet, which no outsider may approach, and at which
they produce a body from either one of the wooden boxes
suspended to the trees, or from one of the raised wooden
platforms where it has been dried by the action of the wind
Then they soften this mummified corpse in water, after which
they bite off and swallow large pieces of this loathsome fare.
When the bodies are old enough that is, belong to persons
who have been dead at least one or two years such food
appears to be not unwholesome. On the other hand, it
has repeatedly happened that hametses have died of blood-
poisoning."
A less revolting method of acquiring the virtues and
abilities of the deceased is practised in one part of New
Guinea. A redoubted chief who has fallen is placed in a
bed of chalk and left to decay therein, and the chalk imbibes
45
SIRE-NAMES
the moisture that distils from the body. When thoroughly
saturated, the chalk is used by the natives to rub into their
foreheads, under the impression that in this way the soul of
the departed warrior will pass into their own brain-pans.
An Icelandic saga relates a story of one Bodvar at the
Court of Rolf Krake. He there saw a poor timid boy who
was brutally ill-treated by the King's bodyguard. He took
compassion on him, and gave him to drink of the blood of a
redoubted enemy. Thereby the frightened lad was trans-
formed into a daring warrior.
Gilbert's ballad, " The Yarn of the Nancy Bell," may be
recalled. I give some verses to relieve a subject that is
gruesome and unsavoury :
" 'Twas on the shores that round our coast
From Deal to Ramsgate span,
That I found alone on a piece of stone
An elderly naval man."
And this man ever murmured :
" * Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig.'
" ' Oh, elderly man, it's little I know
Of the duties of men of the sea ;
But I'll eat my head if I understand
However you can be
" * At once a cook and a captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig.' "
The elderly man explains that the good ship Nancy Bell
sailed to the Indian Sea, but ran on a reef and was wrecked.
Whereupon the ten survivors escaped in a boat :
" * For a month we'd neither wittles nor drink,
Till a-hungry we did feel ;
So we drawed a lot, and accordin' shot
The captain for our meal.' "
46
SIRE-NAMES
Next to be eaten were the mate and the midshipman.
" ' And then we murdered the bo'sun tight,
And he much resembled pig ;
Then we wittled free, did the cook and me,
On the crew of the captain's gig.' "
Then all left were the elderly man and the cook, who
contended amicably as to which was to eat the other.
" Says he : ' Dear James, to murder me
Were a foolish thing to do ;
For don't you see that you can't cook me,
While I can, and will, cook you.' "
So he filled a copper and put in the necessary ingredients.
" ' And he stirred it round and round and round,
And he sniffed at the foaming froth ;
When I ups with his heels and smothers his squeals
In the scum of the boiling broth.
" ' And I eat that cook in a week or two,
And, as I eating be
The last of his chops, why I almost drops,
For a wessel in sight I see.
" ' And I never larf, and I never smile,
And I never lark nor play ;
But sit and croak, and a single joke
I have, which is to say :
* Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captain's gig.' "
What is Gilbert's nonsense is to the unsophisticated man
sheer common sense. He desires to sum in himself the
personal beauty of A, the success in affaires de cceur of B, the
eloquence in a pow-wow of C, the heroism in war of D, and
the acquisitiveness in scalps or skulls of E ; and accordingly
he eats A, B, C, D, and E, fondly supposing that he has
thereby concentrated all their abilities and luck and good
looks in himself. On the Congo, if a native has his hair cut,
he eats what has been shorn, lest another man, possessing
47
SIRE-NAMES
himself of it and consuming it, should absorb therewith his
power.
Among primitive peoples a man's name is regarded as of
the highest importance ; it not merely belongs to him, but it
is to some extent inseparable from him. He who gets hold
of his name acquires a powerful but undefined control over
the man himself. So strongly is this felt that the name is
kept concealed from enemies ; it is never uttered. He is
spoken of by a nickname ; he is alluded to in an oblique
manner. His true name is kept from all but his nearest of
kin. Just as a savage is afraid of having his portrait taken,
lest by this means the artist should obtain control over him,
so does he shrink from allowing any person to get hold of
his real name.
The medieval witch made a figure of wax, called over it
the name of a person she sought to injure, and then stabbed
it with needles, inflicting thereby on the person in whose
name the figure was moulded the most excruciating pains.
Into the Cursing Well of St. Elian, in North Wales, till the
end of the eighteenth century, were dropped pieces of lead
inscribed with the names of such individuals as the envious
and malignant sought to destroy ; and so strong was the
conviction that by so doing sickness and death were pro-
duced, that those who believed that their names had been so
plunged would have recourse to the keeper of the well, and
bribe him to draw their names out.
In the folk-tale of Rumpelstiltskin we have preserved the
universal belief that, if a person's name became known, his
power was broken.
By incantation with the name of a demon, the necromancer
obtained control over that devil, and was able to convert him
into a veritable lackey. By invocation of a saint by name,
that saint is almost compelled to listen to and answer the
prayer put up.
We have seen how costume and the tartan took the place
of disfigurement and tattoo. In like manner the use of a
man's name took the place of eating him. By the application
to another of the name of an ancestor or of a hero, that
48
SIRE-NAMES
other became a possessor of the qualities of him whose name
he bore. But this is not all. Among many primitive peoples
exists the belief in reincarnation. After death the soul
escapes to the spirit-world, where for a while it leads a
flighty and vacuous existence, and then returns to earth into
a fruit, a herb, or a fungus.
Should a man eat of any one of these in which is lodged
the spirit of the departed, the spirit lies latent in him till his
next son is born, when it is reincarnate in the child. Should
a beast devour the disguised soul, there is still hope for it if
that beast be a wild-pig or a deer ; for should a hunter kill it
and eat the flesh, he absorbs into his system the ancient
soul, which will come to new birth in his next offspring.
But should the spirit in its vegetable envelope perish uneaten,
the soul within it is extinguished for ever.
The system is open to objections, as savage men readily
perceived. For either by this means all the brilliant qualities
of an ancestor might be totally lost to the family, or else pass
into the possession of a warrior of a hostile tribe, who had
chanced to consume the imprisoned spirit. And no per-
spicuity would avail a man to distinguish the dear lineaments
or admired moral qualities of a parent when hidden in a
banana or a potato. He accordingly puzzled his brains to
discover a remedy. This he found by securing the name of
the deceased and applying it to his son or grandson, By
laying hold of either the name or the shadow of a man, that
man was secured soul and body by the captor, as certainly
as you master a monkey by laying hold of his tail, or a cat
by clinging to the scruff of his neck. The shadow was of a
nature too elusive to be caught ; moreover, that of a full-grown
man would hardly accommodate itself to a new-born infant.
But with the name it was otherwise, and by imposing that
of a heroic ancestor on a child the child became his reincar-
nation, and acquired all his qualities as surely as if that
ancestor had been distilled into its feeding-bottle.
The name of the father was not given to a son unless it
were posthumous ; that was an invariable rule, for naturally
enough no parent chose, whilst alive, to transmit his identity
49 D
SIRE-NAMES
to his child, and himself thereby fall back into nonentity.
The rule was strictly observed among the Scandinavians,
even after they had emerged from a condition of belief in the
transmigration of souls.
However absurd these convictions and practices may seem
to us, they were matters of serious belief and conduct among
primitive peoples, and even after our forefathers became
Christians traces of them remain.
It will be remembered with what astonishment the relatives
of Zachariah and Elizabeth heard that the name of the child
was to be John. " They said unto her [Elizabeth], There is
none of thy kindred that is called by this name/'
One spring night in 1024 a boy was born to Olaf
Haraldsson, King of Norway. It was so frail in appearance,
and seemed so likely to die, that the priest, Sighvat, hastened
to baptize it without holding communication with the
King, who had left strict injunctions not to be disturbed in
his sleep. Beating about for a name, the thought of Charle-
magne occurred to him, and he christened the child Magnus.
This name had not been previously employed in Scandinavia.
Next day Olaf heard of the event, and was furious. He
asked Sighvat how he had dared to christen the boy without
consulting him, and to give him such an outlandish name.
The priest told him his reason, that he had called the infant
after the greatest of all Emperors. Then Olaf was pleased,
for he thought that the luck in war, and genius, and spirit, of
the great Charlemagne would follow the name and adhere
to his son.
This feeling, in a modified form, exists among us still.
When John Jobson calls his son Percy, he trusts that some
of the radiance of the great Northumbrian house will surround
the boy, and that any flashes of petulance he may exhibit
will be attributed to a spiritual filiation from Hotspur.
We like to name a child after some honoured member of
the family long ago passed to the majority, with a hope that
he may resemble him. And I have heard it often remarked,
as something more than a coincidence, that a resemblance in
features or in character does go along with the name. In
50
SIRE-NAMES
my own family I called one of my daughters Diana Amelia,
after my grandmother, and she, and she alone among my
fourteen children, resembled her, to a remarkable degree, in
face. I named a son William Drake, after my grandfather's
grandfather, whose portrait hangs in our dining-room. And it
has been repeatedly noticed how curiously my son resembles
his namesake of the eighteenth century. I was visiting a
friend, and saw in his hall a portrait, as I supposed, of his
wife. I remarked to him what an excellent likeness it was.
He replied laughingly : " That is the picture of her great-
great-grandmother, and, curiously enough, she bears the same
Christian name. Moreover, none of her sisters in the
slightest degree resemble the old lady."
One of my daughters, named Margaret, was so called
after the daughter of the before-mentioned William Drake
Gould. One night, at a ball in North Devon, my daughter
was dancing with a gentleman whom she had not previously
met, when he said abruptly : " How like you are to your
great-great-grandmother !"
"Why," said my daughter, "did you ever meet her? I
think you can be hardly old enough for that."
" No," he replied, " but I have her portrait in my house,
and you really look to me as though you were she who had
stepped out of the frame to dance with me this evening."
Of course these are coincidences, and coincidences only ;
but such coincidences may have occurred in other families,
and have helped to confirm the supposition that the giving
a name to a child conveys to that child a something a like-
ness in face or in character to the individual after whom it
is called.
Among Roman Catholics the name of a saint is conferred
on an infant, and it is devoutly held that thenceforth the
saint takes particular care of his or her namesake, is its
patron, protector, and advocate. When a Pope, on his
elevation to the chair of St. Peter, adopts a name, it is that
of a predecessor whose policy he purposes following, and
whose spirit he trusts will rest upon him. It was so with
the present Pope, Pius X., who desired with the name to
51 D 2
SIRE-NAMES
tread in the footsteps of that most obscurantist and retro-
gressive of all Popes, Pius IX.
The princely family of Reuss has long laid great stress on
the name Henry. The first so called died in the year 1162.
Henry II. had three sons, every one named Henry. With-
out a break the line of Henrys has continued to the present
day. Henry XVI. had three sons ; each was a Henry. Of
one branch of the family, Henry LV. died without issue in
1636. Henry XLII. of another line had three sons ; each
was a Henry. Of the junior Reuss line, Henry LXXIII. died
in 1855 ; of the elder line, Henry LXIX. was born in 1792 ; of
another branch Henry LXXIV. was born in 1856. In fact,
in this family, in all its branches, every son is baptized
Henry. Since 1162 there have been in the Reuss family
over 168 Henrys, and not a single son bearing another
Christian name. Surely it must be held that fortune and
continuance in the Reuss family depend on its male repre-
sentatives being every one a Henry.
The idea that lay at the root of taking the name of a
grandfather or of a more remote ancestor was long for-
gotten when patronymics became hereditary, but a custom
survives the reason why adopted. The first step after the
eating of a grandparent had become an antiquated custom
was the assumption of the grandfather's name. This was
when personal names were single. If not that of a grand-
father, then that of an heroic ancestor, who became thereby
reincarnate in the child, or, if not actually reincarnate, con-
tributed with his name some of his qualities to the child.
That some names are fortunate, others ill-omened
" fausta nomina," as Tacitus calls the former has always
been held. After the murder of Prince Arthur by King John,
for long no Arthurs occur among English Christian names.
" * Now, my dear brother,' said Mr. Shandy, ' had my
child arrived safe into the world, unmartyred in that precious
part of him fanciful and extravagant as I may appear to
the world in my opinion of Christian names and of that
magic bias which good or bad names irresistibly impress
upon our characters and conducts Heaven is witness that
52
SIRE-NAMES
in the warmest transports of my wishes for the prosperity
of my child I never once wished to crown his head with
more glory and honour than what George or Edward
would have spread around it. But, alas ! as the greatest
evil has befallen him I must counteract and undo it with
the greatest good. He shall be christened Trismegistus,
brother.' ' I wish it may answer,' replied my uncle Toby,
rising up." 1
The practice of reproducing a favourite name in a family
lasted for many generations after the idea of reincarnation
had been abandoned. The father's or the grandfather's
name was given to the child out of affection to the former
possessor, and perhaps for no other reason ; but it continued
to be given. In my own family there has been an almost
unbroken chain of Edwards from the beginning of the
seventeenth century.
It is quite possible that, when the patronymic of Thomson,
for instance, was adopted as hereditary, it was not that those
who assumed it were the actual sons of Thomas, but that
they regarded Thomas as the prevailing and dominant name
in their family. They may have been sons of a John, son of
Thomas, but had acquired a poor opinion of the abilities
and character of their parent. He may have outlived his
vigour, and the infirmities of temper or body may have
become vexatious to his offspring, and as their estimation
of their father went down, that of Thomas, their grandfather,
went up ; and when it came to the adoption of a patronymic
as a fixture, they elected to be known, and their posterity to
be known, as Thomsons instead of Johnsons.
I will now subjoin a list, not by any means exhaustive, of
the Christian names of men that have been adopted in the
formation of patronymics, many of them in a so contracted
and corrupted form as at first glance to be unrecognizable :
ADAM ; whence come Adams, A damson, A dye, Adcock, Ad-
dyman (servant of Adam), Addison, Adkins, Atkinson.
AGILWARD ; whence come Aylward, Allardson, Alardice,
A Iward.
1 "Tristram Shandy," 1760, iv., p. 8.
53
SIRE-NAMES
AILBRED ; whence come Aubrey, Aubrison, Brison (if not
from Brice).
ALAN ; whence come Alanson, Hallet (or from Hal Henry),
Alkin (when not from Elias), Allen.
ALDRED ; whence comes A Iderson.
ALEXANDER; whence come Saunderson, Saunders, Alkey,
Sandercock, Me A lister, Palister (ap Alister).
ANDREW; whence come Anderson, Anson, Andrews, Hen-
derson, Henson, Anderton.
ANTHONY ; whence come Tonson f Tennison (or from Dennis),
Townson, Tonkins, Toney, Tonks.
ANSELM; whence come Ansell (or from Ancelot, contrac-
tion of Lancelot).
ARCHIBALD; whence come Archison, Aicheson, Balderson,
Archbutt.
ARTHUR ; whence come Atty, McArthur, Earth (ap Arthur),
but not always.
BALDWIN ; whence come Balderson (or from Archibald),
Bawson, Body, Budd, Baldock, Bodkin, Bawcock, Bawkin,
B aw den.
BARNABAS ; whence come Burnaby, Barnby, A bby ; but
Barnby is also a place-name.
BARTHOLOMEW ; whence come Bartlett, Letts, Letson,
Baits, Bates, Battey, Batson, Bettison, Badcock, Bartle, Tolley,
Tolson, Bartley.
BENEDICT; whence come Bennett, Benson, Bennie, Benn,
Bennetson, Benison.
BENJAMIN ; whence come, perhaps, some of the above ;
but Benjamin was never as favourite a name as Benedict.
BERNARD ; whence come Bernardson, Burnard, Barnes,
possibly.
BRICE; whence come Bryson, Bryce, but generally for
Ap Rice.
C^SAR ; whence come Keysar, Cayzer.
CHARLES ; whence come Charley, Caroll, O'Caroll (or from
Cearbhoil), Kelson (but Kelson may come from Nicholson).
CHRISTOPHER ; whence come Christopher son, Christison,
Christie, Kitts, Kitson, Keates, Kitto.
54
SIRE-NAMES
CLEMENT ; whence come Clements, Clemo, Clemson, Climp-
son, Clymo.
CONSTANTINE; whence come Custance, Cust, Custerson,
Custison, Cossentine.
CRISPIN ; whence come Cripps, Crisp, Crespin.
CUTHBERT; whence come Cuthbertson, Cutbeard, Cutts,
Hubbard, Cobbet, Cobett, Crewdson (with an intrusive r).
DAVID; whence come Davidson, Dayson, Davis, Davies,
Davey, Dawe, Dawkins, Dawes, Davidge, Duffy, Dakins,
Davitt, Dawson, Dawkes, Dowson.
DANIEL ; whence come Dancet, Dance, Danson, Tancock.
DENNIS ; whence come Dennison, Tennyson (or from
Anthony's son), Denson, Dyson, Denny, Dyatt, Dyett.
DIGORY ; whence come Digges, Diggins, Dickens (when not
from Dick), Digginson, Dickenson, Dickory, Diggman.
DODA (old Saxon) ; whence come Dodds, Dodson, Dodd.
DONALD ; whence come Donaldson, Donkin.
EDWARD; whence come Edwardes, Edkins, Edes, Beddoe
(ap Edward), Eddison.
EDMUND ; whence come Edmunds, Edmundson, Emson,
Empson.
EDWIN ; whence come Winson, Winston.
ELIAS ; whence come Ellis, Ellison, Elliot, Elliotson, Ellet,
Elkins, Ellicock, Elliott, Eales, Eeles.
EUSTACE ; whence come Stace, Stacey.
FRANCIS ; whence come Franks, Franson.
FULK; whence come Fookes, Fawkes, Vaux (when not
from De Vaux), Faucett, Fawson, Yokes, Foulkes, sometimes
Fox.
GABRIEL ; whence come Gabb, Gabell, Gabelson, Gable.
GEOFREY; whence come Jeffson, Jefferson, Jeffs, Jeffries,
Jepson, Jefcock, Goff, Guthrie.
GEORGE; whence come Georges, Jorris, perhaps Jury,
Jorrock.
GERARD ; whence come Garrod, Garrett, Garrick, Jarred,
Jerold, Jarratt.
GILBERT ; whence come Gilbertson, Gibson, Gibbs, Gibbings,
Gibbon, Gilbard, Gilpin (from Gibb-kin).
55
SIRE-NAMES
GILES ; whence come Gilson, Gillot, Gillett, Gilcock, Jelly,
Jellicock.
GODBERT; whence come Gotobed, Gobbett, perhaps, or
from Godbald.
GODARD (GOTHARD) ; whence comes Goddard.
GODBER ; whence comes Goodyear.
GODESCHALK ; whence come Goodchild, Godshall.
GODFREY ; whence come Godkin, Goad, Freyson.
GODRICK ; whence come Goodrich, Godrich, Goodridge.
GODWIN 1 ; whence come Goodwin, Godden, Godding,
Godon.
GREGORY; whence come Gregson, Greyson, Gregg, Griggs,
Gresson.
GUTHLAC ; whence come Goodlake, Goodluck.
HALBERT ; whence come Robbie (see " The Black Dwarf"),
Hobbs, Hobson.
HAMON or AYMON ; whence come Hamond, Hampson,
Hammett, Hammick, also as diminutive Hamlyn, Hamley.
HENRY ; whence come Harrison, Harris, Hawson, Hawkins,
Halse, Hawes, Hallet, Halket, Racket, Allcock, Parry, Harri-
man (servant of Harry), Hall.
HILARY ; whence come Larkins, Hilson.
HUBERT ; whence comes Hubbard.
HUGH ; whence come Hughes, Hewson, Pugh, Hutchins,
Huggins, Hodgkins, Hoskinson, Higgins, Hickes, Hickson,
Higginson, Hewett, Howett, Hudson, Higman.
ISAAC ; whence come Isaacson, and possibly Hicks, Higgs,
Higgins. However, Langland writes of " Hikke, the hackney-
man, and Hugh, the nedlere."
Ivo and IVAR ; whence come Ivison, Ivers, Maclver.
JAMES ; whence come Jameson, Jimson, Jeames, Jacox,
Jacks, Jaq^les, Jackson, Jacobs, Jacobson, Jimpson, Cobb.
JOB ; whence come Jobson, Jope, Jopling (unless from
Jublains), Jupp.
1 Many of our surnames beginning with " Good " come from the Anglo-
Saxon name beginning with " God." Goodchild\^, Godeschild (the shield of
God), or else a Godchild ; Goodbody is God's bothie or habitation ; Gatt-
acre is really God's acre ; Goodfellow is God's fellow or friend.
56
SIRE-NAMES
JOEL ; whence come Joule, Jowle, Yole (a Norman form
was Judual), Jewel.
JOHN ; whence come Johnson, Jonson, Jenkins, Evans,
Heavens, Jennings, Hanson, Hancock, Bevan, Hawkinson,
lans, Jevons, Joynes.
JORDAN ; whence come Judd, Judson, Juxon (or else from
Jude), Judkin, Jukes.
JOSEPH ; whence come Josephs, Joskin, Jose, Jephson, Jessop
(Giuseppe).
JUDE; whence come Judd, Judson. See above under
"Jordan."
JULIAN ; whence come Jolland, Jillson, Gotland, Jule,
Gilson.
KENNETH ; whence come Kennedy and McKenzie.
LAMBERT ; whence come Lampson, Lambkin, Lambett
(whence Labett), Lampert.
LAURENCE; whence come Larkin, Lawes, Law, Laurie,
Ranely, Lawson.
LUKE ; whence come Lukis, Lukin, Luxon, Lukitt, Locock.
LEVI ; whence come Levison, Lawson, Lewson, Leeson,
Lewis, as if for Louis.
MAGNUS ; whence comes Manson.
MARK; whence come Marks, Marson, Markin, Marcock,
Marcheson, Marcet.
MATTHEW ; whence come Matheson, Mathews, Matson,
Maddison, Mahew (French Maheu), May, for Maheu, Matkin,
Makin.
MAURICE ; whence come Morris, Morrison, Mawson, Moxon,
Morson, Morse.
MICHAEL ; whence come Mitchell, Mitcheson, Kilson.
MILO ; whence come Miles, Mil-son, Millet, Milsom (" som "
for " son ").
NICHOLAS ; whence come Nichols, Nicholson, Nixon, Coles,
Collis, Collison, Collins, Colson, Collin, Collett, Close, Clowes,
Glascock.
NIGEL; whence come Neale, Neilson, Nelson, O'Neil,
McNeal, Nihill.
OLIVER ; whence come Nollikins, Knollys, Knowles.
57
SIRE-NAMES
OSBALD, OSBERT, OsBORN, OSMUND, all have their modern
representatives in surnames.
OWEN ; whence comes Bowen.
PATRICK ; whence come Patrickson, Padson, Pattison,
Gilpatrick, Kilpatrick, Patterson, Patton, Patey, Petherick,
Pethick. But these two last from PETROC.
PAUL; whence come Paull, Paulson, Powlson, Pawson,
Porson, Paulett, Powlett, Palk (for Paulkin).
PETER ; whence come Peterson, Peters, Pier son, Pierce,
Perks, Perkins, Purkis, Parkinson, Parr, Parsons, Perrin, Perrot,
Pether, Peer. 1
PHILIP ; whence come Phillips, Philipson, Phipson, Phipps,
Lipson, Lipton, Filson, Philpott, Phillpots, Philkin, Phippen.
RALPH ; whence come Rawlins, Rawlinson, Rowe, Rapson,
Rawson, Raffson, Rawes, Rolfe, Rawkins, Rawle, Rolle, Roley.
RANDOLF ; whence come Randals, Ranson, Rankin, Randall.
REGINALD ; whence come Reynolds, Reynell, Rennell, Rennie,
Renson.
REGINHARD (REYNARD) ; whence come Reynard, Reynard-
son, Reyner, Reynerson.
RICHARD ; whence come Richards, Richardson, Dicks, Dixie,
Dickson, Dixon, Dickens (when not from Digory), Dickenson,
Hitchens, Hitchcock, Pritchard (ap Richard) , Richards, Ricketts,
Rickson.
ROBERT : whence come Robbins, Robertson, Robson, Dobbs,
Dobson, Dobie, Hobbs, Hobson, Hopkins, Roberts, Robartes,
Hopkinson, Probert (ap Robert), Probyn (ap Robin), Hobbins,
Hobbes.
ROGER; whence come Rogers, Rogerson, Hodge, Hodges,
Hodgson, Hodgkins, Hosking, Hoskinson, Hodgman, Dodge,
Prodger, Dodson, Dudgeon.
ROLAND and ROLLO ; whence come Rowlandson, Rollson,
Rowlett, Rolle, Rawlins, Rawlinson.
RUDOLF ; whence come Rudall, Ruddle, Rolf.
SAMSON ; whence come Sampson, Sansom, Samms.
SAMUEL ; whence come Samuelson, Samwell, Smollett.
1 In the Guardian, No. 82, p. 1713, is a memoir of William Peer, the
actor, who died of a broken heart because he was growing fat.
58,
SIRE-NAMES
SEBRIGHT (for Sigbert) ; whence comes Seabright.
SERLO ; whence come Searle, Serell, Sarell, Serlson.
SIBALD ; whence come Sibbald, Sibbaldson, Sibbson.
SIMON ; whence come Simonds, Symonds, Simmens, Sims,
Symes, Simson, Simpkin, Simkinson, Simcoe, Simcox.
SIWARD and SIGGEIR ; whence come Seaward, Seward,
Sayer, Seager, Seeker, Sears, Sugar, Siggers, Syer.
SOLOMON ; whence come Salman, Salmon, Sammonds.
STEPHEN ; whence come Stephens, Stevens, Stephenson,
Stevenson, Stimson, Stibbs, Stebbing, Stepkin, Stiff.
SWEYN ; whence come Swaine, Swanson, Swinson, Swaynson.
THEOBALD ; whence come Tibbald, Tibbs, Tippet, Tipkin,
Tebbets.
THEODORIC ; whence come Theed, Terry.
THOMAS ; whence come Thorns, Toms, Thompson, Tompson,
Tomson, Tomlyn, Tomlinson, Tomkin, Tomkinson, Thompsett,
Tombling, Tapson, Tapling.
THOROLD ; whence come Thoroldson, Tyrell, Terrell.
THURGOD ; whence come Thoroughgood, Toogood, Tuggett.
THURKELL ; whence come Thurrel, Thurkill ; in some
cases Killson.
TIMOTHY ; whence come Timms, Timbs, Timson, Timmins,
Timcock.
TOBIT ; whence come Tubbes, Betson, Beatson, Tobyn, Tobey
(changed to Sobey).
WALERAN ; whence comes Walrond.
WALTER; whence come Walters, Watts, Watson, Watkins,
Vautier, Goodyear (from French Gautier), Waterson, Wat-
kinson.
WARIN (for Guarin) ; whence come Warren, Waring, Wari-
son, War son.
WILLIAM ; whence come Williams, Williamson, Wilson,
Wills, Wilkins, Wylie, Willett, Gillott, Wellings, Bill, Bilson.
WUNEBALD ; whence comes Wimbold.
To this list of patronymics must be added one of metro-
nymics. These naturally lead us to suspect that such as bore
their mothers' names, and not those of their fathers, were
59
SIRE-NAMES
baseborn ; and although, no doubt, this is so in a good number
of cases, yet it is not invariably so. Sweyn, King of Denmark,
was called Estrithson, after his mother, who was the sister
of Canute the Great, though married to Earl Ulf, because it
was through her that he obtained his right to the throne.
In a good many instances the metronymic name was taken
in like manner, because the mother was of higher birth than
the father, and through her the son inherited some land.
Henry II. was entitled FitzEmpress because through her he
had his claim to the throne of England. The mother, again,
may have been a widow, and the son born after the death of
his father. It seems hardly credible that a man should accept
and transmit to his descendants a name proclaiming his
bastardy, unless it were unavoidable. It is true that among
the Normans no idea of disgrace attached to bastardy, but
surnames were not assumed by the generality of the people
till long after the Conquest, when opinion on this matter had
become more healthy.
Again, it is often a mistake to assume that the name
proclaims illegitimacy because it derives, apparently, from a
female, for many personal names had a male as well as
a female form, as Julian. Only in the eighteenth century
did the name become Juliana in the feminine. Gilson may
well be the son of a male Julian. There was a Jocosus as
well as a Jocosa, a Joyeux as well as a Joyeuse, to furnish
the family name of Joyce. Letson and Letts are not necessarily
descended from Laeticia or Lettice, as shall be shown pre-
sently. Nor are Nelsons the illegitimate sons of a Nelly, but
the legitimate offspring of Nigel.
Mr. Bardsley gives a long list of metronymics, which, if
accepted, point to a state of demoralization in England, at
the time when surnames were assumed, that is truly appalling ;
not only so, but to the indifference English people showed to
being proclaimed bastards, and to handing on such a name
to the end of time, to children yet unborn. I do not, how-
ever, believe that there was such a condition of affairs as
would be implied were we to accept Mr. Bardsley's list. I
will give some of what he calls metronymics, and shall, I
60
SIRE-NAMES .
trust, be able to show that in a good many cases he has
misinterpreted them :
Allison, son of Alice. I would say, of Alexander.
Amelot, Amye, Aimes, son of Amy. Why not of Amias ?
Anson, son of Anne. I suppose same as Hanson, son
of John, or may be of Anthony. But Annott may indicate
bastardy.
Aplin, son of Apolonia. It is the same as Ablin, from Abel.
Ansty, Anstice, from Anastasia. Anastasius was a man's
name.
Aveling, son of Evelina. But it may stand for Abeling,
diminutive of Abel.
A vis, A vison, son of Avicia.
Awdrey and Audrey, son of Ethelreda. But why may not
the name of St. Ethelreda have been assumed by some
resident in the Isle of Ely, out of devotion to the saint ?
Babb and Barbe, for Barbara. Possibly enough, rather
from St. Barbe, a Norman place-name.
Beaton, Bettison, Belts, Betson, Beatie, etc., the illegitimate
issue of a Beatrice. Beaton is from Bethune ; so Beatie and
Beits and Betson are mere softenings of Batt and Batson, for
Bartholomew.
Bell, Bellot, Bellison, Izod, Ibbott, Ebbott, Bibby, Ibsen,
Empson, Epps, Isbel, Libby, Nibbs, Knibb, are all supposed to
represent the offspring of Isabella or Isolt, its diminutive.
Bell and Bellot may more probably come from the shop or
tavern sign.
Cass, the son of Cassandra. It is another form of Case.
Catlin, from Catherine, a North Country form.
Cecil, the illegitimate son of Cicely. Probably a place-
name Chessel, in Essex.
Claridge, son of Clarice.
Custance, Cosens, Custeson, sons of Constance. It is true
that Chaucer uses Custance and Constance as forms of the
same name, but Custance actually stands for Coutance.
Deuce, son of Dionisia. The name, which is common in
Yorkshire, is also spelled Dewis, and means son of Dewi or
David.
61
SIRE-NAMES
Dowse and Dowson, from Dulcitia. Probably same as
Dewis and Daw son.
Dye, Dyson, Dyot, Dight, all from Dionisia, just as rightly
derive from Dennis or Dionis.
Eames, Emmott, Imeson, Empson, from a mother Emma.
Eames is a maternal uncle; Empson, a cousin through the
mother's uncle.
Ede, Eden, Eade, Eddison, Etty, from a feminine name
Eade. But why not from Edward, contracted to Eddy ?
There is also a place-name Ide, pronounced Ede, near
Exeter.
Elwes, the son of Heloise. Quite as likely, son of Aldwy.
Eves, Eave, Eveson, Evett, sons of Eve. Why not of
Ivo?
Florance, Florry, and Flurry, sons of Florence. Florence
was a man's as well as a woman's Christian name, as for
instance in the famous Geste of Florence and Blanchefleur.
Moreover, these names most probably were given to Floren-
tine merchants, settlers in England.
Gallon, derived from Julian, a man's as well as a woman's
name. So also Gilott, Gillow, Gillson, cannot be accepted as
the brood of a Juliana.
Gossett, Jose, Goss, are assumed to derive from Joyce. Jose
may be from Joseph. Goss means a goose, and Gossett a little
goose.
Grundy, from Gundreda. But Gundred may have been a
male form.
Helling, from Ellen. Very doubtful.
Idson, Ide, sons of Ida. As already said, Ide is a place-
name, and Idson is a corruption of Judson.
Izzard Mr. Bardsley derives from Ysolt. As a fact, it
comes from Les Essards, in Normandy.
Jillot, Gellot, Gilson, Jowett, Joll, are supposed to be derived
from Juliet and Juliana ; but, as above said, Julian is not
exclusively a female name, and Joll was a name in Cornwall
before the Conquest, and before the introduction into
England of Juliana and Juliet.
Letts, Letson, come from Letitia. But Letson is a corrup-
62
SIRE-NAMES
tion of Ledsham, near Pontefract ; and Letts, as already said,
is from Bartlett.
Mabb, Mabley, Maberley, Mabbot, Mapleson, are the sons
of Mabel. Maberley is the same as Moberley, a parish in
Cheshire.
Maddison is not the son of Maude, but of Matthew, and is
the same as Mattheson.
Maggs, Margeson, Margetson, Poggson, are the sons of
Margaret.
Mallinson, Mallison, Marriott, Maryatt, Mayson, Moxon,
Moggs, all signify the sons of Mary. As to Marriott and
Mayyatt, it is possible enough that they are place-names
Merriott in Somersetshire. May, moreover, comes from
Maheu, the French for Matthew.
Maude and Mawson, from Matilda. More likely from the
English name Maldred or from Morris. Maude is also Le
Maudit (see Battle Abbey Roll).
Parnell and Pernell come from Petronella, and the word was
used to describe a light-charactered wench.
Sisson, from Cicely. Very doubtful.
Tagg, Taggett, from Agnes. Tegg, however, is from Teague,
and Tagg, is its diminutive.
Tillett and Tillotson, from Matilda.
It will be seen that, although apparently a good number
of names appear to be metronymics, it is quite possible
that they may be so in appearance only. Son is an easy
alteration from ston as the end of a name. I possess a manor
that was called in Domesday Waddleston ; it is now called
and spelled Warson. I should be most reluctant to suppose,
unless constrained by evidence so to do, that all the apparent
metronymics are actually the unblushing acceptance by
English people of names proclaiming the taint of bastardy.
Some unfortunates could not escape. When the Act of 1538
was passed, rendering registration compulsory in country
parishes, doubtless there were " love-children " whose origin
was so well known that they could not escape having
their names recorded as fatherless. But we may well be
63
SIRE-NAMES
mistaken if we rush to the conclusion that all these names
are reminiscent of a scandal. No man, as I have said, would
register his surname if he thought it smacked of that.
There was another reason above those already mentioned
that may have led to the use of a name derived from a
female. Among the Northern people and the Normans,
though Frenchified and Christian, had their ancestral beliefs
and superstitions uneradicated there existed a conviction
that men without hair on their faces changed sex every
ninth day. That which caused the burning of the worthy
Njall his wife and sons, in their house, was the taunt of a
certain Skarpedin, who threw a pair of breeches at a certain
Flossi and bade him wear them, as he was a woman every
ninth day. This was an insult that could be expunged only
with blood or fire. In the Gullathing laws is one condemning
to outlawry any man who charged another with change of
sex, or with having given birth to a child. When Thorvald
the Wide-travelled went round Iceland with a German
missionary Bishop named Frederick, preaching the Gospel,
the smooth face and long petticoats, and perhaps the portly
paunch of the prelate, gave rise to bitter jests. A local
poet sang :
" Nine bairns born
The Bishop hath,
And of all and eke
Is Thorvald father."
This was more than Thorvald could endure, and he hewed
down the scald with his battle-axe.
It is quite possible that some beardless father of a family
may have been nicknamed Little Mary (Marriott) or the
Girl (Piggot). Gilbert Folliott may have been designated
Filliot from his shaven and effeminate face, and he preferred
to be known as Folliot (the Little Fool) to Filliot (the Little
Girl).
Curiously enough, relationships have formed surnames a
thing not easy of explanation. Neames signifies uncle (the
Old English is "neme" 1 ), and N eaves is nephew. "Neve,
1 Neames was the name of one of the knights in the popular romance
of " The Four Sons of Aymon."
64
SIRE-NAMES
Sony's sone, neptis," says the " Promptuarium Parvulorum."
Eame is in A.S. a maternal uncle, hence Fames. Cousins
we have many, also Brothers and Freres, as surnames ; but
these latter may be due to the bearers at first having been
friars who had quitted their convents. Nevins stands for
Nevinson, the great-nephew. Beaufrere, becoming Beaufere,
and then Buffer, gave a surname, as also its equivalent Fair-
brother ; but Mauf was the Old English for a brother-in-law,
and this remains in the rare surname Whatmough i.e., Wat's
brother-in-law. Maeg was a sister-in-law, and just possibly
may have originated some of our Meeks. Sometimes we
have " son " attached to a trade-name. That is explicable
enough. When a man had to be enregistered who had no
surname, nor his father either, it was simple enough to enroll
him as Clerkson or Cookson, Smithson, or Ritson (for wright's
son) ; or, again, Saggerson, as the son of the sagar, or sawyer.
Why Sackerson should have been a name applied to a bear
is not apparent (" Merry Wives," I. i.), but possibly it was
due to the up-and-down movements of Bruin.
Christian names when adopted as surnames underwent
alteration. Alban is transformed into Allbone, the German
Albrecht into Allbright; Wulferic became Woolridge, the
name of a little blacksmith from whom I derived many
traditional ballads a man so small that one could hardly
imagine him descended from a sturdy Saxon stock. The
Norse Arnkettil in Yorkshire became Arkle, and then settled
down to Artie, which was the name of the cook at Horbury
Vicarage some thirty years ago. Baldwin has become
Bawden, and Alberic Aubrey. A sire-name may be so altered
as to look like a place-name. An example in point is Baynham.
As it happens, we know its pedigree. The Heralds' Visitation
of Gloucestershire of 1623 tells us that Robert ap Einion had
a son Robert, who changed ap Einion into Baynham, and
settled at Chorewell, in the Forest of Dean. Bedward is not
a to-name that looks back to a Lord of a Bedchamber to a
King, but derives from Ap-Edward.
A great change took place in English Christian names
after the Conquest. Before that, those borne by men and
6 5 E
SIRE-NAMES
women were of very ancient character, formed out of the
Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian tongues. But after that event
came in names of saints and such as were Norman.
For the history of nomenclature Domesday is of especial
value, for it gives us both Anglo-Saxon names at a period
before to-names had begun to become hereditary, and also
Norman names when on their way to become surnames. It
shows us many of our invaders who were known only as
sons of such and such a father, precisely as were Saxon
thegns ; and others who had Christian names, and nothing
else. Others, again, had nicknames, and many men were
designated after their castles in Normandy. Previous to the
Conquest, Scriptural and saintly names were rarely em-
ployed by the Anglo-Saxons, but with the advent of the
Normans they came in with a flood. " The great mass of
our Old English names," says Freeman, " were gradually
driven out. The change began at once. The Norman
names became the fashion. The Englishman's child was
held at the font by a Norman gossip. The Englishman who
was on friendly terms with his Norman lord or his Norman
neighbour nay, the Englishman who simply thought it fine
to call his children after the reigning King or Queen now
cast aside his own name and the names of his parents to
give his sons and daughters names after the new foreign
pattern. The child of Godric and Godgifu was no longer
Godwine and Eadgyth, but William and Matilda. ... In
every list of names throughout the eleventh and twelfth
centuries we find the habit spreading. The name of the
father is English ; the name of the son is Norman. This
is a point of far more importance than anything in the mere
history of nomenclature. It helps to disguise one side of
the fusion between Norman and English. Many a man who
bears a Norman name many a Richard or Gilbert whose
parentage does not happen to be recorded must have been
as good an Englishman as if he had been called Ealdred or
Aethelbert.
" When this fashion set in, it took root. The Norman
names gradually spread themselves through all classes, till
66
SIRE-NAMES
even a villain was more commonly called by a Norman name
than by an English name. The great mass of English names
went out of use, a few only excepted, which were favoured
by accidental circumstances."
We see something of the same thing taking place at the
present day, when labourers' sons and the children of colliers
are christened Percy, Vane, Vere, Granville, and are given
half the aristocratic names in the peerage.
The romances of chivalry exercised a great influence on
nomenclature, at first only on members of the Norman-
French families, but mediately on the English. The fable
of King Arthur and the Round Table was vastly popular,
and supplied us with our Launcelots, Tristans, Percivals, and
some of our Kayes. The following fanciful pedigree of the
romances relative to Ogier the Dane, Godfrey de Bouillon,
and the Four Sons of Aymon, will show how these names
were taken up, and eventually became surnames. These I
have italicized.
Doolin
of Mayence (Dolling).
1
Godfrey, Bevis,
King of of Aigi
Denmark.
Ogier the
Count
emont.
\
Aymon, Count of
Dordogne and Duke
of Ardennes
(Hay man).
Doolin.
Dane | j
(Odger). Vivian. Maugis
(M auger
Mervin. and
1 Major}.
Oriant.
\ \ \
Reynald Richard. Allard.
of Mon-
tauban.
Guichard
(Wishart).
Helias, Knight of the
Swan (Ellis).
'odfrey Bald\
Godfrey
de Bouillon.
'win. Eustace*
All these names, with the exception of Oriant, were taken
up. Not only so, but also that of Bayard (Baird), the name
of the horse that was ridden by the Four Sons of Aymon.
67 E 2
SIRE-NAMES
The story of the Four Sons of Aymon is now forgotten,
although at one time most popular; and, indeed, it is a
touching tale. The Four Sons of Aymon were at feud with
Charlemagne, and all four rode on the back of their great
horse Bayard. At last, through the intercession of their
mother, the great King agreed to receive the Four Sons of
Aymon into favour again, on condition that they surrendered
to him their horse Bayard. This was agreed to, and
Reynald gave up the steed to Charlemagne, who had two
millstones attached to Bayard's neck, and the horse was
then precipitated into the water. Bayard managed to dis-
engage himself from the load, and rose to the surface, saw his
master Reynald, and swam to him and laid his head on his
shoulder. When the King saw this he demanded the horse
again, and Reynald gave it up. Charles the Great now had
a millstone attached to each foot of the horse and two to its
neck, and again it was cast into the water. But once more
Bayard managed to free himself, and swam up to Reynald
and looked at him piteously, as much as to say : " Why
have you done this to me, your true friend?" Reynald
caressed the poor beast, and trusted that the Emperor now
would waive his determination to have it destroyed. But
Charles once more insisted, and against the will of his
brothers, who to save the faithful beast would have renewed
their feud with the Emperor, he gave Bayard up for the
third time, but as he parted with it he said : " Oh, old
friend, how hardly am I repaying all your trusty service to
us brothers!" Then Charlemagne had millstones attached
as before, and he bade Reynald turn his head away, and not
look at the horse, should it again reach the surface. Again
was Bayard flung into the river ; again the horse rose and
turned its eyes towards its master. But Reynald had his
head directed elsewhere, and when Bayard could not meet
his master's eyes it sank to rise no more.
The surname Bayard occurs repeatedly in English records
from 1273 down. It has even travelled to America with
our colonists. It does not come from the knight sans
peur et sans reproche, who died in 1524, as it occurs many
68
SIRE-NAMES
centuries earlier. Bayard undoubtedly means " the bay-
coloured." But it was the romance that gave the name its
popularity.
To the romances are also due such female names as Gwene-
ver, that remains to this day in Cornwall as Jenefer ; and
Iseult, that became in English mouths Isolt ; also Ellaine,
that became Ellen. Firebrace is a surname derived from the
romance of Fierabras. A family of Amadys appears in the
Heralds' Visitation of Devon in 1620. The pedigree does
not go back before the reign of Henry VIII. The family of
Amadys was one of merchants at Plymouth, never of much
consideration nor of landed estate. When the Adam of the
family, William, was pricked to serve Henry VIII. in arms,
he cast about for a surname, and thought he could not do
better than assume that of the famous champion, Amadys of
Gaul. The names of Miles and Ames, or A wye, doubtless
derived from the romance of the story of Milles and Amys,
les nobles et vaillants chevaliers. Perhaps also some of our
Mills may hence derive. When William rode to the battle
in which the destinies of England were determined, Wace
informs us :
" Taillifer qui moult bien chantait
Sur un cheval qui tost alloit,
Devant eus alloit chantant
De 1'Allemaigne et de Rollant,
Et d'Olivet et de Vassaux,
Qui moururent a Rainchevaux."
From that day the famous song of Roland was dear to
the hearts of the Norman French, and gave occasion to the
spread of the names of Oliver and Roland, and so to their
being adopted as surnames. Not all Courteneys are lineal
descendants of the grand William de Courtney, Duke of
Aquitaine. Even the female name of the patient Grizzel
was assumed, and became a family appellation as Griselle.
Although the surname Turpin it is borne by a carrier of
Plymouth, and was made famous by a highwayman derives
from Thorfinn, yet it is so but mediately as a family name.
It owes its introduction to the popularity of the fictitious
69
SIRE-NAMES
Turpin, Archbishop of Rheims, who was the reputed author
of the romantic " History of Charlemagne." Waring as a
surname comes from Guerin de Montglave, another famous
hero of romance. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273 are two
entries John le Ape, of Oxfordshire, and Alured Ape, of
Norfolk. I do not suppose that the name of Ape was given
or assumed out of anything simian in the appearance or
conduct of John and Alured, but was due to the romance
of Milles and Amys, above mentioned. Milles and Amys
went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and the former left his
two children in their cradle to the guardianship of a trusty
ape. Lubiane, the wife of Amys, resolved on their destruc-
tion, and had them thrown into the sea. The ape swam after
them till two angels carried them off. The ape floundered
about disconsolate, and was picked up by a merchant vessel.
On landing he searched everywhere for the lost children,
subsisting the while on herbs and water, although habitually
addicted to the pleasures of the table. Finding his search
in vain, he proceeded to Clermont, the paternal inheritance
of his wards, where he was received with acclamations by
the populace ; but he declined the honours of an entertain-
ment, as he felt his spirits depressed on account of the loss
of the children. Meanwhile Lubiane had set out for the
Court of Charlemagne to obtain a grant of the county of
Clermont, on pretence that the race of Milles was extinct.
The ape got wind of this, had a letter composed, narrating
how matters really stood, and hastened to Paris with it.
But, on account of the badness of the roads and want of
relays, he did not reach the Court of the Emperor till some
days after Lubiane. He made his first appearance at Court
in his travelling dress during a great festival, and signalized
his arrival by assaulting the Countess and rending her
garments. He then respectfully presented the letter to
Charlemagne, who ordered that the case should be decided
by single combat. Lubiane readily procured a champion,
and the ape met him in the lists and defeated him.
Lubiane's champion was obliged to confess himself defeated,
in order to avoid being torn piecemeal. According to the
70
SIRE-NAMES
established custom, he was hanged, and Lubiane was burnt
alive.
The story of the faithful ape was so popular that it was
represented in painting on the walls of the great hall of the
Hotel de Ville in Paris, and, according to Monmerque", was
a favourite subject for tapestry hangings. Now, as the
horse of the Sons of Aymon furnished a surname, it is quite
possible that the ape of Milles did so as well, as a symbol of
fidelity. At the present day the novels so assiduously read
furnish numerous Christian names, and the romances and
ballads that were the delight of our medieval forefathers in
like manner supplied both Christian names and surnames.
We must figure to ourselves our ancestors called on, perhaps
suddenly, to give their surnames. They had none, and,
being constrained at a push to call themselves something,
laid hold of the name of the preux chevalier, or even the ape,
whose exploits they had just heard sung by a strolling
jongleur, or which were familiar to them through the hangings
of their tapestried chamber. Such, I can have little doubt,
was the origin of some of these. But besides the introduction
of Biblical, saintly, and romantic names, through fashion or
imitation of the Normans, surnames began to become general.
As they were beginning to be assumed by the conquerors,
they began to be assumed also by the conquered. Among
these latter the process was slow. It took something like
500 years to become general. It worked downward from the
Norman Baron to the English serf.
I will again quote Mr. Freeman :
" Besides this change in personal nomenclature, this intro-
duction of a new set of Christian names, the Norman
Conquest also brought with it the novelty of family nomen-
clature that is to say, the use of hereditary surnames. . . .
Among many men of the same name within the same gens,
one needs to be distinguished from another by some epithet
marking him out from his namesake. He may be marked
out from them by the name of his father, by the name of his
calling, or by some peculiarity of person or manner. The
distinctive epithet may be sportive or serious; it may be
SIRE-NAMES
given in contempt or in reverence. In all these cases its
nature is essentially the same. In all cases it is in strictness
a surname. Surnames of this kind are common in all times
and places ; they were as common in England before the
Conquest as anywhere else. . . . Beside the patronymics,
the local surnames, the surnames descriptive of the bearer's
person, there are others which are not so intelligible
surnames which are mere pet-names or nicknames, whether
given in scorn or affection, or in caprice.
" But in England before the Conquest there is no ascer-
tained case of a strictly hereditary surname. A surname
cannot be looked on as strictly hereditary till it has ceased to
be personally descriptive. The line is drawn when the surname
of the father passes to the son as a matter of course, though
it may no longer be really applicable to him. In the older
state of things we may be sure that Wulfred the Black was
really a swarthy man ; that Sired, Alfred's son, was really
the son of an Alfred ; that Godred at Fecham really lived
at Fecham. When hereditary surnames are established,
the surname of Black may be borne by a pale man, that of
Alfred's son by one whose father was not named Alfred,
that of Fecham by one who neither lived at Fecham nor
owned any land there. If the Norman Conquest had never
happened, it is almost certain that we should have found for
ourselves a system of hereditary surnames. Still, as a matter
of fact, the use of hereditary surnames begins in England
with the Norman Conquest, and it may be set down as one
of its results.
" At the time of the invasion of England, the practice of
hereditary surnames seems still to have been a novelty in
Normandy, but a novelty which was fast taking root.
Numbers of the great Norman Barons already bore surnames,
sometimes territorial, sometimes patronymic, of which the
former class easily became hereditary.
" But the patronymic surname did not so readily become
hereditary as the local surname. When a man takes his
surname from the actual place of possession or residence, it
is very hard to say at what particular point the personal
72
SIRE-NAMES
description passes into hereditary surname. The stages are
therefore more easily marked in names of the other class.
When Thomas, the son of John, the son of Richard, calls
himself, not Fitzjohn or Johnson, but FitzRichard or
Richardson, the change is a rather violent one. But when,
on the other hand, a Norman who bore the name of his
birthplace or possessions in Normandy Robert of Bruce or
William of Percy found himself the possessor of far greater
estates in England than in Normandy, when his main
interests were no longer Norman, but English, the surname
ceased to be really descriptive. It became a mere arbitrary
hereditary surname. It no longer suggested the original
Norman holding ; it remained in use even if the Norman
holding passed away from the family. When a Bruce or a
Percy had lost his original connection with the place Bruce
or Percy, when the name no longer suggested a thought of
the place, Bruce and Percy became strict surnames in the
modern sense. There is nothing like this in England before
the Norman Conquest ; the change is strictly one of the
results of that event. And the like process would take place
with those landowners, whether of Norman or of English
birth, who took their surnames from places in England.
With them, too, the local description gradually passed into
the hereditary surname." 1
This is a long quotation, but it is too important, as bearing
on the subject of English nomenclature, not to be given.
Moreover, the authority of Mr. Freeman is so great that
I am glad to invoke it to show that the practice of using
hereditary surnames in England began with the latter half of
the eleventh century, and that there was nothing of the sort
before in England.
1 " Norman Conquest," vol. v., p. 563 et seq.
73
CHAPTER IV
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
SOME of the most delightful of nursery tales are those that
relate to transformation of Princes into beasts, and their
release through woman's love, as The Frog Prince, and
Beauty and the Beast ; or the reverse, where the woman is
transformed, as The White Cat.
Similar stories abound in folklore everywhere. A damsel
finds a serpent lying stark with cold on the house doorstep,
and takes it within. It pleads to lie outside her chamber
door ; she allows this. Then it asks to be admitted to her
bed ; she again consents, whereupon it is transformed into a
beautiful youth.
In a cave lives a monster like an overgrown toad. It can
be released on one condition only that a fair maid shall kiss
it on the lips. A peasant girl does so, and it at once becomes
a nobleman and marries her.
The Greeks also had their metamorphoses. Zeus, for the
love he bore to Europa, became a bull ; for the sake of Leda,
a swan.
The following tale is told by the Bosjemen of South
Africa. A girl dreamed that a baboon came to carry her off
and make her his wife. Alarmed at the prospect, she fled to
a certain Owanciguacha, who lived in the river as a water-
snake, but at night came ashore, divested himself of his
skin, became human, and slept on a mat. The damsel
obtained a magic herb, and watched hidden among the reeds
till Owanciguacha emerged from the water and retired to
his mat, whereupon she obtained possession of the cast skin,
74
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
burnt it, and thrust the herb into the sleeper's mouth, where-
upon he remained a man, made her his wife, and through
her became the ancestor of a tribe. 1
The Scandinavians have a tale that the Valkyrie are
maidens who fly about in the form of swans, but occasion-
ally lay aside their feather dresses to bathe, and appear as
women. A man once observed them alight, concealed him-
self, and got possession of one of the swan robes. When
the Valkyrie left the water, all reassumed their bird-forms
save one, and he secured her, made her his wife and mother
of his children. But one day she opened a chest and found
in it her feather dress. She at once put it on and flew away,
never again to return. The descendants of this man and
the swan wife would be denominated Alptings.
In Aurora Island in the Pacific the natives tell a similar
tale. Once some women came down from heaven to earth
to bathe, and before entering the water divested themselves
of their wings. A certain Quat saw them, and stole one of the
pinions. When the maidens came out of the water, all flew
away save one, who could not, because her wing was stolen.
Quat took her home with him and married her, and she
became the mother of his children. He had concealed the
wing under a post of the house, under ground. Quat's
mother proved unkind to the wife, and she leaned against
the post and wept, till her tears made a hole in the soil and
disclosed the wing. Thereupon she put it on and flew away,
deserting her husband and children for ever. 2
Here is another tale from Celebes. Utahagi, with six
other nymphs, her sisters, flew down from heaven to bathe
in a pool. At that time a man named Kasimbaha was there
among the reeds, and saw them. He stole one of their
feather dresses. By this means Kasimbaha secured posses-
sion of that one, Utahagi, whose dress he had obtained. He
made her his wife, and she bore him a son whom he named
Tambaga. Utahagi had a white hair on her head, and she
warned her husband on no account to pluck it out. Dis-
regarding her caution, he did so, and she at once fled back to
1 Frobenius, "The Childhood of Man," p. 118. 2 Ibid., p. 305.
75
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
heaven, and no more returned to earth. But her son Tam-
baga remained, and became the ancestor of a tribe. 1
Now, how comes it that peoples divided by vast tracts of
ocean, and who have no racial affinities, should possess
similar, even identical, stories ? The reason is that among
these peoples there are tribes that regard themselves as
descended from swans, have the swan as their totem, and
have excogitated myths to explain the origin of the totem
and tribal name.
The following story is found in an Icelandic saga, and is
also given in brief by Norman- English writers as the origin
of the family of Earl Ulf, who married the sister of Canute
the Great, and by her became the ancestor of the Royal
Family of Denmark, the Ulfungs. But he himself was a
Bjorning, a Bear's son.
Bjorn was the son of King Ring of the Uplands in
Norway. A jealous stepmother transformed him into a bear,
and bade him ravage his father's flocks and herds. Bjorn
loved a small bonder's daughter named Bera, 2 and he carried
her off to his den among the rocks, and when the sun set he
reverted to the form of a man. One night he told Bera that
his mind presaged trouble or death, and he bade her, in the
event of his being killed on the morrow, on no account to
allow herself to be induced to taste his roast flesh. It fell
out as he foresaw. Next day King Ring's hunters killed
him, and at night his roasted flesh was served in the hall.
The wicked Queen endeavoured to induce Bera to eat of it,
but she refused. She clenched her teeth, yet by force the
Queen succeeded in thrusting a small portion between her
lips. Soon after Bera gave birth to three sons, and, because
some of the bear's flesh had been in her mouth, two of them
were deformed, and the third, Bodvar, could change himself
at pleasure into the form of a bear. He married the daughter
of Hrolf Krake, King of Leidre, or Denmark, and, in the
great battle in which Hrolf fell, Bodvar fought at one time
in the shape of a bear, at another in human form.
1 Frobenius, "The Childhood of Man," p. 312.
2 Bera means "bear" as well as bjorn.
76
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Now, one interesting point in this tale is that in which
Bera is reluctantly obliged to admit some of the flesh of the
bear into her mouth.
One of the murderers of Thomas a Becket was Sir
Reginald Fitzllrse. The family was descended from Ursus,
the Bear, who in the time of William the Conqueror held
lands in Wiltshire, of the Abbey of Glastonbury. There can
exist little doubt that this Bear descended from the stock of
the Bjornings, of which the story has just been told. So also
did the Orsini of Italy. One legend of their origin is that
they derive from the son of a Gothic chieftain named Aldvin,
who was suckled by a bear. Another story is that Aldvin
was of a Saxon family, Lords of Ballenstedt and Ascania in
the Hartz Mountains, and that he was a younger son. Albert,
the Bear of the Ascanian house, was born in noo, and
became Margrave of Brandenburg, and ancestor of the
present Emperor of Germany. The Ballenstedt arms are a
black bear hugging a chessboard. The possible origin of
this is that Earl Ulf, the Bear's son, was playing chess one
day with King Canute. After they had played together
awhile, the King made a false move, at which the Earl took
a knight from the King ; but Canute set the piece again
upon the board, and bade the Earl make another move.
Ulf, being incensed, threw the chessboard on the floor with
all the men, and stalked away. The King shouted after
him : " Run away, Ulf the Timorous !" whereat the Earl
replied : " Thou wouldst have run away in a certain battle
had not I come to thine aid."
Next morning Canute sent his Chamberlain to kill Ulf.
The man found him in the church, and there ran him
through with his sword whilst he was engaged in prayer.
The early pedigree of Albert the Bear is not to be found, but
it is conceivable that he may have derived from Earl Ulf's
second son Bjorn (the Bear). Ulf was killed in 1028, and
the story of the chessboard may have given rise to the
representation on the arms of the Ballenstedt family, now
represented by the Duke of Anhalt
But to return to that point of the story that concerns
77
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Bera having partaken of a particle of the flesh of the bear.
The persistence of the Queen to force her to eat, and the
struggle of the young wife not to receive the food, stamp
the story as one of a totem-taboo.
Among primitive people everywhere, wheresoever totemism
exists, there the partaking of the flesh of the beast, bird, or
fish, from which the tribe derives, is strictly forbidden. In
totemistic families the people look upon it as the worst of
crimes to taste of the flesh of the animal whose name they
bear. We do not know the story of the origin of the Chatti
the modern Hessians but certainly they looked to a cat
as their progenitor ; and the Count of Katzenellenbogen had
doubtless a legend concerning a cat to account for his
remarkable name.
One of the oldest of the Highland clans was the Clan
Chattan Children of the Cat and the younger clans bore
animals on their banners. The Clan Alpine had a boar as
its totem.
The Picts the name is a Latin rendering of Cruithni,
the painted or tattooed men certainly had symbolic animals
figured on their bodies. Caesar speaks of the Britons as
dyed with woad, but Solinus is more explicit. He says that
they were figured over with forms of divers animals in fact,
distinguishing tattooes marking off the several tribes, each
tribe having had an animal ancestor.
In all likelihood Romulus and Remus, in the earliest form
of the story, were the actual offspring of the wolf, and it was
a rationalizing of the myth to make them to have been
merely suckled by her.
One of the greatest families in Norway one that came to
the front and played a conspicuous part in its history was
that of the Arnungs, or Eaglings.
It was related of its origin that the ancestor was found in
an eagle's nest wrapped in silk. None knew whence it came,
whether laid there by human hands or hatched out of an
eagle's egg. 1
1 The Stanley family pretended to a similar derivation. Its crest is an
oak-tree supporting a nest containing a swaddled babe, above which is an
78
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
This ancestor was named Finnvid, the Foundling, and his
son was Thorarin (Thor's Eagle), and his grandson Arnvid
(Eaglewood), the father of Earl Arnmod (Eaglemood).
Arnmod's son was again Arne, who had sons Arnbjorn and
Arne, so that the family clung to the eagle ancestry, per-
petuating the name of Arne from generation to generation.
One of Arne's granddaughters married Malcolm Caenmore,
King of Scotland, and so brought the eagle blood into that
race.
We can hardly doubt that in the primitive form of the
legend the ancestor of the Arnungs was actually an eagle,
and that Finnvid was hatched out of her egg. But the story
was modified to suit the views of a later and more sceptical
generation.
We do not know for certain, but we may suspect, that
Hengist and Horsa, if not the symbols of the Saxon tribes,
looked to an equine ancestor. The white horse of the Saxons
was their totem, and it is open to question whether Hengist
and Horsa really existed. Hengist means a stallion, and it
is supposed that the leaders were merely representatives of
families deriving traditionally from totemistic horses.
Our present Royal Family is that of the Guelfs. And,
indeed, the Guelfs were widely represented on princely and
electoral thrones in Germany. The story of the origin of
the race is this : A certain Countess of Querfurt bore at
a birth nine sons. Ashamed of this, she committed them to
her maid to drown. As the servant was on her way to the
river with the infants in a basket, she met the Count, who
asked her what she bore. She replied : " Only some whelps
to be drowned." " I want a young whelp," said he, and
opened the basket ; and so the truth came out. He had
them secretly brought up, and did not reveal that they were
his sons till they were of age. Thence came all the branches
of the Guelf family.
eagle. King Alfred found the child, reared it, and named it Nesting.
The story is in the "Vita Stae. Wulfhildae" in Capgrave, "Nova
Legenda Angliae."
79
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
The same story is told of Isenhardt of Altorp and his wife
Irmentrude, sister-in-law of Charlemagne. Thence came
the Swabian Counts of Zollen, who bore on their shield,
quartered black and white, a dog's head.
The Hund family also derives from one of nine whelps,
and in commemoration of this have as their crest nine pinks,
representing the nine sons, and on their arms a hound.
One of the Hunds of Wenckenheim it was who carried
off Luther when he was returning from Worms, and conveyed
him to the Wartburg. From the Guelfs also came the
Princes of Scala at Verona. They changed their name to
Scala or Scaliger, but retained on their arms two dogs, in
commemoration of their origin.
Another noble family, again, was that of Ruden, that has
the same tale told of its origin, but with this difference : In
this case the ancestor of the family scoffed at a beggar
woman because she had three rosy-cheeked boys born at a
birth. Incensed at his mockery, she prayed that he might
be the father of four times as many boys, that they might
have the appetites of dogs, and reduce him to mendicancy.
In process of time he did have twelve sons, who were so
voracious that they were called Ruden that is to say, dogs
and they ate their father out of house and home, so that he
was driven to beg his daily bread. The Ruden wear on
their crest and in their arms a dog's head.
Everyone, through the opera of " Lohengrin,'* has been
made familiar with the mythical origin of the Dukes of
Cleves. In the story a mysterious knight arrives at the
castle, drawn up the Rhine in a boat by a swan. He fights
for the heiress, and marries her. She is forbidden to ask the
name of her deliverer, yet one day puts to him the fatal
question, whereupon the boat and swan reappear, and he
leaves to go, none know whither. Thenceforth the swan
remained the badge of the House of Cleves ; and our taverns
that bear the swan as their sign date from the arrival of
Anne of Cleves in England to be the wife of Henry VIII.,
and testify to a certain amount of sympathy for her, enter-
tained in the country at the time.
80
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Judging from the name, we may conjecture that the
Merewings, the royal Frank family, derived from a mythical
merow or merman.
The Lusignans certainly took their name from a half-fish
ancestress, Melusina. A gallant knight passing a spring
surprised and captured a transcendently beautiful nymph,
and induced her to become his wife. She consented on
one condition only that on every Saturday she should be
allowed to retire to her bathroom and remain there for a
whole day invisible. She became a mother, and ancestress
of a splendid race that wore the crowns of Jerusalem and
Cyprus. One day, overcome by curiosity, the husband
peered through a chink in the bathroom door, and saw, to
his dismay, his wife transformed from the waist downwards
into a fish. Somewhat later, in some domestic tiff, he
sneered at her as a merow, whereupon, with a cry, she fled
out of the window.
But whenever ill-luck is to befall a Lusignan, or a death to
occur, Melusina is to be seen hovering about the castle
wailing and wringing her hands. It was due to this mythical
origin that the mermaid formed the crest of every Lusignan,
waved on their banner, and creaked on the vanes of the
castle towers. Here again we have a totem story.
There are indications that in an early state of development
the Romans derived their families from animal ancestors.
They had their Asinian, Aquillian, Porcian, Caninian gentes,
and often fantastic stories were invented to account for these
names. The Tremellian family obtained the title of Scropha,
or Sow, according to the tale, in a peculiarly discreditable
manner, as we should think, but by an exhibition of justifiable
cleverness, as was considered at the time. A sow having
strayed from a neighbour's yard into that of the Tremellii,
the servants of the latter killed her. The master caused the
carcass to be placed in his wife's bed, and when the neighbour
came to claim his strayed sow, the Tremellian gentleman
swore by all that was holy that there was no sow on his
premises save that lying in the bed, and his neighbour
concluded that the allusion was to the lady herself.
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
One of the Fabian families was named after a buzzard
Buteo and the fable was invented, to account for it, that a
bird of this species had lighted on the vessel of a Fabian
when he was on a voyage.
Corvinus was the name of another Roman family, so called
after a crow. The name of Casar was from an elephant.
The children of Israel were in tribes, and each had its
banner : the lion of the tribe of Judah, the ass of Issachar,
the wolf of Benjamin, the serpent of Dan.
The name of Lovell is still current among us. It signifies
a young wolf. A story is told as to its origin. Count Ascelin
de Perceval obtained it on account of his violent temper.
" By ill-usage and torture," says Sir Francis Palgrave, " he
compelled his liege lord (William de Breteuil) to grant him
his daughter Isabel, with 3,000 of Dreux currency. During
three months Breteuil was kept in duress, ironed, chained,
plagued, and starved, without yielding, till at length the
livres and the lady were extorted by an ingenious mode of
torture. In the depth of winter Ascelin fastened him to the
grating at the bleak top of a tower, unclothed save by a poor
thin shirt ; he was thus exposed to the biting, whistling
winds, while water was poured upon him abundantly and
continually, till he was sheeted with ice. This anguish
Breteuil could not resist ; he consented to the terms pro-
posed, endowed Isabel in the church porch, and gave her
away."
Ascelin appears in Domesday as Gouel, intended for Lovel
or Louvel. His son William inherited his father's ferocity
of character, and with it his name of Young Wolf. But
there is some reason for suspecting that the family considered
itself to be descended from a wolf to be Ulfings.
In fact, we may generally take it for granted that, where
at an early period families bear animal names, they were
held to descend from a bestial ancestor.
The sons of Lodbrog, who harried the coasts of England
in the ninth century, brought with them from Denmark a
raven banner, embroidered by their sisters. It had this
virtue, that before the battle it spread and flapped its wings.
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Now, this raven banner had its significance. The Lodbrog
sons were the descendants, not the actual sons, of one
Ragnar Lodbrog, who died about the year 794. He left no
legitimate issue. His posterity, the royal race of Sweden
and Denmark, descended from a concubine named Kraka,
"the Crow." Either the family substituted a raven for a
crow, or, what is more probable, the English chroniclers
mistook a crow for a raven. But this seems to show that
the descendants of Lodbrog looked to an ancestral crow as
the source of the family. Moreover, Ragnar's death-song
(not that of the first, but the second Ragnar) is called " The
Song of the Crow." We may suspect that the story of
Kraka is really a rechauffe of an earlier tale in which the
ancestress was represented as an actual crow.
The Corbyns and the Corbetts (Corbeaux) came over to
England with the Conqueror, and, we may suspect, were of
the Lodbrog stock, descendants of Kraka, as the younger
Ragnar thrust up the Seine and took Paris in 845, and his
son Bjorn ravaged in Normandy and other parts of France
in 843 and 857, and another son, Sigurd, and a nephew,
Guthrod, were there also in 891 ; so that it is far from
unlikely that they left some descendants behind them in
Normandy.
There were other Norman families that bore the names of
animals. Indeed, Hugh, who was created Earl of Chester,
went by the name of Lupus, the Wolf. There was among
the Conqueror's attendants an Asinus, VAne, and we can
hardly conceive of a noble family accepting such an appella-
tion unless there was some story to dignify it. The De Mods
bore mules on their arms and as their crest. The Oliphants
were named, like the Caesars, after an elephant.
Le Grize was a swine, with a swine's head as crest. Griis
is a pig in Danish to this day. Le Goz was a goose. De la
Vache was another animal name, and Thoreau was another.
Although the Lyons are supposed to have derived their
name from the Forest of Lyon in Normandy, we cannot be
confident that they did not impose their name upon
their hunting-ground, and fable a descent from the king
83 F 2
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
of the beasts, that figured on their helms and shields and
banners.
Mr. Bardsley gives a list of beast, bird, and fish names
of 'individuals found in the Hundred Rolls, Post-Mortem
Inquisitions, and other medieval documents. His idea is
that these names were accorded by neighbours, descriptive or
expressive of the moral or physical character of the indi-
vidual. If so, then they were mere nicknames that would
die out with those who bore them. This was no doubt the
case with some such names, not necessarily bestial, that are
recorded in the Hundred Rolls and elsewhere. Some are
names that no man with any self-respect would carry, and
certainly his sons would repudiate their transmission. Such
are " Milksop," " Drinkedregges," "Sourale," "Sparewater,"
" Pinsemaille," " Pickcheese." Those who drew up the
registers were not always particular to take the name by
which a man himself chose to be known, and accepted any
that his neighbours gave him. This may possibly enough
account for such nicknames as " Rat," " Mouse," " Calf,"
" Smelt," " Shark," " Whale," that have found their way in.
But in some cases the names exhibit a misapprehension.
" Whale " was probably Welsh ; " Hawke " may stand for
Hawker ; " Kite " may have been written for Kitt Chris-
topher. " Otter " may not have anything to do with the
animal, and represent Othere, of which the German form is
Otto or Otho. " Palfrey " stands for le Balafre, the scarred ;
and " Salmon " is a shortening of Solomon.
But where an animal name is handed down from genera-
tion to generation it stands otherwise ; in that case the
name cannot be a mere nickname, applied to one member of
a family and carried forward for no reason whatever to later
generations. There must have been a significance in the
name a significance accepted by the family.
There are several explanations of the acceptance by a
family of a hereditary plant or animal name. Either
(1) That name indicated its mythical origin;
(2) It was due to some incident in the family history, the
memory of which it desired to perpetuate ;
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
(3) It represented the arms of the master under whom
the bearer had served ; or
(4) It was derived from a sign over a shop or a tavern
where the family had long been.
1. I have said enough about the totems of noble families ;
but it is quite possible that, among those who had belonged
to the manor or been among the retainers of a great family,
there may have been an impression that they pertained to it
in blood, and had a right to the same totem. This took a
peculiar form after the tribal organization came to an end.
Among the Scandinavians it was a common thing to say of
a man that he was not " einhamr " i.e., not one-shaped.
It was supposed that he could at will change into some other
form not any form, but one particular shape in which he
could range the country : a bear, a wolf, a fox, an eagle, a
dolphin, or, with a woman, a swan, a she-wolf, a hare, or a cat.
In the Manchester Directory for 1861 appeared the name
Hell-cat, and the name occurs in Northumbria in the
Middle Ages. The name was accepted without compunc-
tion by the family, because it supposed that some, at all
events, among the womenkind were able to change shape
into cats at night. The conviction that this transformation
was possible remained rooted in the minds of men through-
out the Middle Ages, and gave rise to the many stories of
werewolves and of human bears, and of witches running
about in the shape of hares and bitches and vixens.
Indeed, the belief is not extinct at the present day in the
East of Europe, and is only so in comparatively recent times
in France and Germany.
Accordingly, a family that at a remote period believed
that it was descended from a totemistic beast or bird or
reptile or fish, at a later period held that some among its
members possessed the faculty, at will, of transformation
into the beast, bird, fish, or reptile, whose name it bare ; and
it was proud to retain this name, as giving to it a distinction
above others in the same village, and one that imposed on
the neighbours a certain respect and awe.
2. It is also possible enough that some incident connected
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
with an animal of some sort may have become a hereditary
family story, and so may have given occasion to the per-
petuation of the name. And this would apply to other
objects as well as animals.
In the twelfth century a Mansfeld was in the Battle of
Wolfshitze, fought in 1115, and was almost the only one on
his side who escaped with his life ; he was taken prisoner by
the Emperor Lothair. Angry at his lot, which he regarded
as dishonourable, he exclaimed, " I'm like a fly-away goose,"
and he ever after bore the name of Gans (Goose), and
transmitted it to his posterity, that bears the name to the
present day.
Now, if these things happened and gave names to historic
families, why may not events of moment in domestic annals
have been the occasion of fixing names on families not in the
highest ranks ?
3. Many an old retainer or man-at-arms of a noble or
gentle family, who had marched under its banner, followed
its crest, borne its cognizance on his surcoat, married and
settled down on a little farm of his master, when past
service ; and his old surcoat, with the lion, or the bear, or the
lox, the badger or the hart, was hung up over his mantel-
shelf, and was pointed to with great pride by the ancient
trooper. If he wanted a surname, what better could he take
than that of the cognizance he had so bravely borne for many
a year on the fields of Guyenne or Normandy ?
" This day is call'd the feast of Crispian :
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall see this day, and live old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, " To-morrovv is Saint Crispian :"
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. . . .
Old men forget ; yea, all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day. . . .
This story shall the good man teach his son ;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
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From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered ;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers ;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother ; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition."
And what surname would the soldier adopt, when his posi-
tion was made gentle, but one from the banner under which
he had fought ?
Moreover, every serving-man bore on his arm the badge
of the house where he served ; and we may well suppose
that, when retiring to his cottage after years spent in his
master's hall, at his master's table, or running as a page in
early days by his master's horse, he would be proud to name
himself after the badge in silver that had so long and so
honourably adorned his arm.
4. We come now to the signs that were suspended in the
streets above shops, and such as swung before alehouses. In
the Hundred Rolls are entries "at Roebuck," " at the Cock,"
"de Whitehorse," etc., indicative of signs.
A good many of our families, though not the majority of
them, draw their descent from the class of tradesmen who
adopted signs for their shops. Houses were not numbered,
and were distinguished by some device that swung in the
street. Taverns, moreover, have retained their signs. These
usually followed the heraldry of the noble or gentle families
that held the manor. In former days it was not always
possible for the mansion to receive all the retinue of a
visitor, and they were sent to the manor inn, placed under
the arms of the lord.
Camden, in his " Remaines," says : " Many names that
seem unfitting for men, as bruitish beasts, etc., come from
the very signs of the houses where they inhabited; for I
have heard of them which say they spake of knowledge,
that some of late time dwelling at the signe of the Dolphin,
Bull, White Horse, Racket, Peacock, etc., were commonly
called Thomas at the Dolphin, Will at the Bull, George at
the White Horse, Robin at the Racket, which names, as
8?
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
many others of like sort, with omitting at, became after-
wards hereditary to their children."
Pasquin, in his " Nightcap," published in 1612, gives the
following lines, that show how in the seventeenth century
persons were individualized by their shop signs :
" First there is Master Peter at the Bell,
A Linendraper and a wealthy man.
Then Master Thomas that doth stockings sell,
And George the Grocer at the Frying Pan.
And Master Timothie, the Woollendraper,
And Master Saloman, the Leatherscraper,
And Frank the Goldsmith at the Rose,
And Master Philip with the fiery nose.
And Master Miles, the mercer at the Harrow,
And Master Nicke, the Silkman at the Plow.
And Master Giles, the Salter at the Sparrow,
And Master Dike, the Vintner at the Cow.
And Harry Haberdasher at the Home.
And Oliver, the Dyer, at the Thome.
And Bernard, Barber-surgeon, at the Fiddle,
And Moses, Merchant-tailor, at the Needle?
One can see that in a very short time those occupying
such shops would acquire the name either of their trade or
of the sign under which it was conducted. Peter would be
known either as Dyer or as Bell, Frank as Goldsmith or as
Rose, Miles as Mercer or as Harrow. And, indeed, every
one of the above signs, excepting only the Frying-pan, has
become subsequently a surname.
In the Spectator, No. 28, 1711, is this : " Our streets are
filled with blue Boars, black Swans, and red Lions ; not to
mention flying Pigs, and Hogs in Armour, with many other
Creatures more extraordinary than any in the Desarts of
Africk. . . . The Bell and the Neat's-Tongue, the Dog and
the Gridiron, the Fox and Goose, may suppose to have met,
but what has the Fox and the Seven Stars to do together ?
And when did the Lamb and the Dolphin ever meet, except
upon a signpost ? As for the Cat and Fiddle, there is a
conceit in it ; and therefore I do not intend that anything
I have here said should affect it. I must, however, observe
to you upon this subject, that it is usual for a young Trades-
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man, at his first setting up, to add to his own Sign that of
the Master whom he served ; as the Husband after Marriage
gives a place to his Mistress's Arms in his own Coat. This
I take to have given Rise to many of those Absurdities which
are committed over our Heads ; and, as I am informed, first
occasioned the three Nuns and a Hare, which we see so
frequently joined together. I would therefore establish
certain Rules, for the determining how far one Tradesman
may give the Sign of another, and in what Cases he may be
allowed to quarter it with his own : I would enjoin every
Shop to make use of a sign which bears some Affinity to the
Wares in which it deals. What can be more inconsistent
than to see a Taylor at the Lion ? A Cook should not live
at the Boot, nor a Shoemaker at the roasted Pig ; and yet,
for want of this Regulation, I have seen a Goat set up before
the Door of a Perfumer, and the French King's Head at a
Sword-Cutler's." 1
It must be remembered that the same family, perhaps for
several generations, carried on the same trade under the same
sign, so that the family became as identified with its sign as
a gentle race was with its heraldic crest or coat. Not only
so, but it acquired a respect for and love of the weather-
beaten sign that had swung over the shop from year to year,
under father and grandfather and great-grandfather, and
which was a symbol as well of honesty and just dealing.
The following is a list of some of the shop signs that have
contributed names to English nomenclature not, of course,
complete, for a complete list, if obtainable, would occupy too
much space.
BADGER. The Old English name is Brock, and both occur
as surnames. The brock was a cognizance of the De Brooke
family, and so may have been a tavern sign.
BEE. This occurs but rarely as a surname, yet the busy bee
must assuredly have served as a sign. The bee was perhaps
obscured by the hive. A beille is the French for a bee, whence
the names A ble and A beillard, condensed into Ballard.
BULL is a common name, and was a tavern sign and also
1 There is another paper on Signs in the Tatler, No. 18, 1709,
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
a shop sign. It occurs in the Hundred Rolls and in Post-
mortem Inquisitions. Other cognate names are Steer, Calf,
Stot, or Bullock. Calf is a rare surname. Veale occurs in the
Hundred Rolls as Le Veale, but represents Le Viel, the old
man.
CAT. Although a sign, the name of Catt probably comes
from the Low Countries. A Christopher Catt kept a coffee-
house at which assembled a club of wits in Queen Anne's time.
The members resolved to be painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller,
all of a size, three-quarter length, and this originated the
designation of " kit-cat " for the dimension of canvas. There
was a famous designer of emblems named Catt, whose book
is now much sought after.
CRANE, a shop sign.
DOG. The Talbot was a heraldic cognizance. The name
Kenn is perhaps from Chien.
DRAKE, a dragon. The drake gules was the cognizance
of the ancient family of Drake of Ashe, near Axminster. In
this instance it is probable that the armorial bearing was
occasioned by the name, and that some legend lay behind
the name. Sir Francis Drake, the navigator, assumed the
arms, though he could establish no relationship, and a
contest of words ensued in the presence of Queen Elizabeth
between Sir Bernard Drake of Ashe and the sailor.
" Well," said the Queen, " I will settle the dispute. Sir
Francis shall bear on his coat a ship carrying reversed on
its flag the wyvern gules."
Eventually, unwilling to mortify so worthy a man as Sir
Bernard, she granted to Sir Francis an entirely different coat.
DOVE, as a sacred symbol, was certain to appear on a
signboard. Dove was the name of the great clothier of
Exeter, commemorated by Delony in his prose romance of
"Tom of Reading," circa 1590. Of this Dove the jingle ran :
" Welcome to town, Tom Dove, Tom Dove,
The merriest man alive ;
Thy company we do love, love, love :
God grant thee well to thrive."
Pigeon also is a surname ; Columb as well. Columbarium
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
became contracted to Culverhouse, a pigeonry, and thence
came the surname Claverhouse.
DUCK. Shovellers and other water-birds appear on so
many coats of arms, and are vulgarly all called ducks, that
we might be sure to find Duck as a surname. I have seen it
spelled in registers Doke, and the surname Duke is actually a
substitution for Duck. The name appears variously spelled
in the Hundred Rolls and elsewhere.
Among some of the ducks that appear on coats of arms
are coots, the bearing of the Coode family. But this name
does not come from the bird, but from the Celtic for a wood,
coet, it being a Cornish family.
EAGLE. The king of the birds, we know was a sign. The
two-headed eagle was an armorial bearing ; it was the symbol
of the Habsburg Emperors. When the Archduke John was
shooting in Tyrol, he one day brought down an eagle. On
contemplating it he expressed his astonishment. " Why,"
he exclaimed, " it has one head only !" Gilbert de la Hegle
appears in the Hundred Rolls ; so also does Custance le
Egle. But the usual name for an eagle was an erne. " Eagle "
was from the French an imported word.
FALCON. This is still an inn sign. The bird was variously
described from the sign as a Kite and a Hawk, a Sparrow-
hawk or Sparke, and a Glede. This last name is found in
Gledhill and Gledstone.
FINCH, probably the sign of a birdseller, or B^^rder. The
training and sale of bullfinches was the occupation of a
special tradesman, also called a Fincher. The story is told
of a certain damsel, that she once dreamed of finding a nest
containing seven young finches, which in course of time was
realized by her becoming the wife of a Mr. Finch and mother
of seven children. From one of these nestlings is descended
the present Earl of Winchelsea, who is a Finch. Probably,
however, Finch is but a contraction of Fincher.
FISH, the sign hanging over a fishmonger's shop. 1 The
1 But in the register of Bishop Stafford of Exeter, 1395-1419, the same
man, Edward Fysch, is called elsewhere Edward Fyshacre, showing how
names got clipped.
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
name is found in early records as Fyshe or Fyske. A good
many fish have contributed surnames. Dolphin is from a
sign or an heraldic cognizance. A Dolphin is named in
Domesday. Herring is not uncommon.
" Of all the fish in the sea that swim,
There is none better than Herring the King."
Codd, Mackerel, Whiting, Keeling, Crabbe, Chubb, Tench,
Pike, and Spratt, are names, but we cannot be at all sure
that they originally were used in the sense of fish-names. A
Codner was a cordwainer, and Codd may be but the shortening
of this name. Whiting may be, and probably is, a whitinger
or whitster. Crabbe is probably after the crab-tree. Chubb
is probably a contraction of Cuthbert or of Job. Pike is a
pikeman, and Spratt is St. Privat, or St. Pratt, a French
place-name.
FOWL is either the sign of a poulterer, or a contraction of
Fowler, or stands for the Welsh foel (bald).
Fox. The Fox and Grapes and the Fox and Hounds are
common tavern signs. But Fox is also a corruption of
Fawkes, itself a rendering in the vernacular of Folko or
Foulques, a Norman name. We have also the name Tod
(a male fox), Renaud or Renard or Reynard ; but these latter
are alterations of the Norman name that came from Regin-
hard, and had nothing to do with foxes.
GOAT. An entry in the Parliamentary writs, "John att
Gote," points to the sign of the Goat hanging over his shop.
Under the French form, Chevre, we get the name Chivers.
Kidd is not from a kid, but from Christopher, that became
Kitt, and then Kidd.
GOOSE, a very likely sign for a shop where feathers and
down were sold for beds and pillows. We have the name
among us under the old form of Goss. Gosling is not the
young of a goose in nomenclature, but Gauscelin or Joscelyn.
GULL. I doubt if it ever were a sign. The surname is
from Goelo, a district in Brittany whence followers came
who attended William the Conqueror. The name is also
found as Gully.
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
HART, as certainly a sign as it was a crest. There were
Buck and Stag, Doe and Roe ; but Buck may stand for buck-
master, Stag in the West of England means a cock, and Roe
may be a Danish name or a corruption of Ralph. H art is the
name from a sign, or from a knightly crest that has found
much favour in England.
HERON, or Herne, and Hernshaw (a young heron), are
names that occur, and we can well imagine the Heron as
a sign. Tihel de Heroun came over with the Conqueror,
and is supposed to have taken his name from a place ; but
undoubtedly he would take a heron as his cognizance.
HOG was a family name, as Hogg. A man so called was
being tried before Judge Bacon on a capital charge. He
pleaded to be dealt with mercifully on account of the relation-
ship implied by his name. " No, my friend," said the Chief
Justice, "not till you are hanged." Richard III. assumed
as his symbol the boar, and inns with this sign date from his
reign. It was said :
" The Rat, the Cat, and Lovel the Dog,
Rule all England under the Hog."
The Rat was Radcliffe, and the Cat was Catesby. Other
names for a hog are, as already given, Gryse, also Gait; both
have contributed to our nomenclature. Sug was a sow,
and comes into the name Sugden. Pig is also a surname ;
Christopher Pigg was Lord Mayor of Lyme Regis in 1742.
The name Piggott, or little pig, came in with the Conquest ;
it occurs several times in Domesday ; but the derivation is
probably from pigge, a little girl.
HORSE. The White Horse figured as a sign, and there
is an entry " Walter de Whitehorse " in the Calendar of
Patent Rolls in the Tower. There were also the Colt, the
Palfrey, and the Charger. But the horse has not contributed
much to our nomenclature directly, except under the French
form, Cheval, which in English became Capel. Chaucer uses
the word " and gave him caples to his cart." A quarryman
on Dartmoor, from whom I took down many folk airs, was
named Nankivell i.e., the Valley of the Horse (Cornish).
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
His mates called him " Old Capel." From Capel (Caballus)
comes the surname Cable.
HOWLET, an owl. Hence, possibly, the name Hollet, then
Rollick.
JAY and POPINJAY certainly would be signs. Walter le
Jay occurs among Inquisitiones Post-Mortem. The popinjay
was a stuffed bird adorned with ribbons, that served as a
mark for shooters with bow and crossbow. From its gay
colours it gave a title to the parrot. The name occurs in
Norfolk as a to-name in 1371. Among the privy purse
expenses of Elizabeth of York, 1502, is the entry: "To a
servant of William ap Howell for bringing of a popynjay to
the Queene to Windesore xiiis. mid." Hence the names
Popjoy and Popgay, also Jaye.
LAMB. The Lamb and Flag was a Church alehouse sign
a symbol of the Resurrection. A brother-in-law of John
Wesley bore the name of Whitelamb.
LARK or LAVROCK. Hamo Larke appears in the Hundred
Rolls. Larkins does not come from the lark, but is a diminu-
tive of Laurence.
LION, that figures blue, red, gold, and green on so many
signs, has certainly contributed some lion surnames.
LUCE, the Old English name for a pike, but also for a lily
(the fleur de luce), has given a name to the Lucy family at
Guy's Cliff and to others elsewhere. The wife of one of my
farmers was a Luce. Shakespeare got into trouble with
Squire Luce, or Lucy, J.P., for poaching, and he revenged
himself on him by drawing him as Justice Shallow :
" Slender. A dozen white luces in their coat.
Shallow. It is an old coat."
Actually, the Lucy family bore as arms three pikes naiant ;
but as Lily and Lilley it exists as a surname, taken from the
sign for the Annunciation.
PARROT. Of this as a surname we cannot be sure that it
is not a form of Pierrot.
PARTRIDGE is not, as a surname, from a bird, but is a
corruption of Patrick. The transitive form of the name is
Partrick.
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
PEACOCK, a sign of an inn or of a shop. There was an
Icelander, Olaf, who was nicknamed Pa, or the Peacock,
because he dressed gaily, but the name died with him ; and
so, if given in England to a man for his gay attire, it would
expire with him. But it would remain to a family that
carried on business for several generations at the sign of the
Peacock. But some Peacocks may derive from Peter the
Cook.
PYE or MAGPIE, an inn sign; probably a shop sign as
well.
RAM. The entry " Thomas atte Ram " among the muni-
ments in the London Guildhall shows that the Ram was a
sign.
RAVEN, again a sign, the armorial bearing of the Corbetts.
But Rafn, the Old Norse for a raven, remained in Northumbria
as a personal name till late.
ROOK, also a sign ; hence the surname Rooke.
SWAN. This bird naturally, from its beauty, commended
itself as a sign, and was also used as a crest.
WOLF has been already dealt with. As Lupus, Louve, it
has undergone a strange alteration into Love.
WOODPECKER, commonly called in the country the
Woodwall i.e. t Woodcall. This has furnished surnames
Woodwall, Woodwale, and Hoodwall.
WOODCOCK appears as a surname, not likely to be taken
from a sign. It is a corruption of Woodcott.
The sign of the Angel was by no means infrequent, and it
has contributed a name to our family nomenclature. The
Lily for the symbol of the Annunciation has been already
alluded to. Various symbols of saints have also served as
signs, as the Cross Keys for St. Peter, and this has given us
the name.
Key and Keyes are names : Key was a sign of a locksmith,
but Keyes refers to those of St. Peter. The Cross and the
Crucifix have also given us surnames. So also the Leg x (a
1 The name of the Earl of Dartmouth's family, Legge, may be a
corruption of Liege.
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Golden Leg having been a sign) ; so also a Foot, for a hosier
and a shoemaker. The red Hand for a glover has likewise
furnished us with many Hands. The Head as well, either as
the sign of a hatter or as an armorial bearing, has given us
not only Heads, but also Tetes, as Tait and Tate, unless this
name comes from the Norse Teitr. Morshead is from the
swaying sign of the Blackamore's Head. In some cases,
though not in all, Chalice may derive from the sign of the
gold cup with a serpent issuing from it, the symbol of John
the Divine ; but it also represents the Christian name
Calixtus. Beauflower, now Boutflower, and corrupted to
Buffler, represents the sign of the Beaupot with flower-bunch
in it. Our Flowers, however, are a corruption of Floyers.
There is a shop at Plymouth under the two names of Dainty
and Dilly the former from the French dente, and the latter
name comes, perhaps, from the sign of the Daffy-down-dilly.
The Rose was the usual badge of a goldsmith. The sur-
name Nation may be a mutilation of Carnation, and the sign
of the Planta genista originated the surname of Broom. The
bunch of Savory, the token of the shop of a herbalist, probably
gave its name to a family of some note in Devon, one of
whom was an inventor of the steam-engine unless Savory
be a corruption of St. Ebrard. Lavender as a surname does
not come from the herb, but signifies a washerman. The
Primrose remains as a surname ; it is that of Lord Rosebery,
whose remote ancestor chose
" Pale primroses
That die unmarried, ere they can behold
Bright Phoebus in his strength,"
by a happy inspiration, as the sign of his shop.
Some of the many Kings who are found among us derive
their name from the King's Head or the Three Kings that
swung over the ancestral shop. So also our Greens look back
to the Green Man, or Jack-in-the-Green, of May Day, a
common and popular sign. The name of Savage, also, refers
to the sign of the Wild Man, which has contributed a name
in that form, oftenest shortened into Wilde or Wylde. The
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TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Barber's Pole probably gave its appellation to the family
of De-la-Pole, that rose from an ignoble stock rapidly into
power and pride. Snake is a rare surname, but it exists.
William and Robert Snake were ancient Provosts of Bristol.
The name comes from the sign of the rod of ^sculapius
with the intertwined serpents, that indicated the shop of
the apothecary. Pepper comes from the peppercorn, that
betokened the place where the spicer had his counter ; but
Onion is the Welsh Einion, and Garlick in some cases from
the German Gerlach, but may be in others from the sign of
the garlick-seller. The Bell, the Hammer, the Harrow, the
Image, the Plough, the Rainbow, the Gauntlet, the Shield, the
Buckler, and many more signs, have contributed to English
nomenclature.
It seems strange at first sight that the sign of the Sun
should not have contributed names to families, as the Blazing
Orb or the Rising Sun was a common sign. But the reason
was that Son and Sun were interchangeable, and son entered
in composition into so many names. Edward of York says :
" Henceforward will I bear
Upon my target three fair-shining suns.
Richard. Nay, bear three daughters : by your
leave I speak it,
You love the breeder better than the male."
Henry VI., Part III., II. I.
The Moon occurs, but it is a corruption, at least in Devon-
shire, of Mohun.
Starre, for Star, we do possess, as also the German impor-
tation of Stern or Sterne, the surname of the famous Laurence,
author of " Tristram Shandy."
The little town of Sterzing, on the Brenner Pass, was once
far more flourishing than it is at present, owing to the silver-
mines in the neighbourhood, once extensively worked, but
now fallen into decay. It consists of one long street of
medieval houses, with a gateway at each end. Every house
has its sign the Bear, the Lion, the Swan, the Stork, the
Golden Sun, the Star of the Magi, the Crown, the Spurs, the
97 G
TOTEMISM AND NAMES
Pine, the Talbot, and the Eagle, all in lively colours and
blazing with goldleaf. One can form a judgment from this
street, with the projecting elaborate and delicate ironwork
supports and the depending painted boards, what must have
been the picturesque aspect of an English town thoroughfare
in medieval days, even in those of Elizabeth.
Macaulay, in his account of London in the reign of
Charles II., says : " The houses were not numbered. There
would, indeed, have been little advantage in numbering them ;
for of the coachmen, chairmen, porters, and errand boys, of
London, a very small proportion could read. It was neces-
sary to use marks which the most ignorant could understand.
The shops were therefore distinguished by painted signs,
which gave a gay and grotesque aspect to the streets. The
walk from Charing Cross to Whitechapel lay through an
endless succession of Saracen's Heads, Royal Oaks, Blue
Boars, and Golden Lambs, which disappeared when they
were no longer required for the common people."
They disappeared indeed as signs, but remained in family
nomenclature.
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CHAPTER V
THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
THE Conquest and resettlement of England by William the
Bastard caused as great a change in the social condition as
did the Revolution in France, but in an inverse manner.
Previously the land had been in the possession of free-
holders thegns and haulds and smaller men with their
well-defined rights to so much acreage, pasture, common,
and vert. The Crown appointed the Sheriff, but the minor
officers were elected by the people, and were responsible to
them for the proper discharge of their duties. But after
the Conquest all this was changed. The land throughout
England was claimed as the property of the Crown, to be
distributed among foreign favourites under feudal tenure.
"There can be little doubt," says Freeman, "that it was
to the great transfer of lands from Englishmen to strangers
that the Norman Conquest of England owes its distinguish-
ing character. This was the cause, more than any one cause,
which made the Norman Conquest so thorough and lasting
if we look at it from one point of view, so transitory if we
look at it from another. . . . William's foreign knights and
men-at-arms were changed into English landowners, holding
the soil of England according to English law. He had his
garrisons in every corner of the land, but his garrison was
formed of the chief lords of the soil and the chief tenants
who held under them." 1
After the coronation of William no man could hold an
acre by an ante-Norman title. All were obliged to obtain a
1 " Norman Conquest," vol. iv., p. 54.
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
regrant from the King, and it was exceptional that a thegn
of the time of King Edward should retain his possessions
under King William. Dispossessed, he must sink to be a
tenant-farmer or a villein. The freeholder of his allodial
land had become extinct, and a network of officials was cast
over England, holding the people involved in its toils.
Some of the Barons held a great number of manors. They
could not reside on them all, and were constrained to place
subtenants in them. Many of these were men of foreign
race Normans, Bretons, Flemings ; but some were native
Englishmen. These latter could not, however, reckon on
permanency of tenure, for they were always liable to be
displaced, to make way for a superannuated dependent of
the lord, for whom a home had to be found, that his place
might be rilled by one younger and more active.
We read in the Buckinghamshire Domesday: " Ailric
holds four hides of William Fitzansculf [the new Norman
lord] . . . the same held it in the time of King Edward ;
and he now holds it at farm of William under heavy circum-
stances and miserably."
This case was not unique. Thus : " Leofwin holds of the
Earl Bure in Herefordshire. This land the same Leofwin
held of King Edward, and he could sell it. Now he holds it
as farm of the Earl." These passages illustrate the remark
of Bracton that there were before the Conquest freemen who
held their lands by free service, but who, after they had been
ousted by more powerful men, took back the same tenements
to be held in villeinage. Some who were fortunate secured
the freehold of a scrap of their former estate.
The ordinary arrangement in every manor was this : It
was divided into two parts. One portion was the great
home-farm about the seigneurial manor-house, held distinct
from that of the tenants. The rest of the manor, called the
tenantry part, was divided into small copyholdings, of about
nearly equal value, and enjoying equal rights of commonage.
There was, however, a constant pressure brought to bear upon
the tenantry to reduce their privileges, and the functionaries
of the lord were on the alert to pare down their rights.
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
Here is a list of the ten largest holders of land after the
Conquest :
1. The King held as many as - 1,422 manors.
2. The Earl of Mortaine held - - 793
3. Alan, Earl of Brittany, held - - 442
4. Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, held - 439
5. Gosfrid, Bishop of Coutance, held 280
6. Roger de Busle held - - 174
7. Ilbert de Laci held ... 164
8. William Peverel held - - 162
9. Robert de Stradford held - 150
10. Roger de Laci held - 116
As may well be conceived, the great Barons must have em-
ployed numerous officials, not only about their own persons,
but in supervision of their many and scattered estates ; and
thus there arose a whole class of functionaries, who had
to be maintained out of the land, so that the unfortunate
under-tenants and copyholders were oppressed with the
burden, not only of the King's taxes, but also of rent to the
overlord, and dues for the support of the swarm of officials.
The Norman Conquest introduced into England Bumble-
dom and Flunkey ism.
Every great owner of manors must have his bailiff, his
steward, his reves, his rangers, his foresters, beside the many
officials about his person. And these latter were men of
consideration, who had to be well paid, naturally at the cost
of the tenants.
Charles the Great had instituted the order of Ministrales.
About his sacred person were grouped functionaries who
were hereditary servers at his table butlers, shoers of his
horses, dispensers of the provisions in his household. His
Court was " crowded with officers of every rank ; some of
the most eminent of them exercised functions about the
royal person which would have been thought fit only for
slaves in the palace of Augustus or Antonine. To carry his
banner or his lance, lead his array, to be his marshal, or
constable, or sewer, or carver ; to do, in fact, such services,
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
trivial or otherwise, as his lord might have done for himself
in proper person, had it so pleased him this was the position
coveted by youths of birth and distinction at such a period
as this."
From the Court of the Emperor the system descended to
that of Dukes and Earls. William the Conqueror had his
Marshal and his Despenser. And these offices were by no
means sinecures, as may be gathered from the story of the
transfer of that of High Steward to the Conqueror from
William FitzOsbern to Eudo de Rie. At dinner one day
FitzOsbern with his own hands had placed before the King
a crane that was but half roasted ; whereat William raised
his fist to strike him in the face, but Eudo warded off the
blow. FitzOsbern, very angry, asked to be relieved of his
function, and it was given to Eudo.
The Stuarts were the hereditary Stewards of the Crown of
Scotland. The Marshalls, whom the Conqueror elevated to
become Earls of Pembroke, were his stable-keepers, and saw
to the curry-combing of his horses, and the pitchforking
out every day of their dung to the heap. The Despensers
were royal officials placed in charge of the buttery, or
" spence," where the store of meat and bread was kept ;
such was the origin of the family of Spencer, Duke of
Marlborough. The ancestor of the Grosvenors, Dukes of
Westminster, was the chief huntsman of the Duke of
Normandy.
The modest Le Boteler was the proto-parent of the family
of Butler. James Butler, Duke of Ormond, derived in lineal
descent from a grave individual, bottle in hand, who stood
behind some Prince, or perhaps only petty squire, and said
deferentially, in the corresponding terms of the day : " Port
or sherry, sir ?" Earl Ferrers, who shot his valet for showing
lack of proper respect, might with advantage have looked
back to the founder of his family in a leather apron, shoeing
the Bastard's horse before the Battle of Hastings.
The Chamberlaynes derive also from the race of Ministrales,
of whom Boyet and Malvolio are the types, pacing back-
ward, making legs, kissing the hand, cap lowered, an eternal
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
smile on the face, proud of their chain of office, that was
also a badge of servitude. Lord Napier of Magdala derives
his descent from the functionary in charge of the napery,
sheets, pillow-cases, table-linen the man with a towel over
his arm, like the modern gar$on or kellner, ready to wipe his
master's ringers after he had washed them in the ewer,
having finished tearing his food with his hands. And con-
sider the family motto, implying that the race was with
" na-na-peer " ! What dexterity in wiping gravied fingers
and a dirty mouth it must have displayed, or in ironing and
folding bed-linen, that it could boast of having no equal !
The Earl of Morley is a Parker, and the office of the
parker was to see to the palings of the seigneurial park, lest
they should rot and allow the deer to break forth the same
office as that held by the Pallisers.
After all, it may be thought that the more honourable
ancestry is that of a freeborn, honest, independent yeoman,
rather than that of one of the flunkeys who capered attend-
ance on the great.
The official life of feudal times has left its existing record
in our family nomenclature. It is a record that will never
be effaced, and it is one that tells its own tale.
The higher feudatories in England, as elsewhere, imitated
the example set them by the Court of the Kings, and the
lower Barons followed suif as a matter of course, and were
copied eventually by every manorial lord or squire as far as
his means allowed. Consequently, household officers sprang
up on all sides thick as toadstools.
But the names pertaining to these offices did not become
hereditary unless the offices themselves became hereditary,
and then adhered solely to the tenant of the office, and not
to all his sons, and to none of his brothers.
The hereditary principle became such a recognized institu-
tion in feudal Europe that the son of a chamberlain or
forester might expect as his due to enter upon his father's
functions when that father died or retired, and his lord
would recognize the claim as just and admissible.
Suppose that John the Chamberlain had three sons Tom,
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
Dick, and Harry. Tom, as the eldest, remained with his
father, and acquired aptitude in all the functions of a
chamberlain. But Dickon would have to suit himself with
a situation elsewhere, and would be accommodated, let us
say, with that of forester, whilst his brother Harry would
be happy to enter on that of bailiff. Then the two younger
sons of John Chamberlain would be Dickon the Forester and
Harry the Bailie. Tom Chamberlain in turn would be the
father of Robert, Gregory, and Walter. Robert would
succeed to the office and title of Chamberlain ; but Gregory,
may be, would migrate to a town and become a mercer;
and Walter, having a capacity that way, would become a
cook. Neither would carry away with him the title of
Chamberlain. No man steps into his father's shoes unless
they fit him.
Only after a particular office had been held for several
generations in lineal descent, till the period when surnames
became general, would the title of the bearer of the office be
applied to all his family, although not exercising his func-
tions, and so become a hereditary surname.
In feudal tenure there was a graduated scale from the
highest to the lowest functionary, but below him a line was
drawn that was for some time difficult to pass. From the
lord down to the lowest official, all were of foreign blood ;
their home was in the castle or the manorial hall, and their
language was French. But below the line of feudatories and
retainers were the villeins, boors, cotters, coliberts, socmen,
and churls. The only intervening class was that of the
Vavasours, suspended, like Mahomet's coffin, between the
heaven of the Norman castle and the earth of the villein
hamlet.
In this chapter we will deal only with the official class,
and that, moreover, which belongs mainly to the land, and
not to the town.
In the next we will step out of the castle into the village,
from the chatter of French tongues to the grave speech of
the English farmer and peasant in the field. It will be
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
seen that both have contributed to the formation of English
surnames.
ACHATOUR, the purveyor of the castle or hall, purchasing
the necessary food, and handing it over to the steward.
Hence our surnames of Cator, Chater, Astor, and Caterer.
Chaucer remarks of the manciple who was so "nise in buying
of victuals " that of him " Achatour mighten take example."
Among Oxford University accounts for 1459 mention is made
of the " catours."
ARMIGER, the esquire who carried the knight's shield.
Robert Shallow Esquire, Slender says, is " a gentleman born,
who writes himself armigero in any bill, warrant, quittance,
or obligation armigero." " Shallow. Ay, that I do, and have
done any time these three hundred years." We retain the
word as a family name in Armiger.
ASSAYER, a taster, to assure the lord at table that the food
and drink had not been poisoned. The word is used as well
for a tester of metals. The names Sayer, Sayers, Saer, come
hence.
ASTRINGER, the functionary entrusted with the charge of
the goshawk, or "oster." "The gentle Astringer" is intro-
duced in "All's Well that Ends Well." As a surname we
have Stringer and A ustringer.
AVENER, the official whose charge it was to supply hay
avoine for the stables. Hence comes Venners.
BAILIFF, the same as reve or steward. Wicklyffe, in Luke
xvi. 2, has, " Yelde rekenying of thi Baylye, for thou myght
not now be baylyf," where in the Authorized Version we
have this officer rendered " steward."
BEDALL. The official is mentioned in Domesday Book.
He was the functionary who executed processes in the courts
of the manor, or in a forest, or any other court. The sur-
name remains as Beadell, Beadle, Beadall, and contracted to
Biddle, also Bedell.
BERNER. The berner was a special houndsman who stood
with fresh relays of dogs, ready to unleash them if the chase
grew long and the hounds out showed signs of being
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
spent. In the Parliamentary Rolls he is termed a "yeoman-
berner."
BERWARD or BEARWARD. Some nobles kept bears for the
amusement of having them baited. The man who baited them
was the Bateman ; he in charge of the brutes was the Bear-
ward or B carman, often spelled B or man. In the household
expenses of the Earl of Northumberland in 1511 is "6s. 8d.
to the Kings and Queenes Barward, if they have one, when
they come to the Earl." In the Parliamentary Rolls mention
is made of the " Beremaster of the Forest of Peake."
Bears were taken about from town to town, to be baited
for public amusement. Bear-baiting was not forbidden by
Act of Parliament till 1835. Slender says: "Be there bears
in the town?" "Anne. I think there are, sir. I heard them
talked of." Surnames of Barman and Berman remain ; also
Bates for the Bater's-man.
BLOWER or HORNBLOWER, the man who at a chase
called the dogs together. Both forms remain, but Blower
is often contracted to Blore and Blow ; also the surname
Horniman.
BOWER and BOWERS, an indoor servant, attendant on
the ladies. Also Bowerman and Burman.
BUCKMASTER, an officer of the chase ; shortened to Buck.
CARVER, the servant who carved the meat. Same as
Dresser.
CASTELLAN, the keeper of a castle. As a surname, con-
tracted to Castle.
CELLARER. The name remains as a surname in the form
of Sellars, unless this be from the salt-makers.
CHAMBERLAIN, one of the most intimate servants in a
seigneurial house, and one who had charge of the accounts.
The surname from the office is sometimes shortened to
Chambers.
CHANCELLOR, keeper of records.
CLAVINGER, the keeper of the keys ; also a mace-bearer.
As a surname, Cleaver and Claver.
CONSTABLE. The office ranged from one very high, as
that of a Constable of France, to the constable of a village.
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
In " The Man of Law's Tale " Chaucer speaks of the
Constable of the Castle.
COOK or LE Cog, a very important functionary. His
name enters into numerous combinations, as Badcock (Bar-
tholomew le coq), Wilcox (Will le coq), Hancock (John le coq).
Mr. Lower and Mr. Bardsley think " cock " is a diminutive
only. But it is always found after a Christian name that
is already in the diminutive, and I consider that it means
" the cook." Beside the French termination le Coq, whence
Coxe, we have the English surname Cooke. But that cock
and cox so frequently end names indicates that the Norman
lords did not trust to having Englishmen in their kitchen to
prepare their food. The name is sometimes spelled Cooke.
We have also the names Cookson, Cookman, and Cokeman.
The entry "Robert, fil. Coci" in the Hundred Rolls shows
that some Cooks' sons were so designated whose fathers had
no recognized surnames. Also Kitchen and Kitchener.
DEERMAN, a warder to look after the wild animals in
a park.
DESPENSER, the officer in charge of the victuals in the
buttery. Hence the surnames Spenser and Spencer. " Adam,
that was the Spencer" ("The Coke's Tale" in the "Canter-
bury Pilgrims").
DRESSER, the official who dressed the table for a meal,
described in the " Promptuarium Parvulorum." Our word
"dresser," for a side-table on which the meat is placed and
cut up, comes hence.
ENGINEER, the officer in charge of catapults and other
engines of war. The Hundred Rolls give William le Engynur
and Wallis le Ginnur. Hence come our surnames Ginners,
Jenners, and Ginns.
ESKRIMIGER, attendant on a knight or a noble to instruct
the youths in the art of employing their weapons. Such a
mock-fight was a skrimmage. The word comes from the
French eskrimer, to fence. Hence the fencing-master has
furnished us with the surnames Skrimiger and Skrimshire.
ESQUIRE. The place of shield-bearer and attendant on a
noble or knight was much sought after by the sons of men
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
in good position, as it was an admirable apprenticeship for
war. By the time of Henry VI. the word was adopted by
the heirs of gentle houses. From it come our Squires,
Squeers of Dotheboys Hall, and Swiers. These names were
acquired by such as did not proceed to knighthood.
ESPIGURNEL, the official in charge of the lord's seal.
Hence the surname Spurnell.
FALCONER. In Domesday four tenants-in-chief are given
the title of Falconers. Until the reign of King John it was
unlawful for any but those of the highest rank to keep hawks.
By a statute passed in the reign of Edward IV., anyone who
found a strayed falcon was bound to bring it to the Sheriff
of the county, who made thereupon proclamation for the
owner to claim it. If the finder concealed the bird, he was
liable to two years' imprisonment. We have the surnames
Falconer, Falkner, Faulconer, Fauconer, and Faukner.
FEUTERER or VAULTRIER was the man who unleashed
the hounds. The surnames of Future and Futurer come from
this functionary.
FORESTER, a very important officer charged with the
supervision of the royal forests. There were, of course,
many under-foresters. From these officers, when the offices
became hereditary, came the surnames of Forester, Forster,
Foster.
FORSET (Old Norse forseti, a judge) has given surname to
Forset, Fawcett. The title was used only in Northumbria,
and the office was changed and lost its Scandinavian desig-
nation after the complete reduction of the North by William.
It occurs in Domesday.
GARDENER. The name is French ; we may conclude,
therefore, that the Anglo-Saxons had no gardens, only
orchards. The surname is often spelled Gardiner and Gardner,
also Jar dine.
GAOLER, a French name, showing that no Englishman
could be trusted by a Norman with the keys of the prison.
The surnames from the office are Gayler, Gale, and Jelly,
perhaps.
GRANGER, one who occupied the grange of the lord,
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
secular or ecclesiastical, in which the corn " grain " was
stored.
GRIEVE, the Gerefa or Reeve, the manorial bailiff. The
" Boke of Curtasye " says :
" Gray vis and baylys and parkers
Shall come to accountes every yere
Byfore the auditours of the lorde."
As a surname the title is still with us, either as Grieves or
Greaves or Greeves. We have also Grierson, the son of the
Grieve.
GUNNER, the officer in charge of the guns. Our surname
contracted to Gunn. In Northumbria, however, from Old
Norse Gunnar.
HARBORER, the functionary who had charge of the guests
to see them properly disposed of ; or an officer who preceded
his lord when he progressed looking out for lodgings for the
night for him and his retinue. In the " Canterbury Tales "
we have :
" The fame anon throughout the town is borne,
Here Alia King shall come on pilgrimage,
By harbergeours that wenten him before."
The modern German is herberger. The several Coldharbours
found in England express that there were comfortless shelters
for travellers. The surname Arbour or Arber comes from
this officer.
HARAUD, the herald. In the metrical romance of " Torrent
of Portygale," circa 1435, spelled Haraud. Everyone in
London knows Harrod's Stores, but not one in a thousand
has any idea that the ancestor was a herald in tabard, and
held in high honour; unless, indeed, the name be from
Harrold, near Bedford.
HARPER. Most large castles had in them the harper. The
surname remains.
HARTMAN, the officer who looked after the harts in the
chase. The surname from it may be Hardman, 1 and some-
times only Hart.
1 But Hardman may be the serving-man of Hardy.
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
HASTLER, the turnspit. From hasta, a spear, to which the
spit bore some resemblance. Surnames : Hasler, Haseler,
Haysler.
HAUBERGER and HAUMER, those entrusted with the
habergeon and the hawlm, or helmet. The latter has
supplied the surname Homer.
The FURBISHER or FROBISHER kept the armour polished.
HENCHMAN, a messenger. Surnames: Hinksman, Hinch-
man.
HIND, the man who looked after his master's affairs in the
home-farm. Hence the surnames Hynde and Hyne.
HOARDER, the English name for the cellarer. From it we
have the surnames Horder, Horden, Hoadener, Herder.
HOBBLER was a tenant holding his tenure on the obliga-
tion of coming out on a hobby, or farm-horse, when called
upon by his lord. An ordinance of Edward III. speaks of
men-at-arms, hobblers, and archers.
HUNTSMAN. As Hunter the name of the office remains a
surname. Shortened also to Hunt.
KNIGHT by no means invariably means one who has
received knighthood. A knight is a knecht, a servant. The
surname Midnight, perhaps, means the mead-cniht, the man
who poured out the mead.
JACKMAN, a man-at-arms in a coat of mail or jacket, and
wearing jack-boots.
MARSHALL, originally the horse-groom. He rose into
consideration and became a regulator of ceremonies. The
" Boke of Curtasye " says :
"In halle marshalle alle men shalle sette
After their degree, withouten lett."
MESSENGER, a servant much needed when there was no
post. Every great house had to keep its messenger. As a
surname, sometimes Massenger. But the Old English word
was Sandiman or Sandman.
MILLER. The mill belonged to the lord of the manor, and
the tenants were not allowed to grind their corn at any other.
HenceMilner andMilward (Anglo-Saxon for a miller), Millman.
no
THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
NAPPER, the servant who attended to the napery. Hence
Napier, and perhaps Knapper.
PAGE ; of this PAGET is the diminutive.
PALFREYMAN, the keeper of the ladies' palfreys.
PANTLER, the servant in charge of the pantry.
PARKER, the official in charge of the deer-park. Hence
Parkman, Parkes.
PENNIGER, the man who bore his lord's banner. Some of
the Pennys we meet with may take their name from Penniger.
Pfeniger is still a surname in Germany. In Scotland the
corresponding officer was called Bannerman.
PIKEMAN. From him, by contraction, comes the name
Pyke.
PORTER, the gatekeeper. The family of Porter of Saltash
is one of hereditary gatekeepers of Trematon Castle. The
English of Porter is Durward.
POTTINGER, the gardener of potherbs for the kitchen.
POYNDER, a bailiff.
PRICKMAN, the man whose duty it was to look after the
prickets. Cf. " Love's Labour Lost," IV. n. Also Prickett ;
but Prickard is Ap Richard.
PROCURATOR, an attorney. Hence Procter, Procktor.
RANGER, a keeper.
REVE, from Gerefa. There were reeves of various kinds,
looking after the manorial rights : Woodkeepers, whence the
surnames Woodward and Woodrow ; fenreeves, to look after
the rights to turbary ; hythereeves, taking harbour dues ;
portreeves, in coast towns.
RIDER. The Barons maintained German mercenaries as
horsemen. These were the Reiter, or, as the English called
them, Reuters. They soon, however, changed Reuter into
Rider and Ryder. An old song begins :
" Rutterkyn is come into oure towne
In a cloke withoute cote or gowne,
Save a ragged hood to cover his crowne
Like a rutter hoyda."
All our Ryders may with confidence look back to a German
or Brabant origin, when the ancestor came over "withoute
in
THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
cote or gowne " to take the King's or some Earl's or Baron's
money as a mercenary, but saw a pretty English wench,
married, and settled down among his wife's people.
RYMER, a reciter of poems and ballads.
SCRIVENER. In the castle or hall the illiterate noble or
Lord of the Manor was obliged to employ a writer, to put
down his accounts, arrange contracts in writing with his
tenants, and do for him his general correspondence. As a
surname we have both Scrivener and Scribner.
SENESCHAL. In Latin Dapifer, and so found in Domesday.
The schalk that we have here and in Marshall, and in the
old word for a porter, Gateschall, from which the surname
Gattishill, is the Anglo-Saxon schalk, a servant. In German
Schalk now means a rogue. In an old poem we have :
" Then the schalkes sharply shift their horses,
To show them seemly in their sheen weeds."
From this word schalk comes the surname Chalk.
SEWER is simply a server, a waiter. The " Boke of
Servynge " says : " The server must serve, and from the
borde convey all manner of pottages, metes, and sauces."
As a surname it has become Sour and Shower.
SEIGNEUR, a lord, has become the surname Senior.
SHERIFF, a royal officer in the county, and only inserted
here because the great noble was often nominated to be a
Sheriff. Probably the surname Sheriff comes from some
Sheriffs officer.
SQUILLER, one who washed up the escuelles, porringers,
and bowls. Hence our words "scullery" and "scullion."
Robert of Brunne says :
" And the squyler of the kitchen
Piers, that hath woned [dwelt] here yn."
The " Promptuarium Parvulorum" defines "Swyllare:
Dysche weschowr." Hence the surname Quiller.
STABLER, an ostler.
STALLER, much the same.
STEWARD. Hence Stewart and Stuart.
TODMAN, the man employed to destroy foxes (tods), as
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THE CASTLE AND THE MANOR
keeping down the game. Todhunter and Tadman, for Tod-
man, are still surnames among us.
TROTTER, a running footman.
USHER, from the French huissier. The " Boke of
Curtasye " says :
" Usher before the dore
In outer chamber lies on the floor."
The learned Archbishop of Armagh spelled his name Ussher.
In Scotland the name is Wischart. 1 In England, Hazard.
There is, however, a place-name Ushaw in Durham.
VENOUR, the hunter ; whence Fenner.
VEUTER, one who tracks deer by the fuite ; hence the sur-
name Future.
VYLER, the player on the viols ; hence Fyler.
WARDEN or GUARD, a keeper. Warden, Warde, Garde, and
Garden for Warden.
WAGEOUR, a hired soldier. Surname, Wager.
WARDROPER, the keeper of the wardrobe.
WARRENER, the official in charge of the warren. Con-
tracted to Warne.
1 Unless from Guiscard ; but Guiscard itself is Huissier, with the
common Norman-French ending ard.
CHAPTER VI
THE VILLAGE
IN 1085-86 the great inquest was made into the tenure of
land in England, and into the amount of land that was
taxable. Commissioners were sent into the shires, who took
evidence on oath from the Sheriffs, the parish priests, the
reeves, and the men generally, French and English alike, in
every lordship. They were to report who had held the land
in the time of Edward the Confessor, and who held it then ;
also as to how many lived on it, what was their quality and
what was the value of the soil, and whether there was any
prospect of the value being raised.
The Chronicle says : " He sent over all England, into
every shire, his men to find out how many hundred hides
were in the shire, and what the King himself had of land
and cattle in the land. Also what rights he ought to have
in the twelve months in the shire. Also he let enquire how
much land his Archbishops had, and his Bishops, and his
Abbots, and his Earls, and though I tell it at more length,
what and how much every man had that was a land-holder
in England, in land or in cattle, and how much fee it was
worth. So very narrowly did he let the investigation be
carried out, that there was not a single hide, nor a yard of
land, not so much as it is a shame to tell it, and he thought
it no shame to do it not an ox nor a cow, nor a swine, was
left that was not set in his writ. And all the writs were
brought to him."
The taking of this inquisition roused great dissatisfaction
that broke out in tumults, and some blood was shed.
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THE VILLAGE
Hitherto the land-holders, with a little shuffling and some
bribing, had been able to assess their lands lower than their
actual value. This would now be impossible, and they
looked to the hard hand of the tax-gatherer coming down
on them, and remorselessly squeezing out the due for every
acre, whether in cultivation or fallow. From Domesday we
learn what were the several classes among the English who
were now under the heel of the Norman.
The old THEGNS were no longer great men ; they had to
bow their necks under the yoke, and see their land taken
from them and their influence and authority gone. Some,
luckily, remained on as tenants on the land where they had
been freeholders, and in remembrance of the past still called
themselves Thegns or Theins, and continued to be so called.
Hence it comes that we have the surname of Thynne.
The FREEMEN, freeholders, held their land after the
Conquest no longer as freemen, but subject to military
service, and were taxable. Their representatives later were
the yeomen. They have contributed to our nomenclature
the names Freeman and Free. Freebody signified a freeholder
of a little wooden cot. Fry as a surname comes thence
as well.
RADMEN were socmen, possessed of a greater amount of
freedom than others. Hence the surname Redman.
SOCMEN, inferior landowners who held their lands in the
soc, or franchise, of a great lord. Hence Suckerman, Suckman.
FRANKLYN was much the same as the Freeman. From
Chaucer's account, he would seem to have been a house-
holder in a comfortable position, a well-to-do yeoman :
" Withouten bake-mete never was his house,
Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous.
It snowed in his hous of mete and drinke
Of all deinties that men coud thinke.
After the sondry seasons of the yere
So changed he his mete and his soupere."
As a surname the appellation occurs frequently in the
Hundred Rolls and Inquisitiones Post- Mortem, as Frankly n,
Franckon, for Franch-homme, or simply as Franks. Our
Francombs and Frankhams have the same origin.
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THE VILLAGE
BONDER. The old Norse bonder was the man in highest
position under the Earl. He was the freeholder, responsible
to none save the Earl. It was because Harald Fairhair
resolved on introducing the feudal tenure of land into
Norway that a great exodus of the Bonders took place,
and they migrated to and colonized Iceland and the Faroe
Isles. In parts of England the name of Bonder seems to
have been used in place of Franklyn and Freeman notably
in Northumbria and East Anglia that were occupied by
Danes and Northmen. Hence the surname Bond. And yet
sometimes the word was employed for the serf:
" Of all men in lande
Most toileth the bonde."
In Domesday, Freemen, Franklyns, and Bonders, are all
included under the heading Liberi.
BURS or GEBURS were workmen giving a certain number
of days' work in the fields, and a small money payment to
the Lord of the Manor. In return, a Bur received two men
villeins as his labourers, and one cow, seven acres of tillage
land, and his house full furnished. As a surname we have
Burr.
BORDARS, a poor but numerous class, tenants of lands
which their lord kept expressly for the maintenance of his
table, the rental being paid in kind. Hence the old English
law-books speak of board-service and board-land. We still
have a reminiscence of this class in the surname Boardman
and Boarder.
COTTARS and COTTRELS, also COTMENS, COSCETS. The
cottar could hold nothing of his own, nor acquire anything
without the consent of his lord. The Cottrel was in no
better position. Shakespeare employs the word coystril, a
corruption of cottrel, as descriptive of a very poor peasant.
Hence our Cotter els, Cottrels, Cotmans, Cottars, Coatmans,
and Coates. The coscet was a cottar paying a small rent for
a very small piece of land. Guscot is the coscet's cottage.
VILLEINS were men in the servitude of the Lord of the
Manor, who held the folkland, by which they supported
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THE VILLAGE
themselves and their families. They stood somewhat higher
than the serfs. They were also designated as knaves. The
odium attaching to a class so low has stood in the way of
the name passing into our family nomenclature, at all events
in its Norman- French form. But it remains as Churl for
Ceorl. The constellation of the Great Bear is commonly
called Charles's Wain, and in this instance Charles stands
for Ceorl. In the Edda of Ssemund the churl is repre-
sented by no means as a villein or thrall, but as a freeman.
In Anglo-Saxon the ceorl is almost, if not quite, indistin-
guishable from the serf. In the Edda the churl is repre-
sented, indeed, as the offspring of different parents from the
noble and from the thrall, but he occupies the position of
the free bonder. 1 Carl signified a man generally. Charles is
rarely found as a Christian name in England before the time
of Charles I. The surnames Charles, Charley, and Car oil,
from the Latin form Carohts, remain with us the last in the
United States.
CENSORS are named in Domesday. They were villeins
who paid a censum, a kind of relief, by which they redeemed
their estates. Being in a transitional state, they have left no
trace in our nomenclature.
SERF, the poor wretch who owned nothing of his own
but his wife and his children, is only recognizable in family
names as Server, Sewer. Servant became Sergeant, and rose
to be an official.
THRALL was given the surname Thrale.
AKERMAN occurs repeatedly in the Hundred Rolls, and
seems to mean a ploughman.
MAN, in Latin homo, occurs in almost every page of the
1 The parents of Jarl, the noble, were named Father and Mother.
"Light was his hair, bright his cheeks, his eyes piercing as a young
serpent's." Those of Churl were Afi and Amma. " He grew up and
well throve ; learned to tame oxen, and make a plough, houses to build,
and barns to construct, and make carts, and drive the plough." The
parents of Thrall are Ai and Edda. " Of his hands the skin was
shrivelled, the knuckles knotty, and the fingers thick. A hideous
countenance he had, a bowed back, and protruding heels." Rig-mal.
The three classes are the noble, the free farmer, and the serf.
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THE VILLAGE
Domesday Survey, and included every kind of feudatory
tenant. One of his most important privileges was that his
person and case could be tried only in the court of his lord,
to whom he was bound by submission. Hence the word
homage. A Newman was a man who came into the juris-
diction of the lord from some other manor. Also described
as a Newcomen. The surname of Man would be puzzling
if we did not know its origin as a term designating a par-
ticular class.
COLIBERTS were tenants of a middle class who do not
seem to have had an enduring tenure in England.
Such were the classes on the land. Now let us turn to
the occupations. But before proceeding any farther in this
division it will be as well to explain the entry of ANGLI i.e.,
ENGLISH in Domesday, which would be as inexplicable as
Man did we not know its origin. These Angli or Anglici
were certain English subtenants on the Welsh frontier. At
the time of taking the Survey, those of Shrewsbury paid the
whole of the local geld for the support of the State. Probably
at that time the majority of the inhabitants were of Welsh
origin, and those of Saxon were distinguished as English.
ASHBURNER, the man employed on the production of
potash. Till soap was invented, ashes were employed as a
detergent. Also Ashman.
BADGER, properly a Bagger. " Up to the seventeenth
century an ordinary term for one who had a special licence
to purchase corn from farmers at the provincial markets and
fairs, and then dispose of it again elsewhere, without the
penalties of engrossing" (Bardsley).
BARKER, the man who barks for the tanner ; Barkis is " at
the Bark-house."
BERCHER or BERGER, a shepherd. A Norman-French
name little used, yet surviving as a surname.
BEEMASTER. Occurs in Domesday as Apium Gustos. An im-
portant man before the introduction of sugar, as honey was
employed not only for the making of honey-cakes, but also
in the brewing of metheglin or hydromel, and the wax was
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THE VILLAGE
needed for candles. We have the Beemaster contributing
to nomenclature in Beamster and Honeyman, or simply as
Honey.
BEECHER, a spademan ; from the Norman-French beche.
BOLTER, the bolter of flour, a servant of the miller. Sur-
name Boult.
BULLMAN, the bull-herdsman. Hence Pullman; also
in some cases Buller.
BUSKER, the man employed to cut down and clear away
bushes or undergrowth for the accommodation of the hunter,
and also to serve the ashburner. Hence the name Bush.
BUZICARL, a seaman. The name occurs in Domesday, and
was the title of a noble in Northumbria, as head of the fleet
of merchant vessels ; but as a surname I know it only in
France as Buscarlet.
CALFHERD, now turned into the surname of Calvert.
CARPENTER, in country and town alike. In Domesday
Carpentaria.
CARTER comes to us in many forms as a surname e.g.,
Carter, Cartman.
CARTWRIGHT, the maker of carts.
CARTERET, a small carter i.e., not a little man in size, but
one who drove a small cart. But Carteret is also a Norman
place-name.
CATCHPOLE, a village as well as a town officer ; an under-
sergeant who obtained his name from catching his victim by
the head by means of a long wooden forceps that nipped by the
throat the delinquent who was wanted. The name was borne
by Margaret Catchpole, the horse-thief who was sentenced
to be hanged at Ipswich, but was transported, in 1841.
We have the name also as Catchpool. In " Piers Plowman's
Vision " we are told, of the two thieves crucified on Calvary,
" A Catchpole came forth
And cracked both their legges."
CHALKER, the marl-digger or chalk-quarryman, who pro-
vided the chalk-marl for the fields, or the chalk for the
lime-burner, or the clunch for the carver or sculptor. The
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THE VILLAGE
chaucer, or shoemaker, will be dealt with in the list of town
tradesmen.
CHURCHWARDEN. This officer, from the function being
discharged from generation to generation in one family,
became finally a surname, and survives as Churchward, also
corrupted to Churchyard.
CLAYER or CLAYMAN, the marl-digger. To this day, in the
Fens of Cambridge, the fields are dressed by digging down
below the vegetable mould to the greasy marl beneath, and
this is spread as manure over the soil. But the clayer also
dug the clay for kneading with straw for the building of cob-
walls. As a surname, Claye.
COCKER, an owner of fighting-cocks ; also Cockman. The
author of the " Townley Mysteries" puts him in bad
company :
" These dysars [dicers] and these hullars,
These cokkers and these bullars [bull -wards],
And all purse cuttars,
Be well ware of these men."
Our name of Cockerel may come from Cotterel, and not signify
a petty cockfighter ; but a Coker and Cooker refer to the man
who supplied entertainment by keeping a cockpit.
COLTHERD, the herdsman in charge of the colts ; now, as a
surname, Colthard.
COWHERD, the herdsman of the cows ; hence Coward.
CRAMER or CREAMER, a huckster ; hence Cranmer.
CRUDE, a wheelbarrow; hence, probably, Cruden for
Crudener.
DIGGER, DITCHER, and DYKER, all much the same the
man who attended to the dykes. The surname Digges may
come from this or from Digory ; but Dykes is certainly hence,
as also Ditcher.
DEYMAN or DAYMAN, a day-labourer ; as surname often
Daye. A deie (Old Norse deigja) is a dairy- woman ; so in
' Promptuarium Parvulorum"; see also " Love's Labour
Lost," I. n.
DYKEWARD, the man appointed on the East Coast to
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THE VILLAGE
watch the embankments. As a surname it has become
Duckworth.
DRIVER, the driftman ; on moors the man employed to
sweep together colts and horses and cattle and sheep sent
out on the commons, to a centre where the owners may
claim them, and such as have no right to send their beasts
on the commons are fined. He has still his function on
Dartmoor, and a drift there is a lively scene. No notice is
given beforehand, except to the moormen or drivers. Horns
are blown, and horses employed to drive the beasts.
DUDMAN, a man who sold coarse, common cloth garments,
generally second-hand and patched. The name remains as
Dodman and Deadman. A schoolmaster of the latter name
was at Stowford in Devon ; he fell down the Lydford
Waterfall rocks, 70 feet, but was not killed. It was reported
of him that he went down a dead man, and came up at the
bottom a live man. The contraction of Dodds remains.
EWART or EWEHERD. As surname also Youart. John
Eweherd, 1379, Yorkshire Poll-Tax.
FANNER, the winnower of corn. Also, among tin-miners,
the fanner tossed the pounded stone into the air, fanning it,
and the wind blew away the light dust and left the tin ore
on his fanning shovel. The surnames Fenner and Vanner may
derive hence.
FARMER remains on the land, and has contributed to our
nomenclature. Also Fermor.
FARRAR and FARRIER, the man who shoes horses. Fearon
is a smith ; also Ferrier.
FINCHER, the bird-catcher who provided finches that were
in great favour with our forefathers as cage-birds. The
surnames Fincher and Finch remain.
FOWLER is a common surname, and explains its origin. This
is sometimes contracted to Fowles and Fowle ; also as Vowler.
GATEHERD is probably only Goatherd. It has contributed
the surnames Gather d and Gateard; and GOATHERD has given
us Goddart and Goatman ; but Goddart may, and probably
does, in most cases derive through the German Gothardt.
GELDER, the gelder of hogs, etc. ; hence Geldart.
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THE VILLAGE
GOOSEHERD, the man who takes charge of the geese of a
village. The office is still general in Germany, but is now
given to a girl. " Barfussle " is the story by Auerbach of a
little goose-girl. The surname from it is Gozzard.
GRAVER, a digger of graves i.e., fall-pits for catching wild
beasts ; also of ditches. So Gravesend is at the end of a long
dyke. The surnames hence are Graves and Greaves. A
greave is also a woodland avenue, graved out of the forest.
Hargreave is a trapper of hares by pitfalls.
HACKMAN is a hatchetman, a chopper of wood for the
hearth or the furnace. The designation remains as a
surname.
HAYMAN l or HAYWARD was the village official whose duty
it was to guard the cattle that grazed on the village common,
that they did not trespass on the ground where was the grass
grown for hay during the winter. Until hedges became
common, the hayward had to keep a sharp lookout on the
cattle committed to his charge. In " Piers Plowman " we
have:
" I have a home and be a Hayward,
And liggen out at nyghtes,
' And kepe my corne and my croft
From pykers and theves."
In an old song descriptive of summer and autumn it is said
that "The hayward bloweth merry his home." For his
services it would seem that he was not only paid a few
pence, but was also given by the parish a cottage and a
croft. The surname now sometimes Heyman ; also as Hay-
biddel (i.e., hay-beadle) and Hayter.
HERDMAN. His duties much the same as those of the
hayman ; hence Hurd, Heard, Hird, Hardman.
HAWKER, or Huckster, much the same as an itinerant
pedlar. Huxter, Hawkes.
HEDGER and HEDGEMAN, he who made up the hedges.
HEWER, a woodcutter. But a hewer on the coast is a man
who is stationed on the cliffs, to give notice when a shoal
1 But some Hay mans may be from Aymon.
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THE VILLAGE
of pilchards or herrings is in sight. From the Norman-
French hue.
HOGGARD or HOGWARD (whence the surname Hogarth),
the village hog-keeper. The artist's name was originally
Hoggart ; he altered the spelling.
HONEYMAN. See BEEMASTER.
HUSBAND, the man who cultivated the portion of soil
which derived from him the name of husband-land, a measure
known in the Merse and Lothian. Hence the surname
Younghusband i.e., (John) Young the Husband (land-holder).
KIDDER and KIDNER, the man who wove kitts, or rush
baskets. A butterkitt was one of those in which butter was
carried to market. Our word "junket " comes from the curd
being sold wrapped up, as it still is in France, in rushes
(jonc). A kidder was also a huckster. Hence the surname
Kidd when not a contraction of Christopher.
KILNER, a lime-burner.
MADER or MATHER, a mower. On August 16, 1417, was
served a writ to the Sheriff of Lancashire to arrest Mathew le
Madder, husbandman. Cotton Mather must have descended
from a mower.
NUTTARD, probably NEATHERD.
OYSELER, a professional bird-catcher ; hence Whistler and
Oseler.
PADMAN, PEDLAR, PEDDAR, all mean the same as Packman,
of whom Autolycus is the type. Packman has been corrupted
into Paxman. The packman was, however, a superior pedlar,
as he had a horse, or even more than one, that carried his
packs.
PEARMAN, PERRIMAN, PERRIER, are the names of growers
of pears for making perry.
PIGMAN, the village pig-driver ; whence the surname
Pickman, when not a pikeman. He was also a LARDER,
a fattener of pigs on acorns and beechnuts ; also a PORKER,
hence our surname Porcher. How speedily the servitors
began to rise from the lowest rank may be seen by a monu-
ment, in Upton Pyne Church, of Edmund Larder in armour.
The date is 1520, and yet certainly but a few centuries
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THE VILLAGE
before, even if so much as a few, his ancestor was a fattener
of pigs. Also the surname Lardner.
PLOUGHMAN, hence Flower and Plows.
RUSHMAN, the collector and strewer of rushes on the
church floor and the floor of halls ; hence the surname Rush.
SAWYER, also Sagar and Sayer.
SHEPHERD, spelled as a surname also Shephard and
Sheppard.
SLATER or SCLATER gives also Slatter as a surname.
STALLARD is, properly, the man who let out stalls at a fair
or market.
STEADMAN or STEDMAN, a farmer occupying a homestead.
STODDART, the keeper of the village stots, or bullocks.
STUBBARD, the keeper of the parish bull. The old word
for a bull was a stubb. Hence the surname Stobbart.
SWINEHERD explains itself.
TABORER or TABERNER, the village player on the tabor,
or small drum, at dances, etc. The surname remained also
as Tabor.
TAVERNER, the innkeeper; also found, but much more
rarely, as Innman.
THRESHER, also TASKER, the flailman.
THACKER, the thatcher ; also Reader and Reeder.
TILER or TYLER, the tile-maker ; also Tilewright.
TILLY, a common labourer. In full he was called eord-
tilie, earth-tiller. So in Lagamon's " Brut," circa 1275, and
in the " Ancren Riwle," circa 1225. Thence the surname
Tilly, when not a place-name.
TRANTER, the man who peddles and hawks from place to
place. The name remains as Trant.
WAGGONER, usually WAINMAN ; hence Wenman.
WOODMAN, WOODREVE, as a surname Woodrow, Wood-
ward, Woodyer.
WRIGHT, either a wainwright or a wheelwright the former
synonymous with a Cartwright.
YEATMAN, the man in charge of the heifers.
WYEMAN, probably the man who had charge of the
two-year-old heifers.
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WYSEMAN was the name given to the juggler or conjurer
at markets or fairs. Often contracted to Wyse and Wise.
But probably Cardinal Wiseman derived his name from
some individual of good counsel, and not from a showman
by profession. Sometimes, no doubt, the wiseman was the
male witch, as the wisewoman was the female dealer in the
lighter forms of soothsaying and charming away of ills. The
wiseman and wisewoman emphatically protested against
having any dealings with the Evil One. There are such
exercising their profession as white-witches still in Devon-
shire, and deriving a revenue from it.
125
CHAPTER VII
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
SHOULD any man desire to acquire a conception of what the
trade guilds were in medieval Europe, he should attend one
of the great Church festivals at Ghent, Bruges, or Malines.
There he would see the masters of each trade in their several
guilds, marching in procession, each confraternity preceded
by a banner and by a wonderfully carved and gilt pole sur-
mounted by a figure of the patron saint of the trade Crispin
for the shoemakers, Blaize for the woolcombers, Barbara for
the armourers, and so on between two flickering tapers.
Almost every guild has its own band, each its chapel in the
great church, its guildhall, its special coffer, and its particular
charities. In each hall hangs suspended an elaborately
wrought symbol of the trade, surmounted by a wreath. The
crown is expressive of the high esteem in which the trade is
held by the workers : it considers itself ennobled by its toil ;
it holds that it merits its coronet as truly as does any Baron
or Earl.
Our London City guilds have lost most of their significance,
but it is not so in Belgium. It was not so in Germany till a
comparatively recent date.
In Munich the insignia, the coffers, and the banners, even
the painted candles, of the guilds, are collected in the National
Museum in one chamber. They are no more required, for the
old guilds, if not disbanded, have lost their purpose. Among
the relics there gathered is a coach-wheel, the meister-stiick of
a wright named Gnettmann, of Lechhausen-near-Augsburg,
who on July 20, 1709, made the wheel and trundled it up to
Munich, thirty-eight miles, all in one day.
126
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
Formerly the masters in each guild met in the council-
hall to consider the cost of the raw material, to determine
the price to be put on the manufactured goods ; also to test
the quality of what had been worked up. They decided the
number of apprentices each master was justified in employing,
and what was the remuneration each should receive. The
masters likewise required of an apprentice a test production
before he could be admitted into the confraternity of masters,
and it put a stamp guaranteeing the quality of every piece of
goods turned out by a member, just as still, with us, the Gold-
smiths' Company places its stamp, guaranteeing the quality
of silver and gold plate. Any master whose work was bad,
who sold vamped goods, or sold at a price higher than that
determined by the guild as just, was evicted from the com-
pany, as among us a dishonest lawyer is struck off the roll.
Our Apothecaries' Company still maintains a right to license
men to act in the trade. Every member of a guild who fell
sick or met with an accident was provided for out of the
common chest. There was no climbing over the wall into
any trade; it could be entered only through the door of
worthy apprenticeship.
Moreover, in order that the trade might not get into a
groove and not progress with the times, the apprentices were
required to go out into the world to travel for three years
so as to observe what was done elsewhere, enlarge their
minds, and gain experience. Every apprentice thus sent
forth carried with him a certificate from the master whom
he had served. But that was not all. A certificate might be
stolen and fraudulently employed. As a guarantee against
this, every town had its Wahrzeichen, certain peculiar tokens :
a horseshoe nailed against the city gate ; a cock carved on
the keystone of the bridge ; a St. Christopher of gigantic size
painted on the wall of a tower ; a face under a clock that
rolled its eyes and lolled its tongue at the stroke of the hour ;
a fountain surmounted by a stork with a baby in its beak ;
and so on, infinitely varied. When a wandering apprentice
presented his written credentials, the master, before receiving
him, catechized him on the particular tokens of the town
127
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
whence he came, and if he could answer correctly to these
questions he was given work.
The young fellows, arnie Reisender or wandernde Burschen,
were, not so many years ago, familiar objects in Germany.
I can recall them, when I was a boy, on all the roads, staff
in hand, in light blouses girded about the waist with a
leather belt, singing cheerily, with dusty feet and sweat-
bedewed brows. They were always poor, and were allowed
free admission to show-places. They were kindly received
into houses when they solicited food and a shake-down, and
they were almost invariably as well-conducted as they were
light-hearted. Now one sees them no more; universal
military service has put an end to the Wanderjahre. Most,
if not all, of these youths were the sons of master tradesmen.
They had but a single ambition to qualify themselves for
the trade, so that in course of time they also might become
masters.
These men were as proud of the Golden Boot, the Yellow
Saddle, the Blacksmith's Pincers, as any knight could be
of the Green Dragon, the Fireballs, or the Talbot, on his
shield.
A point that I desire to impress upon the reader is the
high esteem in which every member of a trade held his
particular trade. But there is another point to be borne in
mind that the several trades were to a large extent in the
hands of particular families. In former days, except for the
wild-bloods who elected a profession of arms and attached
themselves to knights, and the tame-spirited who chose
servitude in a gentleman's family, the sons of, say, the village
smith became in their turn smiths, and the sons of a tailor
grew up to sit cross-legged and ply the needle ; consequently
the name of the trade carried on for some generations by a
certain family adhered to it. Verstegan says : " It is not to
be doubted but that their ancestors have gotten them [these
trade-names] by using trades, and the children of such
parents being contented to take them upon them, after-
coming posterity could hardly avoid them."
Mr. M. A. Lower says : " There was much greater propriety
128
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
in making the names of occupations stationary family names
than appeared at first sight; for the same trade was often
pursued for many generations by the descendants of the
individual who in the first instance used it. Sometimes a
particular trade is retained by most of the male branches of
a family even for centuries. Thus, the family of Oxley, in
Sussex, were nearly all smiths or iron-founders during the
long period of 280 years. Most of the Ades of the same
county have been farmers for a still longer period. The
trade of weaving has been carried on by another Sussex
family, named Webb (weaver), as far back as the traditions
of the family extend, and it is not improbable that the
business has been exercised by them ever since the first
assumption of the term as a surname by some fabricator of
cloth in the thirteenth or fourteenth century." Harry the
Smith's sons John, Joe, and Phil all swung the hammer
and wore the leathern apron ; all were Smiths. But Harry
may have had a son Ralph, who, wearied of plying the
bellows, went off to the wars, and he would be called Ralph
Smithson, instead of Ralph Smith.
To the present day, in many of our villages, a man is
spoken of by his trade, as Millard, Carpenter, Mason,
Cobbler, with the Christian name attached and the surname
ignored, as John Millard, Joe Carpenter, Mason Bill, and
Cobbler Dick.
I give a list of the principal trades pursued in a town
during the period when surnames were becoming hereditary,
and which contributed to their formation.
A good many of these trades are now obsolete, and we
have to look into the books of old writers to discover of
what nature they were. One point strikes the student in so
doing, and that is, the differentiation of the trades. There
would seem in the Middle Ages to have been no Jack-of-all-
trades, who could turn his hand to anything. Trade was
too serious to be treated with levity.
" Four distinct classes of artisans were engaged on the
structure of the arrow, and, as we might expect, all are
familiar names of to-day. John le Arowsmyth we may set
129 i
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
first. He confined himself to the manufacture of the arrow-
head. Thus we find the following statement made in an Act
passed in 1405 : ' Item, because the Arrowsmyths do make
many faulty heads for arrows and quarrels, it is ordained
and established that all heads of arrows and quarrels, after
this time to be made, shall be well boiled or braised, and
hardened at the points with steel.' ' Clement le Settere '
or ' Alexander le Settere ' was busied in affixing these to the
shaft, and ' John le Tippere ' or ' William le Tippere ' in
pointing them off. Nor is this all ; there is yet the feather,
the origin of such medieval folk as ' Robert le Flecher ' or
'Ada le Flecher' (Bardsley). The fletcher, or fledger, in
fact, was he who gave wings to the arrow. Mr. Bardsley
might have added a fifth trade that of the shafter.
The dressing of a man in a good cloth suit demanded the
co-operation of many and various workers.
In the first place, when a farmer had wool to sell, the
Packer was sent for, to fasten it up in bales of a determined
size and weight. These were then consigned to the Stapler,
who classed or sorted the wool. One fleece will frequently
contain half a dozen qualities or sorts. The greater part
would be wool adapted for combing, but the bellies and
shorter portions would be thrown out for carding. After
the sorting, the wool goes to the manufacturer. When in
his hands it is thoroughly scoured and dried. The combing
portion is committed to the Comber, and on leaving him is
ready for the Spinner, who in turn passes the spun wool, or
worsted, to the Warper, to be made into suitable lengths,
and the required number of threads wide for the fabric
desired to be produced. The warp is then ready for the
Weaver or Webber or Webster, who has it put into his loom
on a beam, from whence it is passed through the slay or
harness to receive the weft.
The short wool is taken from the sorter to the willay, a
machine which thoroughly shakes it, getting out all the dust,
and it is then oiled and given to the Carder, who combs it.
It leaves his hands in the form of a rope, and passes to the
Mule-spinner, who brings it to the exact size required, and
130
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
at the same time winds it on a bobbin, which fits into the
shuttle of the weaver, who is supplied with the weft for his
cloth. On being cut out of the loom, the cloth is first burled,
which is a process for ridding it of imperfections, and this
burling is done by the Fuller, who washes it with soap and
places it in the stocks, where it is hammered till it shrinks
to the required length and width. This was formerly done
by trampling on the cloth with the feet ; the treading up
and down on it was done by the Walker.
But fuller and walker were often synonymous terms, as
the same man often fulled and walked the same piece of
cloth. This process made the serges get both narrower and
thicker. The cloth then passed to the Dyer, and from him
went to the Tenter, who stretched it to the width required.
A Lister was a comber.
In the case of linen-weaving, the Whitster was the man
who saw to the bleaching.
Another name for a fuller was a Tucker, and fulling-mills
often went by the name of " tucking-mills." The Tozer or
Towzer was he who brought up the nap by going over it with
teazles.
But the cloth on reaching the Tailor, or, as the English
called him, the Shaper, went through the hands of the
Cutter. Then it was taken up by the Seamer and run to-
gether. Seamer is the Anglo-Saxon word for a tailor. The
name was displaced by the French tailleur, as the " inn " has
now become an " hotel." In the fashionable French tailor's
shop the English seamer fell into a subordinate position.
But even when fitted and adjusted the garment was not
complete. The Trimmer had to be called in to supply the
ornamental laces, and the Pointer to furnish the fashionable
points without which no gentleman's dress was complete.
LIST OF TRADES FURNISHING SURNAMES.
ADAM, a gaoler (" Comedy of Errors," IV. in.).
ANCERER or ANCELER, from the vessel in which provisions
were weighed before they could be sold in the market. The
131 I 2
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
surname Ansell may derive hence, if not from Anselm. But
also anceler is a handle-maker.
APOTHECARY, now found as Pothicary. A pottinger was
another name for the apothecary, and this has become a
surname. 1
ARBALASTER, a man who works a catapult for hurling
stones in time of war. Now found as Alabaster or Ballister.
ARCHER, a bowman. Every town, every village, had its
archer. And the Butts were outside the town for common
practice. The Butts as well as the Archer have provided
family names.
ARKWRIGHT, the chest-maker, maker of those coffers that
were intended to preserve linen and tapestries, curtains, etc.
Such as were made of cypress wood were called spruce-
chests.
ARMOURER, an important man. The name has been
shortened into Armour as a surname.
ARROWSMITH, the maker of arrow-heads.
BAKER. The feminine form is Bagster or Baxter. The
French Boulanger furnished the surnames Bullinger and
Pullinger. We hear of French bread being consumed in
England during the Middle Ages. The French word Four-
nier has also furnished the surname Furner.
BALANCER. The ancerer and the balancer were both
scalemakers. The manufacturer of such is mentioned in
" Cocke Lorelle's Bote":
"Arowe-heders, maltemen and cornemongers,
Balancers, tynne-casters and skryvenors."
BANISTER, the keeper of a bath ; from the French "bain.
BARBER. Till the year 1745 every surgeon was a member
of the Barbers' Company. The surname of Surgeon is not
often met with, but that of Barber is very common. Mr.
Camden Hotten, in his book on " Signboards," quotes these
lines :
" His pole with pewter basons hung,
Black, rotten teeth in order strung,
1 The pottinger was originally the man who grew pot-herbs and
medicinal herbs as well ; then the town herbalist.
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Rang'd cups that in the window stood,
Lined with red rags to look like blood,
Did well his threefold trade explain,
Who shaved, drew teeth, and breathed a vein."
From the barber we get Barbour and Barbor.
BEADMAKER, who made paternosters. The word has been
compressed into Bedmaker.
BEATER, woollen-beater, engaged on one of the processes
in the manufacture of cloth.
BELLMAN, the crier.
BELLSETTER. The " Promptuarium Parvulorum " gives
Bellezeter as the then usual name for the bell-caster. It got
corrupted to Belleyeter> and then to Billiter.
BIDDER, one sent out to summon to a wedding or a
church-ale. In Germany, among the peasantry, the bidder
is still a person of office and importance.
BENCHER, a banker.
BIGGER, a builder.
BILLMAN, he who carries a bill or pike, as official atten-
dant on a Sheriff or constable.
BINDER of books. In the York pageant of 1415 the
Parchmenters and Bookbinders marched together.
BLACKSMITH. This trade has constituted the surnames
Black and Smith, Smyth, Smeyt, Smijth, as well as Faber,
Fabricius, Ferrier, Ferrers, Fervottr, Fearon.
BLACKSTER, a bleacher of linen. Also Blacker. Hence we
have the names Blaxter t Blackister, Blake, for Blaker. The
same as the Whitster. Anglo-Saxon blac is white, but
blaec is black.
BLADEMAKER or BLADESMITH, the same as our modern
cutler. As a surname it has been condensed into Blades
and Blaydes.
BLOCKER, he who made blocks for hats. From the block
came the slang " bloke " and " blockhead."
BLOOMER, a man who runs iron into moulds.
BLOWER, the man employed to work the bellows in a
furnace or smelting-house ; often corrupted into Blore or
Blow. The architect of the first name and the musician of
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
the second must each have descended from a very humble
ancestor. But some Blowers are Hornblowers.
BOTELLER, a leather-bottle-maker. The name has been
absorbed by that of Butler.
BOUCHER is the French boucher; we have it in the form
of Botcher as well as Bouchier. Labouchere is no other than
the female butcher.
BOURDER, a jester. Hence Burder. But a byrder was a
catcher of finches.
BOWYER, the bowmaker. As a surname we have it in
Bower and Boyer.
BOWDLER, a puddler in iron.
BOWLER, a maker of wooden bowls. Also Bolister.
BRACEGIRDLER, a maker of braces. " Brace " is from the
French brayles. Sir John Mandeville, in his " Travels,"
speaks of a breek-girdle. The name is found still as Brayler.
BRAZIER, BREWER, or BREWSTER. It was not till the
close of the fifteenth century that the hop was introduced
into England by the Flemings.
" Hops, Reformation, baize and beer,
Came to England all in one year."
Previously ale had been brewed with other ingredients, as
wormwood. Mead, or metheglin, was largely drunk. Hence
Browse i.e., at the brewhouse. Chamier is from the
medieval Latin cambarius, a brewer.
BRIDGEMAN and BRIDGER, toll-taker at bridges.
BROWKER or BROGGER, he who transacted business between
ourselves and the Dutch in the shipping off of wool, and the
introduction of cloth from Flemish manufacturers. James I.
speaks of the broker as one who went " betweene Merchant
Englishe and Merchant Strangers, and Tradesmen in the
contrivinge, makinge and concluding Bargaines and Con-
tractes to be made betweene them concerning their wares
and merchandises." They seem not to have borne a high
character, for in " King John " the Bastard speaks of the
shifty conscience :
" That sly devil,
That broker that still breaks the pale of faith."
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
BROWNSMITH, a coppersmith.
BUCKLER, a maker of buckles.
BURELLER, a weaver of a cheap kind of cloth, brown in
colour and of everlasting wear, and worn by the poorer
classes, who came to be designated as " borel-folk."
The friar in the " Canterbury Tales " thought that it
accorded not with one of his faculty to have acquaintance
with lazars, beggars, and " such poraile " i.e. t boraile. The
surname Burrdl, is tolerably widespread in England, and is
the family name of Lord Gwydyr.
BUTTONER, a maker of buttons. The er of the concluding
syllable is generally omitted in the surname.
BYRDER, a professional birdcatcher, mainly of finches,
The surname Bird is merely the abbreviation of Byrder.
Also Oseler. Osl is Anglo-Saxon for a blackbird.
CADER, a maker of cades, or casks. Shakespeare repre-
sents Jack Cade as a clothier, and his father a bricklayer,
showing that the name from the trade exercised by the
founder of the family had become hereditary without refer-
ence to the trade practised. The cader is also called
Cadman.
CAIRD, a tinker.
CALLENDER, one who puts a gloss on linen.
CALLMAN, the maker of ladies' calls. In the " Wife of
Bath's Tale," the wife appeals to the Queen's attendants :
" Let see, which is the proudest of them all,
That weareth or a kerchief or a calle."
Sir John Call, Bart., the distinguished engineer in India,
the son of a Cornish farmer, derived his name from an
ancestor who made ladies' headgear.
CALTHROPER or CALCRAFTMAN was the maker of calthrops
irons with four spikes, so made that, whichever way they
fell, one point always stood upwards. They were used in
war, thrown into breaches or placed on bridges, to annoy
an enemy's horse. A similar instrument with three iron
spikes was used in hunting the wolf. As a surname, Calthrop.
But Calcraft is probably Calves-croft.
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
CAPPER, the maker of caps. Also the French Chapeller.
Like so many other trade-names when adopted as a surname,
the last syllable has been dropped, and the name has become
Chapell. But Capper remains.
CARDER or CARDMAKER, maker of cards for weaving.
Christopher Sly said of himself : " By birth a pedlar, by
education a cardmaker."
CARPENTER needs no explanation.
CARTWRIGHT, maker of carts.
CATER, a confectioner, maker of cates.
" Though my cates be mean, take them in good part ;
Better cheer may you have, but not with better heart."
Comedy of Errors, III. I.
CHALLICER, a maker of drinking vessels out of metal ;
hence the names Challis and Challys, unless named from
Calais.
CHALONER, an importer or manufacturer of chalons
woollen coverlets originally introduced from Chalons- sur-
Marne. In the " Reve's Tale " we are told of the miller,
that
" In his owen chambre he made a bedde
With shetes, and with chalons fair yspredde."
Surname Chawner.
CHANDLER, candle-maker.
CHANTER, cantor, a singer in church ; hence the surnames
Chanter and Gaunter.
CHAPMAN, a travelling merchant. Cheap-Jack takes his
name from the word, so does Cheapside. Copenhagen is the
chapman's haven.
CHAUCER, from chausseur, a shoemaker.
CHEESEMAN, dealer in cheese. Also called a Fromisher,
from the French fromage.
CLERK, one who could read, and plead the benefit of the
clergy. Hence Clark and Clarke.
COBBLER, a mender of boots and shoes.
CODNER, a cordwainer.
COFFERER has two meanings a coiffeur, or hairdresser,
and a maker of coffers, boxes, or chests.
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THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
COGGER, a skipper in a small boat ; whence our word
" coxswain " (coggs-swain). The expression " an old codger "
is hence derived. But a cogger is also a cheat by loading dice,
and is so employed by Shakespeare.
COVERER, the maker of cuves, tubs and vats.
COLLIER. Although originally a charcoal-burner, the name
came to be used for the dealer in the town in charcoal and in
sea-coal.
COMBER, maker of combs. This has become a surname,
as Comper, Kemster, Kimber, Kemble.
CONDER, a partner in a fishing-boat.
COOK enters into many combinations, as in Norman-
French Le Coq, Badcock (Bartholomew the Cook), Hancock
(John the Cook), Wilcox (William le Coq), etc.
COOPER, a maker of vats and barrels.
COSTER, a doorkeeper.
COSTERMONGER, properly Costardmonger, a dealer in
apples and other fruit.
COUCHER, a maker of beds. The surname Couch comes
from hence.
COWLER, a maker of cowls or calls for ladies ; the same
as a callman.
COWPER or COUPER, a maker of cups. Langland speaks of
" Coupes of clere gold
And coppes of silrer."
CROCKER, maker of common earthenware crocks. Wyck-
liffe in Matt. xv. 7 uses the word. Hence Crocker and
Croker.
CRAMMER or CRANMER (German kramer), a packman.
CROWDER, a player on the crowd, or fiddle ; hence
Crowther.
CRYER, the town bellman.
CURRIER, the curer of skins ; hence Curry.
CUTTER, a cutter of cloth for the tailor. The cutter is still
employed by every tailor.
CUTLER, properly Scutler, a shield-maker, from the Latin
scutum.
DANCER, a morris-dancer.
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
DEMPSTER, a Deemster, Member of Parliament in the Isle
of Man and in Scotland. Deemer, Deamer, and with intru-
sive r, Dearmer.
DOSER, a stuffer of pillows for the back of seats.
DRAPER, from the French drap.
DRESSER, a hemp-dresser, but also one who cuts up the
meat at a sideboard for the banquet. Chaucer speaks of
dressing a heritage i.e., of dividing it among the heirs
(" The Coke's Tale ").
DUBBER. In the " Liber Albus " we have a Peter le
Dubbour, whose trade was to furbish up old clothes. But
a Dauber was the decorator of walls. In " Cocke Lorelle's
Bote " we have
" Tylers, bryckeleyers, hardehewers ;
Paris-plasterers, daubers and lymeborners."
DYER or DISTER, also Dexter, Dwyer.
FABER, a smith.
FARRIER, also Ferrier and Farrar, a shoer of horses.
FARM AN, a ferryman.
FARADAY, a travelling merchant.
FELLMONGER, a seller of skins. Remains as a surname as
Fell.
PLANNER, maker of pancakes.
FLAXMAN, dealer in flax.
FLESHER, a butcher, or flesh-hewer.
FLETCHER, an arrowsmith ; French fleche.
FLOYER, one who skins beasts for the tanyard. Surname
Flower.
FORCER, a maker of small caskets delicately carved, for the
keeping of jewellery.
FRIEZEMAKER, contracted as a surname to Frieze; unless
a Frieslander.
FRUITERER, a greengrocer.
FULLER, already described.
FURRIER, also as PELTER.
FUSTER or FEWSTER was the joiner employed on the
wooden fabric of a saddle. It is derived from the Old French
138
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
fust, wood. Sir Jenner Fust's ancestor must have been a
saddler.
GAGER or GAUGER. " His office was to attend to the
King's revenue at the seaports, and with the measurement
of all liquids, such as oil, wine, and honey. The tun, the
pipe, the tierce, the puncheon, casks and barrels of a specified
size these came under his immediate supervision, and the
royal fee was accordingly" (Bardsley). The surname Gage
comes from this officer.
GAUNTER, a glover. Gunter unless from the German
Gunther.
GIRDLER, a maker of girdles.
GLAZIER needs no explanation.
GLOVER, same as Gaunter.
GROCER, a rare and late word ; properly an engrosser, one
who took into his own hands several different branches of
trade, as those of the spicer, drug-merchant, pepper-dealer.
A statute of Edward III. in 1363 speaks of " Merchauntz
money-Grossers," so termed because they " engrossent totes
maners de marchandises vendables." The surname Grosser
exists.
HABERDASHER, a seller of hats and small wares. One was
in the party of Canterbury pilgrims.
HAMPERS or HANAPERS, basket-makers.
HARNESS-MAKERS, as a surname contracted to Harness.
HELLIER, a slater. " To hell " is to cover in. In the West
of England slates are hellens. As a surname, Hillyard and
Hellyer.
HOLDER, an upholsterer, or stuffer of mattresses, beds, and
cushions.
HOOKER, a maker of crooks.
HOOPER, a maker of hoops for casks.
HORNER, a maker of cups and other articles out of horn
also of children's horn-books and lanterns glazed with horn.
In the " Franklin's Tale," descriptive of winter, it is said :
"James sits by the fire with double berd
And drinketh of the bugle horn the wine."
This refers to the double use of the bugle. It had a metal
'39
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
plug to stop the mouthpiece, so as, if required, to serve as a
drinking horn. In the second part of " Henry VI." we have
Thomas Homer, an armourer, showing that the man had
drifted into another profession from that which furnished
him with his surname.
HOSIER, seller of long stockings, in wool or silk. Surname
Hozier.
HURRER, seller of a peculiar sort of hairy hat. All kinds
of hoods and caps came under his hands, so that he was
what we now call a hatter. Hurell for Hurreller.
IRONMONGER, usually Iremonger. To the present day in
the West of England " iron " is pronounced " ire." A band
of ire, not of iron. Hence the surname Irons.
JOINER, a maker of chairs and tables, etc.
JESSMAKER, maker of jesses for hawks; hence the sur-
name Jesse.
KISSER, maker of " cuisses " (greaves).
KITCHENER, from cuisinier, a French or Norman name for
a cook.
KINCH, a worker in the bleaching-fields.
LACER, maker of laces (not lace), the strings of twisted or
plaited wool or silk for fastening portions of the dress
together.
LANER, a dealer in wool lain.
LARDINER or LARDNER, if not a fattener of hogs, is a
dealer in lard and bacon.
LATINER, altered to Latimer, an interpreter.
LATONER, a maker of latten, a mixture of lead and tin in
fact, a pewterer.
LAUNDER or LAVENDER, a washerman. We have a trace
of the word in " laundress " and in a " launder " that brings
water. Hence the surnames Launder and Landor. Beatrice
ap Rice, who washed for the Princess Mary, daughter of
Henry VIII., is always set down in the accounts as Mistress
Launder. Sir Hugh Evans, in " The Merry Wives of
Windsor," calls Mistress Quickly the " dry-nurse, or cook,
or laundry, or washer, or wringer," of Dr. Caius.
LAYMAN, lagman or lawyer.
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LEADBEATER, the maker of leaden vessels and the lead
for roofs. The word has been corrupted to Ledbitter and
Liberty.
LEADER, a drawer and carrier of water in a town properly,
a water-leader. The surname of Loder is the same as
Leader.
LEAPER. A " leap " was a sort of basket made of rush. In
Wyckliffe's version, Moses is placed in a " leap of segg"
i.e., basket of sedge. So also Matt. viii. 8 : " And thei eeten
and weren fulfilled, and thei taken up that that left sevene
leepis." Hence the names Lipman, Leapman, Lipper. Has
nothing to do with " lepper." l
LEECH or LEACH, a surgeon, so called because he ministers
to the health of the lych, or body.
LIMMER, an artist who decorates manuscripts.
LISTER, engaged in one part of clothweaving.
LOCKSMITH or LOCKIER, hence Lockyer and Locke.
LYNER, a dealer in linen. The surname remains as Line
and Lyne.
LORIMER, maker of straps, bits, and girths.
LYTEMAN, probably the torch or link bearer. The surname
Lyte comes from it. Also SPELTMAN, that has become Spell-
man (Anglo-Saxon speld, a torch).
MAILER, a maker of mails or leather portmanteaus.
Perhaps the surname of Mellor may in some instances derive
hence.
MALSTER, for Maltster.
MARINER. The name of sailor is very uncommon ; the
usual word descriptive of one who lived on the sea was
" mariner " hence Marner.
MASON, also Waller and Walster.
MAUNDER, a maker of maunds, or hampers, and then a
beggar who collected food given to him in a maund.
MAZERER, a turner of mazer bowls in maplewood. " It
was the favourite bowl of all classes of society. By the rich
it was valued according as it was made from the knotted
1 But the Dutch loeper, German laufer^ is a running footman. Cf.
Pott, " Personnennamen," p. 632.
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THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
grain, or chased and rimmed with gold and silver and
precious stones " (Bardsley). We are told of Sir Thopas, that
" They fetched him first the swete win,
And made eke in a maselin,
And real spicere."
Mazerer was also Mazeliner hence the name of the famous
conjurer, Maskelyne.
MERCER, a dealer in silks.
MERCHANT, also Marchant, from the French, in place of
the English " monger."
MITCHENER, a pastrycook ; maker of mitchkin, a cake or
small loaf.
MONIER, maker of current coins minted in many towns.
Also Minter, Monyer, and Money, if this last do not stand for
De Mauney.
MUSTARDER, seller of mustard. As a surname reduced to
Mustard.
NEEDLER, needlemaker. As surname, Neelder. Aguillier,
a French form, gives Aguillar and Gillard.
ORFEVER, a goldsmith ; hence our modern surnames of
Offerer and Off or, if this last be not a place-name.
OSTLER, hence Oastler and Hostler; but OSELER, as already
said, is a birdcatcher.
PACKER, a woolpacker ; also Pack as a surname.
PAINTER, often as a surname Paynter.
PARCHMENTER, preparer of parchment and vellum.
PARGITER, a plasterer.
PARMINTER, for parmentier, a tailor a French fashionable
tailor, doubtless.
PATTENER, maker of pattens. Surname Patner.
PELTER, a furrier.
PEPPERER, a seller of pepper ; name remains as Pepper.
PESSONER, a fishmonger.
PEWTERER, also Powter.
PILCHER, a maker of warm garments lined with fur ;
much the same as a pelter.
PINNER, a pinmaker.
PLASTERER, as a surname Plaister.
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THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
PLATNER, a maker of dishes and plates. Surname Plait.
PLAYER, an actor by profession.
PLUMBER remains in surnames as Plumer and Plummer.
POINTER, one who made " points," tags to dresses by
which laces were fastened together often made of silver.
Surname Poynter.
POTTER, maker of common pots. The name remains
both as Potter and Potts.
POUCHER, maker of pouches. A poacher is so called
because he carries a pouch for the game he secures.
POULTERER. The surname remains as Poulter and Pulter.
POYSER, a weigher, a scalemaker.
PURSER or BURSER, a pursemaker.
PYEBAKER, shortened into Pye.
QUILLER, also KeeleYy the dresser of quilled ruffs and
collars, such as were worn in the reign of Elizabeth. Mr.
Quiller- Couch has in his name references to two trades
the starcher who quilled collars, and the coucher who
stuffed beds, etc.
QUILTER, the liner of garments and coverlets.
RAFFMAN, also RAFFLER, the dealer in rags and rubbish.
RECORDER, a player on the record, a musical instrument ;
hence the surname Corder.
RIDLER, a maker of sieves and riddles,
ROCKSTER, a maker of rocks or spindles ; hence the
surname Rockstro, and sometimes also Rock ; also Rooker
and Rooke and Rookard. Mr. Bardsley strangely makes of
the last a rookward, or keeper of rooks.
ROPER and RAPER, a cordwainer, a ropemaker. Cordery
is the man at the ropewalk.
RUNCIMAN, a dealer in an inferior kind of horses. The
shipman among the Canterbury pilgrims rode upon a
" rouncy."
SACKER, a maker of sacks. Archbishop Seeker derived,
doubtless, from a sackmaker.
SADLER, also SELLER, from the French sellier. We have
both as surnames.
SALTER, also SALTMAN, a salt-boiler.
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
SAWYER, self-explanatory.
SHIPMAN, a merchant sea-captain. One was among the
Canterbury pilgrims : " The hoote somer hadde maad his
hew at broun, and certlinly he was a good felawe."
SEALER, a seal-cutter. In some cases may have originated
the surname Scale.
SEAMER and the feminine SEMESTER, a maker of seams
for the tailor.
SEXTON, also as Saxton, for Sacristan.
SHEARMAN, one who shaves or shears worsted and
fustians. Sherman, Shears.
SHAILER, a maker of ladders (echelles). As a surname,
Shayler and Shelter.
SHOEMAKER, curiously enough, rare as a surname. The
Old English name (from the French) was Corser, but also
Souter = Chausseur ; hence Chaucer.
SILKMAN, a mercer. The surname remains as Silke and
Sylke.
SINGER, a professional chanter, a ballad-singer or minstrel.
Sangster.
SKINNER, one who prepared skins for the tanyard. As a
surname, Skynner.
SLAYER or SLAYWRIGHT, one who makes slays for weaving.
SLAUGHTERER, the man who kills for the butcher. A late
Government School Inspector was Colonel Slaughter. 1
SLOPER, a maker of slops, a loose upper garment. In the
" Chanon Yemannes Tale " it is said that
" His overest sloppe is not worth a mite."
SMITH, a general term. There were Whitesmiths, i.e.,
Tinmen, Goldsmiths, Brownsmiths, Blacksmiths, Arrow-
smiths, Spearsmiths, Nailsmiths, etc.
SOAPER, a soap-boiler. Soper.
SOUTER, a shoemaker. The surname Shutter is from Shoester.
SPICER, from the French Spicier.
SPILLER, a maker of spills or spindles.
SPINNER. The feminine form is SPINSTER.
1 There are, however, two villages so named in Gloucestershire.
144
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
SPOONER, maker of spoons in wood and horn.
SPURRIER, maker of spurs.
STAMPER, the official who put the stamp either on tin or
on the nobler metals. It has been corrupted into Stammer.
STARCHER, important in Elizabethan times and in that of
James L, when yellow starch came in. Perhaps the origin
of Starke and Starkie.
STAPLER, the merchant who bought wool en gros. As a
surname it exists as Staples.
STEYNER, the maker of steenes, or stone jars, out of white
clay. The surname remains as Steyner or Stayner.
STRAKER, a twine-spinner.
SUMMONER or SUMNER, one who conveys legal summons.
Sumner was an Archbishop of Canterbury. According to
Chaucer, the summoner was not a man of high character.
SURGEON, a chirurgeon, was merged in the barber and
apothecary. If it ever became a surname, it has been over-
whelmed by Sergeant.
TAILOR, variously spelled as a surname, in the vain hope
to disguise its humble and somewhat despised origin. A
taizler was the same as a tozer, a man who brought up
the nap on cloth with teasels, and it is possible that some
Taizler s may have become Tayleurs. The Old English name
for a tailor was a schepper or shaper. Possibly enough some
Sheppards may derive thence.
TANNER needs no explanation.
TAPISER, a tapistry worker, contracted to Tapster, and so
goes along with the tavern assistant.
TABURNER, one who played on the tambourine.
TAWER, a skinner or leather-dresser; hence Tower and
Tuer.
TENTOR, one who stretches cloth.
TESTER, same as Assay 'er.
TELLER or TELLWRIGHT, a tentmaker. Old English for
a tent was teld.
THROWER, a silkwinder ; hence Trower.
TINNER, a whitesmith usually tinker and tinkler. There
is an old ballad still sung by the Devonshire peasants of
145 K
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
" The Maid and the Box." She was serving in London, but
desired to return to see her parents in Falmouth.
" Her master paid her wages, and
Her wages were five pound.
She put the money in a box
With flowers flourished round.
" She put the money in the box,
She put in that her clothes ;
She set it all upon her head,
And nimbly forth she goes.
" She had not walked very far,
The space was scarce a mile,
Before a tinkler she espied
Was lying at a stile."
The tinkler requires her to set down the box, that he may
examine its contents, and to hand him the key. She does
this ; but as he lays aside his stick and budget, that he may
open the box, she
" Seized the walking-stick
And struck him sharp a knock.
" She struck the tinkler on the head,
She struck him strokes full three,
And ne'er a word he spoke or stirred ;
The tinkler still lay he."
Of her further adventures, and of how she married the
Squire, I have not space to tell, the ballad consisting of
sixteen double verses. A surname is Tingler.
TIREMAN, a maker of ladies' tires, or headgear.
TOLLER (Anglo-Saxon), the official who received the royal
tolls at fairs and in harbours. As a surname it remains,
also as Towler ; but possibly the latter may be a corruption
of Toulousier, an adventurer from Toulouse.
TOZER, or TOWZER, or TAIZLER. See under Tailor.
TRIMMER, the provider of laces for garnishing the dresses
of ladies and gentlemen.
TUBMAN or TUBBER, a maker of tubs, a step in the social
scale below the cooper ; hence the surnames Tupman and
Tubbs.
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THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
TUCKER, one engaged in part of the process of woolmaking
into cloth. Tucking mills were introduced in all wool dis
tricts. The name takes the form of Toker, Tooker, and
Towker.
TURNER, spelled as a surname also Tumour. 1
TYLER, tilemaker ; sometimes Tittler.
VINTNER, sometimes as Vyner.
WADMAN, a dealer in woad for dyeing. Wadster.
WAINWRIGHT, a maker of carts or waggons. As a surname
spelled Waynwright.
WALKER. Cloth before the introduction of the roller had
to be trodden underfoot. In Wyckliffe's version of the Trans-
figuration he describes Christ's raiment as shining so as no
" fullers or walkers of cloth " could whiten. Langland, in
describing the process of cloth manufacture, says :
" Cloth that cometh fro the wevyng
Is nought comely to wear
Till it be fulled under foot,
Or in fullying stokkes,
Washen well with water.
And with taseles craccked
Y-ton-ked and y-teynted,
And under tailleurs hands."
WATERER or WATERMAN, a boatman on the Thames.
WAYMAN, a driver of wains.
WAYTE, a watchman (Old French, guet) ; hence the sur-
names Wade, Gates, Yates, and Wakeman.
WEAVER, same as Webber and Webster ; sometimes Webbe.
WHEELER, a wheelwright.
WHITSTER, a bleacher of linen. Mrs. Ford says : " John
and Robin . . . take this basket on your shoulders. That
done, trudge with it in all haste, and carry it among the
whitsters in Datchet mead."
WHIFFLER, a piper.
1 Some Turners pretend that the name derives from some imaginary
Tour Noire. In early entries we have always le Tourneur, never de la
Tour Noire. There was, however, a " Sire de le Tourneur " at
Hastings.
147 K i
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
WHITTIER, a white Tawier ; one who prepares the finer
skins for gloves, whitening them. Wheatman, Wightman.
WIRER, a wire-drawer.
WOOLER, a wool-monger, a collector of fleeces from
farmers and yeomen. Also Woolner.
It is remarkable, and admirable as well, to see how many
of the descendants of quite humble tradesmen are now
represented in the House of Lords.
The Duke of Northumberland is actually no Percy, but a
Smithson, and must recognize that his ancestor wielded the
hammer at the anvil. Little can the nominal ancestor, " his
brow wet with honest sweat," have imagined that his descen-
dant would reign in Alnwick Castle.
The viscounty of Strangford is now extinct, but that was
held by a Smith disguised as Smythe ; but Earl Carrington is
a Smith, though apparently not descended from a blacksmith,
but from a goldsmith. The family seems to have pursued
this trade and banking and money-lending till the middle
of the eighteenth century.
Lord Gwydyr is a Burvell, and his ancestor, judging from
his name, was a weaver of coarse cloth, such as was sold
only to labouring men. The ancestor of Lord Alverstone was
a webster or weaver. Lord Ribblesdale's family ancestor
a Lister must have been a wool-worker. That of the Mar-
quess of Headfort, a tailor sitting cross-legged on a table,
and no disguise of Tailor into Tayleur can obscure the fact.
Earl Winterton is a Turner, dignified into Tumour, and the
ancestor of Lord Castlemaine must have been a John the
Cook in some nobleman's or squire's house, for the family
name is Handcock. Earl Cowper derives his family and
titular name from a tradesman who made drinking-mugs,
and Lord Monkswell from a collier, who carried sacks of
coals over his shoulder. If Sturt comes from the Anglo-
Saxon Steort, then Baron Alington's family must have come
literally from the plough-tail. 1
A There is, however, a place called Stert near Devizes, and entries in
the Hundred Rolls, etc., confirm the derivation from a place William
de la Sturte, 1273.
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As might have been anticipated, many domestic and other
servants have climbed up their masters' backs, stepped over
their shoulders, and installed themselves in their places.
Baron Forrester and Viscount Massereene derive from
salaried attendants who ministered to the pleasures of their
masters in the chase. Barons Gardner and Burghclere
derive from some worthy working man who, when engaged
in the potting-shed or in manuring the soil, had no notion
that a descendant would wear a coronet. Lord Bateman
deduces, as the name implies, from the bear-warder in some
castle, where he fed the brutes that were to be baited for his
master's amusement. The Earl of Morley, as a Parker,
must have had as ancestor one who looked to his lord's park
and kept the palings in order ; so also the Earl of Maccles-
field. The Earl of Harrowby, as a Ryder, had as an
ancestor some German renter, who sold his sword for his
entertainment and some plunder ; and Barons Napier and
Ettrick and Napier of Magdala derive, as already said, from
the official who looked after the linen for bed and table in a
noble house. The ancestors of the Earls of Carrick, Glen-
gall, Lanesborough, of the Marquess of Ormonde, of Viscount
Mountgarret, and of Baron Dunboyne, were all butlers.
Baron Calthorpe is descended from a maker of balls with
spikes, used in war. Earl Summers had as his nominal
ancestor a Sompner :
" A Sompnour was ther with us in that place,
That hadd a fyr-reed cherubyns face,
For saweeflem [pimply] he was, with eyghen [eyes]
narwe [narrow]
As hoot he was, and leecherous, as a sparwe [sparrow]."
So Chaucer describes the sompner, or summoner. The
ancestor of the Earls of Leicester, judging from the name,
was a Cook, whose place was not by any means in the House
of Lords, but in the kitchen ; and that of the Earl of Shaftes-
bury was a Cooper.
Lord Teynham, being a Roper, must have drawn his
family from one who was a cord-wainer, pacing hourly back-
wards and dealing out the hemp that was being spun and
149
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
twisted, a monotonous toil from dawn to sunset, unlightened
by a glimpse of the future in which a descendant would wear
the six pearls and have as crest a lion rampant bearing a
ducal crown.
Baron Newland's ancestor was a hosier, who from behind
his counter sold silk stockings to ladies and gents, and
worsted stockings to farmers and domestics.
If we chose to look among the Baronets, what a string of
trade-names should we find !
There are six Smiths, one affecting the spelling Smyth, and
one Smythe ; as many Walkers ; a Webster ; a Quitter ; a Poyn-
der, a Poynter, both having the same meaning, a maker of
points to hold the garments together we use buttons instead :
" Fals. Their points being broken.
Poins. Down fell their hose."
King Henry IV., Part II., XI. IV.
a Runciman ; a Spicer ; a Chapman ; a Tupper a hog and
ram gelder ; a Naesmyth i.e., nailsmith ; a. Fender, or pindar ;
a Loder, or water-carrier. Half a dozen hail from the Mill.
Two Jardines derive from French gardeners. There are
Forsters, Fosters, contractions from Forester ; a Fowler and
a Falkener ; a Dyer ; two Cooks ; four Coopers, and one
Couper ; an A shman, who prepared ashes for the soap-boiler ;
and one Farmer.
No pedigree of any of these families goes back to the
original Smith or Tailor, Webster or Runciman, Cooper or
Miller, but the name is an indelible stamp of a trade origin.
Why any man should be ashamed of this I fail to see. The
honest tradesman was a far worthier man than the loafer
about the Court, and the hotspur who " kills me some six or
seven dozen of Scots at a breakfast, washes his hands, and
says to his wife : ' Fye upon this quiet life !' ' Yet I pre-
sume there is some dislike of the fact, for the arms chosen
never bear any reference to the trade of the name-founder of
the family, and in a good many cases, where there is a trade-
name, it is either wriggled out of or smothered by the
addition of some more aristocratic and resonant name.
And yet anyone who can be shown to have borne, or his
150
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
forbears to have borne, a name connected with a trade most
certainly did spring from the shop or the factory. There
can be no mistake about it. The name may be twisted or
tinkered into Smijthe, Tayleure, Cuttlare, or what you will :
it makes no difference. The Adam of each wielded a
hammer, or patched the knees and seat of old breeches, or
fashioned scissors or shield. In Germany no man is
esteemed to be adel that is to say, can write himself
armiger, a gentleman who has not a von before his name,
and the old historic families can always be recognized by a
territorial name preceded by von. We know, without con-
sulting a peerage, that a Von Falkenstein or a Von Rabeneck
has a pedigree of over eight descents, and had his seat in
former days in a castle Falkenstein or Rabeneck, now in
ruins. However, during last century a considerable number
of Webers, Dreschlers, Gartners, and Schmidts were en-
nobled ; but their names remain as permanent testimonies to
their burger descent from a weaver, a turner, a gardener,
and a smith.
And they have no reason to be other than proud of the
fact. Whilst the Vons were ravaging the country, and
rendering the roads insecure for peaceful traders, the citizens
within the walls of the towns were building up the prosperity
of their country.
" William the Conqueror divided England among the
commanders of his army," writes an American, 1 " and con-
ferred about twenty earldoms. Not one of them exists
to-day. Nor do any of the honours conferred by William
Rufus, 1087-1100; Henry I, 1100-1135; Stephen, 1135-
1154; Henry II., 1154-1189; Richard I., 1189-1199; or
John, 1199-1216.
" All the dukedoms created from the institution of
Edward III., 1327-1377, down to the commencement of
the reign of Charles II., 1649, except Norfolk and Somerset
and Cornwall the title held by the Prince of Wales have
perished. Winchester and Worcester the latter merged
in the dukedom of Beaufort are the only marquisates older
1 " England and the English, "Scribner*s Magazine^ February, 1909.
THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
than George III. (1760-1820). Of all earldoms conferred
by the Normans, Plantagenets, and Tudors, only eleven
remain, and six of these are merged in higher honours.
The House of Lords to-day does not number a single male
descendant of any of the Barons who were chosen to enforce
Magna Charta. The House of Lords does not contain a
single male descendant of the Peers who fought at Agincourt.
There is only one single family in all the realm Wrottesley
which can boast of a male descendant from the date of
the institution of the Garter (1349). In a word, the present
House of Lords is conspicuously and predominantly a
democratic body, chosen from the successful of the land.
Seventy of the Peers were ennobled on account of distinction
in the practice of the law alone. The Dukes of Leeds trace
back to a cloth-worker ; the Earls of Craven to a tailor ; the
families of Dartmouth, Ducie, Pomfret, Tankerville, Dormer,
Romney, Dudley, Fitzwilliam, Cowper, Leigh, Darnley,
Hill, Normanby, all sprang from London shops and counting-
houses, and that not so very long ago.
" Ashburton, Carrington, Helper, Overstone, Mount-
Stephen, Hindlip, Burton, Battersea, Glenesk, Aldenham,
Cheylesmore, Lister, Avebury, Burnham, Biddulph, North-
cliffe, Nunburnholme, Winterstoke, Rothschild, Brassey,
Revelstoke, Strathcona and Mount Royal, Michelham, and
others too many to mention, have taken their places among
the Peers by force of long purses gained in trade.
" Lord Belper, for example, created in 1856, is the grand-
son of Jedidiah Strutt, who was the son of a small farmer,
and made wonderful ribbed stockings.
" Wealth, however got, in England makes
Lords of mechanics, gentlemen of rakes.
Antiquity and birth are needless here ;
'Tis impudence and money makes the Peer.
* * * *
Great families of yesterday we show,
And Lords whose parents were the Lord knows who."
In the names given before this quotation I have relied
solely on the testimony of the family appellation, and have
left on one side altogether such noble families as can be
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THE TOWN : TRADE-NAMES
proved by reliable pedigrees to have issued from the com-
mercial class. If we were to add those known historically to
have so risen to those known to have risen by the evidence
of their names, it would be found that they make up the
overwhelming majority of the aristocracy of the land.
The prophet saw in vision the House of Israel as a boiling
pot set upon live coals, and sending its scum to the surface.
He was thinking of the " smart set " of the time. But
England from the middle of the eleventh century has also
been set on the coals ; but, unlike the House of Israel, it has
sent its very best to the top, and often from the very bottom,
and has brought down from above that which was worthless,
there perhaps to recover and again to mount aloft. I have
taken pains to show in the chapter on Battle Abbey Roll,
and also in that on French Names, that there has been such
a descent. There is nothing stationary in the social caldron
all is in revolution, not violent, but gentle, natural, healthy.
And be it further remembered that most of our humble
tradesmen of old, those who gave their trade-names to their
families, issued originally from the class of manumitted serfs
and villeins men of English blood probably and then we
can see for ourselves how that the down-trampled native of
our isle has succeeded in reversing the condition of affairs :
he is at the top, and the bearer of the Norman name is
nowhere.
Hear again what the American an outsider has to say
on the subject of our nobility : " William the Conqueror
was a bastard, and his mother was the daughter of a
humble tanner of Falaise. The mother of the great Queen
Elizabeth was the daughter of a plain English gentleman.
" The Englishman would not be what he is, nor would he
in the least be transmitting his very valuable Saxon heritage,
if he gave up his democratic custom of an aristocracy of
power for the feeble Continental custom of an aristocracy of
birth. What the one and the other is to-day answers the
question as to the relative merits of the two systems without
need of discussion. The English, though nowadays many
of them do not know it themselves, are the most democratic
of all nations."
CHAPTER VIII
PLACE-NAMES
CAMDEN says : " About the year of our Lord 1000 (that we
may not minute out the time) surnames began to be taken
up in France, and in England about the time of the Conquest,
or else a very little before, under King Edward the Confessor,
who was all Frenchified. . . . This will seem strange to
some Englishmen and Scottishmen, which, like the Arcadians,
think their surnames as ancient as the moone, or at the
least to reach many an age beyond the Conquest. But they
which think it most strange (I speak under correction) I
doubt they will hardly finde any surname which descended
to posterity before that time ; neither have they scene (I
feare) any deede or donation before the Conquest, but sub-
signed with crosses and single names without surnames in
this manner : >J< Ego Eadredus confirmavi. >J< Ego Sigarius
conclusi. >J Ego Olfstunus consolidavi, etc."
This is true so far as that there were no hereditary
surnames before about 1000 ; but there were nick, or descrip-
tive, names in use, and appear in charters, but these were
personal, and did not descend to the sons.
The Normans who came over with the Conqueror brought
with them the names of their estates and castles in Normandy
and Brittany, or else some personal name, which they trans-
mitted to their posterity ; or they held hereditary offices, as
stewards, constables, marshals, from which they took their
names and passed them on. Some had personal names,
originally Norse, but altered through contact with French.
" Under the feudal system," says Mr. Lower, " the great
Barons assumed as surnames the proper names of their
PLACE-NAMES
seigniories ; the knights who held under them did the like,
and those in turn were imitated by all who possessed a
landed estate, however small. Camden remarks that there
is not a single village in Normandy that has not surnamed
some family in England."
In Britain settlements by the Celtic freeholders took the
names of the settlers. Tre, or tref, the house of, preceded
the name of the man who built the house, as Trecarrel,
Trevanion, Tremadoc. A church also took the name of its
founder, as Llanaelhaiarn, Llancadoc ; but in far later times,
when place-names were taken up as surnames, then we shall
find a Henry de Trecarrel, a John Trevanion, and a David
Tremadoc ; also the church might give a name to a layman,
as in Cornwall, de Lanyon i.e., the Church of St. John.
The Saxons and Angles also called places after their
names. The English Chronicle is, of course, wrong in
making Portsmouth derive from a settler named Port ;
nevertheless, there is abundance of evidence that the new
colonists did denominate many places after their own
names.
Wright, in his "History of Ludlow," says : " Many of the
names of places, of which the meaning seems most difficult to
explain, are compounded of those of Anglo-Saxon possessors
or cultivators, and the original forms of such words are
readily discovered by a reference to Domesday Book. . . .
Names of places having ing in the middle are generally
formed from patronymics, which in Anglo-Saxon had this
termination. Thus, a son of Alfred was ^Elfreding ; his
descendants in general were ^Elfredings or yElfredingas.
These patronymics are generally compounded with ham, tun,
etc., and whenever we can find the name of a place in pure
Saxon documents, we have the patronymic in the genitive
case plural. Thus, Birmingham was Beorm-inge-ham, the
home or residence of the sons and descendants of Beorm.
There are not many names of this form in the neighbour-
hood of Ludlow ; Berrington (Beoringaton) was perhaps the
enclosure of the sons or family of Beor, and Culmington
that of the family of Culm."
PLACE-NAMES
In Northumbria and East Anglia the Danes had begun to
settle from the seventh or beginning of the eighth century.
They were of the same stock as the Angles, derived their
royal race from the same ancestry, and spoke pretty much
the same tongue. The Angles came from the modern
Schleswig, and the home of the Danes was the island of
Zealand, with the hall of the King and the temple of the
national god at Leidre. A continual stream of Danes passed
into the North of England. The Kings of Leidre demanded,
and indeed exacted, scatt, or tribute, from the Northumbrians.
At length, in 878, by the peace of Wedmore, the whole of
the country north of the Watlingstreet the great Roman
road that ran straight as an arrow from London to Chester
was ceded to the Danes. In the Saga of Egill Skallagrimson
we are told that at the time when he was in Northumbria
i.e. y in the tenth century nearly all the inhabitants were
Scandinavians on the father's or mother's side, and a very
great many on both sides.
The place-names in Yorkshire are largely Scandinavian.
Baldersby, Thukleby, Grimsthorpe, Ormskirk, Greeta
(Griot-a), the stony river, and a thousand others, point to
the continuous occupation by the Danes and Northmen. A
hundred and sixty-seven places with names ending in by
have been reckoned in Yorkshire. In the same county are
ninety-four ending in thorpe; twenty end in with i.e., wood;
there are numerous royds, clearings in its woods. Lincoln-
shire was also peopled with Danes. The conquest of the
whole of England by Cnut, or Canute the Great, tended
still further to introduce Scandinavian names (personal) into
the land, but the grip on it was not sufficiently extended to
affect place-names seriously beyond Northumbria and East
Anglia. The islands, however, about the coast haunts of
the Vikings mostly received and retained the names given
to them by these Scandinavian pirates, as Lundy (Puffin
Isle), Ramsey, Mersea, Anglesey, Brightlingsea (Brithelm's-
ey), once all but an island.
Iceland was colonized from Norway between the years
872 and 890 by bonders of ancient pedigree and large posses-
156
PLACE-NAMES
sions, who had hitherto held their land as allodial ground,
and King Harald Fairhair insisted on converting all free-
holds into tenures from the crown in feof. Rather than
endure this, these men took their movable goods with them,
their wives, children, and serfs, and migrated to Iceland,
which was then uncolonized.
Happily we have preserved a Landnamabok, or record of
the settlement of the island, with the names and genealogies
of all the emigrants, and what concerns us now, the names
they gave to every place where they planted themselves.
As the same procedure took place in England when Jutes,
Angles, Saxons, Danes, and Northmen came into our island
and settled there, this Landnamabok is to us very instruc-
tive, and helps us to elucidate the place-names over a large
portion of England, and through the place-names the sur-
names derived from these places.
In Iceland there has been scarcely any infiltration of foreign
blood ; consequently, what the first settlers called their new
homes retain the names unaltered to the present day. This
has not been the case in England, and among us names have
been altered and degraded almost past recognition.
We find among the Icelanders that very generally, when
a colonist planted himself on the soil and built a house, he
called that new home after his own name. It was to record,
to the end of time, who had first come there to dwell. But
this was not invariably the case ; sometimes the settler was
less ambitious, and gave to his new quarters a descriptive
appellation. But, whether called after his name or descrip-
tive, the name is double, the second portion signifying a by,
or farm, a holding, a tun, town, a bjarg, or fortification.
The subject of place-names is too wide to be dealt with
here except generally, and would not be touched on at all
were it not that so large a proportion of our surnames are
taken from places. Nor is there need for dealing with such
with anything like completeness, as Mr. Isaac Taylor has
investigated the subject, and his books, " Words and Places "
and " Names and their Histories," are accessible to all. In
the appendix to the latter is a treatise on " English Village
PLACE-NAMES
Names." A few pages may, however, be devoted to place-
names as affecting surnames, under Mr. Taylor's guidance,
that those persons bearing such may have some understanding
as to their significance.
It is necessary to remember that place-names were in
ancient times in an oblique case, usually the locative or
dative, and in course of time names in this case came to be
regarded as undeclinable nouns, or were themselves declined
as nominatives. Thus Newton appears in Anglo-Saxon
charters as Newantune, which is the dative singular, and
the n has been retained in Newnton in Wiltshire. Elsewhere
it lingers on in Newington, much disguised. Newanham is
now Newnham. Heah (high) makes hean in the dative
singular, and remains perceptible as such in Hampstead for
Heansted.
The dative plural ends in um. Thus hus, a house, forms
husum, " to the houses," and this we have corrupted into
Housham in Lincolnshire. Newsham is really New-husum,
and Moorsholm is More-husum. Wothersome is Wode-
husum, " to or at the Wooden Houses."
The dative plural of cot is cotum, and gives its name to
Coatham, near Redcar in Yorkshire, and Cottam in Derby-
shire ; whence the surname Cotton.
Botl is a building of boards, a log-hut. The plural is
bodlum, " at the bottles ": hence Beadlam. H ilium, " at
the hills," becomes Hillam ; and Wellum, "at the wells,"
becomes Welham.
Consequently, we cannot always be sure that a place-
termination in ham has the significance of ham (a home) or
ham (an enclosure).
The Anglo-Saxon burh (a fortified place) in the dative
becomes byrig. Edinburgh is derived from the nominative
case, but Canterbury from the dative; so also Salisbury,
Amesbury, Shaftesbury.
The following list of terminations is by no means exhaus-
tive, but will be found useful i 1
1 A.S. = Anglo-Saxon ; C. = Celtic; O.E. = Old English; Gk. = Greek ;
O.N. = Old Norse ; G. = German; D. = Danish ; Lat. = Latin.
158
PLACE-NAMES
ACRE always meant the cornland, ploughed or sown. It
enters into many combinations : Goodacre, Oldacre, Longacre,
Whitacre. Whitaker is a chalky field, or else one in which
spar is turned up. In Devonshire such spar is called Whit-
acre stone.
ANGLE, a corner. Atten-Angle has given us N 'angle. John
de Angulo, 1273 (Hundred Roll).
BARROW (A.S. bearw), a wooded hill fit for pasturing swine :
Mapleborough, Barrow-in-Furness. The dative plural is
bearwe. In Devonshire it is the origin of many Beres.
But " barrow " is also employed as a cairn or mound of
stone, as Eylesbarrow, the Eagles' Cairn (A.S. beorh, a
hill).
BECK (A.S. bee), a brook; the German bach. " Beck " is
still in common use in the North of England, as Kirkbeck,
Holbeck. " Beckett " is a small beck. Gilbert-a-Becket took
his name from Bee in Normandy, named from " bee " or
brook hard by the monastery.
BENT is an Old English name for a high pasture or
shelving piece of moorland ; thence the names Broadbent
and Bentley.
" Downward on an hil under a bent
Ther stood the tempul of Marz armypotent."
Canterbury Pilgrims: " Knight's Tale."
BERE or BEARE. See above, under " Barrow."
BOLD, a built house, one of stone, when bothies were in
general use, and halls of timber : Newbold.
BOCLE (O.E.), a hill swelling out ; hence the names
Bickley, Bickle, Buckle (G. bilchel).
BOTH (A.S.), a booth or wooden house. Also Celtic bodd,
a settlement, as Bodmin, the monastic settlement ; Freelody,
and other names ending in bod and body.
BOTTLE (A.S. boil), a diminutive of both. In the High-
lands a bothie is so used ; in German we have W olfen-buttel.
It occurs in Harbottle (the highly-situated bottle), Newbottle.
Bolton is the tun containing a bottle ; Bothwell and Claypole,
the bottle in the clay.
BOTTOM (A.S. botri), the head of a valley. We have it in
PLACE-NAMES
composition as Sidebottom, Ramsbottom (the bottom where
ramson or garlic grows), Winterbottom (the winding head of
the valley). In Lancashire " hichin " is the mountain-ash,
whence the name Higginbottom ; Shufflebotham for Sheep-
pen-bottom. Also Bottome.
BRIGG, a bridge : Philbrick, where it is altered into brick ;
Trowbridge, Bridgwater, Bristol, for Brigg-Stowe.
BURG (A.S. burh, in O.N. bjorg, D. borg, G. burg), a forti-
fied place ; closely akin to berg, a mountain. It enters into
many combinations, both in singular and dative, as Edinburgh,
Newborough, Canterbury, Aldermanbury, and Carrisbrugh,
corrupted to Carisbrooke.
BERRY, a further corruption of burh : Roseberry ; found in
the West of England at Berry Head, Berry Pomeroy Castle,
and as a surname Berry.
BREND, a steep declivity.
BROOK, originally a morass, then a stream, a very common
name. It occurs over and over again in the Hundred Rolls,
as Alice de la Broke, Andrew ate Broke, Peter ad le Broke,
Matilda ad Broke, Sarra de Broke, Reginald behind Broke,
Richard apud Broke, Reginald del Broke (Bardsley). It
would be absurd to suppose that all these Brooks belonged
to one family. It was purely a designation of place where
some humble individuals dwelt who had no surname as yet.
Often we have Brooks.
BUTTS. Near every town and village were the butts,
where archery was practised. He who lived by it was
"atten Butts." Some butts had special designation ; hence
the surname Sowerbutt. Dr. Butts was physician to
Henry VIII.
BY (O.N. baer, byr; D. by, a farm), originally a single
house, then came to be employed of a group of houses.
Enters into numerous combinations, as Maltby (Malthouse),
Enderby (Andrew's house) ; sometimes contracted into bee, as
Aislabee.
CAR (C. caer), a camp : Caer Caradoc, Carlisle, Car-
marthen, Carhayes.
CAR (O.N.), moorland: Redcar.
160
PLACE-NAMES
CARN (C.), a pile of stones, sometimes over a dead man :
Carnbrea, Carnmarth, Carnaby (the farm by the Carn).
CASTER, CHESTER (Lat. castrum), as Lancaster, Chester,
Exeter (Exanceaster), Chester-le-Street (the castrum on the
Roman road).
CLIFF, CLEAVE (A.S. clif) : Clifton, Topcliff, Rowcliff ; in
Devon, Cleave, as Clovelly (Cleave-ley), and Lustleigh and
Tavy Cleaves. Surnames Cleave, Clive, Cliffe.
CLOSE, an enclosure.
CLOUGH, a glen, used in the North ; hence Clowes.
COMBE (C. cwm), a lateral valley ; very general in the
West of England, Sussex, and Cumberland. A poet of the
latter county says :
" There's Cumwitten, Cumwhinton, Cumranton,
Cumranger, Cumrew, Cumcatch,
And many mair Cums in the County,
But nin wi' Gumdurock can match."
Coombe is a surname, also Westcoombe, Sutcombe, etc.
COP (G. kopf), a head. In Wicklyffe's version of
Luke iv. 29 we have : " And thei . . . ledden him to the
coppe of the hill on which their cytee was bilded to cast him
down." Hence the surnames Cope, Copps, Copley, Copeland,
Cobbe, Cobley, etc.
COT (A.S.), a thatched cottage, with mud walls. Draycott
is the dry cottage. Woodmancott explains itself. Coatham
and Cotton are from the dative plural. A Cotterel in Domes-
day signifies a small cottage. In the North of England Cot
assumes the form of Coate. Cot as a suffix sometimes
becomes " cock," just as " apricot " becomes " apricox."
CRAG (C. cryg), a rock, lengthened in the North into
Craig. In the Old Scottish metrical version of Ps. cxxxvii.,
the verse " Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children and
throweth them against the stones " is rendered :
" How blessed shall that horseman be,
That, riding on his naggie,
Shall take thy bairns within his airms,
And cast them 'gainst the craggie."
The surnames Craike, Crayke, derive hence.
161 L
PLAGE-NAMES
CRICK (A.S. eric), a creek ; not usual as a suffix, but
found as Creech, Evercreech, Cricklade.
CROFT (A.S.), a small enclosure ; hence the surnames
Croft, Holcroft, Crofton. Bancroft is a beancroft. Haycroft,
one hedged about. In the West of England corrupted to
Crap, Lillicrap, the little croft.
DALE (O.N. dalr) : Swaledale, Nithsdale, Borowdale. But
Dalton does not signify the tun in the dale, but the tun
divided in two by a brook. In one of the Robin Hood
ballads we have :
" ( By the faith of my body,' then said the young man,
' My name it is Allan a Dale.' "
Dale is often " dall "; Tindall stands for Tyne-dale. Udall is
the yew-dale. Sometimes Dale is corrupted into " dow " or
" daw," as Lindow or Lindaw.
DEN or DEANE (A.S. dene), a wooded valley in which
cattle might find covert and pasture. Hence the Forest of
Dean, Ar-den, Rottingdean, Tenterden, Surrenden, Hazle-
dene, Hawarden, Willesden, Brogden (the badger's den),
Roden (that of the roe). Hoxton is really Hogsden. We
have the surnames Deane, Oxenden, Sugden (a sow-den),
Dearden, Denman (one living in a deane) ; also Denyer, that
has the same significance.
DINGLE, a depth of wood. In an Old English homily in the
I3th century it is used of the sea-bottom. Surname Dingley.
DUN (C.), a fortress, but also a hill: Dunmere, Furze-
don, Hambledon. Surname Dunn.
ECCLES (Gr.), a church : Egloskerry, Egloshayle, Eccles
in Norfolk and Lancashire, Ecclesfield in Yorkshire, and
Eccleston. All as prefixes. Eccles was the name of a
musical composer of Purcell's time, and only second to him.
EDGE, the brow of a hill, as Edgehill, Audley Edge.
In names, for euphony, an I is sometimes introduced, as
C^tmberledge, Depledge ; but it is possible enough that
" ledge " may have been used as shelf on a hill.
END. " A certain number of names . . . have arisen
from a somewhat peculiar colloquial use of the term * end '
162
PLACE-NAMES
in vogue with our Saxon forefathers. The mode of its
employment is still common in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The poorer classes still speak of a neighbour as dwelling at
* the street end '; they never by any chance use the fuller
phrase, ' the end of the street.' Chaucer uses it as a
familiar mode of expression. The Friar, in the preface to
his story, says slightingly :
" ' A Sompnour is a rener up and down
With mandements for furnication,
And is beaten at every towne end. '
Numerous contributions occur in the Hundred Rolls as
names: John ate - Bruge - end, Walter - at -Townshende,
Margaret ate Laneande, Thomas atte Greavesende, etc."
(Bardsley).
Much dispute has occurred as to the meaning of the rubric
directing the Priest at the Communion Service to stand " at
the North side of the Table." This has been taken as a
direction that he should be like Cheevy Slyme, " Always
round the corner, sir." Had the Reformers meant this,
they would have used the word end. An altar has a middle
and two sides as well as two ends. We have the surnames
Townend, Townshend, Towmend, etc.
EY (O.N.), an island, sometimes a peninsula: Bardsey,
Ely, Battersey, Mersea, Ramsey, Lundy. The A.S. ig (in
the dative ige), a watery place, has the same signification.
Sheppey in A.S. is Sheapig ; Ramsey, Ramsige ; Hinksey is
Hingestesige (Hengest's island).
FELL (O.N.fjall), a mountain : Scarfell.
FIELD is properly a clearing, where trees have been felled.
This enters into numerous compositions, as Somerfield, the
field of the Somerlid, or Viking ; Suffield, the south field ;
Haverfield, the field of oats.
FLEET (O.N.fljot), a tidal estuary. The Norse, and the
A.S. fliot, signify alike a place where ships can float.
Swinefleet, near Goole, and Adlingfleet, a few miles lower
down at the old mouth of the Don, are inlets which sheltered
the ships of Sweyn and Edgar Etheling when their host
163 L 2
PLACE-NAMES
marched inland and took York. Fleetwood is a surname ;
Amphlet is "atten Fleet."
FORD (C. fordd; A.S. ford), a way; only in a secondary
sense signifies a ford across a river. The numerous places
whose names end in " ford " often show how common fords
were, and how scarce were bridges. Several fords are named
after the river through which the ford lay. There are fifteen
Stamfords, Stanfords or Stainforths where were stepping-
stones. Coggleford was paved with cobbles. Staplefords
were protected by piles driven into the bed of the stream.
Twenty-two Sandfords or Samfords indicate sandy bottoms.
Stratfords point to fords on old Roman roads. It must not,
however, be lost sight of that a good many places ending in
" ford " are on no river at all, or on tiny brooks, that could
be stepped across. Such places take their names from the
use of the word "ford" as a highway. In the West of
England "ford" is often altered into ver Vitiver is the
Whiteford, or white-paved highway leading across Dart-
moor and above the head of the Webburn. Rediver is the
Redford, also where is no stream.
Ford may also be a modernization of the O.N. varftr, a
place of protection and defence. And it is not possible in
many cases, without local knowledge, to determine whether
" ford " stands for road, ford over a river, or place of defence.
FORTH (O.N. fjord), an arm of the sea; also Firth.
FYRTH (A.S.), a forest, a retired glen where is to be found
peace (frid) ; and this use of the word seems to have ex-
tended farther. In the " Noble Art of Venerie " it is said :
" There is difference between the fryth and the fell. By
fells are understood the mountain, valleys and pastures, with
corne and such like ; the frythes betoken the springs and
coppyses." And in the " Boke of S. Alban's " we have
" Wheresoever ye fall by frythe or by fell,
My dere chylde, take heed how Tristram doth you tell."
In the Craven dialect the word " frith " is still used to
describe a tract enclosed by the hills, usually for a plantation.
Thus we have the place-names : Chapel-le-Frith ; Frith in
164
PLACE-NAMES
the parish of Forest, Durham; Fritham in the New Forest;
and Frithelstock (a stockade in a frith) in Devonshire. Frith
is still employed as a surname.
GARTH (A.S.), an enclosed place ; hence garden, yard.
GATE may mean a road, as Bishopsgate ; but also a barrier.
Sometimes corrupted to yat: Ramsgate, Margate, Westgate;
surnames Gates and Yates, Yeatman (the gatekeeper).
GILL (O.N.), a ravine: Pickersgill, Fothergill.
GLYN (C.), a glen, also Lynn : Glyncotty, Lynmouth.
Used also as a surname.
GOOLE, a canal.
GORE, a ravine or narrow strip of land, usually three-
cornered: Gorell (dim.), Gorham.
GOTT, a watercourse equivalent to Goyt and Gut.
GRANGE is given elsewhere ; hence Granger and Grange.
GRAVE (A.S. graef), a ditch; also a pit for catching wild
beasts : Stonegrave, Palgrave (a wood-lined pit). Falsgrave
is the A.S. Wallesgrave. Waldegrave is a pitfall in a wood,
or a woodsreeve. We have the surnames Greaves and Graves.
GROVE (A.S. graf) : Broomsgrove, Boxgrove, Nutgrove.
As a surname, Groves.
HATCH and RACKET, a gate or bar thrown across a gap.
A gate turned, but a hatch consisted of bars that had to be
removed. Many indications of hatches remain in Cornwall
and Devon notched blocks of stone, in which the bars
rested. The name Balhatchet signifies the hatchet giving
access to a bal, or mine. The surnames of Hatch, Hatcher,
Hatchman, are still here. Hatchard in another form. Hatch
was originally " atte Hatch." In the Hundred Rolls we have
De la Hatche.
HAL and HALE signify a corner.
HALL and HEAL (A.S.), a slope. Tichenhall is Ticen-
healh, the slope of the goat. Holton in Somerset is Healhton
in A.S., the tun on a slope. Heale is a name of a place and
a surname in Devon. Rushall in Yorkshire is the rushy
slope. Willenhall is the slope of Willan. Hales signifies
the slopes. Willingale Spain was Uulingehala, a hill-slope
on which a soldier of fortune from Spain named Henry de
165
PLACE-NAMES
Ispania settled. But it had an earlier settler called Willa,
whose family was that of the Willings. Hall, however, is
the aula of a manor as well, and has given its name to
families, but probably not so often as the slope; for the
family in the aula would be well known as manorial owners,
and have their names, whereas the humble cotter on the hill-
side would be a William on Healh or Richard Hall.
HAM (A.S.) has two significations with the a long it
signifies home ; with the a short it signifies a field enclosed.
Burnham is the enclosure by the brook. Birmingham, on the
other hand, was the home of the Beormings. Farnham is
the field of ferns. Cheltenham is the enclosure on the Chelt.
When ham is associated with a personal name, then it signi-
fies the " home of." As we have already seen, it sometimes
disguises the dative plural in um. Singularly enough, the
Americans have reverted to the ending. Thus they have
Barnum for Barnham. Ham is a common surname in
Devon, and the rich, fertile land below Dartmoor to the sea
is called the "South Hams." Hampshire is the shire of
enclosures.
HANGER is a hill-slope in the West of England, but the
A.S. is hangra, a meadow : Halshanger in Devon, Birchanger
in Essex, Clayhanger in three counties, Ostenhanger in
Kent, Goldhanger in Essex ; also Ongar in Essex, called
Angra in Domesday.
HAUGH, pronounced Haff, is low-lying level ground by the
side of a river.
HAY, a hedge to an enclosure ; often a small park.
Chaucer in " Troilus " has
" But right so as these holtes and these hayes,
That have in winter dead beene and dry,
Revesten them in greene when May is ;
When every lusty beast lusteth to pley."
From this simple root we have the surnames Hay, Hayes,
Haigh, and Hawis and Hawes, and in combination Haywood,
Haworth, Plaughton. As a termination it gets reduced to
ay, sometimes ey Fotheringay ; H alley, the enclosure on the
hillside.
1 66
PLACE-NAMES
HEAD, the upper end, becomes sometimes ett : Aikinhead,
Birkenhead, Blackett for Blackhead, and Beckett, either the
brook-head or the little brook.
HEATH explains itself. In Hebburn we have it in com-
bination a heath-burn.
HERNE, any nook or corner that has been taken possession
of by a squatter. Chaucer speaks of
" Lurking in hearnes and in lanes blind."
HEUGH, pronounced Heuhh, is a crag, a cliff. This word
or " haugh " is liable to attract to it the s from the end of
the foregoing word. Thus Earnshaw is Ernsheugh, the
Eagles' Cliff.
HOE (A.S. hoh), high ground : Langenhoe, Wyvenhoe, the
Hoe, Plymouth. But it is difficult to say whether haugr, a
cairn, may not have originated some of the heughs and
hoes ; sometimes changed to " enough," as Goodenough is
Goodenheugh.
HYTHE (A.S. hyd), a haven, a wharf; hence the surname
Hyde.
HOLM (O.K.), a flat island. Duels were called " holm-
gongir," because fought on islands. Flat Holme and Steep
Holme in the Bristol Channel ; Holmes as surname.
HOLT is the same as the German Holz, a wood or copse :
Bergholt in Essex. Holt is a surname in Yorkshire. Becomes
" shot" in composition occasionally, as Aldershot, Sparshot.
HOPE (O.N. hop), an opening, a small bay ; also a gap in
the hills or in a forest. " In Yarrow, almost every farmhouse
is sheltered in a recess or hollow of the hills, and the names
in ' hope ' are correspondingly numerous as, for instance,
Kirkhope, Dryhope, Whitehope, etc. more than twenty in
all. In Upper Weardale, Durham, we find another cluster
of these names, such as Stanhope, Burnhope, Westenhope,
Wellhope, Harthope, Swinehope, Rockhope, and Rollehope,
the meaning of which is most transparent." Also Glossop
and Heslop in Derbyshire, Worksop in Notts, and to the same
source may be attributed Hopton. Hartopp is a surname, as
is Hope. So also Blenkinsop and Widdop. It is also
167
PLACE-NAMES
corrupted into ship. Nettleship is the nettle-overgrown
opening in the woods.
HOUSE (A.S. and O.N.), often contracted into us, as Aldus
(the old house), Malthus (the malt-house), Loftus (the house
with a loft). The tavern sign Bear and Bachus is a
corruption of Beer and Bakehouse. Surnames Woodhouse,
House, etc.
HUISH (A.S. hiwise), a hide of land.
HURST (A.S.), a wood, very common in Sussex : Brockle-
hurst, a badger's wood ; Hazelhurst, one of hazel-trees ;
Dewhurst, one of deer ; Lindhurst, one of linden-trees, all
used as surnames. Stony hurst, Hurstpierpoint, are place-
names. Hurst, alone, exists as a surname.
INCH or INGE (C. ynys), an island. In Cornwall occurs
the surname Enys. Hence also the surname Ince.
ING (O.N. eng), a meadow by a river. It is difficult
always to say whether the ending refers to a personal name
or to a field. But in such cases as Ermington, Dartington,
there can exist no doubt that these were tuns on the ings of
the Rivers Erm and Dart.
KELD (A.S. celd), a source of water. Hallkeld in Yorkshire
is the Holy Spring ; Bapchild, near Sittingbourne, occurs
in A.S. as Baccancilde, the source of a beck. Kildwick
in Yorkshire is the village by the source : this has been
corrupted into the surname Killick. The Anglo-Saxon is
cognate with the German quelle, and Weldale, in Yorkshire,
in Domesday appears as Queldale.
KNAPP (A.S. cnaep), a hill-top ; hence our names Knap-
man, Knopps, Knapton.
KNOLL (A.S. cnoll), a small round hill ; hence Knowles,
Knowlers, Knowlman, and Knollys, when not from Oliver.
LADE (O.N.), a barn, but in A.S. a path : Ladbrook, Lade,
Lathe, Laight.
LANE. On the Hundred Rolls are numerous entries such
as these : Cecilia in the Lane, Emma a la Lane, John de la
Lane, Philippa atte Lane, Thomas super Lane ; so that,
although a Norman family of L'Ane came over with the
Conqueror, we cannot set down all the Lanes as his
descendants.
168
PLACE-NAMES
The author of a favourite hymn, " There's a Friend for
little children above the bright blue sky," was a Mr.
Midlane.
LAUND, a grassy sward in a forest. From the O.N. lund,
that signified a sacred grove. Chaucer says of Theseus :
"To the Launde he rideth ful right ;
There was the harte wont to have his flight."
Hence our surnames Laund, Lands, Lowndes ; also the name
Lund.
LAW (A.S. hlewe), a hill : Bassetlaw in the North, Harlow
in Essex, Oswaldslaw in Worcestershire, Cotteslow in Bucks,
Bucklaw in Cheshire. But low is also employed of a grave-
mound.
LEET, LAKE (A.S.), a lead or channel for water made
artificially; hence the surname Lake.
LEE, LEGH, LEIGH, LEY, LEA (A.S. leak, m.), a fallow
pasturage, but leah, f., signifies a rough woodland pasture.
Local names being usually in the dative, lea for leak (m.) is
nominally the source of the suffix ley. This word enters
into endless compositions, as Stanley, Calverley, Wesley,
Hadleigh, Berkley, Leyton, etc. It is found as a surname in
all forms. There is a saying in reference to the extension
of the name :
" As many Lees
As there be fleas."
Low. See above under Law.
LYNCH (A.S. Mine, a hill, a boundary) ; perhaps the same
origin as the Northern links.
MERE (A.S.), a sheet of water: Wittleseamere, Dosmare
in Cornwall. Merton is a tun by a mere. Mere is, however,
also employed as a boundary, so that Merton might also
mean the tun on a boundary.
MOOR, a name that explains itself, and gives surnames as
Moore and More, Muir, Blackmore, Delamore, Morton, Morley,
Moorhayes. Paramore is an enclosure on the moor (O.K.
parren, to enclose).
MOUNTAIN is found as a surname, probably brought in by
the French emigrants. Also Mount.
169
PLACE-NAMES
ORE (A.S. ofer and ora), the shore of the sea or the bank
of a river (the German ufer) : Pershore, Edensore. Esher
is Ase-ore, the ash-tree bank. Wardour, that gives a title to
Lord Arimdel, is Weard-ora. The same word enters into
the formation of Windsor.
OVER (A.S. cfer), as above. An old poem, quoted by
Halliwell, says :
" She comes out of Sexlonde,
And 'rived here at Dovere
That stands upon the see's overe."
It denotes the flat lands that lie along low coasts. Over,
Overman, as surnames.
NANT (C.), a valley : Pennant, the head of the valley ;
Nankivel, the valley of the horse.
PEN (C.), the head : Pendennis, the castle on the head-
land; Penycomebequick, the village at the head of the
combe ; Penigent, the white head.
PITT, a sawpit, coalpit, or pitfall. Woolpit in Suffolk is
the wolfpit. Fallapit in Devon, the ancient seat of the
Fortescues, derives its names from a falling-into pit i.e.,
a pitfall for wild beasts. Mr. Lower tells the following
story of a foundling christened Moses, and surnamed Pitt
because found in a marl-pit. " Nobody likes you," said this
crabbed piece of humanity to a neighbour with whom he
was at strife. " Nor you," replied the other. " Not even
your mother, who abandoned you."
PLATT, low-lying ground. Now we speak of a garden
plot actually plat. This word remains in surnames.
POL (A.S.pol; C.pwll), a pool.
" Pol, Tre and Pen
Are the names of Cornishmen."
Polwheel, Poldue (black pool).
RAYNE, a boundary : Raine, Raynes i.e., one living at the
bounds.
RIDGE or RIGG (A.S.), generally applied to an old Roman
road : Ridgeway ; A Idyidge, A Idrich the name At Ridg or At
Rigg has become Trigg or Triggs ; Beveridge, Kimmeridge,
A shridge.
170
PLACE-NAMES
Ros (C. rhos), a heath : Roskelly, Penrose, Rosedue.
ROYD (O.N.), a clearing in a wood ; German rode, as
Gernerode, or Rente. Much used in Yorkshire: Kebroyd,
Holroyd, Akenoyd (oak clearing), Ormrod (the clearing made
by Orme) ; the Yorkshire family of Rhodes. 1
RYE (A.S., hrycg), a ridge or bank of sand and pebbles.
RYE (A.S. rith), a mountain stream. Shottery, Leather-
head, is A.S. Chilla-rith, the stream from the source.
RUPELL, a coppice : Philip atte Ruple, in Somersetshire,
temp. Edward I.
SEALE, SEL, SELE (O.N. sel ; A.S. seale), a residence or
hall : Seal in Worcestershire, Zeal in Devon, Seale in
Surrey, Selworthy ; surnames Selborne, Selby, Seale, perhaps
Seeley ; Ingersoll, Plimsoll. Inger is the Norse Ingvar, a
settler who called the seal or sel after himself.
SCALE (O.N. skali), a wooden house : Winterscales in
Yorkshire. Surname Scales.
SHELF (A.S. scylfe), a ridge of land, a shelf : Raskelf in
Yorkshire, a raw shelf above a morass. The saying is :
" Raskelf without a steeple,
Rascally church and rascally people."
Bashall in Yorkshire is Bascelf in Domesday.
SHAW (O.N. skog) is (i) A small wood or coppice; (2) a
flat at the foot of a hill; (3) a boggy place by a river:
Ellershaw, Painshaw ; but see what is said under Heugh,
corrupted into shot, as Aldershot.
1 The following passage from the Icelandic Kjalnessinga Saga
illustrates what took place in the North of England, where the woods
covered hill and dale : " All the Kjalness was overgrown with wood, so
that it had to be cleared [royded], and men cleared [royded] for farms
and ways. Soon much was cleared [royded] to the hills from Hof.
There Helgi and Andrith cleared [royded] in spring. And when they
came to the holt, then said Helgi : ' Here, Arnoth, will I give you land,
and you shall erect a farmhouse [boer]." " Islendinga Sogur," 1847, ii.,
p. 400. The surname Ruddiman may not be descriptive of a florid
countenance, but indicate a man who royded woodland, cutting down
trees and stubbing up their roots. Mr. Rudyard Kipling takes his first
name from a garth that has been so cleared. The Yorkshire Ridings
designate the clearings effected.
171
PLAGE-NAM
SIDE, employed for a mountain, as Great Wernside,
Akenside, Garside.
SLADE (A.S. slad), a steep of greensward between two
woods or between two breadths of townland : Waterslade in
Somersetshire, Slaidburn, Slaithwait, and Sledmere. Slade
is a not uncommon Northern surname ; also Greenslade,
Whiteslade.
SKROGG, brushwood. The word occurs in the " Morte
d'Arthur." Hence the surname Scroggs. A village in Dum-
fries is so called.
SLEIGH or SLEY (O.N. slethr), level land. The surname
Slee may come from it. Sleeman is the occupant of a hold-
ing on the Sley.
STAPLE, a market : Barnstaple, Huxtable.
SHORE and SANDS have furnished names to those dwelling
by the sea.
SOLE, a pond, a Kentish term : Peter atte Sole, Co.
Kent, 1273 (Hundred Rolls). Surname Soley.
STEAD (A.S.), a home : Hampstead, Ringstead, Green-
stead, Felsted, Wellstead. Stedman is a farmer ; Westhead is
the western stead.
STREET, the paved highway.
SYKE, a stagnant piece of water that soaks away and has
no flow in it. Sykes is a surname.
STOKE, STOWE (A.S.), a stockade : Tavistock, Basing-
stoke, Stokesley, Stocton, Felixstowe, Bristowe (now Bristol)
the stockade at the bridge.
THORPE (A.S. ; D. torp ; G. dorf), a hamlet : Sibthorpe
is Sigbert's village ; Langthorpe, Kettlethorpe. Thorpe
is a common surname in the Danish districts of York-
shire and Lincolnshire. In " The Clerke's Tale " we
are told :
" Naught far fro thir palace honourable,
There stood a thorpe of sight delitable,
In which the poor folk of the village
Hadden their bestes and their harborage."
Hence the surnames Thrupp, Winthrop or Winterthorp,
Gawthorp, Calthrop, etc. Kirkup stands for Kirkthorp.
172
PLACE-NAMES
THWAITE, the O.N. thveit, signifies an outlying paddock.
Thwaites are mostly found in Cumberland, mainly on high
ground, and seem to denote clearings. The compounds
are numerous: Brathwaite (the broad thwaite), ThwaiUs,
Applethwaite, Crossthwaite, Micklethwaite, Longthwaite, etc.
Lily white is probably a corruption of Littlethwaite.
TOFT (D.), an enclosed field near a farmhouse. The name
is found in Iceland Toptavellir, the fields in the plains.
As an ending corrupted to toe, as Shillitoe or Sillitoe.
TOWN. See Tun.
TRAVERSE, a cross-roads ; hence Travers and Travis. 1
TREE (A.S. treow). Places are called after some peculiarly
old and perhaps sacred tree. Thus we have Tiptree, Heavi-
tree, Wavertree, Pichtree, Harptree, Plymtree. Till within
the memory of old men in many places in Devon, there were
" dancing trees " in villages, peculiarly cut at the head, on
the top of which a platform was erected, upon which, on
the occasion of the village revel, dancing took place, and
about which the elders of the parish assembled to converse.
This was a survival of religious homage paid to the sacred
tree. In some names the treow has gone through corruption.
Austey in Warwickshire was in Anglo-Saxon A dulfstreow ,
Eadulf s tree. Tree in an abraded form is found in Coventry,
Oswestry perhaps but in this probably the Welsh tref is to
be found. Sometimes " tree " becomes der, as in Mappowder,
the maple-tree ; Langtree is the long tree. In Ireland, Kil-
dare is the church of the oak. The Celtic tre or tref, " the
homestead of," precedes the name of the owner, and rarely
occurs as a suffix, as Trelawney, Trefry.
TUN (O.N.), the enclosure about a farm, enters into many
combinations, as ton and town. Brighton is Brighthelms-
ton, Wolverhampton is Wolfardes-home-field. Chaucer
says :
" Then saw I but a large field,
As farre as ever I might see,
Without toune, house or tree."
1 But there is a TreVieres in Normandy.
173
PLAGE-NAMES
And Wyckliffe in his Bible, for " one went to his farm,
another to his merchandise," has " one into his toune," and
in the story of the Prodigal Son the citizen " sente him
into his toun to feed swyn." In Iceland the tun is the field
about the house, enclosed and manured. In Scotland it
still has this meaning, and it had the same in Devonshire.
TYE is a piece of common pasture. Surnames Tye, Tighe.
Hugh de la Tye and Peter at Tye are met with ; hence
Attye.
WADE or WATH, a ford.
WELL, a spring or source, enters into many combinations :
Cholwell; Pinwell, from the custom of dropping pins into
it; Halwell, the Holy Well; Loddiswell, Our Lady's Well;
Greenwell ; Kettlewell, and its equivalent, Wherwell (A.S.
hvor, a ewer) ; Cromwell, the crooked well ; Gulwell, St.
Wolvella's well. In Devonshire a well is in the vernacular
a willis.
WICK, WYKE, WEEK (Lat. vicus), a settlement : War-
wick, Greenwich, Berwick, Germansweek, Week St. Mary,
Hardwick, Norwich, and many others. The surnames
Weeks, Wykes, Quick, are from this.
WHISTLE (O.N. kvisl), a small side-stream joining another :
Birdwhistle, Entwhistle.
WITH (O.N. vtti), a wood : Beckwith, Skipwith.
WOLD, high open ground ; but WEALD, cognate with the
German wald, is forest-land : Cotswold, Easingwold, The
Weald of Sussex.
WOOD becomes sometimes in combination Hood, some-
times Good, as Thoroughgood is Thorolf s-wood.
WORTH, WORTHY (O.N. varftr), a fortified enclosure or a
small estate, as Beaworthy, Wolfardisworthy ; also Hepworth,
Wigglesworth, Tarn worth. Charlesworth is the churl's worth ;
it was looked upon as something insolent and out of place
that a churl should fortify his hovel. Wordsworth is a
reduplication a worth within a worth.
WRAY, a corner set apart, as Thackeray, the place apart
for storing thatch ; also Wroe.
WYCH and WYKE (O.N. vik), a bay of the sea, or even a
PLACE-NAMES
tidal river. Thus Sandwich, Ipswich, and Droitwich (because
of its salt springs).
YAT, for Gate, a still common pronunciation ; hence the
surname Yates. Byatt stands for By-yat, and Woodyat for
Wood-gate.
In " The Clerke's Tale " we are told that Griselda went
"With glad chere to iheyate."
And Piers Plowman says that our Lord came into the
upper chamber through
" Both dore and yates
To Peter and to the Apostles."
In the " Townley Mysteries " we have both forms. Jacob in
his vision is represented as saying :
" And now is there none other gate,
But Codes howse and heven's yate."
Those persons who took their names from places, prefixed
to the place-name at, by, or of, that in documents are
rendered in Latin or French ad, de, or apud, a la, de la, del.
In the " Coventry Mysteries " we hear mention made of
" Tom Tynker and Bettys Belle,
Peyrs Potter and Watt at the Well:'
And Piers Plowman represents Covetousness as saying :
" For some Tyme I served
Symme atte Style
And was his prentice."
Atten, really the plural form, got attached to the sub-
stantive, as A ttenborough ; and then the A tie drops away, but
leaves the n attached to the thing or place which is described.
Thus Nokes is Atten-oaks, Atten-ey becomes Nye, and Atten-
ash Nash. But more common is the retention of At. This
gives us such names as Atwell, Atwood, Athill, Ethridge for
At-ridge, Atterbury, Alley for At-lea, Atworth; sometimes
reduced to t, and Atwell becomes Twells, and Atwyche is
reduced to Twigge. 1
1 Some of the many surnames formed with the prefix Atten or At are
Abdey, at the Abbey ; Agate, at the Gate ; Amphlet, at the Tidal Fleet, or
175
PLACE-NAMES
By remains as Bygrove, By wood, By field, By den. 1
O/was once common. Clim of the Clough was a famous
archer ; he soon became Clim Clough. Or else Of slid into A.
The site of a man's cot was indicated by Under or Over, or
Upper, Middle, and Lower or Nether. Thus we get the names
Underhill, Underwood, Overbury, Overton, Uppcott, Upton,
Upwood, Middleton, Medlicott, Middlemas, Netherton. Lower-
moor changed to Levermore.
But I shall have more to say on this subject in another
chapter.
The colour of wood, moor, lea, and well, etc., has given us
the names Blackwood, Blackmore, Blakely, Blackwell, Black-
burn, Blackall, Blackstone ; also Whitwood, Whitmore, Whitby,
Whitwell, Whitburn, Whitstone ; also Redcliff, Redhill, Rugby,
Radmore, Greenhill and Greenwell, Greenwood and Greendon,
contracted to Grindon.
Size comparative is also marked, as Micklethwaite and
Littleton; also relative age, as Aldborough and Oldcastle,
Newton and Newcastle.
The points of the compass also enter into composition of
place-names. But of these, also, something shall be said
farther on. As England has been a place of refuge for all
sorts of people, good and bad, who could not get on happily
in their own country ; or else of peoples who came to oust
the natives and take the land to themselves ; or, again, of
mercenaries who arrived to serve our great Barons and
Earls, and settled down on the land ; or else of merchants
from abroad, who planted themselves to make money among
River ; Afford, Achurch, and Atkirkj Atock, at the Oak ; At/end, at the
Fen ; Attfield, Attwood, Attivater, Attivell, Atwick, Atworth, Attley,
Atthill, Attridge, Attmore; Armitage, at the Hermitage. Besides these,
At is to be understood in many names, as Ackroyd, at the Oak-clearing;
Ackland, Appleyard, Ashe, Barnes, Barr; Birkett, at the Birch woodhead ;
Browse, at the Brewhouse ; Backhouse, at the Bakehouse ; Hatch, at the
Wicket ; Haives, at the Hawe ; and many more.
1 By remains as well in Byford; Bidlake, by the Lake or Leet ; Byatt, by
the Gate ; By ass, by the House i.e., the Great House ; Barkiss, at or by
the Barkhouse ; Bythesea, Bywater; Biffen, by the Fen ; and it remains
understood in many names as does At.
176
PLACE-NAMES
us, such persons came to be designated by their nationality,
probably as having no surnames of their own, or as having
them unpronounceable by English mouths. Foreign mer-
chants arrived in large numbers, and opened their shops in
nearly every town. French, Flemings, Germans, English,
jostled each other in the streets and knelt together in the
same churches. It was not as at an earlier period, when, as
in Exeter and at Colchester, there were two towns side by
side, the one occupied by the native population, the other by
the conquerors. The French especially began to form a per-
manent element in the population of the town, and the
fusion of races began to take effect at an early time, becoming
more rapid and thorough during the reign of the Plantagenet
Kings.
Throughout the country the haggling at market and fair
must have been carried on in English that was rapidly
becoming spiced with foreign words. In the country places
as well the French and Brabant soldiery mingled with the
people, flirted with the pretty fair-haired, fresh-complexioned
English girls, necessarily in broken English. Every
Christmas, with its message of peace and goodwill, the Yule
festival, with boar's head bedecked with holly and rosemary,
the mummers and rapier-dancers, tended to bring together
the native and the foreigner, and to make the latter forget
much of his French tongue, and the former to acquire
many foreign words. And with this the outlandish soldier
and merchant came to feel very much at home in England,
and, settling there, their children retained no smack of their
alien origin, save the permanent surname only, indicative of
whence they came.
The following is a list of the principal surnames, more of
these will be given in another chapter :
ALMAIN, ALMAYNE, DALMAIN, from Allemagne (Germany).
We have also as surnames from this source Lalleman,
perhaps Dolman.
BEAMISH is Boemish, Bohemian.
BRIDGES, often from Bruges. Briggs occasionally ; also
Burgess.
177
PLACE-NAMES
BULLEN, from Boulogne.
BRABANT, BRABAZON, from Brabant.
BRAME, from Bremen.
BRETT, BRETON, BRITTON, from Brittany.
BURGOYNE, BURGAN, from Burgundy.
CANDY, from Crete or Candia.
CHAMPNEY, from Champagne.
CHILDERS may perhaps come from Gueldres.
CORNISH, CORNWALLIS, from Cornweales, Cornwall;
acquired after the West Welsh were suffered to creep back
over the Tamar, beyond which Athelstan had banned them.
CULLEN, from Cologne.
DANES, DENMAN, DENNIS, from Denmark. In deeds
and Hundred Rolls we have So-and-so described as Le
Danois.
DOUGH, for Dutch. Skelton, in his " Parrot," says that
besides " French, Lattyn, Ebrew,
" With Douch, with Spanysh, my tong can agree."
Hence the surnames Dowch, and perhaps also Douce, when
not from the French.
EASTERLING, corrupted into Stradling, a native of one of
the Hanseatic towns. The pure coinage introduced by these
in the reign of Richard I. gave rise to the expression Easter-
ling or Sterling money. Hence our names Easterman, Oyster-
man, and Easte.
ESPAGNOL has become Aspinall.
ENGLISH, in Scotch Inglis, a designation acquired, as
already explained, in Shewsbury and on the Welsh border,
also in Scotland.
FLEMING. In Cornwall the French pronunciation of Fla-
mand has produced Flamank as a surname.
FRENCH needs no explanation.
GALE is Gael, an Irish Scott.
GANT, GAUNT, GENT, a man of Ghent.
GASCOIGNE and GASKIN, from Gascony.
GERMAINE, from Germany, corrupted to Jarman; but some
Germains may derive from the name of the saint.
178
PLACE-NAMES
GOTT, a native of Gothland, when not from a watercourse,
or from Gautr.
HANSARD, from one of the Hanseatic towns.
HANWAY, HANNAH, from Hainault.
HOLLAND explains itself.
HOLSTEINER became Stayner and Hoist.
JANWAY, from Genoa. An old poem, alluding to Brabant
as a general mart, says :
" Englysshe and French, Lumbardes, Jannoyes,
Cathalones, theder they take their wayes."
The Genoese coin was called a "jane," and hence may per-
haps come our surnames Jayne and Jane, but also from Jean,
John. Hall, in his Chronicles, speaking of the Duke of
Clarence ravaging the French coast in the reign of Henry IV.,
says : " In his retournying he encountred with two great
Carickes of Jeane laden with rych merchandise."
LEGGE, a merchant from Lie"ge.
LOREYN, LORING, from Loraine.
LUBBARD, a Lombard.
LUBBOCK, a merchant of Lubeck.
MAYNE, from the province of Maine.
NORMAN and NORREYS, a Northman ; but N orris is some-
times la nourrice, the nurse.
PAVEY, from Pavia.
PICKARD, from Pickardy.
POITEVIN, changed to Portwine and Peto, from Poitou.
POLAND, POLLOCK, a native of Poland.
' He smote the sledded Polack on the ice."
Hamlet.
POINTZ is from Pontoise.
PROVINCE, from Provence.
PRUSS, from Prussia ; now Prust, also Prosser.
Russ, a Russian, possibly in some cases has become Rush
and Rouse.
SARSON, a Saracen. Skelton addresses one thus :
" I say, ye solem Sarson, all blake is your ble."
But the surname may come from the sign of the Saracen's
Head. It is probable enough that some Saracen captives
179 M 2
PLAGE-NAMES
may have been brought to England, but I am much more
disposed to consider the surname as derived from the tavern
sign.
VENESS, a Venetian. There is a pretty English folk-song
found on broadsides, but still sung by our peasantry, that
plays on the interchangeableness of Venus and Veness. 1
Such names as Scott, Spain, Welsh, Wallis, Wight, need
no elucidation. I have not included in the above list the
Norman place-names, or many that are French, because
these will be dealt with later on.
In the heart of Dartmoor lives, and has lived since the
earliest records of the Duchy of Cornwall allow us to trace
the family, one of the name of French. There can exist but
little doubt that the founder of that family was a French-
man. How came he into those inhospitable, treeless wilds ?
Probably he was brought there by one of the Earls of Corn-
wall to act as inspector of the tin-smelting at King's Oven,
where the tin was run out of the ore and stamped, and the
blocks counted for the revenue of the Earls, afterwards
Dukes, of Cornwall. And it is near the King's Oven that
the French family is still to be found, hale and vigorous,
though the oven itself has been destroyed.
I can remember a long-established firm of drapers named
Flamank, an instance, probably, of the continuation in one
family of the trade of the first Fleming who settled as a
clothier in Cornwall.
There are names that strike one as peculiarly grotesque,
which are reducible to place-names. Such is that of Toplady,
the author of the hymn " Rock of Ages." It is a com-
pound name, made up of " toft " and " lade," and signifies
the barnfield. Our Wagstaffe and Bickerstaffe have had
nothing to do with staves, so far as to give them their
1 " She was named the Virgin Dove,
With a lading all of love,
And she signall'd that for Venus [Venice] she was bound.
But a pilot who should steer,
She required for sore her fear,
Lest without one she should chance to run aground.'
1 80
PLACE-NAMES
names. Staff is a corruption of steth, or stead, a farm, and
these 1 are Cumberland place-names.
Goodbody and Truebody derive from a bothy, a wooden
house or shanty. Sealy, Silly, Silliman, imply no idiocy.
The names come either from the Scilly Isles, or from a
" sell," or hall.
Surnames ending in love have nothing amatory in their
origin, but derive from some " lowe," hill or tumulus. It is
very unjust to hold that all Lemans derive from a light wench,
when the true derivation is from Le Mans in Normandy.
Tothill has been derived from a totiller, a whisperer of
secrets, but it is obviously a place-name ; and Drinkwater
does not necessarily imply that the man who gave that name
to his descendants was conspicuously temperate, but that he
lived by a place where the river or stream was contracted
to a dring. 2 The surname of Welcome is not descriptive of
hospitality, but derives from the village of Well-combe in
Devon, where the holy well that gives its water to flow
down the combe is still the main supply of the village.
There are names of counties borne by families that have
migrated from one to another, as Essex, Devonshire, Yorkshire,
etc., and very often a surname is none other than the name
of the township, village, or hamlet, where a family resided or
from which it had moved away to some other locality.
Some place-names get corrupted when they become sur-
names, as Adnam for Addingham, Swetnam for Swettenham,
Debnam for Debenham, Putnam for Puttenham. But,
indeed, such contractions are common everywhere where
a place-name is long; as Lanson for Launceston, Daintry
for Daventry, Brumigem for Birmingham, Brighton for
Brightelmston, Kirton for Crediton, and even Lunnon for
London.
The name Affleck is really Auchinleck. Sir Edmund
Affleck, created Baronet in 1782, was sixth in descent from
Sir John Auchinleck.
1 Falstaff, however, is an alteration of Fastolf.
2 So we have the name Dringwell and the surname Thring. The
German is dringen, and we have " to throng."
181
PLACE-NAMES
Vowels get altered or permuted. Thus Annesley, a place
in Nottinghamshire, as a surname has become Ainsley.
Beaumont has been changed to Beeman and Beamont.
Alchorne in Sussex gave its name to a family that has
modified it to Oldcorn. Consonants get altered and aspirates
dropped out or added. Ampthill has become Antill. Names
whose suffix is cliff are liable to lose the c, as Antliffe for
Arncliff, Cudliffe for Cutcliff. Broomhall has become Bram-
mel, and then has degenerated to Bramble. Broomhill, an
estate near Bude, has given a name to Brimmel, a photo-
grapher in Launceston. Sometimes a letter is intruded, as
Broadripp, from Bawdrip, near Bridgwater. One of the
most curious alterations is Bon-enfant, that has become
Bullivant. It is a change that we might well question had
we not documentary evidence to prove it. This is not, how-
ever, a place-name, but it illustrates the manner in which
/ and n get permuted.
In 1619 Sir Robert Mansell erected some glassworks at
Newcastle, and brought to them foreign workmen. Among
these was one named Teswicke. The surname has spread
with surprising rapidity, and has assumed the form of
Tyzack.
Burghill in Herefordshire gives as a surname Berrill and
BerylL There can be little doubt about it, as Robert de
Berhulle appears in the reign of Edward I. Godalming has
become Godliman.
In dealing with surnames we must be careful to look
through the old rolls and lists and registers, and note what
was the prefix to a name at the period when surnames were
in the process of formation. Where we find a de before
a name, we may be quite sure that that name belongs to
a place, although we may not be able at once to find the
locality on the map, not knowing in which county to look
for it. But when the name is preceded by le, then we know
for certain that it indicates a trade or profession, or is
descriptive.
When we find in the Court Rolls of Edward III. Henry
del Mosse, and in a Yorkshire poll-tax of 1379 Robert de
182
PLACE-NAMES
Mos, we know that these men took their surnames from some
moss or moor ; but otherwise we may assume that Moss is
a contraction for Moses, adopted by those of Jewish lineage. 1
If we find a Thomas de Motlawe in 1379, we know that
there must be somewhere, though we cannot put our finger
on the spot, a place called Motlawe or Motley ; but if we
come across a Gilbert le Motley, we know that he was a
jester. In the first year of Edward III. we notice an entry
of Robert de Mutone among the Post-Mortem Inquisitions,
and we know that there was a place called Muton, whence
Robert came ; but when in the same Inquisitions we light on
Philip le Mutton, we know that he was called after a sheep.
We might have confidently assumed that the Allansons
were descended from an Allan, but in some cases the name
stands for Alengon. We meet with a John de Alen9on in
the reign of Richard I., a Robert de Alenson in 1220, and
Hubert de Alezon was Sheriff of Norfolk in the reign of
Henry III.
1 Mosse fil. Jacobi, the Jew (Hundred Rolls, 1273).
183
CHAPTER IX
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES : DOMESDAY
A SENSE of sadness steals over the mind as we note the
disappearance of the spring flowers, and the appearance in
their room of the monotonous summer blooms, mostly
yellow, and none with the charm of those that gladdened
heart and eye in May. There is a banality in their forms
and colours. And it is with some feeling akin to this that
we observe how after the Conquest the rich and varied
crop of Anglo-Saxon names disappears, and makes way for
Toms and Dicks and Harrys in wearisome iteration. I have
already quoted Mr. Freeman on this theme ; I will now
quote Mr. Bardsley :
" Throughout all the records and rolls of the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries we find, with but the rarest exceptions,
all our personal names are Norman. The Saxon seems to
have become wellnigh extinct. There might have been a
war of extermination against them. In an unbroken
succession we meet with such names as John or Richard,
Robert and Henry, Thomas and Ralph, Geoffrey and
Jordan, Stephen and Martin, Joscelyn and Almaric, Benedict
and Laurence, Reginald and Gilbert, Roger and Walter,
Eustace and Baldwin, Francis and Maurice no Harold even,
saving in very isolated cases. It is the same with female
names. While Mabel and Matilda, Mirabella and Avelina,
Amabilla and Idonia, Sibilla and Ida, Letitia and Agnes,
Petronilla or Parnel and Lucy, Alicia and Avice, Alienara
and Anora, Dowsabelle, Clarice and Muriel, Martha and
Rosamund, Felicia and Adelina, Julia and Blanche, Isolda
184
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES
and Amelia or Emelia, Beatrix and Euphemia, Annabel and
Theophania, Constance and Joanna abound, Ethelreda, Edith,
and Ermentrude are of the rarest occurrence, and are the
only names which may breathe to us of purely Saxon times.
In the case of several, however, a special effort was made
later on, when the policy of allaying the jealous feeling of
the popular class was resorted to. For a considerable time
the royal and baronial families had, in their pride, sought
names for their children from the Norman category mainly.
After the lapse of a century, however, rinding the Saxon
spirit still chafed and uneasy under a foreign thrall, several
names of a popular character were introduced into the royal
nursery. Thus it was with Edward and Edmund. The
former of these appellations was represented by Edward I.,
the latter by his brother Edmund, Earl of Lancaster." 1
It was not all at once throughout Europe that the old
names were abandoned and a fresh series adopted, either
from the calendar or from those employed by the ruling
caste.
In 991, at Rheims, assembled Bishops and Archbishops in
council : Guido de Soissons, Adalbero of Laon, Herveius
of Beauvais, Godesmann of Amiens, Radbod of Noyon, Odo
of Senlis, Archbishop Adalbert of Bourges, Walter of Autun,
Bruno of Langres, Milo of Macon, Archbishop Siguin of
Sens, with his suffragans, Arnulf of Orleans and Hubert of
Auxerre. Among these thirteen Bishops there is not to be
found one who does not bear a Teutonic name. Guido is
Wido and Herveius is Heriwig, both latinized that is all.
But now mark the difference. At Christmas, 1171, Henry
Courthose, son of Henry II., held his Court at Bayeux.
It occurred to two Williams, the Seneschal of Brittany and
the Governor of Normandy, to exclude from the outer hall
every guest who was not named William, and they were
able to admit 117 knights of that name, and this was in
addition to the Williams who sat at table with the young
King. This showed how popular a single name had become,
1 "English Surnames," pp. 18, 19.
185
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES
and how men had got to follow a cut-and-dried system and
abandon the creative name period.
To give anything like a complete list of Anglo-Saxon
names would take up too much space, 1 but I will give in the
Appendix a list of the tenants in the time of Edward the
Confessor not, indeed, complete, for some have to be
omitted in order to keep it within reasonable limits but
sufficient to afford an idea of what Anglo-Saxon nomenclature
was ; and it is of interest to us, as in it we are able to trace
the germs of a good many of our modern surnames.
But it must be borne in mind, in examining the list, that
the scribes were not English, but were Normans, following a
phonetic and arbitrary, and by no means an etymological,
rule. The Sbern repeatedly entered shows that they did not
catch the letter o with which the name began, as Osbern,
because lightly sounded. Biga occurring as a name several
times is not a name at all, but signifies a cart, and describes
the man as a carrier. The Cocus is a cook ; a Croc indicates
the man as a hunchback. Among the Normans we have
a Radulf de Curva Spina.
Some other entries as names are not personal names at
all, as the numerous Bonds, but descriptive of their tenure of
land as freeholders. Gamel and Gamelcarle describe old men
as such, without giving any personal name. The numerous
Blacks and Whites are descriptive of appearance.
Felaga, found in Essex, signifies a companion, a fellow,
and the numerous Dons are Domini (Masters). So-and-so
was known to those who appeared before the Commissioners
as Masters ; they were spoken of as Masters. If they had any
personal names, such were not known to those who gave
evidence. Certain of the names that will be noticed in the
list are recognizable at the present day as surnames. But,
as already said, it is hard to account for this, as such an
interval exists between Domesday and the taking of hereditary
surnames by the middle and still more by the lower classes
of the English people, unless we accept the theory that
1 A complete list is given by Dr. Barber in "British Surnames";
another list is in W. De Gray Birch's " Domesday Book," S.P.C.K., 1887.
1 86
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES
these came from place-names, with the termination allowed
to slip out, such as denoted residence at the place, as
Thorlogaboe would give Thorlogsby and then Thurlock. In
Cornwall, at the time of Edward the Confessor, was an
under-tenant named Jaul, and Joll is a family name in the
county to this day. Aluric may possibly remain, altered
into Aldrich, though this latter more probably derives from
residence beside an old ridgeway, or road. Alward continues
among us as Aylward. Ardgrip is found several centuries
later in Parliamentary writs as Hardgripe. Aseloc is a
mistake for Havelock. Baco we have in many Bacons 1 , and
Bar as Bear, variously spelt : perhaps it stood for Beere.
Bill is still present, and Boda as Body, and Bou as Bow,
Brodo as Brodie, Cava as Cave. Celcott was the ancestor
of the Chilcotts, Clac of the Clacks, Couta of the Courts,
Doda of the Dodds, Don of the Donnes maybe. Epy may
have given his surname to Uriah Heep ; Felaga certainly
has to Fellowes. Gamel is still represented in Yorkshire.
Gos was the name now Goss. Gribol had his representa-
tives in my time in a grocer at Tavistock named Gribble.
Jalf was the forbear of the Jelfs. Juin or Juing, which
was the Norman scribe's rendering of the reverse of
Gamel, was the Young of his day. Kee is now Kaye.
Lewin carries his name unaltered from the time of Edward
the Confessor to that of Edward VII. It is the French
way of writing Leofwin. Finns and Phinns are here still,
so are the Rocks, and the Salmons, from Salomon, and the
Osborns and the Seawards, for Syward. Snellinc in
Domesday was the nominal ancestor of the Snellings of
to-day, Ster or Stere of the Steeres, Thorlog of the
Thurlows, Wadelo of the Waddiloves, Whelp of the Helps.
Tor, who was in Yorkshire before the days of the Conquest,
is there still as Torre. Tovi, found in Hampshire, has his
representative now in Toovy, also in Dovey. Col and Cole
have supplied us with plenty of Coles. Ulward gives us
Willard, and Cruk is the ancestor of many Crookes.
1 But this is a Norman, not a Saxon, name. Edward the Confessor
drew many Normans to his Court, and gave them land in England.
187
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES
Among those whose names are given in Domesday is a
Brand among under-tenants, and a Brand now furnishes us
with his extract of beef. A Radmore was in Devon before
William showed his face in England, and I knew a coach-
man of that name in Devon a couple of years ago. The
Bolle found in Hampshire is the father of the name of the
present family of Bowles, and Dolfin of Derbyshire of the
modern Dolphins.
Now, it is quite true, as Mr. Bardsley says, that Christian
names after the Conquest were no longer Saxon, but
Norman. Yet there must have been a clinging by men of
English blood to the old names borne by their forefathers,
and, although they might no longer give them at the font to
their little ones, and they no more appear in registers and
deeds, yet possibly they were preserved as pet names or used as
Christian names, treasured as family relics, some to come forth
and be assumed when the time arrived when the assumption
of hereditary family names became customary. With what
tenacity Northern people held to a nomenclature to which
they were familiar may be gathered from the Dane Guth-
rum, who was baptized in England in 878 by the name of
Athelstan. He received that name at the font, and speedily
shed it ; he was never after known by other than his old pagan
designation of the Divine Serpent. Another instance may
be taken from the occasion of a revolt of the Swedes against
their King Eric, in 1018, when they elected his son Jacob
to be their King in his father's room, but absolutely refused
to allow him to bear his baptismal name, and insisted on his
calling himself, and being called, Oenund. That the
English people were quite as unwilling to abandon wholly a
class of names endeared to them by tradition, and to adopt
others that pertained to the Latin races and to the Hebrews,
we can well believe. They had their children baptized with
a Norman or ecclesiastical name, but in the depths of their
hearts, in the treasure-house of their memories, lay the old
name of the dear ancestor who was evicted from his hall,
and robbed of his acres, and degraded from being a Thegn
or a Hauld to being a tenant-farmer. I remember once a
1 88
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES
small lodging-house keeper in Shepherd's Bush showing me
a miniature of her grandfather, who had been a naval Lieu-
tenant. He was a gentleman, she said, and had married a real
lady. But misfortune had fallen on their offspring, and now
his descendant had her meals in the kitchen with the servant
down the area ; but every day she looked at the miniature of
the grandfather " who was a gentleman," and showed it to
every visitor with a flutter of colour in her cheek. And so
with the dispossessed Anglo-Saxons. They stored in their
memories the names of the freeholders who were driven out,
but whose ancestors for many generations had been free-
holders before them. And by degrees, as time went on, the
name was produced, and when the Anglo-Norman lord flour-
ished his name, taken from a poky little castle in Normandy,
where now he owned not a chair to sit on, the tenant-farmer
held up his head, and said : " And I, too, have a name and
a name to be proud of the name of the last Childe, or
Wake, or Hauld, or Bonder, or Thegn, who had none above
him but the King."
And I suppose that this is the explanation of the fact
that a certain number of Saxon names do remain amidst us
as hereditary surnames ; and prouder should those be who
bear them than such as flourish the names of the Norman
conquerors, for these last are representatives of a violated
right, and the former represent the victims of outrage and
robbery. But, in addition to personal names adopted as
family names, we have among us such as represent condi-
tions of life and tenure of land among the Anglo-Saxons
that came to an end with the Conquest.
An honoured name among us is that of Childe that of the
great banker.
The title of Childe was held by the eldest sons of Thegns,
and represented them as heirs to their father's honours and
possessions. Then came the Conquest, and the Childes of
1066 were smitten out of their rights, and lost all their
expectations glad, indeed, if suffered to build a cottage on
some untilled portion of what was once their ancestral
domain. The old Thegn had died, either on the field of
189
ANGLO-SAXON NAMES
Senlac or of a broken heart at seeing the ruin of his family.
Generation followed generation, and his descendants looked
on the hall that had been theirs, on the lands that had
belonged to them, on the serfs that had once done their
bidding, and they called themselves either after the dis-
possessed Thegn or the Childe who had reared the new
habitation, and begun to break up the moorland accorded to
him by the Norman intruder. Thus we have our Thynnes 1
and Childes ; thus also our Bonds. The Haulds, also free-
holders, have given us Olds and Holds ; and the Lagman, who
of old sat in the Witenagemot, has left his titular name to
the Layman of to-day. 2 There is, I take it, something
pathetic in this picture of a family looking back to, and
clinging to, the memory of its ancient dignities, of which it
had been despoiled.
1 The Thynnes of Longleat have, however, a different origin, accord-
ing to the story, true or false probably the latter.
2 The Lagman was one with a knowledge of the laws, but in the reign
of Swerrir of Norway (1182-1202) Lagman became a title equivalent to
Judge, Justiciary.
190
CHAPTER X
THE " Book of Life " of Durham Minster is of exceptional
value for the study of the development of surnames. It is a
catalogue that was kept from the ninth century, of benefac-
tors to the Church of Durham, ending only with the
Reformation and Dissolution.
A writer in 1672 on " The Ancient Rites and Monuments
of the Monastical and Cathedral Church of Durham " thus
describes the book : " There did lie on the High Altar an
excellent fine book, very richly covered with gold and silver,
containing the names of all the benefactors towards St. Cuth-
bert's Church, from the very original foundation thereof,
the very letters of the book being, for the most part, all
gilt ; as is apparent in the said book to this day. The laying
that book on the High Altar did show how highly they
esteemed their founders and benefactors, and the quotidian
remembrance thus had of them in the time of Mass and
divine service. And thus did appear, not only their gratitude,
but also a most divine and charitable affection to the souls
of their benefactors, as well dead as living ; which book
is still extant, declaring the said use in the inscriptions
thereof."
The volume is described on the title as the " Liber Vitse "
of the Church of Durham. The fact of the benefactors'
names being recorded in the book was coupled with the
hope and the prayer that the same might at the last find
191
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
a place in the " Book of Life," in which are recorded those
who shall be entitled to eternal salvation. 1
The manuscript itsalf is one of peculiar interest, from the
manner in which it is written. From the commencement,
at folio 12 to folio 42 it is executed in alternate lines of gold
and silver, written in a handwriting of peculiar elegance, the
precise age of which it is not easy to decide, but which may
probably be referred to the ninth century. From that
period downwards to the Dissolution it is continued in
various hands, each less elegant than that which pre-
ceded it. When the volume was commenced, it was so
prepared as to admit the names of benefactors being arranged
according to rank ; but at a subsequent period, as un-
occupied parchment grew scarcer in the volume, the scribes
from time to time took advantage of any blank spaces that
might occur, and entered there the names of those bene-
factors who were far more recent. Hence the list is not
chronologically sequent, and to read it aright demands
that these additions should be distinguished from the text of
the earlier writer. This, however, can be done, because the
style of writing in the different centuries varied considerably.
The earlier names are almost all either Angle or Scandi-
navian, with a sprinkling of Celtic. A recent student has
examined the list, and has sought to discriminate between
those that are Anglo-Saxon, those that are Danish, and such
as are Norwegian. Those which are Celtic can at once be
detected, but it is very doubtful whether it is possible so
nicely to separate such as are Norse from such as are
Danish.
After the Norman Conquest occur occasional Norman
names, and these become more frequent as time goes on.
These latter are the sole that can be called surnames till a
much later period. In the earlier centuries the names are single
and simple, and with great rarity does a man bear a Biblical
name or one derived from the calendar of the Church.
Even monks and clergy clung to the old names, so easily
1 "Liber Vita Ecclesiae Dunelmensis " (Surtees Society publication),
1841.
192
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
and so richly formed out of the native tongue, and shrank
from the banality of turning to the calendar for the nomen-
clature of their children. Here, for instance, is the list of
the anchorites in priest's orders :
(Edillwald, Vermund, Baldhelm, Peligeld, Wigbert, Haemgils, Eadwald,
Herebert, Boisil, Herefrid, ^Ethwin, Eadhelm, Balthere, Tilwin, Fronka,
Aldbert, Echha, Tilfrith, Alhaeth, Augustinus, Bilfrith, Hadured, Wil-
thegn, Garwulf (/.*., Werewolf), Cuthred, Wulfsig, Hadumund, Wigbert.
But a single saintly name amongst them Augustinus. 1
Among the Abbots in priest's orders are given sixty-seven
names ; one alone among them is Scriptural Elias ; none
from the calendar.
If this were so among monks and clergy, it may well be
supposed that the laity clung to their traditional vernacular
names.
On folio 246 we have sixty-three pure Angle or Scan-
dinavian names, and then come these : Osbert son of
William, Matthild, Robert and Hugo, Isabel, Thomas,
Emma, John, Ulard, Cecilia, John, Richard, Alice, Walter,
Robert, Nicolas, Thomas. We know at once that these
belong to a later period ; in fact, they are an insertion of
the thirteenth century.
Observe that among all these even then there is no trace
of a surname.
When in the list of benefactors of the twelfth century we
find that Biblical and French Christian names are creeping
in and displacing those that are more ancient and vernacular,
then also we see that the germs of surnames appear.
Here is the list of assistant monks (fol. 52) :
Wido, Robert, three Williams, Henry of Addington, Galfrid, William
Benignus and Eva his wife (this a monk !), Edward, John, Adam, Henry,
Robert, Richard, Margaret (how comes she en cette gattre .?), Sweyn, Olaf,
Hedbald, William de Grenville, Walter Carvi, Patric of Paxton and
Patric of Hoveden, Richard, Gamel (priest of Coldingham), Walter of
Querendon, Robert the Provost, Brother yElward, Thomas of Bishopton,
Albert of Mandeviile, Robert of Bollesdon, Ulkill, Colban, Hyun, Henry
the Sewer, Adam, Alfin, Richard Gur', Gilebert Halsard, William the
Pistor, Augustine, Hugh, Roger, David, Stephen the Medicine Man, etc.
1 I have slightly modernized the spelling of the names.
193 N
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
We have three Williams, entered one after the other,
without any distinction. We have also several Roberts.
Clearly, it was expedient to give them distinguishing names,
either nicknames or surnames.
On folio 53 are 193 names, and the writing is of the
thirteenth century, with some exceptions, to be noted
presently, that are of the fifteenth. Among all these there
are forty-three described as "of" such and such a place,
but some of these are only " Priors of," and two are
" de Brus " i.e., de Breos or Bruce. There are some
entered as sons of So-and-so, but there is no indication that
such was a surname. But there are a few surnames Roger
Muref, William Walais (i.e., Wallace), Roger Pauper (Poor),
Hugh Bard, Robert Watkynson, Bartholomew Peck, Master
John Abegeis, William, Earl Marshall, and Alexander and
Gilbert Marshall, Roger Gernet of Hawton and Roger
Kernet of Burch, William Tredweuge, Alan, Matilda, Henry
and John Colstan, William Faber (the smith), William
Halywell, and William Warcworth. In this same list in
which the family of Colstan appears, with a distinct sur-
name attaching to each member, occur three Johns without
anything to particularize them, one after the other. Four-
teen genuine surnames among 193 individuals without.
Let us next take folio 56, which is of the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries. Here we progress somewhat. We
get these : Thomas Henknoll, Hugh Muchante (is this a
misprint for " merchante " ?), William Rodum, Robert Butt,
Thomas the Ditcher (" fossor "), Thomas Keylgarn, Thomas
Launcel, Henry Lovechild (i.e., bastard), Thomas Daylle,
Robert Johnson, Richard Atkynson, Robert Hughalt,
Gilbert Hansard, Osbert Giffard, William Deu, Ulkill the
Fuller, Geoffrey Picot, John Cutler, John Billerby, and
John Thirlwath. These three last are additions of the
fifteenth century. Now here we have Johnson and Atkynson
become surnames, distinct from the entries of " films." In
this series the number of references to places whence the
benefactors came is largely increased, but there still remains
a residue of Johns and Henries, of Nicolases and Williams,
without individualization.
194
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
When, however, we arrive at the fifteenth century, the
number of surnames has vastly increased. Here is a scrap
of that period in the register : John Blyet and his wife,
William and his wife Margaret Blyet, Francis Foster, John
Blythe, Robert Bluett, Robert Rousse, Bryan Teller, Thomas
Fenwyke, Robert Ballard.
In a hand of the thirteenth or, more probably, the four-
teenth century appears the entry : " William Chepe, cocus de
Coldingham;" a wise cook, to enter the kitchen already pro-
vided with a surname, and so escape being called Wilcox.
Here are more entries of the fifteenth century: "John
Palfreyman, Arstulf Hillerby, Thomas Westmoreland,
William Parlour, William Smith and Alice his wife,
Thomas Elwyke, John Euke, Thomas Warwick, Thomas
Schele, Joanna Brown and Master William Browne and
Antony Browne, Bernard Bailey." Surnames were becoming
common in the fifteenth century, at least among persons of
some substance, so as to be regarded as liberal benefactors
to the Church of Durham.
And now let us turn to the end of the book, to the list of
names that preceded the Dissolution, and we shall find that
everyone has a surname. I will not give this list here,
because too lengthy.
What took place in Durham took place all over England,
but the Durham practice was somewhat behind that of the
South and the Midlands, and York was probably not much
more in advance than Durham.
What the " Liber Vitae " teaches us is that men were
specialized by the place whence they came, irrespective of
the fact that they were not landholders there, or else they
were distinguished by being described as being the sons of
such and such fathers. The adhesion of a place-name did
not take place so as to constitute a family name till the
fifteenth century, except among the Barons and families of
Norman descent. Patronymics such as Johnson, Thomson,
A tkinson, came in very sporadically in the fourteenth century,
and became permanent only in the fifteenth. Not till this
latter century does Smith appear as a family name ; for
195 N 2
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
although we have seen Faber given earlier, this is descriptive
of the trade pursued by the bearer, and was not a surname.
In the fourteenth century the de and of before the place-
name had not fallen away. When it did, then the name of
the locality attached itself permanently to the man and his
posterity.
One feature of the lists in the " Liber Vitae " must not be
overlooked the extreme scarcity of names descriptive of
personal appearance and indicative of natural defects, and
of vulgar nicknames. This leads one to suspect that, when
such names occur in the secular lists, as the Hundred Rolls,
Feet of Fines, etc., they were inscribed without the consent
of those so designated, for the convenience of identification
and without regard to the feelings of the men so described.
But also it leads to the conviction that, where such designa-
tions were accepted, they bore a very different signification
to what they bear on the surface. If this were not the case,
such names would have been repudiated as an outrage.
Some domestic officials are entered in the book as donors,
a " butelair," a sewe*, and a dapifer, but singularly few
tradesmen a merchant, a smith, a taverner, a fuller, and
that is about all. The tradesmen of Durham seem to have
buttoned up their pockets, or else the smallness of their
donations did not entitle them to commendation in the
Book of Life.
On the flyleaf of a tenth-century manuscript book of the
Gospels in the library of York Minster is a list of the
" festermen " at the election of Archbishop ^Elfric of York,
1023. It has been published by Dr. Jon Stefanson (" Saga-
book of the Viking Club," 1908). The names are mostly
Norse and Danish.
I give in the Appendix a list of Scandinavian names
that may be recognized as surnames at the present day.
Those that have come to us in a circuitous way through the
Normans have been excluded. Some surnames may come
from the Anglo-Saxon or from the Norse and Danish, and, as
happens in other cases, some names now not uncommon
among us may have a double derivation in Northumbria
196
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
from a Norse origin, in other parts of England from another
quite different. Thus, Eagle may be derived from a tavern
sign, or, when encountered in East Anglia, from Egill.
Atlay when met with in the North of England may derive
from Atli, elsewhere from Atte-legh.
A name that occurs still, and which has a romantic or
mythical origin, is that of Wayland, sometimes reduced to
Wetland. Wayland Smith's Cave, a dolmen near Lam-
bourne, has been utilized by Sir Walter Scott in his "Wood-
stock " ; but he made a mistake in treating of Wayland the
Smith as a man living in this dolmen in the seventeenth
century. The story of Wayland, or Viglund, is found in the
Elder Edda, and is one of the most ancient monuments of
Scandinavian poetry. The Edda was put together in the
eleventh century by Sremund to preserve these ancient
poems from loss, as, being redolent with paganism, they
were falling into disrepute and oblivion.
There was a King in Sweden named Nidud, who had two
sons, and a daughter whose name was Bodvild. There was
at the time a famous smith named Velund, who excelled all
other smiths. King Nidud ordered him to be seized and
hamstrung, and a gold ring that Velund had fashioned to be
given to his daughter. Then he placed Velund on a small
island, and set him to make all kinds of precious things. No
one was suffered to go near the island save the King alone.
Velund knew that Bodvild wore the gold ring stolen from
him, and both on this account and on that of his being
lamed he resolved on revenge.
One day the two Princes secretly visited the isle and asked
to be shown the gold necklaces and rings that Velund made.
The smith took the occasion to kill both. He cut off their
heads, cleared the skulls of flesh and set them in silver as
drinking-bowls, and sent them to Nidud, who received them
without the least suspicion that they were the heads of
his sons.
Some time after Bodvild broke her ring, and, without tell-
ing her father or mother, privily went to the smithy to have
it mended. Velund seized on the occasion to outrage her.
197
SCANDINAVIAN NAMES
After that he laboured to fashion for himself a pair of wings,
and when these were perfected he flew away ; but before
quitting the place for ever he flew to where he could com-
municate with the King and Queen, and to them he shouted
how he had avenged himself.
The story was well known to the Anglo-Saxons, and a
fragment of an Anglo-Saxon poem exists containing the
lamentations of Bodvild. The old poem of Beowulf also
alludes to Velund. Higelac boasts that the best of his
armour had been fashioned by Weland. King Alfred also
mentions the famous smith in his paraphrase of Boetius :
" Where are now the bones of Weland, that was the most
famous of goldsmiths ?" In the metrical romance of King
Horn is another allusion. Of swords brought to Horn is one
" the make of Miming : of all swordes it is king, and Weland
it wrought." Even Geoffrey of Monmouth, in a poem of the
twelfth century, mentions the smith Guieland, who made
cups richly sculptured.
Wayland or Welland was, accordingly, one well remem-
bered in England in early days, and we cannot be surprised
that he gave his name to two villages and to a river. It is
from one or other of these villages that the families of
Welland and Wayland take their name.
Thomas de Weylaund appears in Suffolk in 1273, and
William de Welond in Gloucestershire in the same year.
That these villages should derive from some well I think
improbable, for no village was without a well of some kind.
More likely each was a stead or tun of a Velund.
198
CHAPTER XI
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
ON the morrow of the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of
Normandy, summoned to him a clerk who had enrolled the
names of all those who had accompanied him to England,
and bade him read it aloud, that he might learn who had
fallen and who were still alive. After that he bade Odo,
Bishop of Bayeux, sing Mass for the souls of such as
were dead.
Later, William founded Battle Abbey on the site, not only
as a memorial of his victory, but to serve as a chantry for
the slain, and the names of his companions-in-arms enshrined
in this bede-roll were to be read out in church on special
occasions, and notably on the day of commemoration of the
battle the Feast of St. Calixtus.
This roll was accordingly preserved in the abbey. It was
on parchment, and bore a Latin superscription that may be
thus translated : " This place is named Battle, on account of
a battle fought here, in which the English were defeated and
left dead upon the field. They fell on the festival of Calixtus,
Christ's martyr. In the year 1066 the English fell, when a
comet appeared."
In 1538 the abbey was dissolved, and it, with its lands,
was granted by Henry VIII. to Sir Anthony Browne, Master
of Horse to the King. He commenced building a manor-
house there out of the stones of the abbey, which was com-
pleted by his son, Viscount Montague, but was seldom
occupied by his descendants, who preferred to it their noble
residence at Cowdray, in the same county.
199
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
The story goes that, as Sir Anthony Browne was pulling
down the abbey for the erection of his mansion, one of the
dispossessed monks approached, and pronounced a solemn
curse on him and his family, that it should perish by water
and by fire.
The eighth Viscount Montague was drowned in the Rhine
in September, 1793, when only twenty-four years of age. He
was on a boating expedition with his friend, Mr. Sedley
Burdett, and made a foolhardy attempt to shoot the rapids
at Laufenburg. They had been cautioned of the danger of
the venture, and entreated not to risk it, but in vain. At the
last moment, as they were stepping into the boat, Lord
Montague's servant clutched his collar, saying : " My lord,
the curse of water !" But he wrenched himself away and
sprang out of his reach. The boat capsized in the rapids,
and the two gentlemen, with their dog, were seen swimming
gallantly through the surges, till all disappeared.
At that same time, on the night of September 24, 1793,
Cowdray House, with its magnificent collection of paintings,
tapestry, carvings, and furniture, was burnt to the ground.
By flood and fire the family of Sir Anthony, in the male
line, had come to an end, and Cowdray and Battle passed to
the sister of the last Viscount, who married Stephen Poyntz,
of Midgeham in Berkshire, in 1794, and by him had two
sons and three daughters. In the summer of 1813 Mr. and
Mrs. Poyntz were staying with the children at Bognor, and
two Misses Parry were on a visit to them. One fine day
Mr. Poyntz took out his sons and the Misses Parry on a
boating expedition, but Mrs. Poyntz, who had a superstitious
dread of the water, refused to be one of the party.
As evening drew on Mrs. Poyntz seated herself at a
window to watch their return. They were close to shore,
when a sudden squall struck the sail and upset the boat, and
the wretched mother saw her two sons drowned before her
eyes. For some time they clung to their father's coat, who
had managed to lay hold of the capsized boat ; but their
strength failed them, and they dropped back into the sea.
This took place on July 7, 1815. Mr. Poyntz was saved,
but the two Misses Parry were drowned.
200
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
It is not known for certain what became of the Battle
Abbey Roll, but in all probability it was taken by Sir Anthony
Browne to Cowdray, and perished by fire when that house
was burnt. Consequently we have not the original roll to
refer to for the list of those who came over with the
Conqueror.
But, before the Dissolution, Leland the antiquary visited
Battle, and made a very careful copy of the roll. So careful
was he that he noted the gaps left in it, and the dots that
were marked between the lines in the gaps. The names
were not arranged alphabetically, but were strung together
in rude rhymes, and were 495 in 257 lines, each line contain-
ing two names, with the solitary exception of one that con-
tains three, and those on each line begin with the same
initial letter. Some names are duplicated.
The list as given by Leland is unquestionably the best, if
not the only authentic, copy that exists of the famous Battle
Abbey Roll. It is published in his " Collectanea," vol. i.,
p. 206.
Holinshed, in his " Chronicle," 1577, gives another, but this
does not pretend to be an exact transcript, as he arranges
the names alphabetically. Moreover, he gives as many as
629 names, 134 more than were transcribed by Leland, so
that he cannot have copied from the original roll, but from
some faked copy of it.
But the original roll that Leland transcribed was not
faultless. It also had been " faked," and the gaps left in the
roll were left so as to be filled in with the names of such
families as were disposed to pay a price for insertion. Had
we the original roll, we should be able to detect the inser-
tions by the handwriting; but as it is, we can do so only by
what we know of families that rose to the surface at a later
period, and by striking out such as are not named in Domes-
day or in the " Roman de Rou," by Wace.
Dugdale detected the interpolations. He wrote : " Such
hath been the subtilty of some Monks of old, that finding it
acceptable unto most to be reputed descendants to those who
were Companions with Duke William in that memorable
201
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Expedition, whereby he became Conqueror of this Realm, as
that, to gratify them (but not without their own advantage),
they inserted their Names into that ancient Catalogue."
Camden also speaks of these interpolations : " Whosoever
considers well shall find them always to be forged, and those
names inserted which the time in every age favoured, and
were never mentioned in that authenticated record."
Sir Egerton Brydges stigmatizes the roll as an imposture,
because of " the insertion of families who did not come to
England till a subsequent period, and of surnames which
were not adopted for some ages after the Conquest, of which
the greater part of the list is composed. If the Roll of
Battle Abbey had been genuine, it must have received con-
firmation from that authentic record of the reign of
Henry II., the * Liber Niger Sacarii,' but no two registers
can less agree." This, however, is an overstatement.
Freeman speaks of the roll as " a source of falsehood "
and " a transparent fiction." Mr. Ferguson endeavoured to
restore the credit in a measure in his " Surnames as a
Science," but with little success. The author of " The
Norman People" conjectured from the spelling of the names
that it had been compiled in the reign of Edward I., but
some of the spelling is of a still later date.
We cannot doubt that there was such a roll at Battle,
but at first it was a roll containing only the names of the
dead, whose obits had to be observed, and who had to be
prayed for by name. But in process of time other names
were added, successively, as paid for.
It contains such obvious interpolations as Audley, Gray,
Hastings, Hawley, Howard, Gower, and Berry.
There are in the lists of Leland and of Holinshed several
duplications Blundel, Avenell, Barry, Bernevile, De la
Laund, FitzAleyn, FitzRobert, Filiot, Morley, Peverel,
Pikard, Vernon ; but these may be explained and justified
when two of the same family came with the Conqueror, or,
in the cases of FitzAleyne and FitzRobert, there may have
been two quite unrelated personages, sons of Robert and
Aleyne. Filiot is a nickname, and means the same as
" sonny," that might be applied to any youngster.
202
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
In some cases the interpolations are very obvious, as in
the line " Soucheville, Coudray et Colleville." It is the
sole line in which are three names. Moreover, almost
invariably the purpose was to tack together in pairs names
beginning with the same letter. There had been gaps left to
be filled in as folk paid for insertion, as before mentioned,
and these had to be thrust in anywhere.
The list is remarkable for omissions. If we compare it
with that of Wace we notice this. Leland, moreover, does
not give us Arundell, Bagott, Berners, Lutterel, Marmion,
Montgomery, Mainwaring, Marny, and many others.
But it must be remembered that names were in a condition
of flux. Thus, Roger de Montgomerie, who came over with
the Conqueror, had five sons Robert de Belesmes, Hugh
le Preux (Earl of Shrewsbury), Roger de Poitou, Philip le
Clerk, and Arnulph Carew, the holder of Carew Castle in
Pembrokeshire, and supposed ancestor of the Carews. A
son was not justified in assuming the place-name borne by
his father during his father's life, and whilst his father lived
he was called after some other castle or manor belonging to
his parent. Moreover, only the eldest son succeeded to the
parental territorial name. This has, of course, led to con-
siderable confusion.
Then, again, the spelling of names was not fixed ; it was
very arbitrary till several centuries later, and the Battle
Abbey Roll, from which copies were made, was certainly
not that originally drawn up, but a transcript with additions,
and the copyist made blunders. In the original, two names
beginning with the same letter were inscribed in the same
line ; but the transcriber copied " Constable et Tally " for
" Constable et Cally," " Graunson et Tracy " for " Graun-
son et Gracy."
The letter u is often interchanged with n t and w with m,
and the long s with /, and the short s with r. The copyist
has occasionally inverted the order of the letters.
To the errors of the copyist we must also add those of
the printer. And consequently the identification of those
named is not always easy, and is occasionally conjectural.
203
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Properly, the study of the families that are represented in
the roll and in Domesday and in Wace demand a much
more profound and searching investigation than has been
given to the subject, and much apocryphal matter has to
be winnowed out. I do not pretend to have done more in
the following list than give the result of such researches as
have been already made.
Still there remains this objection that Leland did not
specify the list he gives as having been transcribed by him
from the Roll of Battle Abbey. It is, however, certain that
he visited Battle Abbey previous to its sequestration, for he
gives a catalogue of the books contained in the library. He
was, moreover, so accurate and painstaking a student that
it is hardly possible to conceive that he should have omitted
to transcribe so valuable a record as the roll.
Leland also gives another list, " Un role de ceux queux
veignent en Angleterre avesque roy William le Conquerour,"
containing eighty names, but this is simply a transcript
from the list in the " Roman de Rou."
There were other lists of those who accompanied the
Conqueror, but none are to be trusted. In itself the Roll
of Battle Abbey is discredited, and we must go to genuine
documents for the list of those who really came over with
William, and were enfeofTed by him in England in reward for
their services. We do not lack these. There is, above all,
the Domesday Book, and then Wace's metrical chronicle,
the " Roman de Rou."
That after the Conquest many needy adventurers trooped
over to England, tendering their services to William, to
Rums, and to Henry Beauclerk, we need not doubt, and the
"Liber Niger Sacarii" gives us a trustworthy list of all
the Normans and French settled in England in the reign of
Henry II.
But as the Roll of Battle Abbey is so often appealed to as
an authority for the antiquity of a family, it will be well to
look at the names that occur in it.
The Duchess of Cleveland in 1889 published in three
volumes *' The Battle Abbey Roll ; with Some Account of
204
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
the Norman Lineages." The book must have had
considerable labour expended on it. But it is not critical.
The Duchess takes Holinshed's list as a basis for work,
one of the most adulterated of all copies, and she lays
some stress on the almost worthless " Dives Roll," as she
calls it a list drawn up by M. Leopold Delisle for the pur-
pose of glorifying the French Norman gentry, and of no
authority whatever.
The roll has been illustrated by Planche*, 1 by the author
of " The Norman People," and by Sir Bernard Burke.
Wace was born in Jersey about the year noo. " His
traditions of the Conquest, though not put into writing till
after the middle of the twelfth century, practically date from
his early years the years of his boyhood at Caen. He
indulges in no rhetorical embellishments; in the historical
parts of his greatest work he refuses to set down anything
for which he has not authority ; and when his authorities
differ, he frequently gives two alternative versions " (D.N.B.).
Wace names about 115 nobles, but, curiously enough,
omits Richard d'Evreux and his son William, and he makes
a few slips in the Christian names.
He does not profess to have recorded all who attended
William to Hastings. He says :
" Ne sai nomer toz les barons,
Ne de tos dire les sornoms,
De Normandie e de Bretagne,
Que li due ont en sa campagne."
The best edition of Wace's " Roman de Rou " is that by
Andreson, Heilbronn, 1879. The list begins about the line
8,440, and ends 8,728.
Wace's list can be in part substantiated by Ordericus
Vitalis and William of Poitiers who was chaplain to the
Conqueror on his expedition to England, by William de
Jumieges, in whose work lib. vii. is by Robert de Torignie,
and by others.
1 "Companions of the Conqueror," London, 1874; "The Norman
People," London, 1874 ; Sir Bernard Burke, "The Roll of Battle Abbey,'
London, 1848.
205
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
It is worth observing how loosely territorial surnames
hung on the bearers.
Stephen d'Aumale was the son of Odo de Champagne
and Adelaide, sister of the Conqueror.
Roger de Beaumont is the same as Roger de Vielles. He
was the son of Humphrey de Vielles.
Richard de Bienfaite is the same as Richard d'Orbec.
His brother was Baldwin de Meulles, and they were the
sons of Gislbert de Brionne.
Walter Giffard de Longueville was the son of Osbert
de Bolbec.
Again, Nicolas de Bacqueville married a niece of the
Duchess Gunnor, and their son is held to have been that
William Malet who appears prominently in the history of
the Conqueror. Baldwin le Sap and Baldwin de Meulles is
one and the same person.
Robert de Mortain and Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, were
sons of Herluin de Couteville, who married Arietta, the
cast-off mistress of Duke Robert, and therefore half-brothers
of the Conqueror.
Roger de Mortemer was the son of Hugh Aimeric de
Thouars.
All this shows how very unformed was the nomencla-
ture in Normandy at the time of the Conquest. It was
beginning to be fixed, but beginning only.
The following is the list of names in Leland's copy of the
roll, with a few included that pertained to representatives
who were at Hastings unquestionably, but who were not
included in the roll, possibly enough, because the fee was
not forthcoming, as later in the case of Heralds' Visitations,
from which families of undoubted antiquity and with right
to bear arms were excluded, because they did not care to
pay for insertion.
ADRYELLE, not identifiable.
AIGUILLON in Leland, Aungeloun ; an interpolation.
From Aguilon in Guienne. The name came in with the
Hundred Years' War.
206
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
AIMERIS, a personal name, Amauri, now Emery and
Amory and Amery.
AINCOURT in Leland, Deyncourt ; from a fief in the
Norman Vezin. Walter d'Aincourt held sixty manors,
mainly in Lincolnshire (Domesday). In 1835 a Lincoln-
shire gentleman named Tennyson assumed the arms and
name of D'Eyncourt, as descended in a zigzag fashion
through a succession of spindles from Lady Anne Leke,
daughter of the first Earl of Scarsdale, Baron D'Eyncourt.
AMAY in Leland, Damay. Not in Domesday, nor found
before the end of the twelfth century. An interpolation.
Now Dames.
ANGEVIN. Two brothers appear in Domesday as estated
in Essex and Norfolk. But the name is not a surname ; it
is descriptive of the province whence they came. The
descendants of the second brother called themselves Thorpe.
AQUINEY in Leland, Dakeny. From Acquigny, near
Louviers. Not in Domesday ; does not occur in England
earlier than the thirteenth century. The origin of the
names Dakins, Dakeyne. But Dakin may be Davidkin.
ARCY in Leland, Darcy. From Arci in Normandy.
Norman d'Arci held thirty-three manors in Lincoln from
the Conqueror (Domesday). The name remained as Darcy.
ARGENTAN in Leland, Argenteyn. From a castle in
Berry. David d'Argentun held lands in Cambridgeshire
and Bedfordshire (Domesday). Modern surname, Argent.
ARUNDELL, not in Leland. In Domesday, Roger Arun-
dell held a barony of twenty-eight manors. Name not taken
from Arundel in Sussex.
AUBIGNY or DE ALBINI, appears in ^Domesday as holding
a great barony in the counties of Buckingham, Leicester,
Bedford, and Warwick. Now Albany and Daubeny. Aubigny
is near Periers, in the Cotentin.
AUDEL an interpolation. It is Audley, the name of a
manor in Staffordshire. In Domesday, Aldidelege.
AUMALE in Leland, Aumerill. This became in England
Albemarle. From Aumale, on the River Bresle, at the point
where it divides Normandy from Picardy. The Sire d'Aumale
207
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
fought at the Conqueror's side. He married William's sister,
Adeliza.
AUNAY, not in Leland which is strange, as the Sire
d'Alneto was certainly at Hastings. He was one of the
five knights who challenged Harold to come forth. The
name is from Aunou-le-Faucon, near Argenton. The name
Dawnay is that of Viscount Downe.
AVENEL, occurs twice in Leland. The name is also in
Wace. The Avenels were Lords of Les Biards, in the
arrondissement of Mortain.
AVESNES in Leland, Aveneries. From a place of that
name in Normandy.
AVRANCHES in Leland, Davrenches. The family bore
the surname of Le Gotz, Goes, or Goz. Richard Le Gotz
married Emma, daughter of Arietta the washerwoman,
mother of the Conqueror. His son Lupus went over with
William, and was created Earl of Chester.
BALADON in Leland, Bealun. From a place of the name
in Normandy. Three of the Baladons came over with the
Conqueror. One was given large estates in Cornwall and
Wales. The name survives as Bayldon.
BALDWIN, twice in Leland as Baudewyn and Baudyn.
Baldwin the Sheriff was largely rewarded by the Conqueror
for his assistance. The name is personal.
BALIOL in Leland, Bailoff. Perhaps from Bailleul, near
Argenton.
BANISTER, from Banastree now Beneter, near Estampes.
Robert Banastre, who came over with William, held
Prestatyn in Flintshire under Robert de Ruelent.
BARBE D'OR, probably the Hugo Barbatus of Domesday.
A descriptive name and not a surname.
BARDOLF, a personal name.
BARNEVALE, from a castle near Carteret. The family
settled in the Scottish Lowlands and in Ireland.
BARRY, in Leland as Barry and Barray. From de Barre,
in the Cotentin, possibly. But probably an interpolation,
named later from Barrey Isle, near Cardiff. But perhaps a
mistake for Barrett, which is a name found in Domesday.
208
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
BASSET, an interpolation. Ordericus Vitalis says of Ralph
Basset, Justiciary under Henry I. : " He was issued from
an ignoble stock, and was accorded great power over both
nobles and citizens." The Justiciary, in fact, made the
family, and the insertion in the Battle Roll was paid for.
There is no evidence that the Bassets of Cornwall derive
from the Justiciary, but that there was such descent is most
probable.
BAVENT, from a place of that name on the Dive, near
Varaville. Bavent held a knight's fee, under William d'Albini,
in Norfolk.
BASKERVILLE. Martels de Basqueville was in the Battle
of Hastings, yet the name does not occur in Domesday.
Possibly he may have fallen in the battle. "At the beginning
of the thirteenth century there were Baskervilles in Here-
fordshire, Nottinghamshire, and Shropshire; in Warwick-
shire, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire, and possibly
other counties" (Eyton, "Shropshire."). The most eminent
branch was that of Eardesley. One single branch is now
represented in the male line, and that has changed its name
to Glegg. There are two others, but through the spindle,
who have assumed the name of Baskerville. It is not
uncommon among the peasantry of Devon.
BASTARD, not in Leland. Robert the Bastard was an
illegitimate son of the Conqueror, and received from his
father a barony in Devonshire. The family is still repre-
sented there.
BAYEUX, in Leland, Baius. Backwell - Bayouse in
Somerset takes the name from this family. The name has
been corrupted into Beyouse, Bayes> and Bewes, if not for Bevis.
BEACHAMP. In Domesday, Belchamp held a large barony
in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. Not
a single male representative remains of this historic house.
Earl Beauchamp's family name is now Lygon, but that is
an assumption for Pyndar.
BEAUFORD, de Bello Fago. The name comes from
Beaufer, near Pont 1'Eveque. In Leland, corrupted to
Bifford. Robert le Sire de Belfore is in Wace's list.
209 o
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
William de Beaufoi held many manors in Norfolk (Domes-
day). But Byford may stand for By-the-Ford.
BEAUMONT. Roger de Vielles was also called de Beaumont.
He was lord of Belmont-le-Rogier. He furnished the Con-
queror with sixty vessels, and fought at Hastings, as did also
his son. He received a great barony of ninety manors in
Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Wiltshire, and Northampton-
shire.
BECARD, not found earlier than 1202 ; probably an
interpolation.
BELLEW, from Belleau or Bella Aqua in Normandy.
Not in Domesday or in Wace. First heard of in the
twelfth century. An interpolation. Fellow and Pellew are
corruptions.
BELVILLE, from a place of that name, near Dieppe.
Jean de Belleville took part in the Third Crusade. This old
Norman house is now represented by the Marquis de
Belleville. Nicholas de Belville held lands in Devon (Testa
de Nevill), and the family is still represented there as
Belfield.
BERNEVILLE, in Domesday, Berneville; a Baron. It is
difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish Berneville from
Barneville. Some Barnfields derive hence.
BENNY, from Beaunai, a fief in Normandy.
BERTIN, not in Domesday or Wace. Not heard of till
the second half of the twelfth century. An interpolation.
BERTRAM, the Hunchback, is mentioned by Wace. "A
younger branch, from whom came the Mitfords, formed
establishments, though not of much account, in England,
and it is probably descended from William (younger brother
of the Crookback), or from another William who stands in
Domesday as a small holder in Hampshire" (I.Taylor).
Nothing can really be concluded as to the connection of the
Mitfords with the Bertram of the Conquest, as Bertram is a
personal name and not a surname.
BEYERS. Hugh de Beverde was an under-tenant in Suffolk
(Domesday), but the name meant is almost certainly
Bouvery, from La Beuviere, near Bethune. Drogo de la
Boveres was married to a cousin of the Conqueror, and
210
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
received the whole of Holderness, eighty-seven manors, and
twenty-four in Lincolnshire.
BIARD, a seigneurie of the Avenells.
BIGOT or WIGOT. " He served the Duke in his house as
one of his Seneschals, which office he held in fee. He had
with him a large troop, and was a noble vassal. He was
small of body, but very brave and bold, and assailed
the English with great gallantry." Robert Bigot was
apparently the first of his name ; his father was Roger. But
Wace says: "L'anceste Hue le Bigot qui avait terre a
Maletot." It has been said that he took his nickname from
the oath he had frequently in his mouth, "By God!" but
it is possible that he was a Bigaud, of the neighbourhood of
Quimper. He held 117 manors in Suffolk, besides other
lands in Norfolk and Essex (Domesday).
BIRON, from Beuron, near Mantes. Erneis de Buron
appears in Domesday as a great landholder in Yorkshire.
Ancestor of the Byrons.
BLUETT. This family gave its name to Brineville-la-
Bluette in Normandy. The Bluetts long resided in
Devonshire.
BLEYN, or DE BLOIN, held five manors in Cornwall
(Domesday). Name now, Elaine and Bloyne.
BLOUNT or BLUNT, descriptive, le Blond, the fair-haired.
Two named in Domesday, sons of the Sieur de Guisnes.
BLONDELL came to England with the Conqueror. The
name is descriptive and diminutive "the little fair-haired
fellow." The family was long estated in Lancashire, but,
being Roman Catholic, was cruelly oppressed and robbed in
the reign of Elizabeth. Blundell, a merchant, founded a
school at Tiverton.
BODIN, in Leland, Biden ; held a large estate in York-
shire (Domesday).
BOHUN, in Leland, Boown. Two villages near Carentan are
St. Georges and St. Andre-de-Bohun. Humphrey de Bohun
received the Manor of Talesford in Norfolk (Domesday).
The Bohuns acquired the earldoms of Hereford, Essex, and
Northampton. The name is still extant as Bone and Boone.
211 o 2
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Bois or Du Bois. There were five families that bore the
name. Boys is still found as a surname.
BENETT, a personal name.
BONVILLE, from the castle of Bonneville in Normandy.
Leland gives Bondeville. The family became great. Sir
William was created Lord Bonville in 1466. " He and his
house perished in the Wars of the Roses. Within the space
of less that two months the last male heirs were swept
away. His son and grandson were killed in the Battle of
Wakefield, 1460, on the last day of the year, and his own
grey head fell on the scaffold in the ensuing February. One
little great-granddaughter, a child of two years old, remained
as representative of the family. She married Thomas Grey,
Marquess of Dorset, and was the great-grandmother of Lady
Jane Grey."
BOSKERVILLE, from Boscherville, between Pont-Audemer
and Honfleur. Not in Domesday or Wace, but probably
came over with the Conqueror, as the name occurs early in
the twelfth century.
BOTELER. The name is entered thrice in Domesday. It
by no means follows that every Butler is a descendant of Hugo
Pincernus, who came over with the Conqueror, as every
nobleman, as well as William I., kept his butler.
BOURNAVILLE, in Leland, Bromevile. William de Bourna-
ville held lands in Norfolk and Suffolk (Domesday).
BOUTEVILAIN. He was at Hastings. He is named by Wace.
BOYVILLE, from Beuville, near Caen. Two of the nameoccur
in Domesday, in Herefordshire and Suffolk. Hence Bevill.
BRABAZON, in Leland, Brabasoun ; a Brabant family
Jacques Brabancon followed the Conqueror, and was given
lands at Betchworth, in Surrey ; but the family reached
distinction in Ireland, where it is still represented.
BRACY. William de Braceio appears in a charter of 1080
as holding Wistaton in Cheshire. The name became Brescie.
Lord Brassey might suppose that he derives from the Sieur
de Bra$y. Possibly Samson and Sally Brass may have done
the same.
BRAUND. William Brant was an under-tenant in Norfolk
212
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
(Domesday). No evidence that Brand or Braund was not a
Saxon.
BRAY does not occur in Domesday, but the men of Bray
marched with the Conqueror. They came from Bray, near
Evreux. No Sieur de Bray is mentioned. Bray is not
uncommon as a surname in Cornwall, possibly descendants
of some of these " men of Bray."
BRETTEVILLE is given twice by Leland. It stands for
Breteville, a barony near Caen. Gilbert de Bretteville was
a Domesday Baron, holding lands in Hampshire, Wiltshire,
Oxfordshire, and Berkshire.
BREBCEUF, in Leland, Baybot ; appears in Domesday as
holding Watringbury, in Kent.
BRETON. No less than nine Bretons appear in Domesday.
Not a surname, but a designation of sundry Breton adven-
turers who followed Alan Fergeant. The name is still found,
also as Brett.
BRIANCON in Leland, Briansoun. None from Brian9on
in Dauphiny can have been with William at the Conquest,
and the name does not occur in England till 1189. Possibly
the roll may have meant the son of de Brionne.
BRICOURT or BRIENCOURT. The name does not occur in
England till the reign of Henry II. Wace mentions "those
of Briencourt."
BRIONNE, in Leland, Brian. Baldum de Brionne was
Viscount of Devon in the Conqueror's time, and Wido de
Brionne acquired a seigneury in Wales. Hence the Bryans
and Briants in England.
BROWNE, in Leland, Boroun ; in interpolation.
BROY. From Broyes, in the Pays de Brie. Apparently
the same as Bardolf, who is said to have been grandson of
Renart, Sieur de Broyes.
BRUYS. Leland gives his name twice once, as we suppose,
for Braosse, and the other for Brix. William de Braosse
was one of the most powerful Barons following the Con-
queror, and was by him richly rewarded.
BRUYS for Brix or Bruce. Named from the castle of
Bruys, now Brix, near Cherbourg. Robert de Bruys held a
213
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
barony of ninety-four manors in Yorkshire (Domesday).
He was the ancestor of the Scottish Bruces.
BURDON, a name found shortly after the Conquest, in
Durham. But "burdon " signifies a pilgrim's staff, and there
may have been many Burdens throughout the county.
BURGH. Serlo de Burgh came over with the Conqueror,
but left no issue. His nephew succeeded. An apocryphal
pedigree of the de Burghs appeared in the eighteenth
century, giving the family an imperial Carlovingian descent.
It has not a shadow of foundation. The family has become
Burke in Ireland.
Some surprising omissions as Bee, Belvoir, and Bagott;
but these two last come in under Todeni, as we shall see
later on. There are some not many, and perhaps not of
much importance named by Wace that do not occur in
Leland's copy of the roll.
CAILLEY. This is printed in the old edition of Leland
" Constable et Tally," where the second name should begin
with C. We may, I think, equate this with Quilly or
Cuilly, near Falaise, a part of the possessions of the Burdetts.
In fact, Robert Bordett, or Burdett, who came to England
at the Conquest, was Sieur de Cailly. The surname in time
degenerated into Cully.
CAMEVILLE or CAMPVILLE. From a place near Coutance.
Richard de Camville, surnamed Poignant (the fighter), had
a barony in Oxfordshire, and his brother William held
Godington under the King (Domesday).
CAMOYS, not known anything of before the reign of King
John ; an interpolation.
CANTELOUP, in Leland, Canntilow : from Chanteloup,
near Cherbourg. Not mentioned in Domesday or by Wace.
But the name occurs in the reign of Henry II., when one Ralph
de Canteloup held two knights^fees under William de Romara.
CHALLONS, not in Wace or Domesday, but it may stand
for Calna or Chawn, a name that occurs, not at the time of
the Conquest, but in 1200.
CHALLYS, for Schalliers or Escaliers ; an interpolation.
The name is not found in Normandy till the reign of Philip
Augustus. However, as Scales it became important in
214
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
England, but can have been introduced only during the
English occupation of Guienne. Besides the form Scales,
the name remains as Challys and Challis. A professor of
astronomy at Cambridge bore that name ; so did a gardener
of mine. 1
CHAMBERLAIN. An official title and not at the time a
surname.
CHAMPERNOWN. De Campo Arnulphi. A knightly family
of great possessions in Devonshire. The present Champer-
nownes are really Harringtons.
CHAMPNEY. From Champigny, in Normandy. Not found
in Domesday or in Wace ; nor is the name found earlier
than 1165.
CHANCEUX. Perhaps from St. Quesney, near St. Saens.
In Wace we have Cahagnes ; either a place of that name
in the arrondissement of Vire, or another of the same name
in that of the Andelys. The name has gone through many
changes, as Keynes, Chesney, Cheyney.
CHANDUIT. Ralph de Chenduit or Chanuit held lands
afterwards included in the barony of Chenduit.
CHANDOS in Leland, Chaundoys. Robert de Candos
was a companion-in-arms of the Conqueror, and he won
with his sword a large domain in Wales.
CHAMBERAY in Leland, Combrai or Coubrai. Combrai
is near Falaise. The Sire de Combrai, according to Wace,
was one of the knights who challenged King Harold to
come forth. Godfrey de Combrai held lands in capite in
Leicestershire (Domesday).
CHAPES, from Chappes, in Normandy. Osbern de Capis
is mentioned in 1079 by Ordericus, but it is doubtful
whether he was in the Battle of Hastings. Hence Capes.
CHARTRES. Ralph Carnotensis, or de Chartres, held
estates in Leicestershire (Domesday). The name is found
in Scotland as Charteris. It is found also as Chayter.
CHAUMONT, not in Wace or Domesday, but early seated
in Cornwall. The name became diamond.
CHAUNEY, from Canci, near Amiens ; not in Domesday.
Now Chownes and Chowen, the name of my land agent.
1 Challis may also come from Calais, and also from a chalice-maker.
215
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
CHAVENT, not identified. First comes into notice in the
reign of Edward I.
CHAWORTH is supposed to come from Cadurcis (Cahors),
in the South of France. Peter de Cadurcis was seated in
Gloucestershire towards the end of the Conqueror's reign.
He must have been a soldier of fortune. Leland gives the
name Chaward.
CHENIL, from Quesnel in Normandy. Not met with
in England before the reign of Henry III. Probably an
interpolation.
CHERCOURT or CHEVRCOURT. Thorold of Chavercourt was
enfeoffed of Wyforaby in Leicester, and Carleton in Notts,
in 1085.
CLARELL, not found till the thirteenth century ; probably
an interpolation.
CLAIRVALS, from a castle in Anjou. Hamon de Clairvaux
is said to have come over to England in the train of Alan of
Brittany, but evidence for the assertion lacks. Croft, near
Darlington, was the seat of the family for about 350 years.
" A humble race of cadets occurs at Darlington long after
the broad lands of their parent tree passed into another name,
and they seem to have gradually sunk into utter pauperism.
The pedigree will show these to have been nearly related to
the main branch, as the Chayters had to buy out any claim
they had on Clerveaux Castle " (Longstaffe, " Darlington ").
COIGNIERS, the ancestor of the Conyers family, long
seated in Yorkshire. Wace mentions the Sire de Coignieres
as one of those who attended the Conqueror in the invasion
of England.
COLEVILLE. William de Colville held lands in Yorkshire
(Domesday). A descendant of that most furious knight and
valorous enemy, "Sir John Coleville of the Dale," is intro-
duced by Shakespeare as taken prisoner by Falstaff
(Henry IV., Part II., IV. HI.).
COLOMBIERS, from a place of that name near Bayeux.
William de Colombiers is mentioned by Wace. Ralph de
Colombiers, or Colombers, in Domesday, held lands in Kent
and elsewhere in capite. The name remains as Columbell
and Columb.
216
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
COMINES, from Comines in Flanders. Robert de Comines
was created Earl of Northumberland by the Conqueror, but
on account of his insolence and violence, was killed by the
people of Durham in 1069. He must, however, have left
kinsmen in the North, for the name was continued as
historical in Scotland; but forms of it are found in all
parts of England, as Comings, Cummins, Cooming, Comyns.
CORBETT, spoken of by Ordericus as " the faithful and
very valiant men," i.e., Corbett and his two sons, who were
employed by Roger de Montgomerie in the government of
his new earldom of Shrewsbury.
CORBYN in Leland's list, " Corby et Corbet." Four of
the names are entered in Domesday, all of them under-
tenants.
COUBRAY. Coubray is near Thury Harcourt. Wace
mentions the Sire de Coubrai.
COURSON, a branch in Norfolk and Suffolk (Domesday).
Now Cur z on.
COURTENAY, an interpolation. Reginald de Courtenay
did not come to England till the reign of Henry II., in
consequence of his marriage with the heiress of Robert
d'Avranches, Viscount of Devon.
COURTEVILLE.
CREVECCEUR, from a place near Lisieux. The Sire de
Crevecoeur is mentioned in the " Roman de Rou."
CRESSY in Leland, Crescy; a seigneury between Dieppe
and Rouen. No trace of the family till the middle of the
twelfth century. Now Creasy.
CRIQUET in Leland as Griketot. Ansgar de Criquetot
held lands in Suffolk from Mandeville in 1086. Criquetot
has become Cricket and Crytoft.
DABERNON. From Abernon, near Lisieux. A subtenant
of Richard de Clare in Suffolk and Surrey ; he received the
Manor of Stoke in the latter county.
DAMOT, actually D'Amiot. The name of Damote occurs
in Oxfordshire in the reign of Henry I.
DAUBENY. The descendants of Robert de Toeni bore
this name. The son of Robert assumed the name of
217
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
De Albini, and was styled " Brito " to distinguish him from
the Albini, the pincerna, Earl of Arundel.
DARELL, from Arel, on the River Vire ; obtained lands in
Yorkshire.
DAUTRE, as abbreviation of De Haute Rive or De Alta
Ripa ; from Haute Rive in Normandy. Very doubtful if a
De Haute Rive attended the Conqueror. Not named in
Domesday. Now Dawtrey.
DE LA HAY, named by Wace. Niel, son of Humphry de
la Haye, is named in a deed of 1060. From La Haye-du-
Puits, in the arrondissement of Coutance. Hence the family
name of Hay and Haye.
DE LA HUSEE, from Le Houssel, north of Rouen. In
Domesday William Husee or Hisatus held Charecomb in
Somersetshire ; of Bath Abbey, as well as other manors in
the county. Hence Hussey.
DE LA LANDE. William Patric is twice mentioned by
Wace. La Lande Patric is in the arrondissement of Dom-
front. Leland gives the name twice. Leland's name is
derived from this family.
DE LA MARCHE. The name first appears at the end of the
thirteenth century.
DE LA MARE, from the fief of La Mare, in Autretot,
Normandy. The lake is still called Grande-mare. Four of
the sons of Norman de la Mare came to England. William
FitzNorman held of the King in chief in Gloucester and
Hereford. The name has become Delaware, Delamore, and
Delmar.
DE LA POLE, an interpolation. The first of the name
known was William de la Pole, a merchant of Hull in the
reign of Edward III., whose son Nicholas also was a
merchant, and was the father of Michael, created Earl of
Suffolk by Richard II.
DE LA VALET, from Lanvalle, opposite Dinan. At the
beginning of the reign of Henry II. William de Lanvallee
held a barony in Essex.
DE LA WARDE, or LAVARDE. Ingelram de Warde is men-
tioned in Northamptonshire in 1130 ; but Ward or Guard
218
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
are names descriptive of office. Leland gives the name
again as Warde.
DE L'ISLE, from Lisle in Normandy. Humphry de Pile
held twenty-seven manors in Wiltshire (Domesday). Hence
the name Lisle, Lesley, and Lilly.
DENNIS or DACUS (the Dane). Not certain, not even
probable, that one came over with the Conqueror. An
interpolation.
D'EVREUX in Leland, Deveroys. Richard, Count of
Evreux and Archbishop of Rouen, son of Richard I. of
Normandy and his mistress, the washerwoman Arietta, had
by a concubine three sons Richard, Count of Evreux :
Ralph, Sieur de Gaci, whose son Robert died without issue ;
and William d'Evreux. The eldest of these brothers,
Richard, and his son William fought by the Conqueror's
side at Hastings. He died the following year, and William
appears in Domesday as holding a great barony in Hamp-
shire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. The name remains as
Devereux.
DE LA VACHE in Leland, De Wake ; not encountered
earlier than 1272. An interpolation.
DE VAUX, de Vallibus. Two brothers, Robert and Aitard
de Vaux, appear in Domesday as holding lands in Norfolk.
The name remains as Vaux. The title of Lord Vaux is held
by a Mostyn.
DAVERANGES is a duplicate for D'Avranches.
DAYVILLE, repeated as Deville ; from Daiville in Nor-
mandy. Walter de Daiville accompanied the Conqueror,
and had grants from Roger de Musbray, in Yorkshire, with
the title of Seneschal. The name remains, but as Deville
has an unpleasing signification ; it has been altered to
Eville.
DEVERELL, for D'Evrolles. Name found in Sussex in
1165. The Deverells became a Wiltshire family.
DISART. The name we meet with as Izzard. No earlier
settler ot the name is met with than the time of Henry I.
(1114-15). The Scottish Dysart is from a different origin.
DISNEY or D'ISENEY, from Isigny, near Bayeux. The
name is still extant.
219
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
DISPENSER, a title of office as a steward, whence Spenser,
Spencer.
DORENY, perhaps for D'Orenge.
DOYNELL, not in Domesday, but found in Essex forty or
fifty years after the Conquest.
DRUELL or DE RUELLES, from Ruelles, near Vernon, in
Normandy. Does not occur in England before 1130.
DUYLY or D'OYLEY, from Ouilly-le-Basset, in the arron-
dissement of Falaise. They were a branch of the Bassets.
Robert D'Oily became through the Conqueror's favour one
of the most potent Barons in the country. He was made
Baron of Oxford, where he built the castle. A John D'Oyley
was created a baronet in 1821, but left no issue male. Hence
the name Doyle.
DURANT, not a surname, but a personal name, that occurs
frequently in Domesday.
ESTOTEVILLE. This is given twice in Leland in the
second place as Soucheville. Wace mentions the name as
Esteville. The man who accompanied the Conqueror was
Front-de-Boeuf, who was Sire d'Estoville according to some
authorities. There are two places in Normandy that bear
the name. The name does not appear in Domesday.
ESTRANGER, probably of Breton origin. The name
occurs in the reign of Henry I. The name is still in
England as L' Estrange, also as Stranger, which is that of a
draper in Tavistock.
ESTOURNAY. Richard and Ralph came over with the
Conqueror, and were given lands in Hampshire, Wilts, and
Surrey. The name became Stormey, Sturmer, and Sturmyn.
EUSTACE stands for Eustace, a personal name ; and Fitz
Eustace also occurs ; now Stacy.
FANCOURT, printed Fovecourt, from a place near Beauvais.
Not in Domesday, but occurs early. Spelt also Vancort
and Pencourt.
FERRERS, from Ferrieres St. Hilaire, near Bernai.
William and Henry, sons of Walkelin de Ferrieres, were
with William ; also another of the name Hermerus.
William and Hermerus are among the Domesday Barons.
220
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
FINERE in Leland, Feniers. Not mentioned in Domes-
day or by Wace, and first comes into notice much later
than the Conquest. Hence the Finmore, Filmer, and
Phillimore names.
FERMBAUD, not named elsewhere till much later, in Bed-
fordshire.
FICHENT for Fecamp. Remigius, chaplain of Fecamp, " a
man of small stature, but of lofty soul," was the first
Norman ever appointed to an English see, and became
Bishop of Dorchester in 1067. He translated the see to
Lincoln. Some of his needy relatives probably came over,
for we find the name among landowners later ; or, what is as
likely, there were other natives of Fecamp settled here, who
were called after the place whence they came.
FIENNES in Leland, Fenes; a baronial family from
Fiennes, in the county of Guines. The family was seated
in Kent at an early date, and held the office of hereditary
castellans of Dover.
FILLIOL. Ralph de Filliol was one of the benefactors of
Battle Abbey. The name signifies "little son" or "god-
son," but whose godson he was is not known.
FITZALAN, FixzBRiAN, etc. As these names are patro-
nymic, and did not necessarily pass into surnames, we may
pass them over.
FOLLEVILLE, from the name of a place in Picardy. The
family was seated in Leicestershire in the reign of King
Stephen. Probably Folev and Folly come from that name.
The ancestor of Lord Foley was but a common workman,
yet he may have been descended from the Sieur de Folleville.
FRESSEL, a family of Touraine. Simon Fressel came to
England with the Conqueror, He was the ancestor of the
Scottish Frazer family.
FREYVILLE, held land in Cambridgeshire. Sir Anselm de
Fraeville, son of the De Freyville who came over with the
Conqueror, was a benefactor to Battle Abbey. His son
Roger took a fancy to a dog, and the father gave him the dog
on condition that he agreed to surrender an acre of meadow-
land to the abbey.
221
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
FRISSON. This name implies no more than that a Frisian
adventurer shared in the exploit of the Conqueror. From it
comes the name Prize, the name of a shoemaker and post-
man at Lew Down.
FURNEAUX, from a place of the name near Coutance.
Odo de Furnell held lands in Somerset (Domesday).
FURNIVEL, an interpolation. The first of the name in
England was Gerard de Furnival, who went to the Holy
Land with Richard Cceur de Lion.
GALOFER. William Gulafre had great estates in Suffolk
(Domesday). Hence Guliver.
GARRE. Probably the same as De la War.
GAUSY, from Gau9y, near L'Aigle, in Normandy. The
Gausy barony was created in Northumberland. The name
has become Gaze.
GAUNT, from Ghent, but perhaps a misprint for Graunt.
GERNOUN. Robert Guernon held a great barony in Essex
(Domesday).
GIFFARD. Three brothers of this name are entered as
holding baronies in England after the Conquest. They
were the sons of Osbern, Baron of Bolbec.
GLANCOURT, not in Wace or Domesday. Perhaps, how-
ever, Grancourt, which does appear in the Survey.
GOBAUD, not in Domesday, but the name occurs in the
reign of Henry I., in which a Robert FitzGubold is named.
GORGES, from Gaurges, in the Cotentin. The family
became famous, but there is no evidence that it was repre-
sented at the Conquest.
GOWER. This is very suspicious. It seems to be taken
from the district of Gower in South Wales. Gower occurs
in the " Annales Cambriae " under date 954, and is men-
tioned in the " Book of Llan Dav" in 1150.
GILEBOT, from Quillebceuf in Normandy. The family
won lands in Brecon, but ruined itself by extravagance.
The name became Walbeoffe, and still more recently Gilby.
GRACY. In the printed Leland, " Grauncon et Tracy," where
the T is apparently a misprint for G. It stands for Grancey,
on the confines of Champagne and Burgundy, and gave its
222
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
name to a great Burgundian family. There is no evidence
that any Grancy was present at the Conquest. The modern
form of the name is possibly Grace.
GRANDISON, Leland's Grauncon ; an interpolation. The
Grandisons were a Burgundian family. William de Grandi-
son was the first to come to England, in the reign of
Edward I. John de Grandison was Bishop of Exeter in
1327-
GRAY, perhaps an interpolation. It is true that an
Architel de Grey is mentioned in Domesday, but it was not
till the marriage of Edward IV. with Elizabeth Woodville
that the Grays became important people, and then efforts
were made to concoct for them a specious pedigree. Grey
or Gray was a descriptive name, and we cannot be sure that
all Greys or Grays belonged to the descendants of Architel
de Grey.
GRAUNT or GRANT, from Le Grand. They may be traced
back in Normandy till 985, but such pedigrees are suspicious,
as the name is descriptive of height of stature, and was not
a surname. There is no mention of a Grant in Domesday,
unless that of Hugo Grando de Scoca, an under-tenant in
Berkshire, be taken as one ; but Grent de Everwick is found
in the reign of Henry I. In the printed edition of Leland
the name is Gaunt.
GRANDYN, no other than Grendon ; an interpolation, from
Grendon in Warwickshire.
GRESLEY in Leland, Greilly ; from Gresile in Anjou.
Albert Greslet occurs in Domesday as Baron of Manchester.
The name has assumed the form of Gredley and Greely.
GRENVILLE in Leland, G[r]enevile ; from Grenneville
in the Cotentin. This illustrious house is descended from
Robert de Grenville, who accompanied the Conqueror to
England, and received three knight's-fees in the county of
Buckingham.
GREVILLE is disguised in Leland as Gruyele. It comes
from a castle of the name in the Cotentin ; but the existing
Greville family is thought to be a branch of the Grenvilles.
GURDON, from a town of that name in the department of
223
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Lot, on the limestone Gausses. How a Gurdon drifted north
to join the expedition is hard to say, and almost certainly
the name is an interpolation. The first Gurdon of whom we
know received a grant of half a knight's-fee in Selbourn
from Richard Coeur de Lion, and this is intelligible enough,
as all the district of Cahors and the South was then under
the English Crown.
GUBBION. Guido Gobio witnessed a charter of Geoffrey of
Dinan in 1070, and was one of his knights ; as the latter
came to England with the Conqueror, Gobio doubtless
accompanied him. Hugh Gubion is found in Hampshire in
1130. What induced Shakespeare to adopt the name for the
two Gobbos we do not know. The name has become Gibbon
and Gubbins.
GURNEY, from Gournai-en-Bray. The name is of note in
the history of the Conquest. It is one that is now widely
spread in England.
HAMELIN, a personal name, and not a surname. Several are
named in Domesday. In Cornwall, Hamelin held twenty-
two manors under the Earl of Mortaine. He is supposed to
have been the ancestor of the Trelawney family ; but the
name Hamlyn remains in Devon and Cornwall.
HANSARD, not mentioned in Domesday; but the Hansards
appear as Barons in the palatinate of Durham in the twelfth
century. This is probably an interpolation.
HARCOURT. Enguerand de Harcourt was in the Conqueror's
army at Hastings. The family was largely rewarded in later
times. But the name is not in Domesday. We find a Har-
court among the dependents of Henry I. in 1123.
HAREVILLE, not heard of before the reign of Edward III.
The name of Harivel means actually a dealer in harins, an
inferior sort of horse, at fairs. An interpolation.
HASTINGS. Robert de Venoix was the first Mareschal or
Portreeve of Hastings. He came from Venoix, near Caen.
Robert is named in Domesday as FitzRalph and de Hastings
and le Mareschal. It must not hastily be concluded that
everyone bearing the name of Hastings is descended from
224
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Robert de Venoix ; many a man was so named simply because
a native of that place.
HAWARD, or HAYWARD, as Leland has it. This is not a
Norman-French name ; it is from the Norse Havard, and
has the same origin as Howard.
HAULEY, from La Haulle in Normandy. We do not find
the name before the twelfth century, when Warin de Haulla
held a barony of eight fees in Devon. In Dartmouth Church
is a brass of a Hawley, a merchant (1408), possibly the origin
of the name Holley.
HAUTENEY in Leland, Hauteyn. Godwin Haldein held
in Norfolk (Domesday), but his personal name is Saxon,
and Haldein stands for Halfdan. He held the lordship of
Gratyngton in the time of the Conqueror, and was not only
permitted to retain it, but received a grant of three other
manors after the Conquest. This looks much as if Godwin
had been a traitor to his King and country, and had fought
under the banner of the Bastard adventurer. It is curious to
note the transformation of the name Halfdan or Haldane
into Hautein and Hauteney by a Norman scribe. The name
is now represented by Haldane : the Norman scribe supposed
it meant a turn-up nose.
HAUTEVILLE. In Domesday, Ralph de Hauteville held a
barony in Wilts.
HERNOUR, not heard of before 1324.
HERCY, from Hericy in Normandy; not noticed in
Domesday.
HERON, from a place of that name near Rouen. Tihel de
Heroun held lands in Essex (Domesday). The name survives
both in the original form of Heron and as Herne. I remember
a nurse of the latter name.
HERYCE. The family of Herice is supposed to descend
from a son of the Count of Vendome, but no evidence is
forthcoming other than the bearing of his allusive arms,
three "herissons," or hedgehogs, which still appear in the
coats of the Earls of Malmesbury and Lord Herries. But
the Earls of Malmesbury derived from a William Harris, an
inhabitant of Salisbury in 1469. I dare say a good many
22:; p
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Harrises would like to be supposed to derive from the com-
panion of the Conqueror, Robert, named in Domesday. The
name has become Hersee, Herries.
HOWELL, a possible companion of Alan the Red, Duke of
Brittany, but probably the same as the family of Le Tourneur,
near Vire.
HURELL. The name Haurell or Harell is found in Nor-
mandy, but not in England, before the latter part of the
twelfth century.
JARDINE. The first of that name on record is found in
Scotland before 1153. In England there have been Gardens
from the end of the twelfth century.
JAY or GAI, not in Domesday, but the name is found in
the first half of the twelfth century. Probably a descriptive
appellation. The modern form of the name is Gaye and
Jaye.
KANCEIS in Leland's list is really Chauncy, from Canci,
near Amiens. An Anschar de Canci is found to have
flourished in the reign of Henry I. The name has continued
not only as Chawncey, but also as Chance.
REVELERS, from Cauville, in Seine- Inferieure.
KYRIEL stands for Criol. Robert, youngest son of Robert,
Count of Eu, obtained from him Criol, near Eu. He held
Ashburnham of his kinsman, the Count of Eu. The name
became Creale and Crole, Curlle and Kyrle.
LACY, from Lassy, in the arrondissement of Vire. Walter
and Ilbert de Lassi took part in the Conquest of England.
Roger de Lassi, son of Walter, held 100 manors in five
counties.
LASSELS in Leland, Lascels. Picot Lascels was a vassal
of Alan Fergeant, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond,
and he held lands under the Earl in Yorkshire.
LATYMER, an interpreter ; not uncommon.
LA MUILE in Leland is none other than Moels or Meules.
Baldwin de Moels from Meulles, near Orbec, arrondisse-
ment of Lisieux had estates in Devonshire filling eleven
columns in Domesday. A hairdresser in Launceston bears
the name of Mules.
226
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
LEVETOT in Leland, Levecote. From Levetot in Lower
Normandy. Not in Domesday, but shortly after.
LIFFARD, a misreading for Oliffard.
LIOF ET LIMERS, another misreading or misprint. Liof
was a Saxon who held under Edward the Confessor.
LISOURS, from the Lisiere, or verge of the Forest of Lyons,
a favourite hunting ground for the Dukes of Normandy.
Fulk de Lisours attended William to England, and was
given Sprotburgh.
LONGCHAMP, not in Domesday, but appears under
Henry I., when Hugh de Longchamps was granted the
Manor of Wilton in Herefordshire. An interpolation.
LONGESPEE. Longsword held in Norfolk (Domesday).
A mere nickname ; possibly enough an interpolation for
the bastard son of Henry II. and the fair Rosamond.
LONGVAL and LONGVILLE, perhaps the same, a branch
of the House of Giffard, Barons of Longueville and Bolbec,
near Dieppe. The name Longville still exists in England.
Leland gives also Longvillers.
LORING, for Lorraine ; a native of that province. The
name Lovering exists. I had a cook so named.
LOVEDAY, from Louday, near Toulouse. An interpolation,
as the family can have come to England only at the time of
the English occupation of Aquitaine. It is also not heard of
before the thirteenth century in England.
LOVELL, a name, "the Wolfing," given to Aseline de
Breherval, who became Lord of Castle Gary in England.
He received the nickname on account of his ferocious
character.
LOUVAIN in Leland, Lovein. An adventurer from Louvain
in Flanders. Twice in Leland ; possibly from Louveny, or
Louvigny, near Bernay.
LOVERAC held an estate in Wiltshire after the Conquest ;
changed to Loveries.
LOWNEY, from Launai in Normandy. Not found in
England till about the reign of Edward III. Modern form
of the name, Luny t that of a charming seascape-painter in
Devonshire.
227 p 2
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
LUCY, from a place of that name near Rouen. The
Lucys performed the office of Castle Guard at Dover for
seven knight's-fees in Kent, Norfolk, and Suffolk. The
name remains in its original form, and as Luce, a. yeoman
name in Devon.
LYMESAY, from a place of that name in the Pays de Caux,
near Pasilly. The ancestor of the Lindsays.
MALHERMER should be Monthermer. An interpolation.
The name first occurs in 1296, when Ralph de Monthermer,
" a plain esquire," made a love-match with Joan, daughter
of Edward I. He was summoned to Parliament as Earl of
Gloucester and Hereford jure uxoris in 1299.
MAINARD, an under-tenant in Essex and Lincolnshire,
but the name occurs as holding in Wilts, Hants, and Norfolk,
in the reign of Edward the Confessor. It is a Teutonic
name, Meginhard, and he has no right to appear as one of
William's assistants at Hastings, unless, indeed, he were a
traitor. Now Maynard.
MAINGUN is a misreading for Mayenne. Judael de
Mayenne had a vast barony in Devon (Domesday) ; Geoffrey
de Mayenne is named by Wace. Now Maine and Mayne.
MALEBURGH, for Merleberge. A great Baron in 1086 ; had
been a landowner in England previous to the Conquest.
He was certainly one of Edward the Confessor's Norman
favourites, and after the Conquest he was not dispossessed,
but was given lands that had belonged to Harold. The
name became Maleberg and Malborough.
MALEBOUCHE, a nickname for a foul-mouthed fellow.
There are plenty of the kind now, but not descendants.
MALEBYS, a nickname for Mal-bte. In Latin it is Mala
bestia. The name occurs in England in 1142. Richard
Malbysse, or " Ricardus vero agnomine Mala Bestia," says
William of Newburgh, bears the blame of having, with two
others, instigated the massacre of the Jews of York in 1189.
The name became Malby.
MALET, a great favourite with the Conqueror, who
appointed William Malet to hold his newly-built castle in
York.
228
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
MALCAKE. The name occurs as Maletoc in r^ 11 ? 8 *" He
King Stephen. 1ft ss than
MALMAYNE, a bad-hand ; a nickname. s anc *
MALVILLE, from a barony in the Pays de Caux. Willil an
de Malavilla appears in Domesday as holding lands in
Suffolk. Hence the Scottish Melville.
MANGEL, a native of Le Mans. Wace mentions a con-
tingent thence.
MANDEVILLE, for Magnaville, from a place near Creuilly.
Geoffrey, Sire de Magnaville, is mentioned by Wace, and was
given estates in many counties. Hence Manville.
MANGYSIR, for Mont Gissart. Nothing known of the
family.
MANNERS, properly Myners, from Mesnieres, near Rouen.
Richard de Manieres came to England with the Conqueror,
and held under Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, land in Kent and
Surrey (Domesday).
MARNY, formerly De Marreiny, from a fief in Normandy.
The first mentioned is William de Marney, in 1166, who
held a knight's-fee in Essex.
MARTIN, Sire of Tour, near Bayeux. Came over with
the Bastard in 1066, and conquered the territory of Kemys
in Pembrokeshire, which was erected into a palatine
barony.
MASEY, from May, near Coutances. In 1086 Hugh de
Maci held lands in Huntingdonshire (Domesday), and Hamo
de Maci nine manors of Hugh Lupus in Cheshire. The
name remains as Massey.
MAULE, from a town of that name in the Vexin Fra^ais.
Guarin de Maule came over with the Conqueror, and
received the Manor of Hatton and some other lands in
Cleveland. 1 The name remains not only in its original
form, but perhaps also as Moll.
MAULAY, de Malo Lacu. The first who came over to
England was Peter de Maulay, a Poitevin, brought here by
King John, who employed him to murder his nephew
Arthur. In reward for this he was given in marriage the
1 Ordericus Vitalis gives an account of this family (v. 19).
229
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
,. J Doncaster, who brought him the barony of
JLU CYj
Luc y?jCLERK, MAUCOVENANT, MAUFE, MAULOVEL, MAURE-
5e X&DE (for regarde), MAUTALENT, MAUVOISIN, are all nick-
names the bad clerk, the bad covenant, bad faith, the bad
young wolf, the evil eye, bad talent, bad neighbour not
likely to be passed on as surnames. De Mauney is, however,
not bad nose, but a place-name ; more of this presently.
MAUDIT might have been supposed to have been the name
given to one excommunicated, but it was not so ; it was from
a place, Mauduit, near Nantes. Geoffrey Maudet held lands
in Wiltshire, and his brother William also in Hampshire
(Domesday). The name has been shortened into Maude.
MAULEVRIER or MALEVRIER, from a place near Rouen.
Helto de Mauleverer held lands in Kent (Domesday).
MENYLE, for Menesville, or Mesnil, near Grandmesnil, in
the arrondissement of Lisieux. Hugh de Grand-Mesnil
fought bravely at Hastings, says Wace. He " was that day
in great peril ; his horse ran away with him so that he was
near falling, for in leaping over a bank the bridle-rein broke,
and the horse plunged forward. The English, seeing him,
ran to meet him with their axes raised, but the horse took
fright, and, turning quickly round, brought him safe back
again." He was created Count of Leicestershire and
Hampshire. The name remains as Meynell.
MERKINGFEL, not a Norman name, nor heard of till 1309,
and then in Yorkshire.
MOWBRAY, from the Castle of Molbrai, near St. L6, in the
Cotentin. Three of the family were in the Conqueror's
train. Robert, Earl of Northumberland, was the son of
one of these ; he was thrown into a dungeon by William
Rufus, where he lingered for thirty-four years, and his
newly- wedded wife, Maud de 1'Aigle, was married to Nigel
de Albini ; and Nigel's eldest son, Roger, by King Henry's
command, assumed the name of Mowbray, and from him
the later Mowbrays are descended.
MOHUN in Leland Mooun. From Moion, near St. L6 in
Normandy. Wace tells us that "Old William de Moion had
230
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
with him many companions at the Battle of Hastings." He
was rewarded for his services by the grant of not less than
fifty-five manors in Somerset, besides two in Wilts and
Dorset. The name remains nearer to the early spelling than
Mohun, as Moon, which is that of a music-seller in Plymouth.
MONCEAUX, " le Sire de Monceals " of Wace. The place
is south-east of Bayeux. Became a famous family in Sussex,
and gave benefactions to Battle Abbey ; the name remains
corrupted into Monseer. In Leland the name is Monceus.
MONTAIGUE, from a place of the name in the arrondisse-
ment of Coutances. Two of the name appear in Domesday,
both richly endowed, but of these one left no heir. Drogo
de Montaigue came in the train of the Earl of Mortaine.
MONTBURGH, from Montebourg, in the Cotentin, which at
the time of the Conquest was held by Duke William himself.
MONTFEY, for Montbrai, arrondissement of St. L6. Giffard
de Montbrai attended the Conqueror to England. Name is
not in Domesday. Now Mumfey.
MONTFICHET, from Montfiquet, arrondissement of Bayeux.
Not in Domesday as such, but as Robert Guernon, Baron
of Montfiquet, who held a barony in Essex in 1086. The
name is found in later times as Fichett, and I notice in a
newspaper of January 22, 1909, the death of a Mrs. Amelia
Fidgett, of Mistley, Essex, who died in her I04th year.
MONTFORT, from a place on the Rille, near Brionne,
arrondissement of Pont Audemer. Hugh, says Wace,
was one of the four knights who mutilated the body of
Harold after the battle ; he received a barony of 113
English manors. The name remained on as Mountford and
Mmnford.
MONTCHESNEY. Hubert de Monte Canisi held a barony in
Suffolk (Domesday). The name may remain as Chesney.
MONTIGNY, not in Domesday, but Robert de Mounteney is
found estated in Norfolk in 1161.
MONTPINSON, from Montpingon near Evreux. Ralph de
Montpin9on was " Dapifer " to the Conqueror, as Ordericus
tells us. The name became in England Mompesson. 1
1 Ordericus gives an account of this family (v. 17).
231
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
MONTREVEL, not in Domesday ; from Montreuil.
MONTSOREL, from Montsoreau on the Loire. The name
first occurs in 1165. There is a Mountsorel in Leicester-
shire that had estates in it that belonged to the Earl of
Chester. Perhaps Mounsell.
MONTRAVERS or MALTRAVERS, not named in Domesday,
but occurs in the reign of Henry I. The name has been
made odious through John, Lord Maltravers, who murdered
Edward II. with terrible cruelty. We have the name still
as Maltravers.
MORLEY. The name does not occur till the reign of
Henry I. ; probably from Morlaix in Brittany, and the first
who came over was a retainer of Alan Fergeant. The name
is given again by Leland as Merley.
MORTAINE. Robert, Earl of Mortaine, was the son of
Herluin de Couteville, who married Harleva, the cast-off
mistress of Duke Robert, and consequently was uterine
brother of the Conqueror. When William became Duke of
Normandy, he lost no opportunity of raising his kinsfolk
from their humble estate, to the disgust and indignation of
his nobles, and above all of his relatives on the side of his
father. Robert was rewarded for his services in the Conquest
of England by being given the whole of Cornwall, comprising
248 manors, 52 in Sussex, 75 in Devon, 10 in Suffolk, 29 in
Buckinghamshire, 99 in Northamptonshire, 196 in Yorkshire,
besides others in other counties. The name in England has
become Morton, but all Mortons do not derive from him, as
there are places named Morton in England that have given
appellations to individuals issuing from them.
MORRICE, a Christian name.
MORTIMER, de Mortuo Mari. From Mortemer, in the Pays
de Caux. Roger de Mortemer furnished forty vessels for the
invading fleet. He was too old himself to join the expedi-
tion, but he sent his son Ralph, the founder of the splendid
English lineage that conveyed to the House of York its title
to the Crown. The name still continues. I had an under-
mason working for me some years ago, a singularly handsome
man, of the name of Mortimer.
232
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
MORTIVAUX or MORTIVAL. The name does not occur
before the reign of King John. The name has gone through
various forms, one being Morteville.
MORVILLE, from a castle of that name in the Cotentin.
The first named is Hugh de Morville, the founder of the
English house in 1158. He was one of the four knights
who went from Normandy to slay Thomas a Becket. The
family obtained a high position in the North. It became
of great account in Scotland. This is certainly an inter-
polation. The name in Scotland became Marvell.
MOUNCY, from Monchy, near Arras. Drogo de Money
came to England in 1066, and was in Palestine in 1096.
In 1299 Walter de Money was summoned to Parliament as
a Baron. The name remains as Mounce. Some of the name
occupied a cottage belonging to my father. They were
notorious poachers, and lived on what they caught, and stole
their firing. At last one of them, a youth, was caught
"robbing hen-roosts," like some of his betters,'and was con-
victed and sent to prison. On leaving, he came to my
father with the request that as a magistrate he would send
him back to prison, as " it was the only place where he had
been treated as a gentleman." Was he a descendant of the
Crusader ? Also Mounsey.
MOYNE, in Leland's copy Maoun (i.e., Monk). The family
is found at Owers in Dorset in the reign of Henry I. The
Monks, ancestors of the Duke of Albemarle, are found seated
at Potheridge in Devonshire as early as the reign of
Edward I. Monk is still a name not uncommon in Devon.
There is a baker and confectioner so called at Tavistock.
MOVET, MAUFE. The name does not occur before 1165.
MUSARD. Asculphus Musard held a great barony. Enisard
and Hugh Musard are also named in Domesday. A nick-
name signifying a loafer or loiterer. It has become in later
times Mussard.
MUSE. The name does not occur in England till the end
of the twelfth century. It is probably a nickname from an
expression used in hunting.
MUSSET, a name from the bag-pipes the man played.
233
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Leland gives Muschet. Not mentioned in Domesday. Prob-
ably only the piper that played before William. The name
remains.
MUSTEYS, for Moutiers. Robert de Mosters was a tenant
of Earl Alan, of Richmond and Brittany, in Yorkshire in
1086. There are several Moutiers or monasteries in Nor-
mandy, whence the name may have come. The name
remains as Musters.
MUSEGROS, from Mucegros, near Ecouen, was a tenant-in-
chief in Herefordshire (Domesday). The ancestor of the
Musgraves, Musgroves.
MYRIEL does not occur till the end of the twelfth century.
The name is probably an interpolation. Now Murrell.
NAIRMERE, perhaps for Nemours Hubert de Nemors
was a tenant in Dorset, and William de Nemors an under-
tenant in Suffolk (Domesday).
NENERS. In the reign of Henry I., Robert Nernoit is
met with. The name also occurs as Nermitz.
NEREVILLE in Leland seems to be a copyist's mistake
for Oirval, south-west of Coutances, the men of which place
are mentioned as being at Hastings.
NEVILLE, from Neuville-sur-Touque. The first who came
to England was Gilbert de Nevill, but he is not named in
Domesday. The family was early estated in Lincoln, but
by marriage with an heiress moved into the North. This
line died out sans male issue, and the lands of the heiress
passed to a Saxon husband, and with the lands the Norman
name was assumed.
NEWBET or NERBET. The name occurs first in Gloucester-
shire, where William de Nerbert in 1165 held four knight's-
fees of the Earl of Gloucester. The name has become Newbert.
NEWBURGH, from Neufbourg in Normandy. Henry de
Newburgh obtained the earldom of Warwick, his brother
Robert that of Leicester. The name became Newburrow.
NEWMARCH, from the castle of Neumarche in Normandy.
Bernard Newmarch was one of the Conqueror's companions-
at-arms, and obtained as his share of the spoil a Welsh
principality won by his own good sword.
234
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
NOVERS, for Noyers. William de Noiers, or Nuers, was
an under-tenant in Norfolk (Domesday), where he had the
custody of thirty-three of the Conqueror's manors.
OLIFARD, not heard of before 1130, when two, Hugh and
William, occur in Hampshire and Northamptonshire. It
appears in Scotland under David I., 1165. The name there
becomes Oliphant. Possibly Lifford derives from Olifard.
ONATULLE is probably a misreading of Osseville, from
Osseville in Normandy. The name does not occur till
after 1190.
PAGANEL or PAINELL, a great baronial family in Nor-
mandy. The name was probably given to the original
Norman founder of the family, who came over with Rollo
and obstinately refused to be baptized. So he was called
the Pagan, and possibly his sons and grandsons were poor
Christians, if Christians at all, so that the name of Pagan
adhered to the family. It still remains as Payne and
Pennell. Other derivations shall be mentioned later.
PAIFRER appears in Domesday as Paisfor, Paisforere, and
Pastforcire, once a considerable name in Kent.
PAITENY. The name does not occur till the reign of
Edward I.
PAVILLY, from a place near Rouen; not in Domesday.
Name occurs in the reign of Henry I. The family died out
in the tenth century.
PAVILLON, from Pavelion, near Mantes. Appears as
Papelion, witness to the charter of William the Conqueror
to the Church of Durham, and was present at a Council at
Westminster in 1082. Now Papillon, but this is a later
Huguenot importation.
PECHE. This nickname of a " man of sin " occurs in
Domesday. William Pecatum was an under-tenant in
Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. The name may have been
altered to Beach and Beachy. It has also been found as
Peach and Peachy.
PERCY, from Perci, a fief near Villedieu near Caen.
William de Perci was a tenant of the Duke of Normandy.
He and Serlo de Perci came over in the time of the
235
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Conqueror, but neither of them is mentioned as having been
present at Hastings.
PERECHAY. Ralph de Perechaie is named as a tenant-in-
chief in Berkshire (Domesday). The name comes very near
to Percy. I knew some few years ago a taverner on Dart-
moor whose name as spelled over his door was Purcay.
PEROT, for Pierrot, Peterkin. Peret the Forester occurs
in Domesday as a Hampshire Baron, but nothing can be
concluded from this. Sir John Perrott, Deputy-Governor of
Ireland, was an illegitimate son of Henry VIII. He got
into trouble with Elizabeth, whom he treated with imperti-
nence. The name still exists. It is that of the well-known
family of guides to Dartmoor, living at Chagford.
PERRERS, from Periers, near Evreux. Not in Domesday,
but the name found in 1156. Alice Perrers of this family
was mistress of, and then wife to, Edward III. She after-
wards married Lord Windsor. Another family of entirely
different origin, derived from Periers in Brittany, is now
represented by Perry in Devonshire. It was seated in Devon
in 1307. Now a worthy yeoman family.
PERERIS is probably a mistake for Praeres, or Praers now
Preaux. There was a barony of the name in the arron-
dissement of Rouen. Probably some Priors and Pryors
derive hence, and not from a Prior who abandoned his
vocation.
PEVERELL, given twice in the list. The name is not
territorial. It is rendered in Latin Piperellus. William
Peverell was reputed to be the son of the Conqueror by a
Saxon lady, daughter of Ingelric, whom he gave in marriage
to Ralph Peverell. Both Ralph and William Peverell are
found as chief tenants in Domesday. William had a barony
of 1 60 manors. The complaisant Ralph was rewarded with
sixty-four knight's fees.
PICARD, from Picardy, occurs twice.
PIERREPONT, from a place of that name near St. Sauveur,
in the Cotentin. Three brothers of that name occur as
under-tenants in Domesday.
PINKNEY, from Pincquigny, a town in Picardy, not far
236
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
from Amiens. Ansculph was created Viscount of Surrey,
and his son was William Ansculph, one of the great land-
owners of Domesday. From two passages in that record
we learn that their name was de Pinchingi.
PLACY, an interpolation. The family descends from John
de Placetis, a domestic servant of Henry III., who obtained
the favour of his weak master, and became Earl of Warwick
on marrying Margaret de Newburgh, much against her will,
but at the command of the King.
PLAYCE or Du PLAIZ. The family was enfeoffed after the
Conquest by Earl Warren. The name remains as Place
and Plaice.
PLUNKET, from Plouquenet, near Rennes. Not in Domes-
day, but occurs in 1158.
POWER, from Poher in Brittany, a county of which
Carhaix was capital ; properly Poucaer. Pou is the Latin
Pagus. A branch settled in Devon in 1066 with Alured de
Mayenne.
POINZ or DE PONS, the ancestor of the Cliffords ; from
Pons, in the Saintonge. Pons had four sons who went to
England, of whom Drogo FitzPonce and Walter Fitz-
Ponce held important baronies (Domesday). The younger
brothers were ancestors of the Veseys and Burghs. The
name is still to be found as Bounce and Bunce. I remember
a poor, humble-minded servant-lad of that name, who for
aught one knows may have been as true a descendant of the
Lords of Pons as any Clifford, de Burgh, or Vesey.
PUNCHARDON, from Pontcardon in Normandy. Robert
de Pontcardon held lands in Devon in 1080. William de
Pontcardon held six fees in Somerset and Devon in 1165.
Now Punchard, Pinchard.
PUGOYS, a probable interpolation. It has been pretended
that Ogier de Pugoys came over with the Conqueror, and
was given the Manor of Bedingfield in Suffolk, and that his
descendants assumed the name of Bedingfield. Mr. Free-
man throws discredit on this descent. " It is patched up
by a deed of which I have a copy before me, and which is
plainly one of a class of deeds which were invented to make
23?
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
out a pedigree." The name is from Puchay, near Evreux.
In England it became Poggis and Boggis.
PUTEREL. One of the charters of Hugh Lupus, Earl of
Chester, names Robert Putrel. Possibly the name may
have become Botrell.
PYGOT or PIGGOT. The name Picot occurs seven times in
Domesday. It was a personal or nickname. The name is
a diminutive of Pygge, a girl.
QUERRU, probably for Carew, and consequently an inter-
polation.
QUINCY, from Quinci in Maine. Richard de Quincy was
companion-in-arms of the Conqueror, and received from him
Bushby in Northamptonshire.
REYNEVILLE, a mistake, either of copyist or of printer, for
Roudeville, now Rouville, near Gisors. Not in Domesday,
nor does the name occur in England till the thirteenth
century.
RIDELL, descended from the Counts of Angoulme. The
surname was first assumed by Geoffrey, the second son of
Count Geoffrey, in 1048. He had two sons ; the second, of
the same name as himself, came to England along with
William Bigod. He is mentioned in Domesday as receiving
large grants of land, and he also succeeded to his father's
barony in Guienne. The next in succession was drowned in
the White Ship, leaving only a daughter, who married Richard
Basset ; and their son Geoffrey retained the name of Basset,
but the second continued that of Ridell. Not to be con-
founded with the Ridells, descended from the De Ridales, so
called from a district in Yorkshire.
RIPERE, from Rupierre, near Caen. William de Rupierre,
who came to England with the Conqueror, is mentioned by
Ordericus. The name has become Rooper, Roope, and Roper,
when this latter does not signify a cordwainer.
RIVERS, from Reviers, near Creulli, in the arrondissement
of Caen, named by Wace. Richard de Reviers held a barony
in Dorset in 1086 (Domesday). He was granted the Castle
of Plympton, and was created Earl of Devon. Usually
called Redvers.
238
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
ROCHELLE, called by Leland " Rokel "; from Rochelle, in
the Cotentin. Not in Domesday, nor heard of before the
reign of Henry II.
Ros. Five of the name are entered in Domesday, deriving
their name from the parish of Ros, two miles from Caen.
The name has become Rose.
ROSCELYN, not in Domesday.
ROSEL, for Russell; from the lordship of Rosel, in the
Cotentin. In Domesday, Hugh de Rosel appears as holding
lands in Dorset as Marshal of the Buttery in England, so
that he was one of the flunkey nobles. The fortunes of the
family were made under Henry VIII., whom the then
Russell served unscrupulously, and was nicknamed the
King's Firescreen. He was richly rewarded with Church
lands.
RUGETIUS, not to be identified.
RYE, from a place of that name north of Bayeux. Herbert
de Rie in 1047 saved the life of William, the future Conquerer
of England, when flying from the conspirators of the Cotentin.
He died before 1066, but his sons are entered in Domesday.
The name remains.
RYVEL, for Rouville or Runeville. Goisrfed de Ryvel held
lands in Herts in 1086 (Domesday).
RYSERS, for Richer. The name does not occur before the
end of the thirteenth century.
ST. AMANDE, in the Cotentin. Not in Domesday. Almeric
de St. Amande witnessed a charter of Henry II. in 1172.
ST. AMARY, not identified, but probably a mistake for
Amaury.
ST. BARBE. In Normandy a town and two villages bear
the name of St. Barbara. Not in Domesday. William de
St. Barbe was Dean of York, and elected Bishop of Durham
in 1143. A family of Saintbarbe was in Somerset, tenants
of Glastonbury, in the thirteenth century.
ST. CLERE, from a place of that name in the arrondisse-
ment of Pont 1'Eveque. " This Norman village has bestowed
its name upon a Scottish family, an English town, an Irish
county, a Cambridge college, a royal dukedom, and a King-
239
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
at-Arms " (I. Taylor). The Sieur de St. Clair is named by
Wace as at the Battle of Hastings. This was Richard de
St. Clair, who had lands in Suffolk (Domesday). His
brother Britel held lands in Somerset (ibid.). Now Sinclere
or Sinclair.
SALAWYN. Joceus le Flamangh i.e., the Fleming came
to England with the Conqueror, and held a third part of a
knight's-fee in Cukeney, Nottinghamshire, and two plough-
lands of the King by the service of shoeing the King's
palfrey; in fact, he was a farrier. His brother, Ralph le
Silvan of Woodhouse, was ancestor of the Silvans or Salvins
of Woodhouse. They took the name from the fact of living
in Sherwood Forest. The name remains as Salvin and
Salvyn.
SANDFORD. Gerard de Tornai i.e., Tournay held Sand-
ford in Shropshire, under Earl Roger, and the family took
the name from the place.
SAUVAY, not met with till the reign of Edward I.
SAUNZAVER or SANS- AVOIR, the poverty-stricken. Matthew
Paris mentions a Walter Sansavoir in the annals of 1096.
But the first Sansaver met with in England is in Devon in
1165.
SANSPEUR or SAUNSPOUR, a nickname.
SAGEVILLE, from a place of that name in the Isle de
France. Richard de Sacheville occurs as holding lands in
Essex in 1086. Sackville is the modern form.
SAYE, mentioned by Wace. From Say, nine miles to the
west of Eximes, the chief place of the viscounty of Roger de
Montgomery in Normandy. Picot de Say is named in
Domesday.
SESSE, from Seez, on the Arne, in Normandy. The name
not met with before 1130.
SENGRYN or SEGUIN, not in Domesday, and not met with
before the reign of Edward I. In 1273 it became Segin,
now Seekins and Sequin.
SOLERS, from Soliers, near Caen. Two of the family are
met with in Domesday.
SOMEROY, entered twice by Leland. From Someneri,
240
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
near Rouen. William de Someri held lands in Sussex in
the reign of Henry I. The name got in time contracted to
Somers.
SORELL, not met with before the reign of Henry II.
Now Sarell and Serle and Searle, the Norman Serlo, a
personal name.
SUYLLY. Raymond de Sully in the time of William Rufus
went with Robert FitzHamon to the conquest of Glamorgan,
and was one of the twelve knights that shared the territory
they had helped to win. The name is now met with as
Soley. I see Sulky on many coal-trucks.
SOULES, from a place of that name near St. L6. The
men of Sole are mentioned by Wace at Hastings, " striking
at close quarters, and holding their shields over their heads
so as to receive the blows of the hatchet." The family was
in early times powerful in Scotland, where it gave its name
to the barony of Soulistown, now Saltoun, in East Lothian.
SOVERENY, not accounted for.
SURDEVAL. Richard de Surdeval in 1086 was one of the
tenants of the Earl of Mortaine in Yorkshire, holding of him
180 manors. Now Sordwell.
TAKEL or TACHEL, first heard of in 1165, when Simon
Tachel held a knight's-fee of Roger de Moubray in York-
shire. Now Tackle.
TALBOT. William Talbot came to England in 1066, and
had two sons, Richard and Godfrey, who are mentioned as
under-tenants in Essex and Bedfordshire (Domesday). A
nickname.
TALLY perhaps stands for Tilly. From the castle and
barony of Tilly, near Caen. Ralph de Tilly held lands in
Devon (Domesday). The name of Tilly remains, but it also
signified a labourer.
TANY, from Tani in Normandy. Robert de Tani held
a barony in Essex (Domesday).
TAY and THAYS are probably the same. Derived from a
certain Baldric Teutonicus. He was called later De Tyas,
and was seated in Yorkshire, Essex, and many other
counties. The motto of the family was Tays en temps
241 Q
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
(Know when to hold your tongue). Robert Tay, who was
engaged in the Wars of the Roses, had a variant of this :
" Not to be hanged for talking."
TARTERAY in Leland's list is a misreading or a misprint
for Carteray, the ancestor of the Carterets.
THORNY, from Tornai in Normandy. Giraud de Torni
received eighteen manors from Earl Roger de Montgomeri.
TIBOL, probably for Tilliol, from a place so named near
Rouen. Humfrey de Tilleul was the first castellan of the
new castle erected at Hastings.
TINGEY, not to be identified.
TINEL. Thurstan Tinel and his wife appear in Domesday
as under-tenants in Kent.
TIPITOT, from Thiboutot, in the Pays de Caux. The name
does not occur in England till 1165. It got corrupted to
Tiptoft.
TISOUN, a nickname. From tison, a badger ; now Tyson.
The family was so called from the knack they had of laying
hold with their claws of all that came in their way and
appropriating it. Gilbert Tison, or Tesson, had a barony in
York, Notts, and Lincoln (Domesday).
TOURYS. Odo de Turri had large possessions in Warwick-
shire in the reign of Henry I., at Thoresby. This is curious,
that he should have settled at a place with a name so
similar to his own. The name Torre is still extant in
Yorkshire.
TREGOZ, from a castle of that name in the arrondissement
of St. L6. A Tregoz was in the Conqueror's host, and is
praised by Wace for his bravery : " He killed two English-
men, smiting the one through with his lance and braining
the other with his sword." No mention of the family in
Domesday, and not as of much possessions till the reign of
King Stephen.
TRACY. It is uncertain whether Tracy is intended in the
entry in Leland. He gives " Graunson et Tracy," and, in
accordance with the system adopted in the roll, the name
should be Gracy. The Sire de Traci was, however, accord-
ing to Wace, in the Battle of Hastings. The family does
242
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
not appear to have been of much importance in England
before the time of Stephen, who bestowed upon Henry de
Tracy the Honour of Barnstaple. William de Tracy, one of
the murderers of Thomas a Becket, had extensive estates in
Devonshire and Gloucestershire.
TRAVILLE, not identified.
TREVILLE, same as Treilly, from a castle in Manche.
The name occurs in England in the twelfth century. Now
Treble.
TRUSSEL. The name does not occur in England till the
twelfth century.
ST. CLOYES, not identified.
ST. JOHN, from St. Jean-le-Thomas, near Avranches. The
men of St. Johan are spoken of at Hastings by Wace. Not
named in Domesday, but in the reign of William Rufus
John de St. John was one of the twelve knights that invaded
Glamorgan along with Robert FitzHamon. The name
remains.
ST. JORY, not identified ; perhaps now Jury, unless from
residence in the Jewry, or Jews' quarter, in a town.
ST. LEGER, from a place of that name near Avranches.
Robert de St. Leger was estated in Sussex (Domesday).
ST. LEO or ST. L6, from a place near Coutances ; a barony.
Simon de St. Laud had grants at the Conquest.
ST. MARTIN, not in Domesday, but Roger de St. Martin
was Lord of Hampton, Norfolk, in the reign of Henry I.
ST. MAUR, from a place of that name near Avranches.
Wido de St. Maur came to England in 1066, but died before
Domesday was compiled. His son, William FitzWido, held
a barony in Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire, and
ten manors in Somerset. The name became Seamore and
Seymour. But see what is said on that name in the chapter
on Trade-names.
ST. OMER, in Leland's list St. Thomer. A branch of the
house of the Barons of Bethune. Not in Domesday, but
William castellan of St. Omer is mentioned in the reign of
Henry I. The name is found now as Stomer.
ST. PHILIBERT in Leland, Felebert. From St. Philibert,
243 Q 2
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
in the arrondisement of Pont Audemer. Not in Domesday,
but occurs in 1213 ; a baronial family.
ST. QUINTIN, from a place so called near Coutances. Hugh
de St. Quintin accompanied the Conqueror to England, and
received lands in Essex and Dorset (Domesday). Whether
the name of Quintin now found points to a descent from the
Norman St. Quintin family cannot be said.
ST. TES, for Saintes, capital of the Saintonge. An inter-
polation, as the bearer of that name must have come during
the English occupation of Guienne.
TURLEY, for Torlai or Thorley. Not named before 1272.
It may be doubted whether the Thorleys of the Middle Ages
were one quarter as well known in England as is the name
of Thorley now for providing " food for cattle."
TUCHET, from Notre Dame de Touchet, near Mortaine
in Normandy. The family was seated at Buglawton and
Tattenhall shortly after the Conquest. Sir John Touchet
married the eldest daughter and coheiress of Lord Audley
in the reign of Edward III., and the barony descended to
Sir John's son. The name is now Tuckett. There is a con-
fectioner of that name at Plymouth.
TYRELL, printed in Leland " Tyriet," but certainly a mistake
for "Tyrell." Fulk, Sieur de Guernaville and Dean of Evreux,
married a lady named Onelda, and had by her two children,
of whom the youngest Walter assumed the name of
Tyrell. He is entered in Domesday as Walter Tirelde,
tenant of Richard FitzGilbert, Lord of Clare, of whom he
held Langdon in Sussex.
UMFRAVILLE, from Amfreville, near Evreux. Robert
Umfraville, with the Beard, Lord of Tour and Vian in Nor-
mandy, had a grant from the Conqueror of the barony of
Prudhoe and the lordship of Redesdale. The name still exists.
VALENCE, from a place of that name in Normandy.
VALLONIS, for Valognes, in the Cotentin. Peter de
Valognes, or Vallonis, received from the Conqueror fifty-
seven manors, and was created Viscount of Essex.
VAVASOUR. A vavasour is the vassal of a vassal, or the
holder under a mesne-lord. But the baronial Vavasours were
244
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
descended from Sir Mauger de Vavasour, porter to William
the Conqueror. He is not to be found in Domesday, but his
grandson was a landowner in Yorkshire.
VAUX or DE VALLIBUS. Robert of that name was a sub-
tenant in Domesday, as was also Richard de Vaux. The
family rose to great distinction.
VAVILLE, properly Wiville or Guideville, held in Nor-
mandy under the Toenis. Hugh de Guidville came to
England in 1066, and held lands in Northamptonshire and
Leicester (Domesday). The name has gone through several
changes. The Woodvilles derived from this Hugh de Guid-
ville. But the name continued in the form of Wyville or
Wyvill in Yorkshire and in Cornwall. I have working for
me an under-carpenter of that name, whose son was my boot-
boy and knife-cleaner. Twice in Leland.
VENABLES, from a place between St. Pierre and Vernon
on the Seine. It was the seat of the Veneurs, or Hereditary
Huntsmen, of the Norman Dukes. Gilbert de Venables, or
Venator, was one of the Palatine Barons in Cheshire under
Hugh Lupus.
VENOUR, also a huntsman. The Grosvenour, or head-
huntsman, was the ancestor of the Grosvenor family. There
were seven Venatores mentioned in Domesday, some bearing
Saxon names ; but the ancestor of the Grosvenors was Ralph
Venator, one of the attendant Barons on Hugh Lupus, who
held Stapleford under the Earl.
VERBOIS, from a place near Rouen. The family gave
its name as Warboys to a village between Huntingdon and
Ramsey.
VERDERS, from verdier. The Verdier, or verderer, was a
judge of petty offences against the forest laws. In England
his office was to take care of the vert, a word applying to
everything that bears a green leaf within the forest that may
cover and hide a deer.
VERDON, from a fief in the arrondissement of Avranches.
Bertram de Verdon, the founder of the English house, had
Farnham Royal in Buckinghamshire of the King (Domes-
day).
245
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
VERB, from Ver, between Bayeux and Caen. Alberic de
Vere was one of the great landowners of Domesday, who
had his castle at Hedingham in Essex. His successor and
namesake was Viscount under Henry I. in no less than
eleven different counties.
VERNON, from Vernon in the arrondissement of Evreux.
Richard and Walter appear in Domesday. Richard was
one of the Barons of the palatinate of Hugh Lupus in
Cheshire, and had a castle at Shipbrook on the Wever.
VESEY, from Vassey, a fief in the Val de Vire, mentioned
by Wace as at the Battle of Hastings, under the name of
Waacee. Robert and Ivo were there present. Robert
received a great barony in Northants, Warwick, Lincoln,
and Leicester. The name remains as Vasey, Facey, Veysey,
and Voysey. In the latter form I had a labourer working for
me many years who could neither read nor write.
VEYLAND cannot be a Norman name ; it is Wayland, the
English form of the Norse Viglund.
VILLAIN. Hugh de Villana held land at Taunton under
the Bishop of Winchester. The name assumed the forms
of Villane, Velayne, and Willon.
VINON, for Vivonne, a seigneurie in Poitou. We do not
hear of the family till 1240.
VIPONT, from Vieuxpont-en-Auge, near Caen. Robert,
Lord of Vieupont, was at Hastings, and William is also
mentioned by Wace. William died the year before the
compilation of Domesday, but his son is mentioned in it,
who held Hardingstone in Northamptonshire. The name
has become Fippen and Fippon.
VUASTENEYS or GASTiNAYS, from the Gastinois, south of
Paris and east of Orleans. Goisfrid, described as "homo
Roberti de Stafford," who held large tracts of land in the
great Stafford barony, was the founder of the De Wastineys
in England.
WAGE, shall be dealt with elsewhere.
WACELAY, not traced.
WALANGAY, not traced.
WALOYS, variously spelt Le Walleys, Wallais, and
246
THE ROLL OF BATTLE ABBEY
Latinized Wallonis, means "the Welshman"; now Walsh
and Welsh, also Wallace.
WAMERVILLE, for Wannerville; not heard of before the
second half of the twelfth century.
WARDE, already mentioned under De la Ward.
WARENNE. William de Warenne, or de Garenne, fought
at Hastings, and few of the Duke's followers were as
munificently dealt with. He held the great baronies of
Castle Aire in Norfolk, Lewes in Sussex, and Coningsburgh
in Yorkshire. The last Earl Warren had during the lifetime
of his wife lived in open concubinage with Maud de Nerefort,
by whom he had a son who bore his arms and was knighted,
and inherited through his wife the Cheshire barony of
Stockport, and their descendants remained in the county
for fourteen generations. It would be unwise to assume
that all Warrens are descendants of William de Warenne.
Most, doubtless, derive their name from some warren, of
which the ancestor was warrener.
WARLEY stands for Verlai in Normandy. In 1066
Thurold de Verlai held thirteen lordships in Salop from
Earl Roger, of which Chetwynd appears to have been the
chief. But Leland enters Werlay as well as Warley. By
this Werlay he means Vesli. Humfrey de Vesli was a
vassal of Ilbert de Lacy in Yorkshire in 1086.
WATERVILLE is a mistake for Vateville on the Seine.
Three de Vatevilles are entered in Domesday : William,
who held of the King in Essex and Suffolk, etc. ; Robert,
who held in capite in Surrey with five manors in other
counties; and Richard, an under-tenant in Surrey. Now
Waterfield.
WAUNCY, for Vancy, from Vanci or Wanchy, near Neuf-
chatel in Normandy. Hugh and Osbern "de Wanceo "
each held fiefs in Suffolk in 1086.
WEMERLAY, not traced, but probably the English
Wamersley and Walmsley ; an interpolation.
247
CHAPTER XII
FRENCH NAMES : I. EARLY
THAT Whitsuntide wedding of 1152 when Henry Plantagenet
took to wife Eleanor of Guienne, the divorced wife of
Louis VII., was an event full of disaster to both England
and France. Henry II. was Lord of Anjou, Touraine, and
Maine, as well as of Normandy, with suzerainty over
Brittany; he was, moreover, King of England. By this
marriage his empire stretched from the Flemish border to
the Pyrenees, commanding the entire coast of France, with
the exception of that on the Mediterranean, which belonged
to Provence and Toulouse, covering more than half the soil
whose nominal lord paramount was Louis VII. 1
Eleanor was the daughter and heiress of William X.,
Duke of Aquitaine and Poitou. She had gone with her
husband on Crusade to the Holy Land in 1146; but there
scandal had it that she carried on an intrigue with her
uncle, Raymond I., Prince of Antioch, the handsomest man
among the soldiers of the Cross. A Council was held at
Beaugency in 1152, March 21, when the marriage with
Louis was dissolved on the convenient plea of consanguinity,
and in the ensuing May she married Henry.
A disastrous marriage to England and France alike, for
by it the kingdom of France was cut off from the ocean,
contracted within narrow bounds, and with a stricture on the
arteries of commerce. By it, for 300 years, English wealth
and English blood were drained away to be squandered on
a foreign soil.
1 Louis IX. was obliged to buy Aigues Mortes as a port on the
Mediterranean for his fleet, when in 1244 he resolved on a Crusade.
248
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
The broken soldiers of fortune from the French possessions
of England drifted to our island in quest of offices about the
Court, or came in the service of noblemen, to be rewarded
by being settled into farms and lodges on English soil.
Cooks and scullions, minstrels and porters, chamberlains
and jesters, marshals and foresters, trooped from a land
devastated and depopulated, to settle down in the green
pastures and among the flowering orchards of England.
But the tenure of all the ports of France on the Channel
and the Atlantic served to enrich England, by bringing to it
the commerce of the mainland, and merchants arrived to
display their wares, at first in booths at fairs, then to settle
permanently into shops open all the year round.
Thus it came about that into England were introduced
foreign designations of officers in Court and manor, as also
those of merchants and traders. Thus it is that side by side
we have foreign as well as English names, as Seamer and
Tailor, Fletcher and Arrowsmith, Seller and Sadler, Porcher
and Swineherd.
Undoubtedly, after Hastings, a considerable number of
cautious men, who had waited to see what would be the
results of William's venture, crossed over from Normandy
with offers of assistance to keep down the English. Those
who had come across with him were but a handful, so that
he and his successors the Red King and Henry Beauclerk
were ready enough to accept such aid, and secure such
services, without inquiring too closely as to why they had
not thrown themselves into the arms of the Bastard when
he first planned his invasion.
The inflow must have continued with little diminution
under the House of Anjou. But the caution must be made
not to assume that those arrivals bearing place-names were
Sieurs with territorial estates, or even knights. Many took
their names from the places where they had been born.
I shall add more concerning this at the close of the
chapter ; but I will now deal briefly with the French names
that have become rooted among us and have been Anglicized.
These fall into four categories : those that are personal
249
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
names adopted as patronymics ; those that are descriptive or
an office or a trade ; those that are personally descriptive ;
and, lastly, such as are place-names. The same four cate-
gories are found everywhere in Europe.
i. PERSONAL NAMES. In a good number perhaps the
majority of cases where a personal name became a family
name, it had begun as a Fitz So-and-so. But Fitz was all
very well and understandable among the Norman and French
speaking nobles and their retainers, but not among the
English dwellers on the land; and when an old servant
FitzHameln retired to a little farm or a forest lodge, and
exchanged his associates from those of the castle for those on
the land, he now shed his Fitz, and was known as Hameln.
My hind is named Hamley, and is doubtless a descendant
from such a pensioned-off retainer, who began life as French
Monsieur FitzHamelin, and ended it as Master Hamlyn.
Hammond is from Hamon, a Norman form of the Old Norse
Hamundr. Hamo Dentatus, " with the Teeth," had a son
Hamo de Crevecceur, " the Break-heart." The Haymans
of Somerfield, extinct Baronets, claimed descent from the
toothed Hamo. Whether they could prove it is another
matter, for Heyman or Hayman signifies a parish servant
for keeping the cattle from straying over the grass " heamed
up " for hay.
Jordan is from the Norman Jourdain, a Christian name
adopted after the Crusades had begun, and Crusaders re-
turned with a bottle of Jordan water, wherewith their sons
were baptized, and at the same time were called after the
river. I had a gardener once of this name perhaps, judging
by it, of Norman descent.
Drew is from the Norman name Drogo, but in some cases,
perhaps, from Dreux. Drogo, the Norman who came over
with William, was given large estates in Devonshire, where
the name remains to this day.
Emery is from Amaury, as also Merick. Oates is a name
made hateful through the iniquities of Titus Oates. The
name is from Odo. FitzOdo came over with the Conqueror.
Odo is the same as Otho or Otto, and takes as well the form
250
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
of Eudes. Odo has likewise become Ody and Hood. Robin
Hood is supposed to have been descended from FitzOtes.
There was a family named Hody (from Odo) owning much
land in Devon. Just outside the parish of Lew Trenchard
is a block of cottages on which was painted up " Little
White Spit." On consulting the map, it appeared that at
some distance was " Great White Spit." The names were
corruptions of Little Hody's Bit and Great Hody's Bit, as
those patches of land had belonged to the Hody family.
Mrs. Bar dell of " Pickwick " fame descended from a
Bardolf. Ours, the Bear, must have been accepted as
a personal name, for there was a Fitzurse, one of the
murderers of Thomas a Becket. This name has descended
to Fitzoor, then Fyshour, and to Fisher. Goatcher is from
Gautier, the French form of Walter ; Gwillim is Guillaume,
or William; Wilmot is Guillaumot, Little Billy. I had a
gardener in Yorkshire called Jaques, a French form of James.
Rolle is from Raoul, the Norman French for Rolf unless
Rolle be a place-name, De Ruelles. Ingram is Enguerand.
Fookes and Yokes and Folkes are from Folko ; Eustace and
Stacey from Eustacy ; Reynald and Rennell are Reynaud
or Reginald. Pierre has furnished us with our Pierces and
Pearces. Oger has become Odger. Lias and Lyass come from
Elias, not an uncommon name among the Normans. Arnoul
has become Arnold, and Ivo is Ivey. Raymond and Gilbert
we derive from Normandy. Gerard remains unaltered.
Mauger has been transformed into Major. In Georgeham
Church, Devon, are the monumental efBgies of Sir Mauger
de St. Albino and his lady ; he is in armour. The villagers
say that this is the tomb of Major St. Aubyn and his
" missus." Milo has become Miles. Perhaps from Guido
we have the surname Giddy. Alured is turned into Aldred.
From Thibault come the Tibbets and Tippets. There is,
however, a place named Thiboutot in the Pays de Caux, but
this place apparently takes its name from a Thibault. The
name Tibbald is not uncommon among labourers in the
neighbourhood of Colchester. Willett is from Guillot, a
diminutive of Guillaume, but we have it unaltered as the
251
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
name of one of the first manufacturers of steel pens. Aubrey
is the English of Alberic ; Fra^ois has given us Francis and
Franks; and Walkelin has supplied us with Wakling.
2. OFFICIAL AND TRADE NAMES. These have been largely
dealt with in preceding chapters, and need not here delay us
and demand repetition.
There are, however, a few that have not been included in
them that may receive notice here. Wade and Wayte may
come from Guet as well as from a ford, 1 or be employed for
a watchman ; and Way may come from gue, a ford. Baynes
and Baines may be a name given to a man in charge of a
bath, or it may come from one of the French places named
Bagnes. The Baines family has adopted canting arms
crossbones but this is a mistaken derivation. Over the
cemetery entrance in a certain place was inscribed in large
letters, " De mortuis nil nisi bonum." A father walking that
way with his son, fresh from college, asked him the meaning
of the sentence. " Oh," answered the youth, " Of the dead
nothing remains but bones."
It is interesting to note side by side men of different
nationalities pursuing the same trade, yet called by different
names, as though the Normans had employed men of their
nationality, and the English had given their custom to men
of their own. N orris is sometimes from nourice, nurse.
Lord N orris was unquestionably descended from Richard
de Norreys, the favourite cook of Eleanor de Provence, wife
of Henry III. But he may have been the son of a nurse.
And beside the French Norris we have also the English sur-
name Nourse. Salt- workers employed by the Norman French
were Sauniers whence the surname Sawner whereas the
English got the condiment from native Salters.
It would appear as if in some instances the Normans
brought their serfs over with them, perhaps for the nonce to
serve as fighting men, and then rewarded them with a farm,
and they retained the designation of the office they held in
Normandy. So can one explain the presence among us of
Porchers : a swineherd would be a Swineherd to the English
1 William atte Wayte was Vicar of Shebbeare, 1356.
252
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
villagers ; set down in their midst as a small farmer, called
by his fellow- Nor mans " Jean le Porcher," he would acquire
among the natives the name of Jan Porcher.
To what a large extent the foreigner must have usurped
the higher branches of trade and commerce may be seen by
the introduction of the word and name of Merchant, and the
sinking of that of Monger. It is only the ironmonger, and
the costermonger who hawks his wares from door to door,
and the fishmonger, and a few other smaller tradesmen, who
retain the good old Saxon designation. All the higher class
of tradesmen, in deeds and in registers, write themselves
" merchants." The greatest term of contempt that can be
given to a dog is that it is a mongrel a small tradesman,
a half-breed.
3. PERSONALLY DESCRIPTIVE NAMES. These can have
been accepted by the family only if complimentary, or be-
cause misunderstood, when an old foreign retainer or man-at-
arms went to end his days in the village among farmers and
villeins, talking to them in broken English. They had heard
him spoken of at the hall as Phillipot, or as Fouille-au-pot.
It mattered nothing to them whether he were called by his
fellow Frenchmen Little Phil, or the scullion, and they
called him and his family Philpotts. From the same source
we have Willard, or gueulard, a brawler ; Mordaunt, one
biting or sarcastic ; Mutton, a sheep ; Patey, from pateux, an
adhesive person one such as was Benedict, according to
Beatrice : " He will hang upon him like a disease ; he is
sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker presently
runs mad." Prouse, or Prouze, from preux, chivalrous ; Sale,
dirty j 1 Capron and Capern, one wearing a short cloak. An
old servant who had set up a tavern outside a town called
it his " Guinguette," and thence obtained the surname of
Wingate.
Racket is either the man with the little axe, or else the
name comes from a residence near a wicket-gate. Le Neveu
became Le Neave, and then Neave. Le Beaufils was shortened
1 But the surname Sayles may signify one living by the sqy/es, or
palisading, of a park: Robert a la Sale, 1273, Hundred Rolls.
253
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
into Buffets. Timble was the name acquired by the French-
man who played on the timbal, the kettledrum. Grice is
from Le Gris, the Grey-haired unless from griis, a pig.
Rouse is from Le Roux, and Morell from a dusky com-
plexion. Grant is from Le Grand, and Petty from Le Petit.
Trist is from trisie, and, on the other hand, Joyce from Le
Joyeux. Douce may be significative of a gentle disposition,
but may also signify a Dutch ancestry. A man in my parish
who picks up a small livelihood by going round on Saturday,
selling penny papers, is surnamed Curtis, Le Courtois ; and I
knew a little farmer named Poley, from Le Polis, the polished
and refined. A Fyers comes from Le Fier, and Gent from
Le Gentil.
The trees meet us in double form English and French
in our surnames. We have the Norman Fail, or Fayle, and
the English Beech ; also Frein and Freyne, the name coming
mediately through Fresne in Calvados. I had a cook once
called Freyne ; this signifies an ash. The hazel-tree we
encounter in Coudray, the name of a place in Calvados, and
also in Kent. Tallis, our English composer, took his name
from Taillis in Seine-Inf6rieure, that means underwood.
Wood is with us as Boys, and the Norman-French Bosc is
recognizable in our family name Busk. But we have also
Tallboys, or woodcutter.
Names expressive of deformity are to be accepted with
great hesitation, and only to be explained as above stated,
on the assumption that their meaning was not understood
by the English. Chase may in some instances come from
chassieux, blear-eyed ; but Cammoys did come from cammus,
flat-nosed, and Courteney from short nose. Peggotty, of " David
Copperfield " fame, unquestionably is the Norman-French
picote, smallpox-marked. Comper may derive from Compere ;
Benbow has no relation to archery it is a rendering of
bambouche, a puppet. Bunyan has been erroneously de-
duced from Bon- Jean it is really Ap-Einion ; and Mytton
in like manner has been derived from miton, a spoiled child,
whereas it is from Mitton (Mid(de)-Town) in Yorkshire.
4. PLACE-NAMES. By far the most numerous French
254
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
names taken into our family nomenclature come from places
in Normandy or other portions of the possessions of the
Anjou dynasty. A good number of these has been given in
the chapter on the Roll of Battle Abbey ; but I add some
others here, without pretending to give an exhaustive list :
AGNEW does not necessarily come from agneau, a lamb,
but may also be a place-name, Agneaux, in the department
of Manche.
AINGER is Angers, capital of Maine-et-Loire.
ANWYLL, a name now found in Wales, is derived from
Anseville.
ARCH, the name of a peasant agitator in Essex, is from
Arques in Seine-Infe'rieure ; but there are several other
localities of that name.
AVERY is from Evreux.
BARBEY, from Barbey, in Seine-et-Marne.
BARWISE, from Barvaix.
BATTEN and BEATON derive from Bethune in Pas-de-
Calais ; and BAVE, from Bavey, in the department of Nord.
BAVENT is from a place of that name near Caen.
BARWELL is from Berville in Eure.
BEAVER is not from the beast, but from Beauvoir ; and
BELCHER from Bellecourt.
Some of the BEARDS do not take their name from "valour's
excrement," as Bassanio called it, but from Les Biards, or
Biard, as it was formerly, in the arrondissement of Mortaine,
near Joigny, the fief of the Avenels.
" Des Biars i fu Avenals,"
says Wace. The Avenels joined the Conqueror with a con-
tingent of lusty men, and doubtless planted some of them
in farms and homesteads about their castle at the Peak, and on
other lands in their possession. Such would not call them-
selves Avenels, but Biards, after the place whence they
came, and thence Beards.
BELLCHAMBERS is from Belencombre, near Dieppe.
BLOMFIELD is from Blonville, near Pont l'Evque.
BELLASIS is from a place so called near Coulommieres.
255
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
BISSET is from Bissey in Cote-d'Or ; and BOFFIN from
Bouvignes on the Meuse, nearly over against Dinant, an
ancient town commanded by a stately castle.
BLOYE is deducible from Blois.
BONVILL, from Bonneville, near Rouen.
BOOSEY, the music publisher, derives his name from
Boussey in Cote-d'Or.
BONNEY, from Bony, near Peronne.
BOSWELL derives from Bosville, in Seine-Infe'rieure.
BOUTELL, the name of an authority on brasses and on
heraldry, has naught to do with bottles, but derives from
Boutailles in Dordogne. A migrant during the Hundred
Years' War and the Plantagenet possession of Guienne.
BOVEY, when not from Bovey in Devon, is from Bouffay
in Eure.
BRAINE may derive from Brain in Cote-d'Or, or from
Braine in Oise.
BREWER does not necessarily imply that the ancestor of
the Brewers was one who brewed a peck of malt, for it
comes from Bruyeres in Seine-et-Oise.
BRUDENELL hails from one of the many Brettignolles.
One is in Maine.
Although the London BUCKETS came from a German of
Heidelberg early in the seventeenth century, whose son
became an Alderman of London in 1634, all earlier Buckets
deduce their name from Buquet, near St. Malo.
BURDETT is from Bourdet.
BURT is from Bourth in Eure.
Mr. Hall CAINE, the novelist, derives his name remotely
from Cahaignes, in the department of Eure ; and CAMMIDGE
is the same as Gamidge, from Gamaches in Somme.
CANN is from Caen ; and CHAFFERS, the great authority
on hall-marks for plate and on china, draws his name from
Caffiers in Pas-de-Calais.
CHAMLEY is Chamilly, Saone-et- Loire ; and CHANTRELL
is Chanterelle in Cantal.
CAUSE is from the Pays de Caux.
CARRINGTON drew his name from Charenton, in the
256
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
department of Seine ; and CAYLEY from Cailly in Seine-
Inferieure.
CHAWNEY is from Chauny, on the Oise ; and CHAWNES
from Chaulnes.
CHERWELL, from Carville.
CHESNEY, from Chesnais ; a widely-spread name.
CHEYNELL is from Quesnel ; and CHURCHILL perhaps in
some instances may be an anglicizing of Courcelle in Seine-
et-Oise.
CLAVELL is from Claville, near Evreux ; and CONDY, that
supplies a name to the disinfecting fluid, permanganate of
potash, as well as CUNDY, come from Conde, in Somme,
Eure, and other departments. We cannot count the patentee
of Condy's Fluid as a descendant of the great Conde", only
as partaking with him in a place-name.
CONQUEST is from Conques in Aveyron a most interest-
ing place, with a church treasure of almost unsurpassed
value, happily saved during the Revolution. English
authority extended over this part of the South of France
fitfully and disputedly, and the Conquest who came to
England must have been one who had thrown in his lot with
the losing side.
Sir Roger de COVERLEY'S ancestor came from Coveliers.
The CRESSYS and CREASYS deduce from Cregy, the scene
of the great victory of Henry V.
A good old nurse, one of the faithful of the past generation,
was a CROCKET of ancient Norman extraction, doubtless
from Criquetot in Normandy.
CROLEY is from Creuilly.
CUFF and COFFEE, from Coiffy, in Haute Marne.
CUSTANCE, from Coutances. The Bishop of that see came
to England with the Conqueror. Godfrid was his name, and
he was richly rewarded with manors. He plundered his
estates in England to obtain the money wherewith to build
the glorious cathedral of Coutances. Doubtless the distance
family derives from some retainer of the Bishop who remained
in England looking after his interests, but certainly not those
of his tenants and villeins.
257 R
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
DAMPIERRE is a place-name in Seine-Inferieure.
DAVERS is De Havre.
DARK is from D'Arques in Normandy. I know a labour-
ing man so named.
DIMOND derives from Dimont in Nord ; and DINHAM
from Dinan.
DIPROSE is from De Pre"aux.
DOMVILLE is from Donville in Manche.
DAY and TOYE, from Douay ; and DRUCE, from Dreux.
DUCIE is from Du9y, near Avranches.
DUDNEY may be Dieudonne" (the " gift of God ") or a
place-name in Oise.
DUFFY is D'Auffai. 1
Dame DURDON, who kept three serving-men, was of
Norman ancestry, from Dourdan in Seine-et-Oise. I have
a tenant of the name in a cottage, a labouring man. 2
EVILL is from Yville in Normandy. At first the name
was D'Eville, but the d was dropped because Devil was the
inevitable corruption. Indeed, even then the name did not
escape. My uncle had a white-haired curate of the name of
Evill, but he went throughout the neighbourhood by the
name of " the Old Devil," though a more innocent and gentle
soul did not exist.
EYRE is a place-name in Normandy.
FANCOURT is a corruption of Vandelicourt.
FILBERT or FILLBIRD is St. Philibert in Calvados.
FOULGER is from Fougeres in Ille-et-Vilaine.
FOLLETT may not be from Folliott, but be a place-name
De Veulette.
FOWELL deduces from Fauvel or Vauvelle in Normandy.
FURSE is the De Forz in some copies of the Battle Abbey
Roll, and it occurs in Domesday as Fursa ; but it is doubtful
if it be a Norman name, and not Saxon. A tenant of one of
my farms bore this appellation.
1 Ordericus gives an account of this family (vi. 8).
2 There is, however, a Dearden near Edenfield, in Lancashire. But
Durdon was the famous fortress of the Duke of Ardennes, according to
the medieval romance of the Seven Sons of Aymon.
258
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
GAYLORD is from Chateau Galliard, on the Seine.
GILBEY, the great wine-merchant, whose crest a dragon
issuing from a tower is on every bottle he sells, may derive
from Quilleboeuf in Normandy. There is, however, a
Kilby in Leicestershire; and in the Oxford University
Register for 1571 is the entry of Richard Gilbye or Kelby of
Lincolnshire.
GOAD and GOOD are from Goude ; and GORMAN, when
not from the Norse Gormundr, is from Gourmont, and this
is the more probable as it is a name still widespread in
Normandy. Gorman was the name of a policeman in my
district in Devon.
GOSLING is Joscelin in Brittany.
GUINNESS, the brewer, derives his name from Guines, near
Calais.
HANSOM, the inventor of the cab that takes his name,
derives his from Anceaumville in Seine-Infe'rieure ; and
HERRICK, the poet, could look back to an ancestor from
Heric in Loire-Inferieure.
HOLMES is not always descriptive of one living on a low
island, but comes from La Houlme in Seine-Inferieure.
INGHAM might be supposed to be the ham or hame on the
ing or eng, a' field by a river-side. It is not this, however,
but is the anglicized form of Engaine ; and IVORY derives
from Ivry. I remember a baker of that name. Rudolf d'lvry
the uncle of Duke Richard the Good, was the son of a miller
who had complaisantly married the cast-off mistress of Duke
William Longsword. " No Princes were more lax as to
marriage than the Norman Dukes. Both William Longsword
and Richard the Fearless were the offspring of unions which
were very doubtful in the eye of the Church ; and Richard
the Good and other children of Richard the Fearless were
legitimatized only after the marriage of their parents"
(" Encyclopaedia Britannica "). So the Ivry family rose from
a mill to great splendour and rank, and now is represented
by a baker.
JOBLING is from Jublains in Mayenne.
KISSACK and CUSSACK, from Quissac in Lot arrivals and
259 R 2
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
settlers in England when our arms were being driven out of
the South of France. There the petty nobles and knights
passed from one side to another without scruple, according
to the pay offered, or to the chance of plunder, or to revenge
a slight. Some, who had too deeply compromised them-
selves on the English side, were obliged to abandon their
paternal acres and castles built in and out of the limestone
rocks, and take ship at Bordeaux and retire to England.
The condition of misery in which the people were during the
Hundred Years War cannot be realized by those who have
not visited the Gausses, and seen how the unhappy peasants
were constrained to make their houses on the face of a preci-
pice, and at night haul up their cattle to their rock fastnesses. 1
KNOWLES, if not the short of OLIVER, may be from Noailles.
The names of LILLEY, LYALL, and LISLE, come from
Lille, in the department of Nord.
LINE and LYNE are from Luynes in Indre-et-Loire ; and
LINTOTT from a place of that name in Seine- Inferieure.
LONGFELLOW, the poet, derives a mutilated name from
Longueville in Calvados ; and LONGSHANKS is a barbarous
alteration of Longchamps, in the department of Seine. As
I have said before, it by no means follows that all those who
bear a place-name had lands and a castle in that place. The
De Longchamps were a great baronial race ; but William
de Longchamps, the Chancellor of Coeur de Lion, did not
pertain to it. He and his brother, the Sheriff of York,
Norfolk, and Suffolk, were the grandsons of a serf in the
Diocese of Beauvais. William, who was Bishop of Ely,
bought the chancellorship of Richard for 3,000 marks. "And
had he continued in office," said his enemies, " the kingdom
would have been wholly exhausted not a girdle would have
remained to the man, nor a bracelet to the woman, nor a gem
to a Jew." At his fall he was obliged to make his escape in
the disguise of a woman.
LOWRY is from Lowry in Loiret.
MAGNAC, from a place of that name in Haute Vienne.
MAGNAY and MAGNAL, whose dreadful and useless ques-
1 See my " Deserts of Central France " for these rock refuges.
260
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
tions were the plague of one's childhood, came from Magny
in Calvados.
MAINWARING is from Mont Guerin, and MATCHAM from
Muschamp in Normandy.
MANWELL, from Mandeville in Calvados, which gave its
name to the great traveller Sir John.
MANSELL is from Le Mans. Wace tells us that many of
these went to help in the invasion of England. The existing
family, however, derives from John Mansell, in the reign of
King Henry III. He was one of the grossest pluralists
known in England, for he held 700 livings at one and the
same time. He was also Provost of Beverley, Treasurer of
York, Chief Justice of England, one of the Privy Council,
Chaplain to the King, and his Ambassador to Spain. He
had a wife, an heiress (Joan de Beauchamp, daughter of
Simon, Baron of Bedford), and left a son (Sir Thomas
Mansell), who was a banneret. He feasted at his house at
Tothill two Kings and their Queens, with their dependents,
and 700 messes of meat scarce served for the first dinner.
A Sir Thomas Mansell, a lineal descendant, was created
Lord Mansell by Queen Anne in 1711.
MANT also is from Mantes or from Le Mans.
MARVELL is from Merville, near Caen. Andrew Marvell,
the poet, must have derived thence.
MAUDE is drawn from Monthaut, a hill in Flintshire on
which Robert de la Mare built a castle, now called Mola.
But the name has been supposed to derive from Le Mauduit,
the excommunicated or accursed one, who came over with
the Conqueror.
MAIRE and MAYOR are not necessarily names derived from
office, but may come from La Mare.
MAYBRICK derives from Makebranche, that was altered
first into Malebrank and then into Maybrick.
MERRIT, and the commoner name MERRY, are due to
Merey in Eure ; and Sir Thomas MALLORY, who wrote his
delightful " Morte d' Arthur " that was printed by Caxton,
drew his name from Meilleray in Seine-et-Marne probably,
but the name is found in other departments as well.
261
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
All MILLERS do not necessarily come from the mill, for
there was a Norman family De Meslieres. A William de
Meslieres witnessed Richard Builli's foundation charter of
Roche Abbey, Yorkshire, in 1146, as well as that of Box-
grove in Sussex.
MONEY is a corruption of De Mauny. Sir Walter Manny
or Mauny, afterwards Lord de Manny, and founder of the
Charterhouse, was one of the ablest of the soldiers of
fortune under Edward III. His father was Jean le Borgne,
or the One- Eyed, Lord of Mauny, near Valenciennes, who
was killed in a private quarrel in the English camp before
La Reole, on the Garonne, in 1327. Walter came to England
in the train of Queen Philippa, who made him one of her
Esquires, and he was given the governorship of Merioneth,
and the keepership of Harlech Castle. He married Mar-
garet, daughter and heiress of Thomas of Brotherton, second
son of Edward I., but his only son fell down a well and was
drowned in his father's lifetime. He had but one legitimate
daughter, who married John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke ;
but he had two others that were illegitimate, of whom he
cannot have been proud, as he gave them the names, the
one of Maloisel (a bad bird) and the other of Malplesant
(disagreeable). The English Moneys consequently cannot
derive from Walter de Manny, but almost surely from some
of his attendants, natives of Mauny, who followed him in
war and were settled by him on his estates in England. He
died in January, 1372.
MOON or MOHUN is from Moyon in Manche.
Some of our MONDAYS and MUNDYS may derive from
Mondaye in Calvados, and not from the first day of the week.
MORTICE, from Mortaise in Calvados.
MOTT is from La Motte, a very common name of place
and of family in France.
MULLINS is Des Moulins.
NEVILL and NEWELL are from Neville in Manche, and
NOEL from Noailles in Oise.
NEWERS and NOYES are derived from Noyers in Eure,
and NUGENT from Nogent in Seine.
262
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
OTLEY is from Otteville. In " Testa de Neville " the name
is spelt Ottele.
PEROWNE is from Peronne, in the department of Nord.
Poor, humble-minded Tom PINCH may have had a Norman
ancestry and come from Penchard in Seine-et-Marne, whence
certainly came the PINCHARDS.
PINKERTON is from Pontchardon.
PINKNEY, from Piquigny, near Amiens, and PLACE and
PLAICE from either Plagy in Calvados or Plage in Mayenne.
The not very beautiful name of PUDSEY comes from
Puisay, in the Orleanois. This place gave its name to one
of the chief nobles of France, Everard de Puisay, whose
daughter Adelais was the second wife of Roger de Mont-
gomery, Earl of Shrewsbury. She came to England in
1083. During her voyage she was overtaken by a storm,
and all despaired of reaching land. However, a priest
had a dream in which the Magdalen appeared to him
and bade him tell Adelais to build a church in her honour
at the spot where she should meet her husband for the
first time, and where grew a hollow oak beside a pig-sty.
The Countess, obedient to the vision, on reaching the spot
vowed to build a church, which is Quatford in Shropshire.
Hugh de Pudsey was elected Prince-Bishop of Durham in
^SS* when he was Treasurer of York. He had three
bastards: Henry became a soldier, Burchard was made
Archdeacon of Durham, and Hugh was created Count of
Bar-sur-Seine. It is probably from the eldest Henry that
the Pudseys of Durham have descended, unless the Arch-
deacon followed his father's example. They remained in the
palatinate till the seventeenth century, and then spread over
Yorkshire. I have known Pudseys who kept a lodging-
house.
The PUSEYS probably took their name from Peise or
Pesci, the manor held by them, and named in Domes-
day.
The PLUNKET family draws its name from Plonquenet,
near Rennes.
Ralph PINEL in 1086 held a barony in Essex and Sussex.
263
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
The name came from Normandy, where remained for long
branches of the family, and gave the name of Le Bois-Pinel
to a place near Rennes. There were three Seigneuries of
the name in the Cotentin. In England we recognize the
name as Pennell, unless we derive this from its more
probable source, Paganel.
PENLEE, that sounds like a combination of Welsh and
Saxon, is no such thing ; it comes from Penly, between
Tre"port and Dieppe.
POYSEY is from Poissy in Seine-et-Oise.
PUNSHON and PUNCHEON come from Ponchon in Oise.
PURSEY, a distinct name from Percy, is from Pourcy
in Marne.
RAW is Re*au, Seine-et-Marne.
RAYNES is from Rennes.
REVELL, from Reville in Manche.
RICHFIELD, from Richeville in Eure.
RICKETTS from Ricquier.
ROMILLY is in Normandy.
ROMER is Romare.
ROSCOE, from Roscoff in Brittany.
ROWE is De Rohaut. The four sons of Rohaut, a Breton
noble living in 1000, accompanied the Conqueror to England,
and one of these, Ruald Fitz Rohaut, held three lordships in
capite in Devon in 1086. His son Ruald, or Rohaut, was
father of Alan FitzRohaut, who married Lady Alicia de
Dodbrooke, and acquired additional estates by her in Devon.
The Rowes or Rohauts have remained to this day in Devon.
One branch at Staverton is extinct, but the other at Lamer-
ton, near Tavistock, flourishes.
ROYE, from a town in Somme.
RUGGLES is from Rugles in Eure.
RULE, from Ruelle in Seine-et-Oise.
RUMBELOW and RUMBOLD are from Rambouillet in Seine-
et-Oise.
SACE, from Sassey, in Calvados, or Sace in Mayenne.
SCOFIELD and SHOVELL are all English forms of Escoville
in Calvados.
264
EARLY FRENCH NAMES
SEELEY may possibly hail from Sille in Sarthe.
SERVICE is from St. Servais in Cotes du Nord.
SHAND, SHANDY, and CHANDOS, from Chandai in Orne.
STUTFIELD is Estoteville in Seine-Inferieure.
SUMMERFIELD and SUMMERVALE derive from Somerville,
now Sommervieux, near Caen. Roger de Somerville was
summoned to Parliament as a Baron, and died in 1327.
Roger's son was the Sir Philip to whom John of Gaunt
granted an estate on condition that he should keep a flitch
of bacon hanging in his hall at Wichnor at all times of the
year except in Lent, to be given to any man who could take
oath that he had not repented after having been married a
year and a day, and could bring with him a couple of wit-
nesses to confirm his words. " Of the few that have ventured
to claim the prize, three couple only have obtained it, one
of which, having quarrelled about the mode of preserving it,
were adjudged to return it. The other two couples were a
sea-officer and his wife, who had not seen each other from
the day of their marriage till they met in Wichnor Hall;
and a simple couple in the neighbourhood, the husband a
good-tempered man and the wife dumb." So little prospect
is there of the flitch being claimed that it is now made of
wood and hung up in the lodge.
STAPLES, from Estaples.
TEALE is Le Thel in Seine-Inferieure.
Mr. TOOTS, of " Dombey and Son " notoriety, derived his
name from Totes. Look at his picture by Phiz, and think
of him as a descendant of a Norman man-at-arms.
TORRENS comes from a citizen of Torigny in Manche.
TOWERS is an anglicizing of Thouars.
TRAVERS comes from Te"vieres, between Bayeux and
Caen. In the days of the Conqueror, Robert de Travers,
or D' Estovers, Baron of Burgh-upon-Sands, married the
daughter of Randulf de Meschines, Lord of Cumberland.
He became hereditary forester of Inglewood. " The badge
of his office the jagged branch is over and over again intro-
duced in the chapel of Naworth Castle, which is so rich with
arms and cognizances; and where this jagged branch is, in
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some places, even thrown across the Dacre's arms fesswise.
The forestship of Inglewood was so honourable, and gave
great command, that there is no wonder that the family
should wish by every means to set forth their claim to it"
(Hutchinson's " Cumberland ").
TWOPENNY, perhaps, comes from Tupigny in Flanders.
TURNEY, from Tournai in Orne, or in Belgium.
UDALL is from Oudalle in Seine-Inferieure.
VARVILL and FARWELL and FAREWELL, even FARFIELD,
are all from Varaville in Calvados.
VERDON and VERDANT derive from Verdon in Meuse.
VERE, from Verin, in Calvados, or another Ver in
Manche.
VERNEY is from Vernai, near Bayeux.
VILLIERS is the name of a place in Manche.
VILLEDIEU has given us the surname Filldew or Pill-
dew.
VIZARD is from Visart.
WYLIE is no crafty rogue, but deduces from Vesli.
WORNALL comes from Verneuil.
WYON is from Vian ; spelled Wiun, as one holding lands
in Lincoln in the twelfth century.
VAWDRY is from a place of that name in Calvados.
VOWLES and VOALES is from Veules in Seine-Inferieure,
and WATERFIELD very probably from Vatierville, in the same
department.
I have left to the last all the corruptions of names of saints.
SIMBARBE is Ste. Barbe. SACHEVEREL comes from St.
Cheverol. SLODGER is St. Ledger. SLOW is St. L6; in
Latin Laudus, that gives us the surname of the Archbishop,
Laud. SMART comes from Ste. Marte or Martha. STOMER,
from St. Omer. SIMPER, from St. Pierre. SIMPOLE, from
St. Pol de Leon. SAVILLE, from St. Ville or Vitalis.
If we want nowadays to find the descendants of the
Normans, even of those who held vast baronies under the
Conqueror and his successors, we look in vain into the
modern peerage; only here and there do we find them in
266
-
80
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Burke's " Landed Gentry." For the most part the repre-
sentatives of the conquering Normans are found in the
lower walks of life, among labourers and artisans, or, at
best, among tradesmen. Here and there, indeed, among the
titled of the land we may find an ancient Norman name,
but it is assumed, either on the grounds of a doubtful pedi-
gree or of a descent in broken falls through the spindle. How
great families may decline I will show by a few instances.
I will begin with a notable family that of the Gr en-
miles of Stowe, whence came the great Sir Bevil and
Sir Richard. One branch so sank and that in the very
parish wherein was the splendid mansion of the Grenvilles
that two of them were in receipt of parish relief, and one of
them was twice pricked for High Sheriff whilst a pauper.
The Glanvilles were of Norman descent. A branch
settled near Tavistock and became tanners. From the tan-
pits rose one who became a great Elizabethan Judge, and
built a noble mansion at Kilworthy. One of the last of the
Glanvilles was huntsman to Squire Kelly of Kelly, and an-
other was a ferryman at Saltash, whose wife Anne was a
famous rower, and was one of the crew of women who beat
the French boatmen in a race at Havre in 1850. Anne was
stroke. The women were dressed in black skirts, long white
bedgowns, and nightcaps. One of them Mrs. House was
so elated at the victory that on reaching the committee-boat
she plunged into the water, dived under the vessel, and came
up with dripping and drooping nightcap on the opposite side.
The Glanvilles declined in station, and with the declension
the name became degraded to Gloyne. In the Sourton parish
registers is the entry of the death of Matthew Glanville,
alias Gloyne February 24, 1777.
There was not a prouder name amongst those who came
over with the Conqueror than the De Pomeroys. The
family issued from La Pomeraye in Normandy, and a frag-
ment of their stronghold remains at Cinglais, not far from
Falaise. Here was the original pommerai, or orchard, that
gave its name to the place and family. Ralph de Pomeraye
is mentioned in Domesday as holding sixty manors in capite,
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all but two in Devonshire, where Berry Pomeroy became
the seat of the barony. Ralph built the castle whose ruins
now tower above the woods that clothe the hill it crowns.
Henry de Pomeroy, unhappily for himself, took sides with
John during the absence of Coeur de Lion, and garrisoned
St. Michael's Mount for John. But soon arrived the news
of the enlargement of Richard from prison, and the story
goes, as Fuller relates, " that a sergeant-at-arms of the King's
came to the castle of Berry Pomeroy, and there received
kind entertainment for certain days together, and at his
departure was gratified with a liberal reward. In counter-
change whereof he then, and no sooner, revealing his long-
concealed errand, flatly arrested his host, to make his im-
mediate appearance before the King, to answer a capital
crime. Which unexpected and ill-carried message the gentle-
man took in such despight that with his dagger he stabbed
the messenger to the heart. Then, despairing of pardon in so
superlative an offence, he abandoned his house and gat him-
self to his sister, then abiding in the Island of Mount Michael
in Cornwall. Next he bequeathed a large portion of his land
to the religious people dwelling there, to pray for the redeem-
ing of his soul ; and, lastly (that the remainder of his estate
might descend to his heirs), he caused himself to be let bleed
to death."
But the misfortunes of the De Pomeroys did not end here.
In the reign of Edward VI. Sir Thomas Pomeroy wrought
the utter downfall of his family by engaging in the Devon-
shire rebellion of 1549 against the violent changes in religion.
He was involved in ruin. His life indeed was spared,
but that was all ; the grasping hand of the Seymours was
laid on his estate, and his beautiful and noble mansion of
Berry passed away from the family for ever.
And now where are the Pomeroys ? Our school com-
mittee paid five shillings to a Mrs. Pomeroy to clean out the
schoolroom, and as I write I have before me a bill for a
suit of clothes from Pomeroye, tailor, at Tavistock. 1
1 I quote the following from the Daily Express, February 23, 1909 :
" Paris, February 22. The Countess de la Pomiere was found dying in a
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No more splendid family existed in England of the Norman
invaders and conquerors than that of the De Toeni. Raoul
of that family bore at Hastings the consecrated banner that
the Pope had sent to William with his blessing to consecrate
the wicked invasion. It was a race that mixed its blood
with the Plantagenets. They became Earls of Stafford and
Dukes of Buckingham. Henry, the second Duke, " made
his boast that he had as many liveries of Stafford knots as
Richard Nevill, the late great Earl of Warwick, had of
ragged staves." He, as may be remembered, was executed
at Salisbury in 1483. His son Edward was restored by
Henry VIII. to the dukedom and other honours, and was
appointed Lord High Constable of England ; but he also
was to end his life on the scaffold. He had quarrelled with
Wolsey. It is said that at a great Court ceremonial, when
the Duke was holding a basin to the King, no sooner had
His Majesty washed than Wolsey dipped his own hands
into the water, and Buckingham, stung at this indignity,
"flung the contents of the ewer into the Churchman's
shoes." Wolsey swore to be revenged, and how he accom-
plished his end may be read in Shakespeare's "Henry VIII."
With the fall of his head under the axe in 1522 the princely
house of Stafford fell to rise no more. His only son, stripped
of lands and dignities alike, received back but a scanty
portion of the splendid possessions of his family, and was
allowed the title of Baron. Edward, fourth Lord Stafford,
married his mother's chambermaid, and was succeeded by
his grandson Henry, with whom the direct line terminated
in 1637 ; and the claim of the last remaining heir, Roger,
was rejected by the House of Lords on account of his
miserable garret in Senlis this morning. She had not been seen for
some days, and when the neighbours forced their way into her room they
found her calling feebly for help. She was lying on a heap of straw in
the middle of the room, fighting as well as she could with rats for a
crust of bread and a piece of cheese, which she clutched to her breast.
Lying all about the floor of the room were bank-notes, bonds, and shares
worth more than 6,000. The rats had eaten away portions of the
paper. The Countess has been taken to a home at Clermont, but there
is little hope of her recovery."
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EARLY FRENCH NAMES
extreme poverty. The unfortunate man, de jure Lord
Stafford, the great-grandson of the last Duke, was then aged
sixty-five, and had sunk into so abject a condition that,
ashamed to bear his true name, he called himself Floyd,
after one of his uncle's servants who had brought him up
and been kind to him. He was compelled to surrender his
claim to the barony into the hands of Charles I., and died in
1640, unmarried. His only sister, Jane, married a joiner,
and had a son who earned a livelihood as a cobbler in 1637
at Newport in Shropshire. As Banks says : " The most
zealous advocate for equality must surely here be highly
gratified when he is told that the great-granddaughter of
Margaret, daughter and heir of George, Duke of Clarence,
brother to King Edward IV., was the wife of a common
joiner, and her son the mender of old shoes."
The Conyers were one of the noblest families in the North
of England. Roger Conyers was made Constable of Durham
Castle by William the Conqueror. Surtees enumerates all
the defunct families that had sprung from the parent stock
viz., " Conyers of Hornby Castle, whose peerage is vested by
heirs-general in the Duke of Leeds; Conyers of Bowlby,
Danby-Wiske, Hutton-Wiske, Thormandby, Pinchinthorpe,
Marshe, and High Dinsdale, in Yorkshire ; Wynyard,
Layton, Horden, Coltham, Conyers, in Co. Durham ; and
Hopper in Northumberland." The Duchess of Cleveland
says : " One by one, some later and some earlier, each of
the remaining branches of this famous house had died out.
The fair domain of Stockburn went with the heiress of
William Conyers to Francis Talbot, eleventh Earl of
Shrewsbury, in 1635, and passed through their daughter to
the Stonors. Coatham-Conyers, first brought by Scolastica
de Coatham in the time of Edward I., was forfeited by
Roger Conyers, who joined the rising of the Northern Earls
in 1569. Wynyard had been transferred to the Claxtons in
the previous century. The line of Layton ended in 1748.
Hutton passed to the Mallorys, and Danby to the Scropes,
who now hold it. Their possessions dwindled and dis-
appeared year by year. Manor after manor was lost to its
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EARLY FRENCH NAMES
ancient lords, estate after estate alienated or carried away
by heiresses, till at length they were bereft of all, and in
1810 Surtees found Sir Thomas Conyers, the last of this
race, in the workhouse of Chester-le-Street. No other
earthly refuge was left him save the pauper's grave. A
subscription, proposed by Surtees, and headed by Bishop
Barrington, was set on foot to rescue him from his unhappy
position, and enough money was raised to remove him to a
more fitting abode. The old man only lived, however, a
few months afterwards, and with him expired the proud
name that had shone in the county annals for the better
part of 800 years."
And is this an altogether exceptional case ? Has it not
been the same thing with many an ancient family that from
one cause or another has gone under ?
The Umfravilles derived from Amfreville, near Evreux.
The first of the name who came to England was Robert
with the Beard, Lord of Tour and Vian in Normandy, and
had a grant from the Conqueror of the barony of Prudhoe.
Gilbert III. of Umfraville inherited from his mother, the
Countess of Angers, and was created Baron Umfraville by
Edward I. in 1295, and Governor of the whole territory of
Angers. He was then created Earl of Angers. But the
family sank lower and lower, till towards the end of the
eighteenth century the last of the baronial race was a
chandler in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He left several daughters
and one son, born in 1784, who after the death of the father,
were supported by the industry of their mother. The then
Duke of Northumberland, whose ancestor had obtained
Prudhoe from the Umfravilles, took interest in the lad, then
aged fourteen, and provided for him in the navy. He served
under Lord Exmouth in the East Indies, eventually rose to
the rank of a Captain, retired on half-pay, and died of drink.
He still possessed a sword given by Henry V. to his ancestor,
which after the death of Mrs. Umfraville was sent to Alnwick
Castle.
The Duchess of Cleveland says of the Vieux-ponts, or
Viponts, named by Wace as taking part in the Battle of
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EARLY FRENCH NAMES
Hastings, and afterwards advanced to honour : " This great
name, like many others presumed to be extinct, has most
likely simply merged into obscurity. In 1880 I saw Vipond
inscribed over the door of a grocer's shop in Middleton in
Teesdale, within a dozen miles of the county in which the
De Viponts once reigned supreme."
De Vesci was a famous name. It was like the tree in the
vision that had its boughs wide extended, and the birds of
the air lodged in the branches of it. It stretched into
Scotland. It is represented at the present day by Messrs.
Veitch, the nursery gardeners and seed merchants.
" Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating curds and whey ;
When by came a spider
And sat down beside her,
Which frightened Miss Muffet away."
In Miss Muffet we recognize the name, but not the
ancestral heroism, of her ancestor, De Maufet or Mauf,
who fought at Hastings. Her arms: Argent, a lion rampant,
sable, between nine escallops, gules. A lion rampant, and
sable, too, and to be frightened by a spider !
Lysons is from Lisons in Calvados.
Memoray is a singular name that appears in Holinshed's
list of the warriors who came over with the Conqueror.
John de Murmuru was granted half a knight's-fee in
Gloucestershire. The family never rose to any distinction.
A Brixham fisherman bears the name of Memory.
Holinshed includes Totelles among those in the Roll of
Battle Abbey. I believe that the Tootles of to-day do not
occupy a very distinguished place in the social order. At an
evening party the butler announced : " Mr. Tootles, Mrs.
Tootles, and the two Misses Tootles, too."
Such, the broadside ballad printer, takes his name from
Zouche.
Rudeville, now Ruville, is a place near Gisors, and,
according to Holinshed's list, a De Rudeville came over
with the Conqueror. The name in Engla 
