Show OF OP SURNAMES SUA Interesting Study o r f the Derivation of Family Names Mames London n There are probably many man people who speculate about their ancestors and the origin of or their family who are unaware that an interesting and nd valuable clew clew is supplied supple by the very ver name they bear beara a ald ad d yet it is 15 a fact that there tere is scarcely a single surname which Is not in a way an index to family history It I is Instructive for instance to know that the original bearer of the te name of Jennings was In all al probability a Joiner the first a wood feller and the primeval Leech Leh a surgeon The Marshalls of o today toda were wre originally smiths the Web Yeh Websters are described in the paternal line lne from f om a weaver caver the Fullers I and Walkers Valker from a cloth fuller ful r and the Barkers Barker from froma troma a tanner In days when surnames were ere unknown and Christian names no longer served to John or William from several others in inthe the same town or vii vil lage who ho bore the name nothing could be morn more natural than than to t label labet them the with wih their thein different trades or professions Thus we find rind In early records mention of or John the the Carter Carer the th Chap man or the owner whose descendants thus derive derle their names of Taylor Talor Carter Care hapman Chapman and Cooper from the thE trade label which first re to distinguish their ancestors tors from his fellow felo townsmen Thus in cases c ts where a surname indi indicates indicates cates rates a trade It I a fairly fair re liable clew to the occupation of oC the tIle an ancestor cotor who first bore bor it I Information which could not probably be obtained d front from any an other oth r sourer source soure It I must not how however ever P lw concluded that tat a surname Is al alwa alwa wa s to bt bt Interpreted quite Quitt literally and that the ancestors an of ot a a king kIn or lord wore were actually of o royal roal or noble rank It Is more mOTe probable that they the had ball filled fled these h e exalted roles rles in the old word world m mys ms mystery s tery teo plays pla or had bad been ben lords and kings kinJI at popular sports por and festivals festival Similarly lal a surname I a Is often oft a very ver tn fi ma b useful u clew to o the country from which a family originally sprang Thus the original G no doubt b came from Gascony gr the Britons and Bretts tT from Brittany the te Scotts from Scotland and the te Normans from Normandy Certain Cerain surnames too which do o not so clearly dearly Indicate the country of oC origin are distinct ly traceable to certain crain foreign countries from om which the tle original bearers bear almost certainly came Caine e Thus Thu the Conquests Conquest Moneys St and ad Lascelles are of Breton origin orin the and are Norman and so 10 on onIt onI onIt It I is 15 possible too to go 0 a a step farther and on fair presumptive grounds infer a crusading ancestor from tom such names as Mount Joy the name of an eminence near Jerusalem from DAcre DAcre famous for tor its siege and from Jordan oran although it I would not be wise to rely too much on such s h an inference Inference The town or county count which may mas be b said to have haY been n the te cradle of oC any n particular family can equally be known from surname The Tim original bearer bre of the name of oC York Tork can cn ca be traced to that city db the ten came from tat el hi chester Cheater the from Cornwall and ad so f on to infinity almost for tor there is 15 scarcely a town town village or manor maor tere a arher river hIlt hill or dale tHat tat has not given ghen Its name to one or more families The origin of these names of locality la Interesting When a man migrated from let us say Skipton to Settle S We he be would be b known kow In his new neW domicile domicle as Johannes do Skipton or John ohn who came ame from Skipton thus distinguishing him from al all other native Johns After a time the prefix d de would I be dropped and a hf d descendants for an time would bear the name of Skipton Among Amone Aon the nUe natives of Settle to pursue our Illustration u the f indigenous Johns would be is In different ways as a John Joh the te son of oC Thomas Toma who was w quite a different person ron from John the son soa so of ot John Jaha or o John Un ln Une ler e ithe re lUl Hill or John ohn by b al the t th Beck The hO descendants defendants a of oC these tec would oid be known kow for tor all aB a time tm toy by b the te names ae of Thomson Johnson Underhill and ad Beck It I is 15 Interesting to t note nota note bow hoW many may of our ou modern surnames are ar evolved from the t Christian names of or remote ancestors The e descendants Df D ancestors called cle Will Willlam Willlam VU lam for example may be known kow today toay under of o different surnames rang ing In teem Williamson to and from tom to Tills Tilly Thomas Thoma is responsible for tor at a least It t ten familiar famia surnames urna In Including eluding at Tompkins and Thomas T m and Hen Ben Henry Henr BenTi ry Ti r for tor tha tho th unlucky number of thirteen among Amon which are arC such uch strangely dissimilar lat lar rU m Jr ru names name I IThe as Hawkins and an Han Har rUThe The terminal js in in some Iome names Is only an abbreviation for tor son Thus Thu tho the first John Phillips was wa John the tho son of oC Phillip Philp and ad the tho t o original Reynolds Reynold was the te son sn of a man whose Christian name nane ne lt was s Reynold Many Ian names name are derived dere from front the phys pbs physical physical ical lel peculiarities p of the remote ancestors who first fIrt bore bor them tem The first Russell Rusel and ad Reed Red were as ruddy as their names nam namand Imply and similarly wo we set get e bet such de ita descriptive e names name as Long Long and Short Stout and Whitehead and Redhead LI and The Th original trump rump was probably a crooked coo ed man maU and and Fleet Flet were active and nd while whilo from front moral morl qualities or defects we e set get Jet such names as Coward and Blythe Ire Meek and Wilds Wilde Wide Merry rard arid add Terry Ter or tearful tes Some surnames have hare been very er un unkindly unkindly kindly by time such as Death Peth which in Its It original form for was wa De pe Ath and Deville which looks lok much more at attractive attractive as a De Yule Ville and in lu some cases I the change brought by b the centuries is isso BO so great gat that the te originalS original name cannot be b recognized recognised In its corrupt modern form fawn for Who for tor Instance would see the connection conne tion ton between and Dab Dab scot and and or between and Mountjoy And yet the names arc ac identical Ident identical cal iu in iP origin ln I |