Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-04-10

ORGANIZATIONS ana combinations thich
Take Us Back to the Old Days In Eng
land.
There were no hereditary surnames in
England before the time of the Norman
conquest. 1t is true that surnames are
given in Domesday Book. but these were
for the most part official and professional,
and were not transmitted as family names
As early as the Twelfth century it was
thought essential for persons of rank to
bear a surname and gradually the use ex-
tended through all the lower classes. Not,
however, until the reign of Edward ii, in
the Fourteenth century, was the use en-
forced by an act of parliament. Conse-
quently the tracing of pedigrees beyond
the Thirteenth or Fourteenth century is
difficult if not impossible.
The origin of family names is widely diff
ferent, and yet upon examination the diff
ference is not so great as appears on the
surface. Perhaps the most common origin
is that of son affixed to a Christian name
the significance of which is at once OBJ
vious, showing that when the name was
first used as family name the father was
John, Thomas or William, as the case
might be. We find this same custom
among other nations. The Russian term
ben, the Welsh ap, the Irish mac, the Pole
ski, all signify son, while the Irish o signi-
fies grandson.
The trades furnish many surnames-
Smith taking the lead-although the old
English rhyme rung:
But whence comes Smith, all be he knight or
squire,
But from the smith that forgeth at the fire.
TERMINATIoNs.
| 1t is not quite true for the word origi-
nally applied to any one who smote and
included carpentry, masons and Others.
| Names derived from occupation usually
end in er-Potter, Painter, Lorimer-a
maker of bits for brides and spurs. Salter
the man who looked after the salt. Spill
| ler-a maker of spindles or lathes. The
termination ster usually denotes n woman's
occupation. Webster is the feminine of
| Weber; Brewster of Brewer Dexter was
a woman who worked by the day.
Many English surnames were formed
from words compounded of two or more
Anglo Saxon words. The termination ham
signifies home or place. Burnham is the
place of "A burn or brook; Buckingham is a
place suitable for beeches, or a place for
soaking cloth in I've from the ashes of the
beech. Ton was at first an Enclosure, later
it was a village or town; Leighton is a
level town; Hilton, a hill town; Clayton
and Newton are obvious; Norton is the
north town, as Sutton the south; Milton
is the village where the mill is situated
kempton, the camp town, or soldiers vii
lage. Ly indicates feld Stanley or
Stony, a strong field; Ashley, field ia
vorable for ash trees; Oakly, for oaks;
Cowly a field for cows.
COMBINATIONS
By or hi is Danish, and implies habita-
ton; Byfore is a home ut the ford; Byfield
is a home in the meadow. Knapp is the
top of a hill, while Knowles is derived from
knoll Holme is meadow surrounded
with water; the natural tendency to plur-
alize names gives the familiar Holmes
! In similar way we have Halves from
haugh, green plot in valley. Gore is a
word used in the old records to describe a
narrow slip of ground. Shaw is sometimes
used alone as a surname. and is sometimes
the terminal in a compound word, as Hen
shaw, Grimshaw. 1t signifies small wood
or copse. The word is not uncommon in
old English poetry.
In somer when the shawes be sheyne,
And leves be large and long,
Hit is fulle merry in feyre forest
To hear the foule's song.
Godfrey is Gods peace Goodwin and
Goodwin, friend of God. Hallwell is holy
well, as Halliday is holy day and Holyoke
holy oak. Doggett is probably the same as
the Anglo-SaXon dogod, which is derived
from noun signifying virtue. The ter
mination ward means keeper. Hayward is
the keeper of cattle, Durward door keeper,
Woodward "A protector of the forest Mil.
ward keeper of the mill.
Cross was not derived from mans dis
IL
market cross or cross roads. Stone was
originally given to some one who resided
near "a drudical or other remarkable stone
Peter likewise means stone, being derived
from Greek.
NAMES FROM THE CHURCH.
Allied to Peter or Peters, which is the
usual form of the surname, are Pierce
Pierson and other names whose meaning
at once becomes obvious. Roche is rock
coming from Latin through French. Han
means army; Harbert, famous army; Har
man, man of the army; Harvey an army
from war. Woolley comes from the Anglo
Saxon Wulfheh and literally means
wolf on high or elevated place. Willard
is from old German, will and hard, will
having the sense of resolution and hare
meaning courageous or strong. Wiley
Williams and Willmot are of kindred
origin.
The church has furnished a great variety
of surnames, Pope Parsons, Vicar, Bishop
Dean, Deacon, Clark, Priest. With the pre-
fix Mac come Mac Mickey, Mac Pherson
while Priest leads to Priestly and others
+ The names of saints have been popular Il!
surnames. st. Clair is sometimes changed
to Sinclair. Augustine is contracted t,
Austin, Benedict to Bennett, St. Mature be
comes SEYMOUR The crusades onened th
way for Palmer, the pilgrim who VISITED
the holy land and bore branch of palm a
a token thereof. Payne, it is claimed, wa
I, the name given to some paynim or Mussul
man who embraced the Christian faith dur
ing the crusades.-Toronto News.
Sparing the Rod.
! The parent who flies to the rod to cor
Z rect every trifling fAult or misdemeano