The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-13
VIRGINIA'S SUJRNAMES 5

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A study of the family nomenca ture
of our country is not without particular
interest, especially concerning that Of
Virginia from her first settlement to the
present time. Like those of England
the surnames Of many families who first
landed on our shores have undergone
changes or become almost completely
obliterated by admlxture with foreign
titles. Yet this has not been So sudden
or varied as even the Norwegian, Ger
manic and Celtic of early England or
those of Normandy and the Saxon period
which followed after. Virginia derives
all of her old family names direct from
England, with a good percentage of
French Huguenots and Scotch-Irish.
whose descendants are with US to this,
day. Yet In searching early records,
there are many missing Of the James.
town settlers and those Of lower Vir-
GINA; or of the few that remain have
been gradually distorted from their ORR
ginabty.
The early English surnames as brought
over by the first emigrants. We're de-
rived from five sources-1. Baptismal or
personal paines; 2 Local surnames; 3.
Official surnames: 4. Occupation sur
names; and 5. Sobriquet nicknames. AL
first there was but single name, as
those In the Bible-John. Peter, Paul,
etc.-but gradually came a patronymic,
such as "Bar-Jonas, "Simon of Cyrne"
Judas Barnabus." These were formed
from place Of living, occupation. or some
peculiar characteristic. In the eleventh
and twelfth centuries, however, a change
took place over the whole of greater civ
ilZed Europe. 1t was found that some
more fixed name was required t, dis
tinguish and maintain current identity,
hence. what was an occasional custom
became fixed and general practice In
the use of some distinguishing sobri-
Quet SO that names began to form
fixture such as Johnson, for Johns
son; Williamson, for Williams son"
being the Saxon desnence.
Then came the lie, the Ap, the At or
Ate. the Fitz or fills, etc, to connect the
designation-such as 'Williamson- Atte-
Madow." "John-le Clerk" "Robert-Ap-
Worth "FitzP Pa trick" etc, etc. At
last, about the fourteenth or fifteenth
centuries. these connecting links began
to be dropped the name assuming its
fixture, such as William Mead, John Clerk
or Clark, Robert Apworth. John Fitz-
patrick. ETC., etc. many of which were
brought over to this country.
Among those who first settled at Hen
ricopolis and Coxendale. located not far
from the present site of Richmond. being
op both sides OF the river below Rock
etts. we find the following: Patterson,
Norton. Willard. Porry. Studson. Shelf
field, Flower, Morgan. Edwards, Proctor.
Tracy, WestonsLPrce. tNeinmount. Bark
ly. Poulton, Read, .Aukland,' Griffin, Tin
dale and Layden. Many OF these we rec
cognize to-day as very old English SUR
names-Pattcrson being derived from
"Patten's SON. found In 400: Perry,
from Perry man." or Pear man" "a
fruit dealer), time Of Elizabeth; Morgan.
from Nor" or More" and gain as
found in the witty epigram on Sir Thomas
Aore, as chancellor:
''When More some years had chancellor
No more suits did remain;
The same shall never more be seen
TIL More be there again..
Eda wdrs Is very old Saxon, from Ed
ward. Edwards and Edwardson. as found
in Writs of. Parliament. 13o21Sl6 Proctor,
from "William-Le- Procurator; Weston,
from William Attic Westend," a nick.
name of location during sixteenth CEN
tury: Price, from "John-Ap- Rice or
Ryce," the Welsh for "son of Rice" In
1904
Taking the names of settlers In the coun-
ties of Henrico, Hanover, Goochland
Louisa. Fluvanna and Albemarle from
100 TO 1860. we have the names of Eng
lish. Scotch, Irsh and French families
more Intimately blended by marriage
location or public prominence. thus maxi
ing them pronounced and fixed. Such
We're the Madisons, Peasants, Buchan-
ans, Saunders. Wood. Mostly, Randolph,
Jones. Mer!weathen Turpin Payne, Poin-
dexter, Boiling, Lightfoot. Winston, Fon-
tame. Walker, Hunter. Miller, Patton.
Minor, Duke. Brock. Gooch. Dabney and
many others, all OF whom can be traced
10 their English origin. leading back into
many centuries.
AS we enter the nineteenth century,
especially after the Revolutionary period,
when emigration from the North and for
eiEn countries entered the State, Vir-
gnia surnsmes became much more nu-
rlerous and varied partaking of German,
irish. Dutch and other nationalities which
became anna lgamated with the already
esta blished families formed. These have
now become. as of the manor born
and recognized as among the true r. r.
VS.; such we class the McCalls. Cowlng,
Riddick, Taliaterro, Mcclure. McRobert,
McClurge. Janney. Kennedy. O'Br!en,
Van Doren, Cowardin, and the like;
these. with stip later importations, as
Janour. Langhorne. Bahcock Ingersol
Van Peters, Halsnger, Wertenbaker and
other more modern names. have filled our
VIII "a entirely
distinct from the colonial period
BY permission of The Times Dsptach IT
is proposed TO give under it's geneal illogical
column short sketch each week of
some of the old historic familex whose
names are stil familiar to US. and repre-
sented BY worthy descendants Their
origin history and noble deeds. as re-
corded during the early struggles OF our
land. read now like some brilliant ro-
nance. ever 20 be perpetuated and handed