The Washington herald., 1915-11-13

To T. /. NJ, who asks for the origin OF
the name Morris:
Morris, according 20 some authorities,
is name derived from Mars. the god OF
war. warlike, or powerful in war. would
seem to be lbs meaning.
Old forms OF the name are Morris. Nor
rise, Morriss. Morres and Morys- The
French forms are Maurice. Morice, Nor
rice and Maurryce. In Wales 1t has the
rather formidable orthography, Mawr-
rwyce and Mawrrhys. Just here, per-
haps, we arrive at the correct deriva-
ton Of the name. In the twelfth cen
fury there was a celebrated Welsh chief
tain who was named Mawr-Rhys the
Great. 1t may be he who gave the name
to the family.
To Interested" who asks for a "full
account of the Miner heraldry,"
The arms of Thomas Miner the PHI
grim, granted in 1906, is gules, fesse
argent between three plates. Crest
mailed hand, holding a battle ak, armed
at both ends, proper. Motto. Spero ut
Fidelis u Hope as Faithful. Burke also
gives this as the motto OF the Mynorus
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.; but the arms
differ slightly. In regard to the symbol
ism a Jesse is a military belt. or gtrdle
of honor Plates, or white roundels, de-
note generosity. The hand is pledge
of faith, sincerity and justice. The bat
tie ak indicates a Crusader ancestor. As
to the coiors, gules means military forti-
tude. and argent peace and sincerity.
Different crests are given by Burke
for branches of the family In London
Hertfordshire and .Staffordshire. One is
a cubit arm, in the hand; lions gamb
or leg erased, sable' the other, a wolfs
head, erased, sable, devouring sinister
hand The wolf is an old and most I'M
common heraldic symbol II signihes
valiant captain. who. in the end, after a
long siege and hard fight. gains his ends
1t was an old Roman and also Egyptian
emblem. Lycopolis derives its name
from the generation in which the wolf
was held. The bearer of the wolf crest
can 20 even farther back-to the ark it,
seIf-for Macedon, the grandson OF Noah.
bore an ensign emblaZoned with VOLTS
head. Miner arms have been impaled
with those of many eminent families. to
say nothing of the heraldic insignia OF
Ethelred, King of England, who can be
claimed as ancestor by one branch of the
Miner family.
To "Genealogist," who wants to- have
all the various spellings OF the name
Brooks, and the family characteristics"
II Mr.. Brooks, Brook, Of Brooke wants
to vary the spelling of his name-and
variety is the spice of life. although
trite saying, let him write it Brockx or
BroeckX
He has only to go back few centuries,
say TO 1000 and he will find that his
of that day and generation
was either BroeckX, or Brucksch, or
Brucks, or Bruksch, of Brooks. That is,
If he came from Germany or Holland. II
he was a plain Anglo-Saxon gentleman,
he was John Brok, Esq. say. Or he was
Broke or Broc, or de Broc, or de la Broc'
or de la Brok. or del Broke.
William de Doylo del Broke is name
down in the records of the time of King |
John. Alice de la Broke is name we
also find about this period.
The name was probably ate-Broc. orig |
nally at atte-Broc, or attenbroke, mean |
ing near a brook. That is, one living !
near a brook. AtteDbroke became In
time A-Broke, which in time became
plain Brook. Abrook is also responsible
for Addenbrooke.
Present day forms OF the name are
Brook. Brooks and Brooke. 1t is impos-
sibIe to ring many changes on the name.
RaIph Brooke, York Herald, 1886, is
aid TO have lived near the mouth of
brook, and he was at first Brokesmouth.
,ut changed it to a simpler and saner
orm Brooker and Brookman are other
Yariations of the name derived from
brook.
characteristics of the Brooks are fertile
tons: much critical accumen;
simplicity of manner united to cordially
and an abundant share of wit and wis
iom.