Way Back Wednesday: R is for Recusant Rolls

Do you have recusants in your surname study?  A recusant was a person who didn't go to church (in the 16th century!).  At first, he was fined 12 pence (1 shilling) each time he missed services; you can gauge how much this was when you realise that most people earned about 8 pence a day - a shilling if they were skilled.  In 1581 this fine was increased to about £20 per month (more than some people earned in a year) and even all your goods and two-thirds of your real property! Often, really poor people were not fined, as they could not afford it anyway, so it was not practical.

So who were these stubborn stay-aways?  Many were Roman Catholics, but in some areas (especially the southwest of England) they were Protestant Dissenters or other nonconformists.

And what are Recusant  Rolls? They are the records of the fines and forfeitures between 1592 and 1691.  The Catholic Record Society has published a number of them.

 

© Ros Haywood
School of  Surnames

Next week's letter is 'S'. Has anybody got any interesting snippets that marry up S with surname studies?  If so, please send them to Ros Haywood at sos [at] surname-society.org

letter R courtesy of openclipart.org

Way Back Wednesday: Q is for Haplogroup

Read on and you will see why the letter Q is associated with Haplogroup.
 
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses
 
Haplogroup is a genetic population group of people who share a common ancestor on the patrilineal or matrilineal line. Haplogroups are assigned letters of the alphabet, and refinements consist of additional number and letter combinations. 
 
 
Q (M242) is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. 
 
 
When you reach a stumbling block by conventional means such as searching by surname, why not take a DNA test which could put you in touch with unknown family?
 
There are many providers out there such as Ancestry, Family Tree DNA and 23andMe.
 

© Gordon Martin
http://prussianmartinfamilyhistory.webs.com/

Next week's letter is 'R'. Has anybody got any interesting snippets that marry up R with surname studies?  If so, please send them to Ros Haywood at sos [at] surname-society.org

letter Q courtesy of openclipart.org

Way Back Wednesday: P is for Patronymics

A patronymic is a surname based on the given name of the father e.g. Fred Johnson (now a popular English surname) is the son of John.  A matronymic is the female version: these can be seen in Scandinavian and Icelandic names such as the footballer whose surname is Helguson (Helga's son) or the novelist Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir (Minerva's daughter).

But patronymics/matronymics are not always that simple.  Try 'Powell' (ap Hywel), or Rodriguez (son of Rodrigo).  How about FitzGerald (child of Gerald) or O'Connor (from "Ó Conchobhair", meaning grandson/descendant of Conchobhar)?

Nowadays - in the UK, US, and Australia at least - the child will inherit the father's surname, if the father and mother are married.  If they are not, English law states that the child should take the mother's surname.  What a delightful proposition for future genealogists...NOT!  Some families join the parents' surnames to make a double-barrelled name.  Some individuals (when they are adult) change their entire name by deed poll.

Where did you get your surname from?  Was it a simple inheritance from your father? and was it a patronymic originally?

 

 

© Ros Haywood
School of  Surnames

Next week's letter is 'Q'. Has anybody got any interesting snippets that marry up Q with surname studies?  If so, please send them to Ros Haywood at sos [at] surname-society.org

letter P courtesy of openclipart.org

Way Back Wednesday: O is for Omnipresent

O is for Omnipresent - that's what The Surname Society is! (we're everywhere!).  Take a look at these 'O' surnames registered with us:

Oldcorn, Oldcorne - anyone anywhere in the world is related to the Studier of this Surname.

Orbick, Orbyk, Horbik, Horbyk - this surname has been traced to north-east Poland, with some Orbiks still in the USA.

Outhwaite - our Studier is looking at this name in Lancashire, England.

You may think that the surname you are interested in is only in one small part of the country you live in - but, for instance, when I started studying the name Murch, I found that they weren't all in Devon, England.  They went to London, and Australia, and Maine, USA! (and back again in some cases)

Where is the most unusual place in which you have found your surname?

 

© Ros Haywood
School of  Surnames

Next week's letter is 'P'. Has anybody got any interesting snippets that marry up P with surname studies?  If so, please send them to Ros Haywood at sos [at] surname-society.org

letter O courtesy of openclipart.org

Way Back Wednesday: N is for Nickname

Did you know that many surnames were originally nicknames?  A 'nickname' comes from 'an eke name', or an alternative.

Think of the surnames Short, Long, Wise, or Savage (as nicknames, they might even have denoted that the owner was anything but!).  How about Pope, King, Knight, or Squire (when they actually weren't!)  Dear, Darling, Little, or Mann? Some surnames are actually after places (although they sound like nicknames), such as Broadhead.  Some are occupational: got any Jesters in your tree?

Is the surname you study actually a nickname?  Mine - Murch - probably is.  It means 'little man'.

 

© Ros Haywood
School of  Surnames

Next week's letter is 'O'. Has anybody got any interesting snippets that marry up O with surname studies?  If so, please send them to Ros Haywood at sos [at] surname-society.org

letter N courtesy of openclipart.org