Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

As with 'Simon,' most of the nursery forms are still found as the chief components of its surnames. Skelton, the poet-laureate — in lieu of a better — of Henry VIII., reminds us of its chief contraction, 'Philp,' or ' Phip,' in his lines on a dead sparrow, named Philip:

Many times and oft,

Upon my finger aloft,

I played with him, tittle-tattle,

And fed him with my spattle,

With his bill between my lips.

It was my pretty Phips.

Thus we derive our 'Phelps,' 'Philps,' 'Phipps,'and'Phipson.' Adding to these our 'Philips,' 'Philipsons,'Philcoxes,' 'Philpotts,' and 'Phillots,' we see that we are not likely soon to be quit of Philip. He is now, however, out of fashion as a Christian name. 'Philpot,'I need scarcely say, was very popular as the representative of the Norman-French 'Philipot,' found in suchentries as 'Thomas Phylypotte,' or 'John Philipot;' but endeavours to deduce his origin as well in spellingas in sound from the characteristics displayed by the renowned Toby Phillpot are not wanting, for I see him figuring in the 'London Directory' as 'Fillpot' Archbishop Trench quotes from one of Careless's letters to Philpot the following passage, which servesto show that three hundred years ago at least the name had been played upon in similar fashion: 'Oh, good Master Philpot (he says), which art a principal pot indeed, filled with much precious liquor — oh, pot

1 There can be little doubt that 'Potts' comes from 'Philpotts.' We light upon a 'Thomas Potkin' (H.H.), proving that the abbreviation was in use.

PATRONYMIC SURNAMES.

most happy ! of the High Potter ordained to honour.' Some years ago, when a Philpott was appointed to theepiscopal chair of Worcester, Dr. Philpotts being yet at Exeter, the following lines got abroad:

'A good appointment ?' 'No, it's not,'
Said old beer-drinking Peter Watts;

'At Worcester one but hears ' 'Phil-pott;"
At generous Exeter, "Phil-potts."'

Fillpot ' as well as 'Fillip' are both found in mediaeval registers in the cases of ' Roger Fylpot ' and'Walter Felip.' An old song, quoted in 'Political Poems' (i. 6o), says of the defeated soldiers at HalidonHill:

On Filip Valas fast cri they,

There for to dwell, and him avaunce.

The 'Fillpots' of our present directories may there-fore have thus spelt their names for four or five hundred years. Anyhow they have precedent for the form.

'Matthew the Publican ' seems to have been a favourite alike in England and France. 'Matt' was the homely appellative, and thus besides 'Mathews' and 'Mathewson,' we meet with Matts,' 'Matson,' 'Mattison,' and 'Mattinson.' Our' Mayhews' represent the foreign dress, and can refer their origin to such personages as 'Adam fil. Maheu,' or 'Mayeu de Basingbourne.' 'Bartholomew,' for what reason I can scarcely say, was a prime favourite with our forefathers, and has left innumerable proofs of the same. 'Batt' or 'Bett' seems to have been the favourite curtailment. The author of 'Piers Plow-man' speaks of 'Bette the Bocher' (Butcher), 'Bette the Bedel,' and makes Reason bid