Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

present day our 'Catchpoles' and 'Catchpooles.1The catchpole was a kind of under-bailiff or petty sergeant who distrained for debt, or otherwise did the more unpleasant part of his superior's work, and was so called from his habit of seizing his luckless victim by the hair, or poll, as was the familiar term then. So general was this nickname that we find it occupying an all but official place. It is Latinized in our re-cords into 'cachepollus,' a word unknown to Cicero, I am afraid. In the 'Plowman's Vision' we are told of the two thieves crucified with the Saviour that:

A cachepol cam forth

And cracked both their legges.

Another name for the catchpole was that of 'Cacherel ' or 'Cacher,' both of which forms occur at this same period as surnames. An old political song says, murmuringly:

Nedes I must spend that I spared of yore
Ageyn this cacherele cometh.

This sobriquet also abides with us still.' 'Le Cacher,'I fear, has been obsolete for centuries.3

1 The term ' poll' for the head, was far more familiar to our fore-fathers than to ourselves, as such terms as ' poll-tax,' or ' going to the poll,' testify. It was in great favour for nickname purposes, and beside the one in the text gave rise to such sobriquets as ' ranti-poll,'i.e., boisterous fellow; ' doddy-poll,' or ' doddy-poul,' as Latimer spells it, i.e., blockhead; or 'withy-poll,' i.e., spoiled one. The latter was a term of endearment, and as such would not be resented. Hence it is found twice as a surname: — 'Poule Withipoule, taillour' (Rutland Papers, Cam. Soc.); 'Edmund Withipole' (State Papers, Domestic).

2 An old sermon, written in the fourteenth century, upon Matt. xxiv.43, speaks of those whom we should now term as the 'Devil and his angels' as the 'Devil and his kachereles.'

3 We have the surname of 'Outlawe,' or 'Outlaghe,'figuring in several rolls, and that of 'Felon,' or ' le Felun,' in at least one. These would be both unpleasant names to bear, perhaps more so then than now. A ' felon' was one who had, by court adjudicature, and for some specific crime, forfeited all his property, lands, or goods. An 'outlaw' was one who had been cited to judgment for some misdemeanour, and by refusing to make an appearance had put himself out of the protection of the law. Thus, Robin Hood was an outlaw. 'Adam Outelaw' signs ordinances of Guild of St. John Baptist, West Lynn, 1374. (English Gilds, p. 102.) This name, strange to say, lingered on to within the last two hundred years, a 'Thomas Outlaw' being found in a college register for 1674. (Vide Hist. C. C. Coll. Cam.) In 1661, too, 'Ralph Outlaw' was rector of Necton in Norfolk. (Hist. Nor/, vi. 55.)

SURNAMES OF OFFICE.

Of such as were accountable for duties in the public streets, we may mention first our 'Cryers,' registered at the time we are speaking of as 'Philip le Criour,' or 'Wat le Creyer.' He, like the still existing 'Bellman,'1 performed a fixed round, announcing in full and sententious tones the mandates of bench and council, whenever it was necessary to advertise to the public such news as concerned their common well-being. Our policeman may be modern in his name and in his attire, but as the guardian of the peace, by night as well as by day, he is but the descendant of a long line of servants who have in turn fulfilled this important public trust. His early title was borne by 'Ralph le Weyte,' or 'Robert le Wayte,' or 'Hugh le Geyt,' or 'Robert le Gait.' All these forms are of the commonest occurrence in our olden registries. By night he carried a trump, with which to sound the watches or give the alarm, and thus it was he acquired also the name of 'Trumper,' such forms as 'Adam le Trompour' or 'William le Trompour' being fre-

1 On the 30th ult., at Greenheys, Manchester, formerly of Oxton, Cheshire, Sarah, widow of R. Bellringer, of Pendleton, aged 82.' (Manchester Courier, May 2, 1874.) This is the only instance of this name I have hitherto met with.