Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

'the mayor and twenty-four (of the council) shall choose a common elerk, a coroner, two clavers, and eight constables, and the sixty common council shall choose a common speaker, one coroner, two clavers, and eight constables.' ('Hist. Norf.,' Blomefield.) In a day when there were no patent safes we can readily understand the importance of appointing men whose one care it was to guard the chests wherein were stored up the various parchments, moneys, and seals belonging to the civic council. This comprises our list of Norman civil officers. One name, and one only, of this class is Saxon, that of 'Alderman,' but I have found it occurring as a surname in only one or two instances, and I believe it has now become obsolete.

Turning from municipal to ecclesiastical affairs, we find the Church of mediaeval times surrounded with memorials. Some of these I have already hinted at as being mere sobriquets; none the less, however, do we owe them to the existing institutions. Such names as 'Hugo le Archevesk' or 'William le Arceveske' can be only thus viewed. In 'Morte Arthure' the hero holds festival at Caerleon,

Wyth dukez, and dusperes of dyvers rewmes,

Erles and erchevesques, and other ynowe, Byschopes and bachelers and banerettes nobille.

While this has long vanished from our directories, the descendants of 'John le Bissup' or 'Robert le Biscop' are firmly established therein. The more Norman

1 The old and general custom of electing a boy-bishop on St. Nicholas' Day gave their title, doubtless, to most of our ' bishops.'The familiarity of the ceremony is fully attested by Brand. To him I refer the reader. The boy thus elevated by his fellows could not but retain the sobriquet. Lyson quotes from the Lambeth Ch.wardens' Accounts, 1523: 'For the Bishop's dynner and hys company on St. Nycolas' Day, iis. viiid.'

SURNAMES OF OFFICE.

'Robert le Vecke ' and 'Nicholas le Vesk' still live also in our 'Vicks ' and 'Vecks.' It was only the other day I saw 'Archdeacon' over a hatter's shop — and that it is no corruption of some other word, we may cite the early 'Thomas le Arcedekne ' as a proof.' Whether 'Archpriest,' a sobriquet occurring at the same date, was but another designation of the same, or performed more episcopal functions, I cannot say.' The name, however, is obsolete in everysense. The old vicar has bequeathed us our 'Vicars,' Vicarys,' and 'Vickermans.' Chaucer says in the 'Persons Prologue '

Sire preest, quod he, art thou a vicary?

Or art thou a Person ? say soth by thy fay.

Our 'Parsons,' as Mr. Lowther thinks, are but a form of 'Piers' son,' that is, 'Peters' son.' It is, however, quite possible for them to be what they more nearly resemble; indeed, I find the name occurring assuch in the case of 'Walter le Persone,' found in the Parliamentary Rolls. Well would it be if we could say of each village cure now what our great early poet said of one he pictured forth

A good man there was of religioun,

That was a poure Persone of a town,

But riche he was of holy thought and werk,

He was also a lerned man, a clerk,

That Cristes gospel trewely wolde preche.

1 Daniel Archdeacon was recommended to the King for his services, 1610. (State Papers, 1623-5, p. 545.)

2 Roger le Archeprest'(J). The term was in use in the seventeenth century. Smith, the 'silver-tongued' preacher, speaks of ' priest, or priests, 0r archpriests, or any such like.' (God's Arrow against Atheists.)