Surname Origins, Their Source and Significations (1875)

Our 'Priests' and 'Priestmans'1 answer for them-selves. 'Thomas le Prestre' and 'Peter le Prest,' I do not doubt myself, were but other changes rung upon the same, but I shall have occasion hereafter to propose, at least, a different origin for the latter. The lower ministerial office is suggested to us in 'Philip le Dekene' and ' Thomas le Deken,' but we must be careful not to confound them with 'Deakin,' which is often but another form of 'Dakin,' that is, 'Dawkin,' or ' little David.'2Our 'Chaplains' or 'Chaplins,' once written more fully as 'Reginald le Chapeleine,' represent less one who officiated in any public sanctuary than him who was attached to some private oratory belonging to one of the higher nobility. Our 'Chanter's' or 'Canters' ('Xtiana le Chauntour,' A., 'William le Chantour,' M.) still maintain the dignity of the old precentors who led the collegiate or cathedral choir — but the once existing 'Chanster' ('Stephen le Chanster,' J.), strictly speaking the feminine of the other, is now obsolete.3In our' Chancellors ' we may recognise the ancient ' John le Chanceler ' or 'Geoffry le Chaunceler,' he to whose care was committed the chapter, books, scrolls, records, and what other literature be-longed to the establishment with which he stood con-

1 As in occupative names, such as 'Fisherman' and 'Poulterer,'there was a tendency to repeat the suffix, or to add 'man' to a term that itself expressed a personal agent, so it was in official names. We have just spoken of 'Vickerman' and 'Priestman.' 'Symon Prior-man' (W. 15) and 'William Munkeman' (W. is) are other cases in point.

2 After the fashion of 'Vicary,' from 'Vicar,' and 'Thackeray,'from 'Thacker,' so 'Diacony' seems to have been formed from 'Deacon.' — Michell Diacony, xx.

3 'Williametta Cantatrix' is found in the ' 'Rot. Lit. Claus. in Turri Lond."

SURNAMES OF OFFICE.

nected. 'Clerk' as connected with the Church has comedown in the world, for as ' clericus,' or ' clergyman,' it once belonged entirely to the ordained ministry.' The introduction of lay-clerks, appointed to lead the responses of the congregation, has, however, connectedthem all but wholly with this later office. Nor have our 'Secretans,' or 'Sextons,' or 'Saxtons ' pre-served their early dignity. The sacristan was he who had charge of the church-edifice, especially the robes and vestments, and such things as appertained to the actual service.2 The present usually accepted meaning of the term, that understood by our great humorist poet when he said

He went and told the sexton,

And the sexton tolled the bell,

is quite of later growth. In our 'Colets' and 'Collets ' (sometimes the diminutives of 'Colin') we are reminded of the colet, or acolyte, who waited upon the priest and assisted in carrying the bread and wine, in lighting the candles, and per-forming all subordinate duties. Our 'Bennets,' when not belonging to the class of baptismal names (as a corruption of 'Benedict'), once performed the functions of exorcists, and by the imposition of hands

1 A curious, not to say cumbrous, surname is met with in the Parliamentary Writs — that of ' Holywaterclerk ' — a certain 'Hugh Haliwaterclerk' being set down as dwelling at Lincoln. Doubtless he was connected with the cathedral body of that city. The name, I need not say, is obsolete; and the Reformation has removed the office denoted. A 'Walter le Churcheclerk' is found in the same record.

2 The charge of the vestry seems to have been given also to the ' revetour,' from ' revestir.'A 'William Revetour, clericus, filius Rogeri Morbet, revetour,'was admitted to freedom of York City in 1420. He died in 1446, and in his will makes mention of his father as 'Roger Revetour.' (Corpus Christi Guild, p. 24. Surt. Soc.)