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Stickland

This curious surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from the village of Stickland in the parish of Winterbourne Stickland, south west of Blandford in Dorset. The river Winterborne in that county, recorded as "Winterburne" in the Saxon Chartulary, dated 942, is so called from the Olde English pre 7th Century "winter", winter, with "burna, burne", spring, brook, stream (now "bo(u)rne" and "burn"), referring to an intermittent stream, or more specifically one dry except in winter. The parish name appears as "Winterburn Stikellane" in Documents preserved in France, dated 1203, and the village as "Sticelenlane" in "Codex Diplomatius aevi Saxonici", dated 1019. The latter is so called from the Olde English pre 7th Century "sticelen", steep, "stick-like" ribbon of land, and "lanu", path. Locational surnames, such as this, were originally given to local landowners, and the lord of the manor, and especially as a means of identification to those who left their birthplace to settle elsewhere. On September 29th 1581, Thomas Stickland and Margery Combe were married at Crewkerne, Somerset. Among the earliest recorded namebearers to settle in the New World were William and Margaret Stickland, whose son, William, was christened at St. Michael's Parish, the Barbados, on June 9th 1678. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Stickland, which was dated July 23rd 1545, marriage to Anne Dowse, at Puddleton, Dorset, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Note from Wikipedia article on the surname of Strickland - The family name Stickland is not connected being Saxon and originating from Dorset

Rumford

Recorded in many forms including Romford, Rumford, and the London dialectals Rumfett, Rumfield, Rumfitt, and Rumforth, this is an English surname. It is usually locational from the market-town and parish of Romford, south west of Brentwood in Essex. However it is also possible that some name holders may originate from any of the villages called Romford in Hampshire, Dorset, and Kent. The Essex place is recorded as Rumford in the Charter Rolls of that county in the year 1200, and again in the Close Rolls of 1247. The first element of the placename is believed to be the word "rum", meaning wide or spacious, with "fords", a shallow river crossing; however, it is quite possible that "rum-" goes back to an earlier "run-", meaning council or assembly. If so this would indicate that Romford was an ancient meeting place. Locational surnames were originally given to the lord of the manor or as a means of identification to those who left their birthplace to settle elsewhere. Early examples of the surname recordings taken from surviving registers of the city of London include that on April 15th 1548 of Stephen Rumforde and Margarete Nedam, who were married at St. Stephan's church, Coleman Street, whilst On June 1st 1549, Stephen Roumfort married Elizabeth Carver at St. Mary Magdalene's, Old Milk Street. Other obscure recordings include John Romfitt on May 8th 1634 at All Hallows, London Wall, and Elizabeth Romfield at St Brides Fleet Street, on Christmas Day 1665. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Warin de Rumford. This was dated 1233, in "A Kalendar of Documents relating to Essex", during the reign of King Henry 111rd, 1216 - 1272.

Grave (Graves)

This interesting name is a patronymic form of the surnames Grave, which is of Middle English origin, and is an occupational name for a steward, from the Middle English (1200 - 1500) "greyve", itself derived from the Old Norse "greifi" and the Low German "greve". Grave was first used as a personal name, and the development of the name as such includes: Lefsi filius Greiue (1161 - 1177, Norfolk), Adam filius Graiue (1221, Cambridgeshire) and Greive de Pincebec (1232, Lincolnshire). The first recording of the patronymic form is of one Hugo Graves, in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York in 1540. Probably the most famous namebearer was Robert Graves (1895 - 1985), the English poet, novelist and critic, whose works include his World War 1 autobiography, "Goodbye to All That" (1929), and the historical novels. "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God", both printed in 1934. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Greyue, which was dated 1255, Records of the Borough of Nottinghamshire, during the reign of King Henry 111, "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax.

Leggett

This unusual and interesting name is of early medieval English origin, and is an occupational surname for an ambassador or deputy. The derivation is from the Old French and Middle English word "legat", from the Latin "legatus", from "legare", to appoint, ordain, from "lex", "legis", law, command. In addition to being an official name for a "legate", an official elected to represent his village at the manor court, the surname may derive from a "pageant-name" similar to the medieval surnames of official position such as "Lord", "Knight", "King", and "Bishop", these being frequent characters on show in medieval pageants, and those that played them easily coming to be called by that name. The modern surname can be found as Leggatt, Legat(e), Leg(g)ett and Leggitt. The marriage of Richard Colfe and Elisabeth Leggett was recorded at St. Dionis Backchurch, London, in 1585. A Coat of Arms granted to the Legat or Leggett families of Essex, Kent and Norfolk, is an ermine shield with a red lion rampant. Two red lions' gambs erect, supporting a gold mitre, forms the Crest, and the Motto is "Jesus hominum Salvator". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Peter Legat, which was dated 1199, in the "Pipe Rolls of Cornwall", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax.

Birch (Birtch)

Recorded in many forms including Birch, Burch, Birk, and Burk (English & Irish), Birken, Birckmann, Birchner (German), Berckman and Van den Berch (Dutch and Flemish), Bjork, Bjorkan, Bjerkan and Bjorkman (Scandanavian & Swedish), this interesting surname is either topographical, occupational or locational. In England where most recordings are to be found, it may originate from a place called Birch in the county of Essex, the derivation being from the Olde English pre 7th century word "bryce" meaning breaking; and hence land made suitable for agriculture, or it may be from the villages of Birch Much and Birch Little in Herefordshire. These have a different derivation from the Olde English word "birce", meaning birch trees. Secondly, the name may be a topographical someone who lived by a birch tree or a birch wood, and thirdly occupational, either for a plowman or farmer, or a forester. Early recording examples include: Richard de Birches in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246; whilst in Germany we have the recording of Helmut Birkener of Engeltal in 1316. Recordings in other countries were much later, and in Scandanavia rarely before the 18th century. The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is believed to be that of Walter de la Birche. This was dated 1182, in the charters of King Henry 11nd, 1154 - 1189.

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