gtamiltes of 



By Captain G. R. ELWES. 



'N venturing to submit to the members of the Dorset 

 Field Club a few somewhat superficial notes 

 on some of the baronial, knightly, and 

 manorial families, whose memory is preserved 

 through their names being associated with 

 many ancient manors in Dorset, I must 

 candidly admit that my object is to stimulate 

 enquiry into this subject with a view to 

 obtaining supplementary information rather 

 than to attempt a series of original memoirs. 

 Perhaps I should at starting apologise for the unusual and 

 unattractive word that appears at the head of this paper. In 

 self-defence, I can only say that it was no choice of mine, 

 but seemed to be the only term that offered to convey in one 

 word the meaning intended, for, if some such coined word as 

 " Name- giving" were substituted, too much would be implied by 

 it, since the quality we wish to indicate is that of name-adding 

 rather than name-forming. 



The families in question were probably all, in some sense, 

 " Baronial," ranging from the very minor baron, with no status 

 beyond his own manor, like the "Lairds" of the North, to those 

 opulent and powerful nobles who, like the Nevilles, could make 

 and unmake kings. 



