3 6 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



not surnamed some family in England ; Percy, Warren, Devereux, 

 Neville, Tracy, Montfort, Montgomery, St. Maure (corrupted into 

 Seymour), are a few of the many examples. The English land- 

 owners were not slow in adopting this mode of distinguishing them- 

 selves, introducing the French preposition " de " before their 

 manors, and thus forming many new surnames. The prefix " de " 

 seems, however, to have been generally dropped about the reign 

 of Henry VI. This accounts for the many existing surnames 

 formed from places. Owing to the prevalence of surnames of this 

 class in the 13th century in England, it was proverbially said : — 



"In Ford, in Ham, in Ley, and Ton, 

 The most of English surnames run. " 



To these may be added, field, hurst, wood, wick, sted, &c. 



There were others derived not from possession of property but 

 simply from locality. If a man dwelt at a wood, he was called 

 Atte wood ( Atwood) ; at a well, he was named Atte well (Atwell), 

 at a moor, Atte moore. These forms further shortened have 

 given rise to many surnames, such as Gate, Hill, Greene, Dyke, 

 Dale, Dean, Brooke, &c. The plural Atten was used with plural 

 nouns — e.g., Atten oaks, afterwards shortened into Nokes and 

 Oakes. Surnames from occupation form a very numerous class; 

 the Le Botelers, Le Stewards, and others of this class, played an 

 important part in the history of these countries. A host of instances 

 of this form will occur to all of you. There are some occupations 

 no longer practised, expressed in obsolete words, which have still 

 their representatives in existing surnames ; such are the Cappers 

 (Capmakers), Lorimers (makers of iron work for saddles), Pointers 

 (makers of ties, once used instead of buttons), Chaucer (shoemaker), 

 Leech (a medical man), Latimer (a writer in Latin), Barker (a 

 tanner), Jenner (a joiner), Pilcher (a maker of pilches — a warm 

 upper garment — the great coat of the 14th century), Arkwright (a 

 maker of meal chests), Fletcher (an arrowsmith, maker of arrows), 

 Walker (a fuller), &c. These lowly names are often now found in 

 high places. The names of Collier and Salter for instance, are or 



