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On the Surname Poore : iU origin and meaning. 



In 1177 King Henry gives Waterford city to Robert le Poer, his 

 marshall as custos — bis name appears in 1185 among the grantees of 

 the crown as Robert le Poker. In giving an account of his arrest, 

 together with another English "knight// in 1 1 88, by Raimond 

 Comte of Toulouse, he is called Robert Poer. (Ibid, 21-1, 273, 287.) 



(2) Accepting this as proved, that the Latin " pner," in the sense 

 of " knight/'' or " cadet" of a gentle family, is really the origin of the 

 name "Poer 33 — it did not assume the form Poore till a later period than 

 this of which we have been speaking — we may add that its identity 

 in meaning with the Anglo-Saxon cild, seems to be clearly proved 

 by this one fact, that the Shropshire family of " Child," still existent, 

 credibly claim a descent from a family which was one day called 

 " Le Poer " and another " Child " ; one branch of that family 

 assuming one, and another branch the other as a surname. Refer- 

 ences confirmatory of this statement may be seen in the index, or 

 glossary, to Eyton's " History of Shropshire/'' 



It is possible that such an interpretation may throw light on the 

 meanings of some of the local names into which one or other of 

 these terms enters into combination. Thus " 6%^-Okeford/'' in 

 Dorset, which has been identified as the Domesday manor of Ack- 

 ford, and which, before the conquest, belonged to the Earl Harold, 

 may fairly be thought to derive its specific name from him. And 

 as regards " Poor-stock /' one of the oldest possessions of the Church 

 of Sarum, we are fortunate in being able, from successive documents, 

 to form a correct conclusion as to its meaning. In the time of the 

 Domesday Survey it belonged to Roger Arundel, the under-tenant 

 being called in that record simply " Hugo." But among the charters 

 preserved in the Muniment-Room at Salisbury Cathedral, is one 

 dated about 1152, in the time of Bishop Jocelin, by which "Alma 

 and Margery daughters and heiresses of Hugh le Poer make over to 

 William Scamell all their rights in the manor of Porestoc with its 

 appurtenances." If the Domesday owner, or under-tenant, were of 

 the rank of one of the King's Thanes, the name of the place would 

 be intelligible enough, especially if the latter were the same as 

 " Hugo, miles," who occurs once at least in the Dorsetshire Domesday. 



H, F. BULL, Printer and Publisher, 4, Saint John Street, Devizes. 



