REFERENCES to English Surnames in 1602
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REFERENCES TO ENGLISH SURNAMES 1602. cs 2505 .H62 1911 DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Duke University Libraries https://archive.org/details/referencestoengl01 hitc_0 REFERENCES TO English Surnames IN 1602 AN INDEX GIVING ABOUT 20,500 REFERENCES TO SURNAMES CONTAINED IN THE PRINTED REGISTERS OF 964 ENGLISH PARISHES DURING THE SECOND YEAR OF THE XVII. CENTURY. WITH AN APPENDIX INDEXING THE SURNAMES CONTAINED IN 186 PRINTED REGISTERS DURING 1601 (OMITTED FROM THE VOLUME FOR THAT YEAR) BY F. K. & S. HITCHING. 1911 CHAS. A. BERNAU, 17. BILLITER SQUARE BUILDINGS. LONDON. THE ST. CATHERINE PRESS 34, NORFOLK STREET STRAND, W.C. HtelSKC PREFACE TO THE VOLUME FOR j6oj (Reprinted) After even fifty years’ original research among our old records, a genealogist, interested in the history of all the branches of one English family, would know that many branches remained to be traced. Much of his time would have been wasted in searching “ likely ” registers, which, on examination, proved to contain no data for him. Experience teaches every earnest student of family history that what he needs, is not more records, but more clues as to the contents of the available records. “ Indexes and more Indexes ” is his cry, and the publisher who issues a genealogical work without an index merits (and often receives) his imprecations. No records require an Index so urgently as the Parish Registers, which record the baptisms, marriages and burials of our ancestors. These are spread over all the country, and, not only is there no general index to their contents, but there is not even an Index in each Parish to its own Registers. As a result there has been but little hope until now :— (1) . For the genealogist who has traced back a pedigree several generations and then loses all trace of the family. (2) . For the “ thorough ” genealogist, who wishes to know what other branches of his family existed besides those which he has traced. (3) . For the American who can trace back to the first of his surname in America, but does not know from which parish in England his ancestor migrated. It is for these that the present work has been compiled. The genealogist who is anxious to find clues to the whereabouts in England of living persons bearing his surname has a comparatively easy task. A glance through the current Directory of each English County will give him many names and addresses (if the surname is not very uncommon), whilst, if he wishes to be thorough, and not to miss those bearers of his name who have not been considered of sufficient importance to be included in the County Directories, he can search the birth, marriage and death Calendars at Somerset House, London, for all entries since 1837. Unfortunately, before the year 1837, County Directories were practically non-existent, and there was no central place of registration for vital statistics. As indicated above, what is needed therefore is “ A Complete Index to the Surnames in all the Registers of English Parishes ”—but such a work is an utter impossibility. If the British Govern¬ ment undertook the publication of an index of the surnames recorded in all the parish registers during any fixed period of say only thirty years, we should have an invaluable work of reference, which would locate practically every branch of each family existing in England during that period. It would fill many huge volumes, and might be prepared in time to benefit our grandchildren, if all the available expert searchers were engaged to assist in its production. However, what is practically impossible as a whole is sometimes possible in part. The present volume is not an index to the entries made during thirty years in all the parish registers of England, but to those entries made during one year in practically all the registers which have been printed, and are therefore readily available to those who find clues in the references given here. Few genealogical searchers would have the energy to consult all the volumes, one year of which is indexed here, in the hope of locating the various branches of their families spread over the country in the early part of the XVII. Century. Those who have that energy should still prefer to find the work done for them already, so that they may devote the time thus saved to following up the clues which this volume will suggest. If this work meets with a reception at all proportionate to the labour and expense it has entailed, it will be followed by similar volumes indexing 1602, 1603, and so on, until at least thirty years (one generation) have been indexed. The year 1601 was chosen as a starting-point after much careful consideration. An earlier date would have excluded those parishes, the registers of which start after 1600, also, too many of the surnames in the early registers would have been difficult to recognise owing to the erratic spelling of the period. On the other hand, a later date would not have benefited to the same extent the many Americans whose ancestors left this country (from unknown parishes) in or about 1620. iii REFERENCES TO ENGLISH SURNAMES, 1601 A reference having been made above to erratic spellings, it may be mentioned here that in the present work each varied spelling of a surname is treated as a distinct name; this being the only method which ensures the inclusion in their right places of those surnames which appear to be corruptions, but which, however, still exist as separate surnames in their apparently corrupted form. The plan of the book will be found to be quite simple. To each County a reference letter has been allotted (e.g, “S. ” stands for Shropshire, “N.” for Norfolk), and each parish has its refer¬ ence number (e.g. “ S.23.” stands for the Registers of Hanwood, Shropshire, this being the 23rd Shropshire parish indexed in this work), whilst, in cases where several counties have the same initial letter, a slight variation has been made to indicate each, (e.g. “ S. ” = Shropshire, “ Sf. ” = Suffolk; “ So. ” = Somerset; “ Ss. ” = Sussex ; “ Su. ” = Surrey, etc.). All these abbreviations are clearly set out in the “ List of Parishes Indexed,” following this Preface. It will be noticed that this list gives the names of the Publishers, Editors or Societies issuing the various registers, so that the volumes can be easily traced in the British Museum or other Libraries. An advantage of this system is that a glance at the references following a common surname, such as Brown, will show at once the Registers in which search should be made for the Browns of any particular County. The Compilers of this book are anxious to make it of the greatest possible assistance to all, including especially those who may experience some difficulty in consulting the printed volumes which are here indicated. With this object in view, they hold themselves at the disposal of any subscribers to this book who wish extracts made from the printed registers, about any given surname. In order, however, to prevent any but serious inquirers from availing themselves of this offer, they have decided to stipulate for a minimum prepaid fee of 4/- (One dollar) with each inquiry. They will charge 2/- (Fifty cents) per hour for the actual time occpied in going to the British Museum Library, and making the search, and will return any balance there may be with the result of the investigation. For those living in or near London who wish to make their own researches, it may be mentioned that nearly every volume here indexed is to be found at the British Museum or Guildhall Libraries. It being inevitable that, in a work of this description, errors must occur, the Compilers will be glad to be told of any that may be discovered, in order that they may be corrected in future issues. It only remains to add, that the Compilers are under considerable obligations to those who have generously assisted them in their work by the loan of printed registers, especially the Rev. W. H. Shawcross, F.R.Hist.S. ; the Rev. J. L. E. Hooppell; the Rev. W. G. D. Fletcher, M.A., F.S.A. ; and Messrs. W. Bradbrook, M.R.C.S., F. Arthur Wadsworth and W. H. Maxwell. PREFACE TO THE VOLUME FOR t6o2 After the publication of References to English Surnames in 1601,” several excellent suggestions were received. These have been adopted in the present volume; hence the amplifica¬ tion which will be noticed in the “ List of Parishes Indexed.” In the first place, it will be noticed that a star (*) has been placed before the abbreviations used to denote 186 of the parishes. This star indicates that the parishes so marked are those which were omitted from the volume for 1601 but have now been indexed in the Appendix to the present volume. Many of the Registers omitted in our last volume were published only during that period when it was in the press or subsequently. Some which should have been included were omitted owing to our not knowing of their existence when compiling the volume for 1601. We wish to express our gratitude to the readers who kindly pointed these out to us. The italicised name, immediately following that of the parish, gives the Transcriber or Editor of the register. In a few cases the names of both a Transcriber and an Editor have had to be recorded against one register, the letters “ T ” and “ E ” respectively being added to their names. Referring to the column devoted to the names of the Publishers of the registers, it will be noticed that, in the case of Parish Register Societies, etc., publishing a series of registers, a note IV PREFACE has been made of the number of the volume in the series where the particular parish may be found.