We have thus, gentle reader, from these united testimonies the most credible evidence, that there was a John Halle, who did live at Salisbury, that he had a mansion on the (then) Ditch, and that he was a citizen, and merchant, and buyer of wool-in fact-an affluent and eminent wool-stapler.

I shall at present say nothing further of John Halle, (having much to report of him in my future Essays) but, as I have thus introduced the Hero of my humble history, I beg permission, in the following dissertation on names, to develope that of Halle, or (as in modern orthography) Hall.

Interesting indeed is the inquiry into the origin of names, and that interest is yet increased from the obvious and clear result of such investigation. That the purposes of social intercourse pointed out the necessity of the distinctive appellations of nations, tribes, families, and individuals, must be apparent to every reflecting mind. The civilised Romans well understood, and acted, on this principle; they had their Prænomen, Nomen, and Cognomen, yet (as well observed by Mr. Markland) "the succession of names in one family, passing from a father to his posterity, as fixed and settled appellations, cannot" (as he apprehends) " be traced to a period more remote than during the existence of the Roman Republic in its most flourishing state."* The Cognomen of the Romans well answers to our English Surname, of the origin of which word the following some

Archæologia, vol. 18, p. 105.

what varying etymologies have been given : "Hæc cognomina in chartis, maxime in subscriptionibus, non continuo ac recto ordine post nomen, sed supra inter lineas adscribi solebant; unde et Supra-nomina dicta volunt viri docti, quæ vox reperitur in chartariis maximè Italicis, transiitque ad nostrum Gallicum idioma, vulgò, Surnom." Du Cange, Gloss. Voce Cognomen.

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Vulgò, sed non adeò rectè, Sirname, à Gall. Surnom, It. Sopranome, Cognomen, q. d. Supernomen, i. e. Nomen addititium, ac respectu nominis baptismo inditi." Lye's Junius, voce Surname.

The venerable Camden (3) in his "Remaines concerning Britaine," also saith thus: "The French & we termed them Surnames, not because they are names of the Sire or the father but because they are superadded to Christian names as the Spaniards call them Renombres, as Renames."* It seems also by the opinion of Camden, that Surnames arose first in France, and were introduced into England about the time of the arrival of William, the First, or (very little before) under Edward, the Confessor, "who," says he, "was all Frenchified." "But in England," he adds, "certaine it is, that, as the better sort, euen from the Conquest by little and little tooke surnames, so they were not setled among the common people fully untill about the time of King Edward, the Second." "This will seeme strange," he again says, " to some Englishmen and Scotchmen, which like the Arcadians think their surnames as ancient

• Camden's Remaines, p. 106.

as the Moone, or at the least to reach many an age beyond the Conquest. But they which think it most strange (I speake under correction) I doubt they will hardly find any surname which descended to posteritie before that time : Neither have they seene (I feare) any deed or donation before the Conquest, but subsigned with crosses and single names, without surnames in this manner in England; + Ego Eadredus confirmaui, + Ego Edmundus corroboraui, Ego Sigarius conclusi, + Ego Olfstanus consolidaui, &c. Likewise for Scotland in an old booke of Duresme* on the Charter, whereby Edgare sonne of King Malcolme gave lands neare Coldingham to that Church in the yeare 1097, the Scottish Noblemen witnesses thereunto, had no other surnames than the Christian Names of their fathers. For thus they signed, † S+Gulfi filii Meniani, S + Culuerti filii Donecani, S+ Olaui filii Oghe, &c. As for myselfe I neuer hitherto found any hereditary surname before the Conquest, neither any that I know: and yet both I my selfe and divers whom I know, haue pored and pusled upon many an old Record and Euidence to satisfie our selves herein and for my part I will acknowledge myselfe greatly indebted to them that will cleare this doubt."

No! shade of venerable Camden! far be it from me-presumptuous will it be in any man -now to endeavour to clear that modest doubt, which has been investigated by you, the most illustrious antiquary of your, or of any, age. After your futile researches, conducted with + Sigillum.

* Durham.

equal skill and patience, and that even in an æra far nearer to that of the source of inquiry, we must in this latter age regard it as your established truth, that there was no "hereditary surname before the Conquest."

Thus, it seems, that our Saxon Forefathers had but one name, and possibly, nay probably, even the distinction of a name was but the allotted possession of him, who bore the higher rank. In Doomsday Book the names of the Saxon Proprietors of land appear with but one name, and I cannot refrain from giving here an interesting instance, inasmuch as it is also an amusing proof of parochial etymology. In that invaluable, and very early, document (with the view of which I have been gratified, but which no hand is permitted to touch, its leaves being turned over with other aid) the account of the manor of Fittleton (a parish in my neighbourhood) thus opens: "Rainerius tenet de Roberto Viteltone. Vitel tenuit T. R. E." (tem. pore Regis Edwardi)" et geldabat pro 10 hidis:" that is, "Rainerius holds Viteltone of Robertus. Vitel held it in the time of King Edward,* and it was assessed at 10 hides." The manor and residence of Vitel, the Saxon, was thus called Vitel's Ton or Town; this became contracted by the Normans into Viteltone, and in these our days has been by the interchange of a letter softened down into Fittleton. In the above short extract we have the interesting fact of the use of four single names,—Vitel, the Saxon, Rainerius and Robertus, who were The Confessor.

Normans, and King Edward, the Saxon, contradistinguished in later ages as "The Confessor." On the Norman Invasion the feudal system was introduced, and with it the maxim, that all lands were held mediately, or immediately, from the King. There were comparatively but few estates, which were not seized, and granted away to the followers of William, the First; and, as these held their possessions subject to the feudal rights of the Crown, so did they, as superior Lords, regrant on subfeudatory conditions lesser portions of their domains; and thus did Rainerius hold Viteltone under Robertus (called in Doomsday Book "filius Giroldi"), who, it appears, also held the adjoining manors of Mildestone and Brismartone (now Milstone and Brigmilstone) with many others. That the parochial name of Fittleton is derived, as having been the residence of Vitel, the Saxon, is a truth so obvious, that it must be admitted.

We will, however, now resume the history of the names of Men. It appears, that in the ages co-equal with, and subsequent to, the invasion of William, the First, men seem in regard to distinctive appellations barely to have emerged from barbarism. Even the Royal Norman Race had no patronymic, or family name, but were contra-distinguished from personal, or adventitious, circumstances. William, the First, was styled The Conqueror, not in its usually conceived sense, but as the Conquestor, (4) the Acquirer. Matthew Paris has this passage : "Rex Angliæ ex Conquestu dicitur tamen, quod