SURNAME ORIGINS:
JOHNSON
This is a famous Anglo-Scottish patronymic surname of medieval origins. Recorded in the spellings of Jonson, Johnson, Joinson, Joynson and the incredibly popular Jones, although this is always treated as a separate surname, all derive from John. John is itself from the Hebrew name "Yochanan", meaning "God has favoured me (with a son)". This baptismal name with significant religious interest, has always enjoyed enormous popularity in Europe throughout the Christian Era, and was particularly associated with the famous Crusades to the Holy Land in the 12th century. In early British records John was usually Latinized as "Johannes", and in the Old French spellings of Johan, Jehan and Jean. By the beginning of the 14th Century, John rivalled William in popularity as a first name, which is rather surprising considering that King John of England (1199- 1216) may well rank as the nation's most unpopular monarch. Be that as it may John remains even in the 20th century an enduringly popular first name, along with its female versions of Joan and Jean. Amongst the very earliest of all surname recordings are those of Wautier Jonessone, in the charters known as the "Calendar of Documents", which relate to the government of Scotland in 1296, whilst William Johnson and Robert Johanson were recorded in the 1379 Poll Tax rolls of Yorkshire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Jonessone, which was dated 1287, in the register known as the "Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Deeds", for the county of Surrey, during the reign of King Edward 1st, 1272 - 1307.
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HILL:
This distinguished surname, with over fifty entries in the "Dictionary of National Biography", and having no less than seventy-five Coats of Arms, is of Olde English pre 7th century derivation. It has two completely distinct possible origins. The first and most obvious being a topographical name from residence by or on a hill. The derivation is from the word "hyll", and requires no further explanation. These topographical surnames, which in their early forms were accompanied by a preposition such as ''ate'' or ''del'', were mong the earliest created, as natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. Early examples of the name from this source include William Attehil of Cambridge in the 1260 Subsidy Rolls and Thomas del Hill of Yorkshire in the 1379 Poll Tax rolls. However recent research indicates that many name holders may derive from the medieval personal and baptismal name "Hille". This is a semi nickname or short form of one of the many Anglo-Saxon compound names with the first element "hild", meaning battle or war, such as Hildebrand and Hilliard or the French ''hilaire'' from the Latin ''hilaris'' meaning ''cheerful''. These are all surnames and personal names in their own right. One of the ''first'' of all Americans was Elizabeth Hill, recorded as born in ''Elizabeth Cittie, Virginia'' before 1620. The earliest coat of arms is that of Sir Robert Hill in the time of King Henry V1 in 1430 was silver, a black chevron between three water bouchets. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gilbert del Hil, which was dated 1191, in the "Pipe Rolls of Norfolk", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. ................................................
CONVICTS:
George ARTHUR (1811 - 1879)
Mary DITCHFIELD (1799 - 1841)
Matthew STIRK (1768 - 1790)
Edward YATES (1777 - 1829)
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PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED IN WORLD WARS:
ECCLESTON, Edward, (1892 - 15/7/1916) Gunner, Royal Horse and Field Artillery, Mesopatamia, Asia NAISMITH, Oliver, (1895 - 2/4/1917). Lance Corporal, A.I.F, 56th Bn, France. STIRK, Walter (1891 - 17/11/1916) Rifleman, King's Royal Rifle Corps, Saulty, France. YATES, John Baker (1878 - 1/6/1901) Boer War,Corporal, Victorian Mounted Rifles, South Africa.
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