Mockford

This name is of English locational origin from a hamlet called either Mogford or Mugford, one of the estimated seven thousand villages and hamlets that have now disappeared from the maps of Britain. The not uncommon phenomenon of the "lost" village results from the 14th Century enforced clearing and dispersal of former inhabitants to make way for sheep pastures, the Black Death of 1348 accidents of war etc.. The only evidence of the village having existed is the surname passed on by former inhabitants. The component elements of the name are believed to be the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name Mogga, plus "forda", a shallow river crossing, however it is possible that the prefix may have been 'mudda'- the muddy ford. In the modern idiom the surname is recorded as Mugford, Mogford, and Mockford, whilst examples of the recordings include William Mugford who was christened at Hartland, Devon, on November 27th 1562, Henry Mogford who married Elizabeth Rummer at St Katherines by the Tower (of London), on November 13th 1748, and George Mockford, christened at St Olaves Southwark, London, on February 9th 1766. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Dorothy Mogford, daughter of William Mogford, which was dated March 31st 1560, who was christened at Knowstone, Devonshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as 'Good Queen Bess', 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.