Savory

Recorded in several forms including Savarin, Severin, Savary, Savaric (France & Belgium), Savory, Savoury, Savary, Savery, de Savery, and others (English & Scottish) this is a surname of ultimately Germanic origins. It is said to derive from the pre 5th century personal name Salvari, which may have had the meaning of 'wild power'. As Savaric it was introduced into the British Isles at the Norman-French conquest in 1066, and it is clear from the records that many nameholders became land owners of consequence. The surname like most surnames is 13th century (see below), and the coat of arms a paly of six silver and green, with a black chief. Early recordings include William Savery in the Hundred Rolls of landowners of the county of Leicestershire in the year 1276, and Robert Saurrai in the Subsidy Tax Rolls of Sussex in 1332. Church register recordings include William Saverie who was christened on St Stephens Day (now Boxing Day), 1570, at Lambourn in the county of Berkshire, William Savory, christened on August 1627, at St. Botolph's Bishopsgate, in the city of London, and An (as written) Savoury, christened on July 1st 1638 at St. Botolph without Aldgate, also city of London. In 1831 Henry Savery (1791 - 1842) wrote the first known book about early Australian life called 'Quintus Servington' possibly a play on his surname. He came from a wealthy Somerset family of bankers, but in 1825 was convicted in London of forgery, and transported for life to Australia. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Saveri. This was dated 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, during the reign of King Edward 1st of England, 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.