Stow

Recorded as Stow, Stowe, Stower, Stowers, this interesting surname is English. It is habitational deriving from the pre 7th Century word "stow" meaning a meeting place, but more specifically a "holy place". The name was originally given to a person who dwelt or worker (Stower) by a hermitage, monastery or church. Several places in England are named with this element including Stow cum Quy in Cambridgeshire and spelt Stoua in the famous Domesday Book, of 1066, whilst other places called Stow are to be found in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Staffordshire. Amongst the early surviving recordings of the surname in the diocese of Greater London is that of Agnnes Stowers who was christened at the church of St Mary at Hill, on March 23rd 1582, whilst an interesting namebearer was William Henry Stowe (1825 - 1855), who was the war correspondent to the London 'Times' in 1852 during the Crimean War. 0f 1854 -56. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Winobus de Stoue, which was dated circa 975, "the Book of Ely", Cambridgeshire, during the reign of King Edward, known as the Martyr, 975 - 978. 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.