Guttridge

This ancient surname with many alternative spelling forms, is usually a direct development of the Olde English pre 7th century personal and baptismal name 'Cuth-ric'. In a few cases the name is confusingly locational and derives from the village, now called 'Goodrich', in the county of Hereford, but formerly (in 1102) recorded as 'Castellum Godric', (Godric's Castle). With the original meaning of 'famous-ruler', it is perhaps not surprising that 'Cuth-ric' as a baptismal name was highly popular in pre Norman times, or that it survived the 1066 Invasion to become equally popular as a distinctive surname. Given the lack of education prior to the 19th century it is equally unsurprising that it has developed an amazing number of 'variants'. These are now surnames in their own right and include Cutteridge, Cutridge, Cutress, Cutriss, Guttridge, Gutridge, and Gutteridge. There are a large number of very early recordings, and examples include Joan Cudrich of Oxford in the Hundred Rolls of 1279, Jane Godrige of Cambridge in the Hundred Rolls also of 1279, and Hugh Coterich in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. Later examples include Arthur Gutteridge of Suffolk in the 1674 Hearth Tax Rolls, and John Gutridge, who married Sarah Morris at the church of St Anne and St Agnes, Aldersgate, London, on December 6th 1726. The Coat of Arms has the blazon of a silver shield, a red cross between four knights spurs, pierced gold. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ailric Cuterich, which was dated 1176, in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire, during the reign of King Henry 11, known as 'The church builder', 1154 -1189. 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.