Dimmne

This very rare name derives from an almost equally rare French-English source. It is one of the variant forms of the original "Dimier", and is generally recorded in England as Dimes, Dimme and Dimmer. The surname is occupational for a collector of the "dime", a dime being an early form of tithe, and a later coin. In England, the surname was slightly confused with the equally unusual "deux mars" or "dix mars" (two marks or ten marks), as in the recording of Robert Deumars, in the London Rolls of 1280, and Bartholomew Dewmars in 1334. Apparently the name which developed from the continual use of these phrases was a nickname like the Olde English "shilling", and was probably given to the street sellers or merchants who sold at this price. Among the unusual recordings which may relate to this name is that of James Daminie (as spelt), believed to have been a Huguenot refugee, who married Marie Summers at All Saints Church, Maidstone, Kent, on July 25th 1614. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Susan Dimmne, which was dated November 5th 1639, marriage to Ralph Wingffeild, at St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London, during the reign of King Charles 1, known as "The Martyr", 1625 - 1649. 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.