Dowber

This unusual name is a variant form of the more commonly found surname 'Dauber' or 'Dawber'. The name is of early medieval English origin, and is an occupational surname for a plasterer, specifically a builder who used wattle and daub to build walls. The wattling consisted of a row of upright stakes interweaved with small branches of hazel rods, osiers or reeds, and, usually on both sides, earth or clay was daubed, filling the spaces between the waffles. The surfaces were then smoothed, and usually treated with plaster or a coat of whitewash. The derivation of the surname is from the Middle English verb 'daube(n)', to coat with a layer (of plaster or whitewash), with the agent suffix '-er', itself derived from the Old French 'dauber', from the Latin 'dealbare', to coat with whitewash. The surname development includes Nicholas le Doubur (1260, Lancashire), Walter Dobere (1319, Essex) and John Doweber (1379, Yorkshire). The modern surname is found most frequently in Lancashire. One Margery Dowber was christened on October 11th 1592 at Ormskine, Lancashire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hugo Daubur (witness), which was dated 1219, The Yorkshire Assize Court Rolls, during the reign of King Henry 111, 'The Frenchman', 1216-1272. 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.