Duxbury

This interesting surname of English origin with variant spellings Duxbury, Duxberry, Duckesbury, is a locational name from a place called Duxbury in Lancashire, deriving from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name Deownc plus "byrig" "fort", hence "Deowue's fort". The surname dates back to the mid 16th Century, (see below). Church recordings include one Grace Duckesbury who was christened on August 14th 1567, at Whalley, Lancashire. William, son of Thomas Duxbery, was christened at St. Martin in Pomeroy, London, on January 2nd 1602, and Elizabeth Duxberrie married Richard Clarke at St. Giles, Cripplegate, London on February 4th 1609. Ralph, son of James Duxbury, was christened at St. James, Clerkenwell, London, on November 11th 1633, and one John Duxbury married Isabella Maddox on June 2nd 1727, at St. Benet, Paul's Wharf, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Issabella Duckesbere, which was dated 1549, in Greate Harwood, Lancashire, during the reign of King Edward, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. 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.