Albrighton

This interesting and unusual name, well established in the Haughton area of Staffordshire from the late 16th Century is of locational origin from either of two places in Shropshire called Albrighton, the one near Shrewsbury and the other near Shifnal. The former, recorded as Etbritone in the Domesday Book of 1086 for Shropshire, is so called from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name Eadbeorht, a compound of the elements "ead", prosperity, and "beorht", bright, plus "tun", a settlement. The latter, appearing as Albricstone in the Domesday Book translates as "Al(d)beorht's settlement". On October 7th 1576, Syble Albrighton and Ralfe Trubshawe were married in Haughton, Staffordshire, and on July 27th 1578, Elizabeth Albrighton and William Ward were married there also. Such locational names were originally given as a means of identification to those who left their birth place to settle elsewhere. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Albrighton, (marriage to Elizabeth Pye), which was dated January 29th 1570, Haughton, Staffordshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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.