Falconbridge

This interesting "lost" habitational surname is well recorded since the beginning of the 17th Century particularly at the ancient and famous church of St. Martins in the Field, Trafalgar Square, Westminster. However essentially the name is a developed form of the ancient Norman Fauconberge, the Earls of Fauconberge being major landowners in Yorkshire from the time of Henry 1 (1100-1135). The change is first to Fauconberge, Walterde Fauconberge being recorded in Norfolk (circa 1250) and Fauconbridge as shown below. Latin developments include Thomas Faulconbridge, a christening witness at St. Margarets Westminster in March 1628, who is recorded at the same church in 1630, as Thomas Falconbridge as is possibly the "originator" of the modern spelling. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Sir Henry Fauconbridge, which was dated circa 1310, The Kings, Parliament and Jenyns Heraldic Rolls, during the reign of King Edward 11, "Edward of Caenafon", 1307 - 1327. 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.