Alderson

This surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a patronymic form of either of two Olde English pre 7th Century given names, "Ealdhere", composed of the elements "eald", old, with "here", army, or "Aethelwaru", a compound of "aethel", noble, and "waru", defence. Though not recorded independently, these personal names are preserved in such placenames as Alderton in Northamptonshire, Golucestershire, and Wiltshire, recorded respectively as "Aldriton", Aldritone" and "Aldrinton" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and translating as the settlement ("tun") of Ealdhere's people", also Alderbury in Wiltshire, appearing as "Aethelwaru's byrig" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, dated 972, the latter element being "burg", a fort. The name Alderson is known to have been found in Lancashire in the 13th Century, but exact records are unavailable. It is now most widespread in Yorkshire and Durham. On February 9th 1545 Gabrell Alderson and Agnes Garnet were married in Egglescliffe, Durham. A notable namebearer was Sir James Alderson (1794 - 1882), who was president of the College of Physicians, 1867, and was knighted 1869; he was physician-extraordinary to the Queen, 1874. A Coat of Arms granted to the Alderson family is a blue shield with an ermine chevron engrailed between three suns in splendour proper. The sun rising proper behind a green mount, thereupon a branch of alder, is the Crest. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Aldersson, which was dated March 10th 1540, a christening witness, at Dewsbury, Yorkshire, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Bluff King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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.