Fulham

The former village of Fulham in the county of Middlesex, now part of Greater London, has a long history dating back to early Saxon or possibly even Roman times. The surname which originates from the village is very much younger, probably Elizabethan, and quite rare. This is because it is a locational surname from a place, and historically people graduated towards London area, whilst arguably Fulham is and was, already in the London area! However in the days before mass transport to even move a mile to the next village was rare, and early Fulham nameholders may have been given their name in the city of London, simply because they had made that short move. What we do know is that Fulham village was recorded in the famous Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, sometimes called the first newspaper, in the year 880 a.d. and then in the spelling of Fullonham. This could have described the farm of the fuller, a fuller being a textile worker who scoured the cloth, or it could simply have described a farm owned or operated by a man culled Fulla, this being a early personal name. The first recording that we have is that of John Fullam, whose son Thomas was christened at St Margarets Westminster on August 1st 1572, whilst on December 23rd 1575 at the same church and in the same register we the recording of John Fullham, clearly the same person as previously recorded as Fullam, sadly it was for another christening fro another Thomas, the first child having died. The first modern spelling of Fulham may be that of William Fulham at St Dunstans Stepney, on August 14th 1639.