Allibone

This interesting surname, with variant spellings Albon, Alban, Albone, Allbon, Allbones, Alabone, Allebone, Alliban, Allibon and Allibone, derives from the given name "Alban", from the Latin "Albanus", originally an ethnic name from the many places in Italy, and elsewhere, called Alba. In England the given name was bestowed chiefly in honour of St. Alban, the first British martyr (3rd or 4th Century). The surname dates back to the mid 13th Century (see below), and further early recordings include: Adam Albon (1275), in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire; Hugh Alybon (1297), in the "Coram Rege Rolls", Derbyshire; and William Alybone (1397), in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York. Recordings from London Church Registers include: the christening of Alce Allibone on July 17th 1547, at St. Peter's, Westcheap, and the marriage of Annes Allybone and Roberte Averyn on January 18th 1573, at St. Margaret's, Westminster. An interesting namebearer, recorded in the "Dictionary of National Biography", was Sir Richard Allibone (1636 - 1688), who was a judge; he was educated at Douay, and entered Gray's Inn in 1663. He joined the kings counsel and was knighted in 1686, and became serjeant-at-law and justice of kings bench in 1687. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Waltor Albon, which was dated 1250, in the "Liber Feodorum", Buckinghamshire, during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.