Lakenden

This interesting and unusual name, with variant spellings Lakenden, Lakenton, Lackinton etc., recorded in England church registers from the mid 16th Century, is of locational origin from a place in Somerset called Lackington. Recorded as "Wyslagentona" in the Domesday Book of 1086 and as "Wichtlakington" in the 1225 "Fine Court Rolls of Somerset", the place was so called from the old English pre 7th Century personal name Wihtlac, plus "ing", people of, and "tun", a farm or settlement, hence; "the settlement of Wihtlac's people". On January 23rd 1611 Robert Lackington, an infant, was christened in St. David's, Exeter, Devon and on November 13th 1635 William Lackongton was christened in St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney, London. An interesting namebearer was James Lackington (1746 - 1815), bookseller, his shop in Finsbury square, known as the "Temple of the Muses", is one of the sights of London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Lakendon, which was dated February 13th 1549, at Little Hempston, Devonshire, during the reign of King Edward V1, known as "The Boy King", 1547 - 1553. 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.