Lerway

This rare and interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational surname deriving from the place called "Lowery" in Devonshire. The placename was formerly "Loworth", as in the first recording of the surname, below, and has generated a wide variety of modern surnames, showing dialectal and regional differences, as well as the influence of clerical errors in creating variant forms. An example of this occurs in the parish records of Winkleigh, Devonshire, where on July 29th 1644, Gideon, son of Anthony Leraway, was christened, while two years later a second son's christening, entry appears as Johannes, son of Anthony Larraway. Other variant forms are Lerway, Larway, Lar(r)away and Lorroway. One Thomas Larway was christened at Bishops Caundle, Dorset, on March 31st 1574, and the marriage of Robert Lerway and Mary Stuard was recorded in Crediton, Devonshire, on October 12th 1731. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Loueworthe, which was dated 1256, in the "Placename of Devonshire", 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.