Legerwood

This interesting and unusual surname, with variant spellings Lidgertwood, Lighterwood, Ledgerwood, Legertwood and Legerwood is of Scottish locational origin from "Legerwood", in the former County of berwickshire in South-east Scotland. The placename is probably composed of the old French personal name "Legier", meaning "people-spear" and the Old English pre 7th Century word, "wudu", wood, hence "the wood of Legier". The surname made its way up North very early and recently was found quite popular in the district of Buchan. The name first appears in written records in the late 13th century (see below). Nichol de Lychardeswode, chaplain and warden of the Hospital of Lychardeswode according to Scottish records in 1296. The goods of one John de Lichardewode merchant of aberdeen, were plundered in England in 1370. John Leidgartwood was "fremane" of Aberdeen in 1656. in London Church Registers, the marraige of Diana Sherrel and Alexander Ligerwood was recorded at St. George Mayfair, Westminster on April 7th 1752. The name's development includes Lichardwod (1408), Lidgertwood (1597) and Liedgerrod (1638). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Symon de Lichardeswode, of Berwickshire, rendered homage, which was dated 1296, in the "Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.