Luxford

This interesting surname is of early medieval English origin, and is of locational derivation from some minor, unrecorded or now "lost" place, believed to have been situated in Sussex, because of the large number of early recordings in that region. An estimated seven to ten thousand villages and hamlets are known to have disappeared since the 12th Century, due to such natural causes as the Black Death of 1348, in which an eighth of the population perished, and to the widespread practice of enforced "clearing" and nclosure of rural lands for sheep pastures from the 15th Century onwards. The placename is composed of the Middle English personal name "Luke, Luck", which ultimately derives from "Lucas", a Latin form of the Greek "Loucas", man from Lucania (a region in Italy), and the Middle English "ford", a ford; hence, "Luke's or Luck's ford". Early examples of the surname include: the marriage of Edward Luxford to Annes Homwod on February 20th 1559, at Hurstpierpoint, Sussex; the christening of Tomsen, daughter of Edward Luxford, on April 1st 1565, also at Hurstpierpoint; and the marriage of Richard Luxford and Alice Overy on July 8th 1610, at St. Margaret's, Westminster, London. The family Coat of Arms depicts on a blue shield, a gold chevron between three gold boars' heads couped. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Luxford, which was dated February 6th 1559, marriage to Alles Savadg, at Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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.