Medway

Medway
This unusual name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a topographical surname denoting residence by the river Medway, which runs through the counties of Kent and Sussex. The river name is recorded very early, in the Saxon Chronicles of 764, as 'medunuaeian' (meduwaen), and is derived from the British, pre-Roman, river name 'wey' or 'way', with the Celtic word 'medu', meaning 'mead' and referring to the colour of the water, a golden brown. In the modern idiom the surname can be found as Medway Medeway and Meadway. The marriage between Mary Medway and John Thomas was recorded at St. Katherine by the Tower, London, on the 27th May 1680, while James Medway was christened at St. Michael's, Queenhithe, London, on the 16th June 1712. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alexander at the Medewaye, which was dated 1302, in the County Records of Sussex, 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.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Medway — (spr. meddwĕ), schiffbarer r. Nebenfluß der Themse in der engl. Grafsch. Kent, mündet nach 112 km …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Medway — This article is about the Medway towns in England. For others, see Medway (disambiguation). Medway (Unitary Authority) Geography Status: Unitary, Borough Region …   Wikipedia

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  • Medway — a river in Kent in south east England which starts at the town of Rochester, flows through Chatham and joins the River Thames to the east of London. * * * ▪ unitary authority, England, United Kingdom       unitary authority, geographic and… …   Universalium

  • Medway — /ˈmɛdweɪ/ (say medway) noun 1. a river in southern England flowing through Kent and the Medway unitary district into the Thames estuary. 105 km. 2. a unitary district in southern England; includes the towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham… …  

  • Medway — 1 Original name in latin Medway Name in other language State code US Continent/City America/New York longitude 42.14176 latitude 71.39673 altitude 61 Population 13042 Date 2010 02 15 2 Original name in latin Medway Name in other language State… …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Medway — Med|way the Medway a river in Kent in southeast England which flows through the Medway Towns (Rochester, Gillingham, and Chatham) and joins the River Thames near the sea …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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