Morat

This most interesting surname probably derives from either the Old English pre seventh Century word "Mor", (Medieval English "more") a topographical name for someone who lived in a moor or fen, or the Old French word "more", Moor, a nickname for a man of swarthy complexion, plus the diminutive suffix "-et", (from the French, "Petit"), which became "-ett", "it", "-itt" and "-ott", due to dialectal variations and errors among recorders. The surname first appears in records in the late 16th Century, (see below). On May 20th 1688, Mary Morrett married one Edward Pitt at Frampton on Severn, Gloucestershire. Elizabeth Moret married John Newbold at Bishops Ryder, Birmingham, Warwickshire, while at Kings Stanley in Gloucester, Philip Morrott married Betty Webster on July 25th 1769. Another marriage, that of Abel Morratt to Mary Watson, occurred on August 26th 1789, at Aston Juxta Birmingham, Warwickshire. James, son of Thomas and Sarah Morrott was christened at Berkeley, Gloucester on March 4th 1816. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Moret, who married Avis Nookes, which was dated May 24th 1573, at St. Dunstan, Stepney, London, 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.