Muston

This interesting surname is of Old Scandinavian or Anglo-Saxon origin, and is of locational derivation from either of the places called Muston; in Leicestershire, recorded as "Moston", circa 1125, in the Leicestershire Survey; or in Yorkshire, recorded as "Mustone" in the Domesday Book of 1086. The place in Leicestershire is so called from either the Olde English pre 7th Century "mus", mouse, or "must", muddy stream or place, with "tun", enclosure, settlement, while Muston in Yorkshire is named with the Olde English personal or byname "Musi", from "mus", mouse, with "tun", as before. John de Muston is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273. Other recordings include the christening of John, son of Edmund Mustion, on May 5th 1574, at St. Giles' Cripplegate, London; the christening of Maria, daughter of Thomas Muston, at St. Mary's, Hinckley, Leicestershire, on April 28th 1588; and the christening of Thomas Muston on October 6th 1610, at Little Dalby, Leicestershire. The family Coat of Arms depicts on a silver shield, a black n between three black crosses flory. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Andrew de Muston, which was dated circa 1216, in the "Book of Fees of Leicestershire", 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.