Myerscough

Perhaps not surprisingly, this very interesting English surname as shown below, is recorded in many different forms. It is locational from a village called Myerscough, near Garstang, in the county of Lancashire. The derivation is from the pre 7th century old Norse words "myrr" meaning marsh, and the suffix "skogr," a copse or thicket, the region being under Norse control for several centuries. Locational surnames are usually 'from' names. That is to say names given to be people after they left their original villages to move somewhere else. Furthermore as spelling over the centuries has at best been erratic, and local accents very thick, there has been a natural tendancy to produce 'sounds like' versions of the surname. This is well recorded in its home county, but has been equally well recorded in adjoining areas such as Yorkshire, and as far away as London, since at least the 16th century. The known forms of the spelling are Mireschoghe, Merscowe, Myreskoo, Mirescoghe, Myderscough, Myrescoghe, Myerscough, Myerschough, and Myerscoe, although there may well be others. Early examples of recordings taken from surviving church registers include John Myrscow, who was christened at Garstang, in Lancashire on July 11th 1573, and Andrew Myrscough of Great Mitton in Yorkshire, on January 9th 1763.The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Mirscowe. This was dated ted 1327, in the Knights Fees register of King Edward 111rd of England, 1327 - 1377. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.