Salleir

This is a very interesting surname. Recorded in many forms including Salery, Sallery, Sallarie, Salere, Salters, Salthouse, (England), Sallier, Salliere, and Salleir (France), it is a surname of French, but ultimately Latin origins. It is either occupational or sometimes topographical. In either case it derives from the Latin word "salarius" meaning salt, and describes either a spice merchant, or the keeper of a salt cellar, or possibly somebody who lived by a salt cellar (Salterhus). Salt was probably the most important mineral in common household use in pre medieval times, as with "smoking", it was almost the only guaranteed way of preserving and keeping meat over the long winter months, when for most people, little no fresh food was available. Occupational surnames usually became hereditary after about the 14th century in Britain, when a son or perhaps a grandson, followed the father into the same business of profession. In this case early examples of the surname recording include Adam Salters of Norfolk in the Hundred Rolls of 1274, Ane Sallrye who married Robert Alline at Harefield, in Middlesex, on June 14th 1573, Richard Sallarie who married Eliza Short at St Brides church, Fleet Street, in the city of London, on February 28th 1662, and in France, Maurice Sallier, who was a witness at Serrevel, Haut-Savoie, on April 16th 1670.