Semarke

This rare and interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is from a topographical name for someone who lived at the boundary or limit of the flow of the sea. The name is derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "sae", sea, lake, similar to the Old Norse "saer", and the Old English "mearc", boundary, limit. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names. The surname is almost exclusive to Kent, with only a few recordings in both Essex and Oxford; the name is also well recorded in London. The modern surname can be found as Seamark, Seamarke, Semark(e) and Seymark. Among the recordings in Kent are the marriages of Edward Seamark and Elizabeth Brickman on June 28th 1668 at Nettlestead, and of Nathan Seamark and Ruth Martin on October 17th 1669 at Yalding. The christening was recorded of one Thomas, son of John Seamark, in 1673 at Hunton, also in Kent. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Seamarke (marriage to John Brooke or Broke), which was dated September 16th 1545, in London, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as "Good King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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.