Serjeantson

This is an English surname of some antiquity, being from an occupational name for a servant, "sergent", in Middle English. The element of "son" at the end of the word means just that - a nickname for the "son of" the sergeant. The surname was probably used in the general sense of servant at first, but soon developed various specialised meanings, e.g. a tenant by military service below the rank of a knight, or an officer of the law charged with enforcing judgements of a tribunal etc. - in other words, a policeman in the modern idiom. There has always been great variety in the spellings of this name; even today there are for instance, Serjeantson, Sergison and Serginson, to name but a few. On September 2nd 1725, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Surgison, was christened at Helssle by Hull, Yorkshire, and John, son of John and Elizabeth Surgison, was christened on August 5th 1733, at St. Botolph without Aldgate, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Sarginson, which was dated 1600, Christened on January 4th, at St. Dunstans, Stepney, 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.