Smee

Smee
This interesting surname has a number of possible origins. Firstly, it may derive from the Old English pre 7th Century "Smethe" meaning smooth and was a topographical name for someone who lived on a piece of smooth, level ground. It may also be of locational origin from Smeeth in Kent, recorded as "Smitha" in the "Index to the Charters and Rolls" in the British Museum 1018, from the same derivation. One, Laurence de Smethe, is noted in the 1275 Hundred Rolls of Kent. The surname may also have originated as a nickname from the same word, "smethe", used in a transferred sense for someone of an amiable disposition. One, William le Smeth, appears in the 1279 Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. In the modern idiom the surname has many variant spellings including Smeed, Smeeth, Smead, Smeath, etc.. The marriage of Robert Smee and Agnes Turner took place at Uxbridge, London, on September 24th 1612 and Thomas, son of Lewis and Luce Smee, was christened on January 18th 1638, at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Smethe, which was dated 1202, in the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall, during the reign of King John known as known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216. 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.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Smee — Smee, n. [Cf. {Smew}.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) The pintail duck. (b) The widgeon. (c) The poachard. (d) The smew. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • smee — Smew Smew, n. [Perhaps for ice mew.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) small European merganser ({Mergus albellus}) which has a white crest; called also {smee}, {smee duck}, {white merganser}, and {white nun}. (b) The hooded merganser. [Local, U.S.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • smee — It s me. Hi, smee again …   Dictionary of american slang

  • smee — It s me. Hi, smee again …   Dictionary of american slang

  • Smee'sche Kette — Smee sche Kette, galvanische Kette, wobei das negative Metall aus galvanisch verplatinten Silberplatten besteht …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • smee duck — Smew Smew, n. [Perhaps for ice mew.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) small European merganser ({Mergus albellus}) which has a white crest; called also {smee}, {smee duck}, {white merganser}, and {white nun}. (b) The hooded merganser. [Local, U.S.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • smee — noun The pintail, wigeon, pochard, or smew …   Wiktionary

  • smee — …   Useful english dictionary

  • Acton Smee Ayrton — Rt. Hon. Acton Smee Ayrton (5 August 1816 ndash; 30 November 1886) was a British Liberal Party politician.Ayrton practised as a solicitor in Bombay and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple in 1853. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for …   Wikipedia

  • Ken Smee — Cockney Rhyming Slang Pee …   English dialects glossary

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