Spawton

This very unusual and interesting name has its origins in a now vanished place, a not uncommon phenomenon in medieval England when whole villages were frequently "cleared" and their inhabitants dispersed to make way for sheep pastures. Villages were also "lost" due to natural disasters like the "Black Death" of 1348, or the accidents of war. At all events, all that remained of these villages was the surname, spread, eventually far away from the original location. It is possible that "Spaughton" also found in the modern idiom as "Spawton", "Sporton", "Spolton" and "Spalton is a variant of "Spalding" a place name in Lincolnshire, but since the name "de Spolton" is recorded in Surrey in the 13th Century it is more likely to be a Southern English locational name meaning "Spa(u)l's ton", "Spa(u)l's village". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of George Spaughton, christened. which was dated 16th November 1606, St. James Dukes Place, London. during the reign of King James I of England and VI of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. 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.