Spurrier

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an occupational name for a maker of spurs. The derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "spura", spur, with the agent suffix "ier", (one who does or works with). Job descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. Early examples of the surname include: Nicholas Sporiare (Somerset, 1327); Nicholas le Sporiere (London, 1456); and Roger Spurreour (Leicester, 1360). One Robert de Gisburgh, "sporier", was entered in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York in 1298, and in 1579, John Spurier, of Somerset, was noted in the Oxford University Register. The metonymic forms of this surname are widely recorded in the early part of the 13th Century, and include Peter Spore (Spure), Sussex, 1230. The name, with variant spellings Spurrior, Spurier, Spurriar and Spurryer, is widely recorded in English Church Registers from the mid 16th Century. On July 16th 1564, Frances Spurrier and James Awcock were married at St. Thomas the Apostle, London, and on June 23rd 1566, Jhon, son of William Spurrier, was christened at Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire. A Coat of Arms granted to the Spurrier family is an azure shield with a gold griffin segreant, the Crest being a long gold cross on three grieces, sable, argent and gules. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Benedict le Sporier, which was dated 1298, in the "Calendar of Early Mayor's Court Rolls", Cambridgeshire, during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.