Suston

This very unusual locational name is apparently of East Anglian origins and a derived form of "Suston" itself a development of the Old English "Suthtona". This latter place now known as Sutton Madok in Suffolk was first recorded in the 1086, Domesday Book and is the probable place of origin of "Sustin". Translating as "The dweller at the South farm (or hamlet)". Changes over the centuries in name spellings are almost always owing to dialectal transpositions coupled with poor spelling and writing. "Sustins" in the plural form may also be a patronymic for "The Son of Sustin", such changes being common even into the victorian period. Examples of the name development include Agnes Suston, daughter of John, christened at Chigwell, Essex, in 1561, and William Sustins, who married Sarah Read at Blundeston with Flaxtoh on January 18th 1820. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Wyllyam Susten, which was dated June 5th 1596, a christening witness at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, 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.