Titmarsh

Recorded in several spellings including Tidmarsh, Titmarsh, and Tettmarsh, this is an English surname. It is locational from the village of Tidmarsh in the county of Berkshire, and derives from the Olde English pre 7th century word "teod". This translates in general terms as "nation", but in this localised form means "The marsh people". Locational surnames were amongst the earliest to be created. They were usually 'from' names, which is to say names given to people after they left their original homes to move somewhere else, often the city of London. In this case early examples of the name recordings are taken from the church registers of the diocese of Greater London, include the christening of William Tytmarsh at St. Bride's, Fleet Street, on April 17th 1608; and the christening of Ellin, the daughter of William Tittmarshe, also at St. Bride's, Fleet Street, London, on September 22nd 1611. William Tidmarsh, was christened on June 23rd 1707, at St. Olave's, in Southwark. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Tidmershe, which was dated 1602, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire", 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.