Trigwell

This rare surname is of locational origins and apparently derives from some now "lost" remote hamlet in the Gisburn area of Yorkshire near the town of Clitheroe. The name is of Olde English style and probably translates as "The Spring (Waella) of Trig',an ancient name of pre 7th century origins with Norse - Viking overtones which means honest and trustworthy. It is probable that in the 17th or even 18th century the hamlet was evacuated, perhaps as a result of the Enclosure Acts which swallowed up the common grazing rights, or possibly through plague which often caused havoc amongst remote communities. Either way the recordings are quite rare, examples include the following which help to demonstrate the developing spelling - Robertus Wilson, who married Anna Tridgewell, at Gisburn on August 29th 1700. Anna was the daughter of Johis Trigewell (note the spelling) as below. In London on May 6th 1811, William Trigwell married Ann Trubee at the famous church of St. Martins in the Field, Westminster, and on December 10th 1859 Joseph Trigwell married Mary Robinson at St. Pancras Old Church, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Trigewell, which was dated January 6th 1675, a christening witness at Gisburn Church, Yorkshire, during the reign of King Charles 11, known as "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685. 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.