Tudge

We believe that this unusual name is one of the variant spellings of the topographical surname originally "atte-edge" - "The dweller at the edge (of the village)", as in John atte Egge in the County Pipe Roll Register for Worcester in 1327. Descriptive surnames can be found in examples such as Townend (one who dwells at the end of the Town), Bitheway (one who dwells by the Road) and Attcot (The dweller at the Cottage). In this case, the name has been dialectually transposed, the recordings include Marry Tugge, christened at Wandsworth in 1715 and Joanah Tudge who married James Busby at St. Georges Church, Westminster on June 16th 1750. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Bridget Todge, which was dated December 27th 1702, married John Davis at St. James, Dukes Place, London, during the reign of Queen Anne, "The Last Stuart Monarch", 1702 - 1714. 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.