Twigger

This interesting and unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an occupational name for someone who worked with twigs. The derivation of the name is from the Olde English pre 7th Century "twigge", twig, shoot, and the agent suffix "er-", meaning "one who does or works with (something)". A person who constructed wattle fences by interlacing twigs or branches, or a person who made baskets from twigs, may have been given this surname. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. John Twyg is listed in the 1296 Assize Rolls of Cheshire. In the modern idiom the surname can be found as Twiger, Twigger, Twiggar and Twygger. Recordings of the surname from London Church Registers include: the marriage of Ursula Twiger and Thomas Bee on July 25th 1621, at St. Lawrence Jewry and St. Mary Magdalene; the marriage of Rebecca Twigger and Thomas Barton on May 5th 1622, at St. Andrew's, Enfield; and the christening of Edwardus, son of Edwardi and Mariae Twigger on April 26th 1622, at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster. The Coat of Arms most associated with the family is an azure shield with three gold bendlets, and on a silver chief, a red bar dancettee, the Crest being an esquires helmet proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Twygger, which was dated November 21st 1565, witness at the christening of his son, John, at Hilmorton, Warwickshire, 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.