Wallage

It has been suggested that this unusual surname is a form of the famous Scottish clan name 'Wallace', but this may not be so. 'Wallage' is first recorded in Norfolk, England, (as Wallege), over a century before 'Wallace'appears in the county. This suggests that 'Wallege' or the later 'Wallage' may be locational, and derive from one of several places in England called 'Wald ridge' or 'Wald ditch'. To some extent this is confirmed by the surname 'Walledge' which is recorded both in Norfolk and London in the 18th century. It is just possible that 'Wallege' could derive from the English form of 'Wallace' which is 'Wallis'. Both have exactly the same origins and derive from the Celtic word 'waelisc'- as in Wales, and translate as 'the foreigner'. Examples of the surname recording include Edmund Wallege of Bressingham, Norfolk, on June 29th 1578, Elizabeth Wallage, who married Christopher Mallett at Hardingham, Norfolk, on October 10th 1758, and Caroline Wallage, christened at Redenhall with Harleston, on September 14th 1810. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Wallege, which was dated January 15th 1544, who was christened at Repps with Bastwick, Norfolk, during the reign of King Henry V111, known as 'Bluff King Hal', 1510 - 1547. 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.