Witherspoon

Witherspoon
Recorded in many forms including Wilderspoon, Witherspoon, Witherspon, Widderspoon, Wildespin, and Wotherspoon, this is an English surname. It has been recorded in the north of England since at least the time of King Edward 1st (1272 - 1307, when it appears in the Hundred Rolls of trhe county of Nottinghamshire in the first year of his reign. This recording shows that Adam Wytherpyn held lands in that county, whilst in the same year Adam Wyerpin is also recorded a hundred miles away, a long distance in those times, in the county of Norfolk. The name however seems to have been most popular in the county of Yorkshire where it appears several times in the famous Poll Tax registers of the year 1379. This includes examples such as Willelmus Wytherspone and Johannes Withspone. The famous Victorian etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley writng in the year 1880 says ' I can make nothing of this name, and I leave it to the consideration of more enlightened students'. Sadly 'more enlightened students' have been few and far between, and even now no definitive answer as to the origin has been provided. Our suggestion is that it may be job descriptive for a maker of steel pins, but it may equally have originated from a now lost medieval place perhaps called 'wir pont' or similar, meaning the lake on the marsh land. .

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Witherspoon — [with′ər spo͞on΄] John 1723 94; Am. clergyman & educator, born in Scotland: signer of the Declaration of Independence …   English World dictionary

  • Witherspoon — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Witherspoon est un patronyme américain, porté notamment par : Sommaire 1 Sport 2 Cinéma …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Witherspoon — noun American Revolutionary leader and educator (born in Scotland) who signed of the Declaration of Independence and was president of the college that became Princeton University (1723 1794) • Syn: ↑John Witherspoon • Instance Hypernyms:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Witherspoon v. Illinois — SCOTUSCase Litigants=Witherspoon v. Illinois ArgueDate=April 24 ArgueYear=1968 DecideDate=June 3 DecideYear=1968 FullName=Witherspoon v. Illinois USVol=391 USPage=510 Citation= Prior= Subsequent= Holding= SCOTUS=1967 1969 PerCuriam=yes… …   Wikipedia

  • Witherspoon, John — born Feb. 15, 1723, Gifford, East Lothian, Scot. died Nov. 15, 1794, Tusculum, N.J., U.S. Scottish American clergyman. Ordained a Presbyterian minister (1745), he served in Scottish parishes until 1768, when he was sent to North America to become …   Universalium

  • Witherspoon — /widh euhr spoohn /, n. John, 1723 94, U.S. theologian and statesman, born in Scotland. * * * …   Universalium

  • Witherspoon — With•er•spoon [[t]ˈwɪð ərˌspun[/t]] n. big John, 1723–94, U.S. theologian and statesman, born in Scotland …   From formal English to slang

  • Witherspoon,John — With·er·spoon (wĭthʹər spo͞on ), John. 1723 1794. Scottish born American cleric, educator, and Revolutionary leader. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, he was president (1768 1794) of the college that became Princeton University. * * * …   Universalium

  • Witherspoon, James — ▪ 1998       American blues singer who was one of the great blues shouters those whose loud delivery could be heard above the band; his 1949 recording of Ain t Nobody s Business topped the rhythm and blues charts for 34 weeks (b. Aug. 8, 1923 d.… …   Universalium

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