Wolstencroft

This interesting name is a variant form of Wolstonecraft, which is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is locational from a place called "Woolstencroft" in Cheshire. It is derived from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name "Wulfstan", which is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is locational from a place called "Woolstencroft" in Cheshire. It is derived from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name "Wulstan", which is composed of the elements "wulf", wolf and "stan", stone, and the Old English "croft", paddock, smallholding or enclosure, thus the enclosure of Wulfstan. Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to seek work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. The modern surname can be found as Wolstencroft, Wolstonecraft, Wors(t)encroft, Wosencroft and Wozencroft. Among the sample recordings in London are the christenings of Edward James Wolstencroft on September 15th 1861 at St. Thomas, Chartrhouse, Finsbury and Harriet June Wolstencroft on November 9th 1862 at St. Botolph's, Bishopgate. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Wustyncrofte, which was dated 1524, Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk, during the reign of King Henry V111, "Good King Hal", 1509 - 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.