Wormstone

This interesting surname is almost certainly of English locational origin from "Wormstone", a place in Buckinghamshire, located half a mile south-east of Waddesdon. This place, recorded "Wermiton" and "Wirminton" in 1208 Curia Rolls, is composed of either the Welsh element "gyrm" dusky, dun, meaning "dark stream", or the Old English pre seventh Century word "wyrm", meaning, snake, dragon plus the second element "stan", the Old English word for stone, hence the stones by the dark stream, or the stone of the reptiles, dragon. The surname first appears in the late 16th Century, (see below). One Annes Wormeson married Cornelyus Martyn at St. Giles Cripplegate, London on July 28th 1589. Jarvasins Wormeston married one Maria Rowse at St. Lawrence, Waltham Berkshire on November 23rd 1599. The London Church Registers also record the marriage of Ann Wormstone to Mr Edward Latey at St. James, Westminster on September 7th 1758. The name is also found in the modern idiom as Wormestone, Wormston and Wormson. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Anthony Wormstone married Katherine Kettell, which was dated January 22nd 1586 at St. Augustine, Watling Street, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "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.