Family Tree Briggs » Johannes Brigge (1539-1604)

Données personnelles Johannes Brigge 

• Il est né en l'an 1539 dans Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England.Source 8
• Il a été baptisé le 6 octobre 1542 dans Sowerby, Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
• Résidant: Thornbury.Source 5
• Il est décédé le 8 juin 1604 dans Rockhampton, Gloucestershire, England, il avait 65 ans.Les sources 2, 3
• Il est enterré le 11 juin 1604 dans Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England.Les sources 2, 3, 4
• Un enfant de James Briggs

Famille de Johannes Brigge

Il est marié avec Johanna Fluellin.

Ils se sont mariés le 17 avril 1564 à Thornbury, Gloucester, England, il avait 25 ans.Les sources 7, 8

Enfant(s):

1. Richard Briggs  1565-1620 

Notes par Johannes Brigge

Possibly:
UK, Extracted Probate Records
Text: Briggs, John, Rochampton
Book: Burialls 1604. (Burial)
Collection: Gloucestershire: - Calendar of Wills, Court of Bishop of Gloucester, 1541-1650

Source Information:
Ancestry.com. UK, Extracted Probate Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
Original data: Electronic databases created from various publications of probate records.

The Origins of English Surnames
This page was last updated on
Thursday 9 July 2009

Index

* Historical Background
* Surnames formed from the given name of the father
* Surnames arising from bodily or personal characteristics
* Surnames derived from locality or place of residence
* Surnames derived from occupation
* Surnames Today
* Bibliography

Historical Background

Primitive personal names doubtless originated soon after the invention of spoken language, in the unrecorded ages long preceding modern history. For thousands of years first, or given names, were the only designations that men and women bore; and at the dawn of recorded historic times, when the world was less crowded than it is today and every man knew his neighbours, one title of address was sufficient. Only gradually, with the passing centuries and the increasing complexity of civilized society, did a need arise for more specific designations. While the roots of our system of family names may be traced back to early civilised times, actually the hereditary surnames, as we know them today, dates from scarcely more than nine hundred years ago.

A surname is a name added to a baptismal or given name for the purposes of making it more specific and of indicating family relationship or descent. Classified according to origin, most surnames fall into four general groups:

(1) those formed from the given name of the father

(2) those arising from bodily or personal characteristics

(3) those derived from locality or place of residence

(4) those derived from occupation

It is easier to understand the story of the development of our institution of surnames if these classifications are borne in mind.

As early as Biblical times certain distinguishing characteristics were occasionally used in addition to the given name, as, for instance, Swein Forkbeard, Harold Bluetooth, Joshua the son of Nun, Azariah the son of Nathan, Judas of Galilee, and Simon the Zealot.

In ancient Greece a daughter was named after her father, as Chryseis, daughter of Chryses; and a son's name was often an enlargement for of his father's, as Hieronymus son of Hiero.

The Romans, with the rise of their civilisation, met the need for hereditary designations by inventing a complex system whereby every patrician took several names. None of them, however, exactly corresponded to surnames as we know them, for the "clan name", although hereditary, was given also to slaves and other dependents. Examples are the Claudians, the house of Tiberias and the Julians. This system proved to be but a temporary innovation; the overthrow of the Western Empire by Celtic and Germanic barbarian invaders brought about its end and a reversion to the primitive custom of a single name.

The ancient Scandinavians, and for the most part the Germans and the Celts, had only individual names, and there were no family names, strictly speaking. But as family and tribal groups grew in size, individual names became inadequate and the need for supplementary designations began to be felt. Among the first employed were such terms as the Hardy, the Stern, the Dreadful-in-Battle; and the nations of northern Europe soon adopted the practice of adding the father's name to the son's, as Oscar son of Carnuth and Dermid son of Duthno.

True surnames, in the sense of hereditary appellations, date in England from about the year 1000. Largely they were introduced from Normandy, although there are records of Saxon, surnames prior to the Norman Conquest. During the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042 - 1066) there were Saxon tenants in Suffolk bearing such names as Suert Magno, Stigand Soror, Siuward Rufus, and Leuric Hobbesune (Hobson); and the Domesday record of 1085-1086, which exhibits some curious combinations of Saxon forenames with Norman family names, shows surnames in still more general use.

By the end of the twelfth century hereditary names had become common in England. But even as late as 1465 they were not universal. During the reign of Edward V (between April and June, 1483) a law was passed to compel certain Irish to adopt surnames as a method to track and control them more:

"They shall take unto them a Surname, either of some Town, or some Colour, as Black or Brown, or some Art or Science, as Smyth or Carpenter, or some Office, as Cooke or Butler."

And as late as the beginning of the nineteenth century a similar decree compelling Jews in Germany and Austria to add a German surname to the single names that they had previously used.

(1) Surnames formed from the given name of the father

One of these classes comprises surnames derived from the given name of their father. Such names were formed by adding a prefix or suffix denoting either "son of" or a diminutive. English names terminating in "son" (or the contraction "s"), "ing", and "kin" are of this type, as are also the innumerable names prefixed with the Gaelic "Mac", the Norman "Fitz", The Irish "0", and the Welsh "ap".

Thus the sons of John became Johnsons; the sons of William, Williamsons or Wilsons; the sons of Richard, Richardsons or Richards; the sons of Neill, MacNeills; the sons of Herbert, FitzHerberts; the sons of Reilly O'Reillys; and the sons of Thomas, ap Thomases (ap has been dropped from many names of which it was formerly a part). There are also German, Netherlands, Scandinavian, and other European surnames of similar formation, such as the Scandinavian names ending in "sen". In the Slavic countries the "sky" and "ski" played the same role.

(2) Surnames arising from bodily or personal characteristics

Another class of surnames, those arising from some bodily or personal characteristic of their first bearer, apparently grew out of what were in the first instance nicknames. Thus Peter the strong became Peter Strong, Roger of small stature became Roger Little or Roger Small, and black-haired William or blond Alfred became William Black or Alfred White. A few examples of names of this type are Long, Short, Hardy, Wise, Good, Gladman, Lover, and Youngman.

(3) Surnames derived from locality or place of residence

A third class of family names, and perhaps the largest of all, is that. comprising local surnames -names derived from and originally designating the place of residence of the bearer. Such names were employed in France at an early date (such as La Porte "at the entrance to") and were introduced into England by the Normans, many of whom were known by the titles of their estates.

The surnames adopted by the nobility were chiefly of this type, being used with the particles "de", "de la" or "del" (meaning "of" or "of the"). The Saxon equivalent was the word "atte" ("at the"), found in such names as John atte Brook, Edmund atte Lane, Godwin atte Brigg, and William Atwood, John Atwell and Atwater; in other cases The Norman "de" was substituted; and in still others, such as Wood, Briggs, and Lane, the particle was dropped. The surnames of some of the Pilgrim Fathers illustrate place designations. Winthrop, for instance, means "of the friendly village"; Endicott. "an end cottage"; and Bradford, "a broad for". The suffixes "ford", "ham", "ley", and "ton", denoting locality, are of frequent occurrence in such English names as Ashford, Bingham, Burley, and Norton.«/b»

(4) Surnames derived from occupation

Commencing about the time of Edward the Confessor a fourth class of surnames arose, i.e. names derived from occupation. The earliest of these seem to have been official names, such as Bishop, Mayor, Alderman, Reeve, Sheriff, Chamberlain, Chancellor, Chaplain, Deacon, Latimer (interpreter), Marshall, Sumner (summoner), and Parker (parkkeeper). Trade and craft names, although of the same general type, were slightly later development. Currier was a dresser of skins, Webster a weaver, Wainwright a wagon builder, and Baxter a baker. Such names as Smith, Taylor, Barber, Shepherd, Carter, Mason, and Miller are self-explanatory. In France similarly we have La Farr (iron worker); in Germany there was Winegar (vine dresser) and Müller (Miller).

Surnames Today

Some surnames of today which seem to defy classification or explanation are corruptions of ancient forms that have become disguised almost beyond recognition. For instance, Troublefield was originally Tuberville; Wrinch was Renshaw; Diggles was Douglas; Sinnocks and Snooks were Sevenoaks; Barrowcliff and Berrycloth were Barraclough; and Strawbridge was Stourbridge; Such corruptions of family names, resulting from ignorance of spelling, variations in pronunciation, or merely from the preference of the bearer, tend to baffle both the genealogist and the etymologist. Shakespeare's name is found in some twenty-seven different forms, and the majority of English and Anglo-American surnames have, in their history, appeared in four to a dozen or more variant spellings. For example the German family Winegar that came to North America in the Palatine Migration of 1709 has their name listed in various lists as Winegar, Wenniger, Winneger, Weyniger, Wyniger, Weneger, Winiger and Wienneger.

Those who possess old and honored names - who trace their surnames back to sturdy immigrant ancestors, or beyond, across the seas and into the mists of antiquity - may be rightfully proud of their heritage. While the name, in its origin, may seem ingenious, humble, surprising, or matter-of-fact, its significance today lies not in a literal interpretation of its initial meaning but in the many things that have happened to it since it first came into use. In the beginning it was only a label to distinguish one John from his neighbor John who lived across the field. But soon it established itself as part of the bearer's individuality; and as it passed to his children, his children's children, and their children, it became the symbol not of one man but of a family and all that that family stood for. Handed down from generation to generation, the surname grew inseparably associated with the achievement, the tradition, and the prestige of the family. Like the coat of arms - that vivid symbolisation of the name which warrior ancestors bore in battle - the name itself has become a badge of family honor. It has become the "good name" to be proud of and to protect as one's most treasured possession.

Bibliography

Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames [Bardsley, 1901]

Encyclopedia Americana [1939]

History of Surnames of the British Isles [Ewen, 1931]

Surnames of the United Kingdom [Harrison, 1912-1918]

Dictionary of Family Names [Lower, 1860]

Surnames [Weekley, 1927]

Irish Names and Surnames [Woulfe, 1923]

Comments from Millenium File:

This name is found chiefly in West Yorkshire. A family of gentry so called have held lands at Keighley in the West Riding of Yorkshire, continuously for 500 years. The name BRIGGS was originally derived from the Old English word 'brigge' the dweller or worker by the bridge. Local names usually denoted where a man held land.

William Brigges was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, in County Essex. Many of the early names recorded in medieval documents denote noble families but many also indicate migration from the continent during, and in the wake of, the Norman invasion of 1066. There was a constant stream of merchants, workmen and others arriving in England during this time. In 1086 the Record of Great Inquisition of lands of England, their extent, value, ownership and liabilities was made by order of William The Conqueror. It is known as the Domesday Book.

Other records of the name mention Hugh atte Brugge, 1273 County Oxford. Juliana del Bryg was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Simon atte-brygg, rector of South Pickenham, County Norfolk in 1395. William Cripps married Juliana Briggs, London in the year of 1615.

The earliest hereditary surnames in England are found shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and are of Norman French origin rather than native English. On the arrival of the Normans they identified themselves by references to the estates from which they came in northern France. These names moved rapidly on with their bearers into Scotland and Ireland. Others of the Norman Invaders took names from the estates in England which they had newly acquired.

Building and maintaining bridges was one of the three main feudal obligations, along with bearing arms and maintaining all the fortifications. The cost of building a bridge was often defrayed by charging a toll, the surname thus being acquired by the toll gatherer.

The form Bridge, was most common in Lancashire.

Surname Etymology and Meaning of BRIGGS

Published Information
From the Anglo-Saxon brigg, a bridge; brig, Welsh, height, the top of any thing.

Source: An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import (1857).

User Contributions

Henry Briggs D 1621 Mathematician (Logarithms base 10) concurrent with William Napier (Buried at Edinburgh) Several references exist.
I cannot find the connection however the two districts named Brigantia and Caledonia representing the tribes who resisted Romans in the North. The Queen of Brigantia was betrayed etc. It is more plausible than "Lived near a bridge" or "Builders of Brigantine ships" although the connection with logarithms, navigation and ship building exists, as Henry Briggs also worked on tidal predictions in order to find the North West Passage.

Contributed by Peter Briggs on 2009-10-20 05:01:15

Classification and Origin of BRIGGS
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Language of origin: English
Ethnic origin: English
Religious origin: Christian

Data for religion and/or language relates to the culture in which the BRIGGS surname originated. It does not necessarily have any correlation with the language spoken, or religion practised, by the majority of current British residents with that name.

In normal English usage, the word "briggs" is a noun.

Life in The 1500's

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water".

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs".

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppingscould mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor". The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. Hence the saying a "thresh hold".

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old".

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon". They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat".

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of "holding a wake".

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer".

And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !

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