ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2016 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2016 ************************************ 11 Apr 2000 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for an Englishman in our period. Here is what we have found. Descriptive surnames (or "bynames") generally fell out of use in England by the late 14th century; thereafter, the English used inherited family names, much as we do today. Since you want a descriptive byname (and particularly because you want to use two bynames), we're going to focus on the period just before that, the 13th and 14th centuries. All the elements of your name were used in that period, though they were spelled slightly differently and combined in a slightly different way. The name was used in English in this spelling from the Norman Conquest onward [1]. We found several examples of bynames meaning "the Bear" in the centuries after the Conquest [4]: Tedric' Vrs' 1130 ( is an abbreviation for Latin "bear"; 'V' was often used for \U\ by medieval scribes) Theodoricus le Bere 1166 Ralph Bere 1177 Nicholas le Urs 1219 Robert le Beer 1296 Similar types of names are recorded in the 14th century [5]. Roger le Buk 1313 John le Do c.1330 Robertus Buk 1379 Thomas le Hert 1390 In spoken English, was probably used in place of . The spelling of the place name evolved over our period. We have found it recorded in various forms [2, 3]: Salesburi 1205 Salisbir' 1206 Salisbyr' 1273 Salesbury 1327 Salysberye 1547 English medieval documents tend to use the French rather than the English in surnames based on place names. Thus, we would expect to see your name written rather than . It's likely that was used in spoken English rather than . It was not uncommon in 13th and 14th century English documents for a man to be identified by more than one byname; but the two bynames were alternatives, not used together. For example, we find 1221 "Ricard son of Walter, of Clive", and 1297 "John Gyffard called the Ox". There are even examples of longer strings of alternate bynames [6]: Thomas le Walche, de Selby, girdeler 1329 Rogerus filius Johannis de Burton, de Eton in le Clay, boucher 1343 Johannes, filius Roberti de Gaunt, de Duffeld, mercer 1356 It would not be at all unusual to find a man of this period identified as or . In everyday speech, his acquaintances would identify him by one byname or the other. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Margaret Makafee, Mari ni Bhriain, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Adelaide de Beaumont, Talan Gwynek, Amant le Marinier, Julie Stampnitzky, Antonio Miguel Santos de Borja, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Blaise de Cormeilles. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 11 Apr 2000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Richard. [2] Bardsley, Charles, _A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames_ (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980). s.n. Salisbury, Wiltshire. [3] Franklin, Peter, _The Taxpayers of Medieval Gloucestershire: An Analysis of the 1327 Lay Subsidy Roll with a New Edition of its Text_ (Dover, NH: Alan Sutton Publishing Inc, 1993). [4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Bear. [5] Bardsley, s.nn. Buck, Doe, Hary. Other similar examples are listed s.nn. Bacon, Bull, Grice, Hogg, Roe, Rat, and Swan. [6] Reaney & Wilson, op. cit., pp. xii-xiii.