A Blacksmith’s Tale - One-Name
Chapter 1
What’s in a Surname?
Origins of Surnames:
The origin of any particular family name is an amalgam of various ingredients that are to the untutored, like me, somewhat bewildering, yet fascinating. However, here is not the place to venture into this complex field in any great depth but, as a matter of general genealogical interest, it is considered appropriate to at least scratch the surface and provide a ‘potted history’ of how surnames came into being. It is also felt useful to explain some of the basic concepts that underpin the generally accepted naming classifications which we use today and to briefly look at how they have been formulated to encompass past social hierarchies, place names, forenames, as well as trade and job titles. These foundation stones provide the vital ingredients that allow us to enjoy the array of surnames that survive today.
Early Ancestral Names: [i]
It may come as a surprise to learn that the use of hereditary surnames in England is a relatively recent event that can be traced back less than 1000 years. By and large, these early ancestral names were introduced from Normandy although there are records of Saxon names prior to the Norman Conquest, and a combination of Saxon and Norman names thereafter. However, it was not until the end of the 12th Century that hereditary surnames were commonplace.
Prior to this time when society was less complex and populations were nucleated, it was sufficient to acknowledge someone merely by the use of a single name. A surname became added to the baptismal name to indicate family relationships and descent. This was achieved by the simple addition of, either singly or in combination, information relating to four main groups: the given name of the father, a geographical or topographic feature, personal and bodily features and finally, a person’s occupation or trade.
Given Name of the Father: [ii]
These names were formed by the simple addition of either a prefix or suffix that indicated “son of”. English names have been so-formed by the use of “son”, “ing”, “kin”, Gaelic names by the use of “Mac”, Norman names by the use of “Fitz” and Irish names by the use of “O”. In mainland Europe, Scandinavian names often use “sen”or “son”, Slavic names use “sky” and “ski”, north German names use “ing” or “er”, and Russian names use “ov”. These surnames are termed patronymic as they are derived from the given name of a person’s father, or sire.
Geographical or Topographic Features Names:
This group is probably the largest and the most complex but, in many ways it is the easiest to describe in general terms. Geographical or topographical names are derived from a variety of general descriptions of features visible in the local natural terrain where someone lives such as; a river or stream, woods or forests, marshes, hills and cliffs, as well as structures that are man-made including churches, castles, city walls, and fords.
Personal Features Names:
These are derived from some personal bodily characteristic of their original bearer and are, in all probability, the result of a nickname given to them. Such names as: Black, Brown, Grey and White would relate to the colour of a person’s hair, Long and Short would refer to a person’s height, and Broad to someone’s girth or width of shoulders.
Occupational Names:
Many surnames are explicitly occupational since they can be easily linked to a specific trade, profession or occupation that the bearer performs in his day-to-day life. These occupational names can be divided into many groups including the following: manufacturing, retail, officialdom or high status and, agricultural and land management. Names that would fall into the manufacturing group include: Potter, Smith together with all their prefixes: Brown-, Black-, Green-, White- and Red- that designated working with copper, iron, lead, tin and gold respectively, Weaver, Skinner and Glover; the retail group would cover such names as: Taylor, Monger and Butcher; the officialdom and high status group would encompass the names: Squire, Abbott, Bishop, Chamberlain, Deacon, Marshall, and Dean; whilst the agricultural and land management group would comprise names such as: Farmer, Sheppard, Hedges, Pollard and Foster.
Some occupational names are formed by the addition of an agent noun from a verb to a noun e.g. Ledbetter for a beater of lead, and there is a smaller group designated from its method of naming the principal object associated with that activity. One example of this type of name would be Pick which would be given for someone who uses a pick as an excavation or agricultural implement. Occupational names may have a suffix such as “man” attached to them and there is a group that consists of a occupational names that have a verb-stem with a noun added to it e.g. Catchpole.
The Derivation of the MARTER and MARTYR Surnames:
If someone were to be asked for their opinion as to the origin or derivation of the surnames of Marter and Martyr, a very plausible response would be; “Someone who had been tortured or burned to death for their religious beliefs or someone who had suffered greatly in the support of a specific cause which they felt very strongly about.” The truth of the matter is that although this imaginary answer would seem to be well-reasoned, there is much more involved in trying to arrive at the reality.
The term martyr derives from the Greek word meaning “witness”, and originally denoted someone who had been called to act as a witness in legal proceedings. [iii] With this meaning, it was also used in the secular sphere in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The proceedings of bearing witness was not intended to lead to the death of the witness although among the lower classes, where they were often routinely tortured before interrogation as a means of ensuring that they disclosed ‘the truth’, this did sometimes occur. During the early centuries of Christianity, the term was extended to include someone who, because of their religious beliefs and as a result because of bearing witness, endured suffering and possible eventual death. Those who died as a result of this often barbaric process or the value attributed to it, were considered to have suffered martyrdom.
Though more normally confined to a religious connotation, martyrdom is now applied to events in a much wider context and with consequences that usually have less extreme end results. The term is now liberally, but often incorrectly, applied to those who are killed or injured in the so-called struggle for independence or for civil rights by the use of violence inflicted by themselves, as a minority, upon the majority rather than by those in the majority, upon those in the minority. The real origins for the surnames of Marter and Martyr are not those associated with those who became martyrs or who suffered martyrdom.
There are a number of dictionaries available on the market today that provide the meanings and derivations of surnames. One of the earliest that was compiled is A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames by Charles Wareing Bardsley and originally printed by the Oxford University Press in 1901 [iv] some three years after the author’s death. From this publication, which has been electronically scanned onto the web site, the entry for “Martyr, Marter” from page 518, has been exactly transcribed below:
“Martyr/Marter. – (1) Nick. ‘the martyr’, one who had obtained that sobriquet by suffering of some sort for his faith’s sake. M.E. Martir; A.S. Martyr. (2) Nick. ‘the martre’, the marten, a weasel. F. martre, the martin, Cotg; so spelt by Caxton in Reynard the Fox (Skeat). This is the more likely origin, nicknames from animals being so common.
William le Martre. J.
John le Martre. G
1554. Married – Thomas Graye and Eliz. Martyr, co. Surrey: St Dionis Backchurch (London), p. 3.
1603. Married – John Martir and Katherin Bromley: St Peter, Cornhill, i. 243.
1644. Bapt. – Samuel, s. George Martin: St Antholin (London), p. 77.
1726. Married – Robert Marter and Margaret Tomkins: St. geo. Han Sq. I,2
London 2, 2 ; Philadelphia 0, 14.”
From the same source the following abbreviations and references are taken: Nick = nickname, M.E. = Middle English, A.S. = Anglo-Saxon, F = French, Cotg = cognate (derived from the same root or origin), J and G are source document references, s. = son, p = page, i = ibid (from the same source or place). The figures after London and Philadelphia refer to the number of times the names of Marter and Martyr are respectively to be found in the Post Office Directories for the year 1870 and in the American Directories for the year 1885. In his Introduction, which is dated 1st January 1896, Bardsley says that “Throughout my work I have divided our surnames into the five classes I confined them to some twenty-two years ago, viz: (1) Baptismal or Personal Names. (2) Local Surnames. (3) Official Surnames.
(4) Occupative Surnames. (5) Nicknames. Practically there are only four classes, for it is often hard to distinguish between occupation and office.”
Other, less comprehensive references include that provided by FamilyEducation [v] which gives the following entry for Marter: “Last name origins & meanings:
1. English: nickname from Middle English martre, marter ‘marten’ (Old French martre)
2. Dutch: possibly from marter ‘marten’”
During the search for origins of the name of Marter, the author carried out an extensive internet search which intriguingly notified an e-Bay sale of an antique print entitled “Marter – Rudents – Jonston – Merian - 1660”. This lead just had to be followed up and revealed that the full description of the item was “... an original antique print of several rudents [1] by Merian/Jonston (Historiae Naturalis). This rare, very old, copper engraving was printed in 1660, is in fine condition and has an overall size of 13¾ inches x 9 inches.” Further research revealed that John Jonston, also known as Joannes Jonstonus or Jan Jonston [2], was a Polish naturalist, a practicing medical doctor and scholar who was born to a family of Scottish descent. Jonston went to Scotland in 1622 to study the Hebrew language before moving on to other mainland European universities where he studied medicine. He also attended the universities of St Andrew’s at Leyden, Holland where he studied theology, scholastic philosophy, and Hebrew. He received an MD in 1634 from Leyden and Cambridge University, England and later that same year, he received his PhD from both these universities.
Whilst Jonston was in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany he published an important series of six natural history volumes entitled: ‘Theatrum universal historiae naturalis’ over the period 1650-1653.
[pic]
Fig 1-1 John Jonston (1603-1675) [vi]
This work was printed in Latin and comprised four parts respectively covering: quadrupeds, birds, insects, and snakes and Jonston used wood-carving illustrations by Ulisse Aldrovandi (1602) and Thomas Moffett (1634).
The demand for this work to be produced in a language other than Latin resulted in Jonston setting about meeting this demand and he commissioned the renowned engraver Matthäus Merian (1593-1650) to produce detailed copper engravings from the coarse woodcuts originally made by Aldrovandi and Moffett. By 1660, the translation of the text of the 1650-1653 ‘Theatrum universal historiae naturalis’ into Dutch, and the copper plate engravings to be used for producing the illustrations, were complete.
The end result of all this work was the rather nattily entitled: ‘Naeukeurige Beschryving van de Natuur dre Vier-voetige Dieren, Vissen en Bloedlooze Water-Dieren, Vogelen, Kronkel-Dieren, Slangen en Draken’. [3]
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[pic]
Fig 1-2 Matthäus Merian the Elder (1593-1650) [vii]
This series of books became an animal encyclopaedia for laymen and is the only Dutch translation of the above-named work. [viii] The print relating to Marter – Rudents – Jonston – Merian – 1660 is Plate LXIV of this work and its accompanying text is on pages 126 & 127.
The frontispiece from this ‘encyclopaedia’ is reproduced below from an electronic version under the copyright permission terms of the Utrecht University Library which holds the copyright for this work, but which allows reproduction from it, for non-commercial use [ix].
Jonston’s lavishly illustrated encyclopaedias of botany and zoology are among the finest mid-seventeenth century examples of their genre. Most of his work appeared in several editions and were translated into French, English and German.
The first collected edition in Dutch of his illustrated book of animals, the one published in 1660 in Amsterdam and referred to in page 6 above, was presented as a gift to the Japanese ruler Shogun Yoshimune. It was the only source of knowledge of western natural history in Japan until about 1750.
[pic]
Fig 1-3 The Frontispiece of
‘Theatrum universal historiae naturalis Naeukeurige Beschryving van de Natuur dre Vier-voetige Dieren, Vissen en Bloedlooze Water-Dieren, Vogelen, Kronkel-Dieren, Slangen en Draken’
[pic]
Fig 1-4
Having established that the surname Marter seems to have originated from the word marten, the general name given for any carnivorous mammal of the genus Martes in the family Mustelidae, lead me to search for translations of the word marten from other languages. The interesting web site of produced the following translations: [x]
“marten
Translations:
• Dutch: Marter
• French: Marte, Martre
• German: Marder
• Italian: Martora
• Spanish: Marta
The importance of these other translations will become apparent in Chapter 2 where the distribution of families with the surname of Marter and Martyr are considered in the context of these additional name variants, throughout the world, rather than just for England.
Disappointingly, one of the foremost of works on family surnames, A Dictionary of Surnames by Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges [xi], and which was originally printed in 1988 in the USA by Oxford University Press, makes no mention of the names of Marter and Martyr despite them being a reasonably common name in England, north-west Germany, some parts of France, and the USA.
Variants of the Marter and Martyr Name:
One might be forgiven for thinking that the surnames of Marter and Martyr are fairly uncommon and to a certain extent this is true, however, in genealogy matters are rarely that simple. Whilst researching my ancestral lineage I have identified well over 3000 individuals who resided, or currently reside, in Australia, England, Canada, New Zealand and the USA with these two names and their variants. This does not include records for mainland Europe and elsewhere where no specific records have been entered into my FTM data base.
To date, a total of fifteen variants have been noted from records of those who were either born in England, lived in England or who married someone who was English. In fact, only two surnames have been identified as being ancestors of the author, those of Marter and Martyr.
It must be understood that there are thousands of records in the Population Census of England records of 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, and 1911, as well as smaller numbers in the General Register Office of Births, Marriages and Deaths in England, that contain the names of Marter and Martyr.
Below is a list of Marter/Martyr name variants, the number of individuals recorded with that name variant that I have found during my research of the Marter and Martyr families, the earliest occurrence of that variant, the latest occurrence of that variant where it is relevant and appropriate, the context in which it was used and, finally, the source of that record.
These data are acknowledged as not being the final word on these specific records and are merely intended to give an insight into the date range over which these names have been in use and to illustrate the number of variations of the two main surnames of concern viz, Marter and Martyr. There will undoubtedly be older records and other name variants that come to light in the years following the publication of this family history.
de Marter:
Individuals: 1
Henry: Listed in The History and Antiquities of the County of Buckinghamshire, Vol II, George Lipscomb, London, 1847 as the chaplain or minister for St Leonard’s Church, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England: “Henry de Marter died c. 1322 (the date given is that of his death)”.
de Martier:
Individuals: 1
Enoch: Marriage of Enoch de Martier on the 24th March 1706 to Susan Wilson at Thanet, Kent, England as detailed in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No. 8501032.
du Martre:
Individuals: 2 Roger: Mentioned in the post-1317 records of the Chichester-Constable family of Burton Constable, West Newton, Swine, East Riding of Yorkshire, England “… two selions [4] on le Tuffodayles in the North Field of Kyllm, one in the fee of the Archbishop, land of Roger du Martre; the other in the fee of Driffield, between ....”.
The name Antoine Pyron du Martre appears much later on in history as the French Master at Eton College, Middlesex, England. In 1800 he founded the Eton Porny School, where his anglicised name of Antony Porny is preserved in the school’s name - see also Chapter 5.
le Martre:
Individuals: 14
Osbert: Acted as a witness in c. 1153 to the deeds of property of the Kingscote family of Kingscote, Gloucestershire, England. From the Scope and Content of the Kingscote Family Papers [xii], “Witnesses: Lady Eva, Maurice son of Robert Fitzharding, Humphrey Brito, Osbert le Martre, Walter son of Albert, Adam de Saltmareis …..” He appears again as a witness to the deeds of the Berkeley Castle Estate, Gloucestershire, England on lands at High Bray in Devonshire, England during the period c. 1150-1160.
There are other references [xiii] from documents relating to lands in Huffingford, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England which, from its Domesday Book entry, equates to Hunchforde. Subsequently, through amalgamation of the early holdings, these areas of Hunchforde now form parts of Blackwater. Within this original area of holdings, a grant of land at Whitcombe under the manor of Gatcombe in 1293/1294, William le Martre held a quarter fee which was succeeded by John le Martre in 1346 and in 1428 by Isabel le Martre. Another entry from these Huffingford papers records that in the 13th century Juliane, daughter of Reginald de Martre, granted land in ‘Hovingford’ to Richard, son of Richard Aurifaber …..
Whilst these very early names are of some genealogical interest, they play only a relatively small part in the Marter and Martyr family history story. There is, however, a le Martre lineage that seemingly commences, but with no corroborating evidence, in the mid-14th Century with the arrival in this country of Guillelmus le Martre from Flanders in about 1360. Guillelmus married Ermeline de Guldeford and their son, Johannes le Martre, was born c.1360 and died in 1450. Johannes’ son was Willelmus le Martre who was born in1383 and died in 1450. His son, William le Martre was born in 1415 and died in 1457 and his son, also named William le Martre, was born in 1448.
It is from this point onwards, with the birth of Willelmus (circa 1480-1565), the son of the last-named William, which the genuinely documented story of the Martyrs of Guldeford, now called Guildford, Surrey, England begins. The Guildeford Martyr story, with its possibly somewhat doubtful origins, will be covered in Chapter 1 of Volume II.
The latest record relates to John le Martre, a private in the Lancashire Fusiliers and
C le Martre, a private in the Royal Lancaster Regiment who both feature on the War Office, Service Medal and Award Rolls of 1914-1920. The original medal cards for both soldiers are held at the The National Archives at Kew, Richmond, and Surrey, England under Catalogue Reference WO 372/11.
le Martyr:
Individuals: 2
Robert: Appears as a debtor in the sum of 60 shillings to Simon Dalerun and Henry Dalerun, merchants of Winchester, Hampshire, England, in the year 1294. The writ was sent to the Sheriff of Hampshire and Robert le Martyr was arraigned to appear before the Winchester Courts in the First Term of 1294 by Adam de Northampton and John de Ann, Clerks at the Winchester Courts. [xiv]
The other record relates to Thomas le Martyr who acted as a witness to a document associated with a lease for life agreement on a freehold on the Gatcombe estate on the Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England and dated the 27th December 1365. [xv] From the Scope and Content: Freeholds at Faselham – Title Deeds “All lands and tenements in part Gatcombe, Isle of Wight, which (1) had Michael Vanpull (1) John Kember of Newport, Isle of Wight (2) Alisandr Montayne and Alice his wife, Consideration: 1/4d per annum: Witnesses: Thomas Russell, Walter Burton, Thomas le Martyr, John Gale, Nicholas Spenser”.
van Marter:
Individuals: 5
Leonora Sophia: Daughter of James G van Marter Jnr and Sophia A van Marter, Leonora Sophia van Marter married George Montagu Bennet, born on 30th March 1852 in London, England, the son of Charles Augustus Bennet, 6th Earl of Tankerville, and Lady Olivia Montagu. George Montagu Bennet gained the title of 7th Earl of Tankerville [xvi] and married Leonora Sophia van Marter on the 23rd October 1895. James G van Marter Jnr’s father served as a Captain in the 23rd New York Cavalry during the American Civil War [xvii] and died in Rochester, New York in 1902. James G van Marter Jnr was born in Basle, Switzerland [xviii] in 1869 and practised as a physician and surgeon in New York City, New York, USA. His daughter, Leonora Sophia Bennet, died on the 15th February 1949 surviving her husband, the
7th Earl of Tankerville, who had died on the 9th July 1931.
Martar:
Individuals: 22
Philip: Born in about 1505 in Guildford, Surrey, England, the son of Wilelmus Marter and Joan Twisden, Philip Martar was the younger brother of William Marter, born about 1503 in Guildford, the latter becoming Mayor of Guildford in 1545 and 1553. Philip Martar was buried on the 19th March 1597 at St Mary’s Parish Church Guildford, Surrey, England. [xix] One of the latest records of this surname is that of Rebecca Martar who was born on the 6th May 1816 at St Benet Fink, London, England, the daughter of Thomas Martar and Rebekah Townsend. Rebecca died on the 30th May 1819 and was buried, as Rebecca Marter, at St Benet Fink [xx], London, England, and is a relative of the author. The last English record found to date is that of James Martar who died in 1848 in Stockport, Cheshire/Lancashire, England. [xxi]
Marter:
Individuals: 1615 as at 27th October 2011
Johannis: The name Johannis Marter is recorded in two documents, one dated the
29th February 1451/1452 and the other the 5th February 1452/1453 that form part of the papers of the Gregory family of Stivichall, Warwickshire, England [xxii]. The documents are parchment deeds and papers, each measuring 10 and three-quarter inches by 5 and three-quarter inches, that have lost their tags and seals. Johannis is recorded as having endorsed the transactions contained within the parchments.
The oldest record of someone bearing the Marter surname, and who has a reasonably well-documented family lineage, is the aforementioned Willelmus Marter of the Marter family of Guldeford. Willelmus was born in Guildford, Surrey, England in about 1480 [xxiii], allegedly the son of William le Martre and Marie de Warenne. Willelmus died in Guildford and was buried in the St Mary’s Parish Church, Guildford, Surrey, England on the 6th July 1565 [xxiv]. The family surname of Marter continues to the present with an estimated 370 people bearing this name in the United Kingdom today. It is the family name of Marter together with that of Martyr, which forms the main basis of this book.
Marters:
Individuals: 12
Elizabeth: Marriage of Elizabeth Marters on the 10th October 1633 to William Bradfield at St Gregory by St Paul, London, England as detailed in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No. M054261 Dates: 1559-1687. The last record of the name Marters was that of the marriage between Michael D Marters and Julie Williams in 1989 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. [xxv]
Martir:
Individuals: 52
Charles: Christening of Charles Martir on the 29th December 1549 at St Mary, Guildford, Surrey, England as detailed in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No. C074082 Dates: 1540-1753. This may not be the first instance of the name usage since there are about 45 other records from the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, and other sources, which give dates of deaths from which one could reasonably infer that their birth dates would be prior to 1549.
There is a clustering in the occurrence of the name of Martir over the period 1549-1640 in and around the following locations: Dorking, Fetcham, Great Bookham, Guildford, Merstham, Mickleham and Shere which are all in the county of Surrey, England. When viewed on a map it can be seen that they are all within a 7-mile radius of each other. The latest record of Martir found so far relates to the marriage between Jennifer C Martir and Joseph Oppong-Kyekyeku in June 2004 in Hounslow, Middlesex, England. [xxvi]
There is a scattering of births, marriages and deaths of people with the surname of Martir that have been found during the preceding three or four centuries.
Martre:
Individuals: 2
Roger: Appears in the Calendar of Mayoral Court Rolls 1298-1307 [xxvii], Roll D: 1st October 1300 – 20th July 1301 as a Member of the Court of Elyas Russel, Mayor, on the Saturday after the Feast of St Michael (29th September) in the 28th year of the reign of Edward in the year of 1300, thus, “Martin le Tauie, Heyne de Holecote, John de Gaiateshal, Roger Taup, John Scot, Alexander le Tauier, Roger le Fraunceys, Roger Martre, Adam Cornys and John Alger were attached to answer the King and the men of the Craft of Skinners (officii Peletrie), for ordaining a new Ordnance touching their craft ..” Within the Index of Names and Places, ibid, Roger is described as a “currier” which, in modern terms, meant that he would have worked in the fur trade.
The Court was discussing what amounted to a 14th Century industrial dispute that had arisen between the Skinners and Curriers Crafts over the price to be charged for certain work “….whereas of old they took 5s for the thousand of “Grysover” [grey work – the dressing of the fur of the grey squirrel], they now took 6s, and 2s and 3s more than formerly for every thousand of operis [work], to the prejudice and damage of the King, the nobles, and their craft.
The defendants pleaded that nowadays more good work was needed for the thousand, and double as much in other skins than formerly, and yet all necessaries for their work were dearer than before. They denied that they made a confederacy by oath or any other bond, and said that those who were willing to pay more were served more quickly, but otherwise they did not take more except on account of the dearness of necessaries.”
The jury that was subsequently summoned agreed “…. that for the work of each thousand of “Grysovere” 4s be charged, and 5s 6d for stranglin [the red fur of the squirrel with the grey hairs of the winter coat showing through], “Polan” [black squirrel], …… 4s 6d for “Roskyn” [the red squirrel’s summer coat], 12d for a hundred “Coninges” [rabbit] of England, 8d for “Coninges” of Spain, and 7d for “scrimpyn” [a skin of less value than rabbit].
Other later records are few and far between with only five records noted from the 1851 Population Census of Scotland and the latest record in England being that of the death of Caroline Martre who died, aged 28 years, in 1873 in Wellington, Somerset, England. [xxviii]
Martter:
Individuals: 13
John Martter: Was christened on the 18th May 1595 at Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England the son of a Wylliam Martter, as detailed in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No: P015491, Dates: 1541-1740.
The Population Census records of Scotland are a particularly rich source of records of Martter family records, however, for the most recent record of this family name we have to go to the 1891 Population Census of England, but there is a link to Scotland. It is at 16 Clarendon Place, Leeds, Yorkshire that we find a one-year old John W Martter, born in 1889, the son of James G Martter, a woollen merchant who was born in Scotland. [xxix] James is living with his much younger wife Euphemia, who was also born in Scotland, their 5 children who were all born in Leeds, Yorkshire, and James’ older sister and brother, both of whom were born in Scotland.
Martur:
Individuals: 2
George: The oldest record for England is the marriage of George Martur to Mary Turrell on the 2nd September 1673 at St James, Clerkenwell, Islington, London, England as detailed in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No: M001411, Dates: 1551-1754. However, the earliest record found comes from mainland Europe with the marriage of Nicolle Martur to Robert Lefebvre on the 22nd September 1572 at St-Germain-en-Laye, Seine-et-Oise, France as detailed in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No: M803141, Dates: 1559-1575. The latest record is that of Daniel Martur, of Bishop’s Walk, Lambeth, Surrey, England who died aged 19 years, and was buried on the 23rd January 1826, at St Mary’s Parish Church, Lambeth. [xxx]
Martyr:
Individuals: 1173 as at 27th October 2011
Richard: The oldest record comes from the Bridge House Estates, London, England in the estate management files dated 1480 where a “Grant by Sir William Hastynges, lord of Hastynges, master William Hatteclyffe, secretary of the lord king, master Richard Martyr, archdeacon of London … to William Galle and Henry Bumpstede, citizens of London, an acre of land, formerly belonging to Thomas Cheseman of Estgrenewiche [East Greenwich] ….”. [xxxi] The parchment document is thirteen and one-half inches by six inches in size, and contains only one of its three original seals.
There are large numbers of other records contained within the International Genealogical Index of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints that range in dates from the earliest of 1554 to the latest of 1896. The latter record relates to the marriage of James Frend Martyr, son of James Smith Martyr, to Florence Jane Taylor Ashburner on the 27th July 1896 at St Martin in the Field, Westminster, London, England. There are ten 16th Century records as follows:
Marriages:
Elyzabeth Martyr Thomas Graye on the 31st October 1554 at St Dionis Backchurch, London, England
Willm Martyr Anna Gratwick on the 9th July 1559 at Cowfold, Sussex, England
Thomas Martyr Margery Chennell on the 15th June 1584 at Shere, Surrey, England
Margt Martyr Wm Lewyn on the 15th May 1586 at Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, England
Christenings:
Jone Martyr 14th December 1562 at Farnham, Surrey, England
Thomas Martyr 1st January 1573 at Mickleham, Surrey, England
Rosa Martyr 12th January 1577 at Long Ditton & Tolworth, Surrey, England *
Randolle Martyr 15th September 1577 at St John the Baptist, Croydon, Surrey, England
Richarde Martyr 8th November 1579 at St John the Baptist, Croydon, Surrey, England
Jacamunda Martyr 13th February 1581 at Long Ditton & Tolworth, Surrey, England *
* Children of Henrici Martyr: Jacamunda died on the 19th February 1581
The family surname of Martyr continues to the present with an estimated 410 people bearing this name in the United Kingdom.
Martyre:
Individuals: 6
Charles: There is a record for the christening of Charles Martyre, son of Charles Martyre, on the 30th August 1639 at St Paul’s, Cray, Kent, England recorded in the International Genealogical Index of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, Batch No C147571, dates: 1584-1875. But there is an earlier record of the christening of Richarde Martyre on the 28th February 1625 at Fetcham, Surrey, England; however, Richard’s father is listed as Thomas Martin so this record has not been accredited with being the oldest.
Origin of the Martyr Family Name according to James Graham de Garlieb Martyr:
James Graham de Garlieb Martyr was a fascinating character whose story will be covered in another chapter; however, as a family historian who carried out extensive research into the Martyr families of Guildford and Greenwich, his version of the derivation of the Martyr family name needs to be considered.
In his so-called ‘Shanghai letter of 1905’, James Graham de Garlieb Martyr claims that the family name of Martyr is derived thus:
“The Saxon God’s [Thor’s] emblem was a hammer, for which the Saxon word is MJLNYR which was later corrupted into MJARTYR and thus into MARTYR in Anglo-Saxon times.”
Another family historian, Alan Bolton, who has also carried out extensive research in to some Martyr families, provides some support for the possible validity of this origin, but states that he could find no evidence to substantiate the claim. In his own published research [xxxii] Bolton says:
“The word martyr in English is the same word in French, and it can be reasonably assumed that in both cases the word came from the Latin word martyr. It is, therefore, a very ancient word, no doubt in Saxon use. It is no coincidence then that the French word for hammer is marteau – clearly of the same root and this time used directly for the hammer, which is The Emblem of the Saxon God, Thor.” Thus I believe that we can accept that James Graham de Gorlich (sic) Martyr was correct with a Saxon derivation for ‘the word martyr’, but this does not prove that the surname Martyr is of the same origin.”
We now come onto a very apparent inconsistency within James Graham de Garlieb Martyr’s own Greenwich Martyr family history. Bolton and I agree that there is a transition from the surname of le Martre to Marter during the 15th Century within Martyr’s family ‘tree’. But Martyr’s own research into the name origin shows it to be derived from Martyr in Saxon times! My research into the Church of Latter-day Saints, International Genealogical Index (IGI) shows that the family surname of Martyr made its first appearance in the mid-16th Century, and Bolton suggests not before the early 17th Century. The earliest date of any record I have found for the family name of Martyr is in 1480 – see previous paragraph on “Martyr” on pages 16 & 17 above. Bolton’s conclusion is that:
“On balance, it is my opinion that the claim of the ‘1905 Letter’ in respect to the
name Martyr is false and that J G de G Martyr has blatantly confused the word ‘martyr’ with the name ‘Martyr’ and that the origin of the latter is La Martre,
the weasel!”
For my part, I concur with Bolton that the family name of Martyr is almost certainly derived from the French word for a weasel. But it is interest to note that la martre is a feminine noun whereas the majority of the Norman surnames of this derivation found are le Martre. Maybe this is a ‘male noun version’ of a weasel introduced by the chain-mail clad, all-conquering barons because they could not stand the thought of being feminized?
Time Line for Names derived from le Martre:
There is no definitive way to come to a provable time line, but my personal thoughts, based upon my initial research is, together with the date of first found usage, is as follows:
le Martre 1153: root name, 14 records.
le Martyr 1294: bastardisation of le Martre, single record.
Martre 1301: abbreviation or bastardisation of le Martre, 2 records.
du Martre post-1317: bastardisation of le Martre, 2 records.
de Martier 1706: probably bastardisation of le Martre, single record.
Marter 1451: derived from le Martre but has now become a surname in its own right, 1035 records.
Martar 1505: bastardisation of Marter, 28 records
Martir 1549: bastardisation of Marter, 52 records
Martter 1595: bastardisation of Marter, 13 records.
Marters 1633: bastardisation of Marter, 12 records.
Martur 1673: bastardisation of Marter, 2 records.
de Marter 1847: probably affectation of Marter, single record.
van Marter 1852: probably affectation of Marter, 4 records.
Martyr 1554: bastardisation of Marter, 1072 records with single record for 1480 but has now become a surname in its own right.
Martyre 1639: bastardisation of Martyr, 1639, 6 records.
Supporting Evidence for Martre being the Origin for the Family Names of Marter and Martyr: Castlemartyr, Cork, Ireland:
There are many records of the surnames Martre and le Martre that can be found in documents going back to Saxon times. Many of these will be discussed later in this chapter and the remainder in other later chapters. But it is of great interest to ‘trace’ the transition of the name of the ancient Norman ville of (de) Martre in circa 1190, through to Ballymarter and Ballymartir in 1567/1641, to its present name of Castlemartyr in 1811; see Chapter 6.
Other Martre and le Martre Name Records:
Dublin, Ireland:
There is a very interesting record from Dublin, Ireland regarding ancient monastic matters which includes the following reference to a Thomas le Martre [xxxiii] apparently in AD 1186:
“County of Dublin. 35
Same year, Simon, Bishop of Meath, at this instance and petition of E. archdeacon of Meath, granted the church of St. Peter of Lethcor, with all its tithes, etc. Thomas le Martre gave to this abbey part of the lands which he had acquired by conquest, viz., a lot of ground at the bridge of Dublin, situated between the ground which he had given to his wife Margaret, and that which he had granted to the hospital of Kilmainham. Tested by Godfrey of Winchester. A date cannot be affixed to this grant, but it seems to have been made in the latter time of King Henry II’s reign” (1133-1189).
It is important to note this connection between Dublin, Ireland, and Winchester, England which also has a le Martre connection - see section in Chapter 6 on the village of Martyr Worthy.
Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England:
A number of minor records were found which when placed side by side tell a short story about the le Martre families in Hampshire during the 12th to 14th Centuries.
a. “2 messuages with curtilages and a croft of land lying in Gatcombe between the land of John Boteler on the one part and the land called le Cockerlond on the other.
Piece of land called le Splottes lying between the land of the Lord of Gatcombe and the land of Alice Hachard.
(1) Richard de Buworth
(2) Sir John de Gatcombe
Consid. 26s.
Witnesses: Robert le Frilond, John le Martre, Robert Merable, Adam le Laker, Thomas le Cook” [xxxiv] [ex GAT/12 and dated 4th February 1336/7].
b. “William le Martre son of John le Martre to Quarr Abbey: Quitclaim of a rent of 6d. in Newport [Isle of Wight]. [xxxv] Undated entry but post-1132; see footnote.
[pic]
Fig 1-5 Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England - Postcard c.1910 [5] [xxxvi]
c. “Demise by Adam, abbot of Quarr, to Henry Eliot, of land with a house, abutting on the high road leading from Neuport [Newport] to Schyde [Ryde].
Witnesses: William le Martre, Walter Bernard, Symon Geri , and others (named). Thirteenth century Seal. [xxxvii]
d. “In 1236 Philip Glamorgan granted William Malet 2 virgates of land in Sandown in addition to land which William had already held there, and about 1280 the heirs of Richard Malet held a quarter of a fee there of Robert de Glamorgan. A few years later, John le Marche held this estate, which was evidently in Sandown. In 1346; however, John Serle held the quarter fee which had formerly belonged to John le Martre, evidently the John le Marche mentioned above.” [xxxviii]
Wells, Gloucestershire:
There are 3 records contained in the Liber Albus 1, [6] held in Wells Cathedral
a. “Ratification by Robert bishop of Bath, addressed to the dean and canons of Wells, of a gift made by ‘our archdeacon’ to Gilbert Caewete and his heirs of one acre of land in the street of Wells (which the said bishop had given him) for 12d. yearly to be paid to the said archdeacon and his successors. Witnesses of the gift and confirmation: .. Peter prior of Bath, William prior of Bruton, .. Ralphe Martre, ..” [xxxix]
b. “clxxvi. Grant by Robert ‘minister of the church of Bath’ to the church of Wells of half a hide and half a virgate of land at Dultinchot, which Ralph Martre, possessed of his gift for long service, towards an increase of the lights, so that the said Ralph may hold the same of the said church, and pay yearly on the vigil of St. Andrew three wax candles, one of 3lb. and two of 2lb. each. Witnesses: Reg[inald] (higinus) the precentor, Robert and Thomas archdeacons, ....” [xl]
c. “... three wax candles every year on the vigil of St. Andrew before the high altar, (one of 3lb, the others of 2lb each) of the land of Ralph Marere (Martre) in Dultingcote by gift of bishop Robert at the dedication of the old church:” [xli] This clearly relates to the entry at sub-paragraph b. Above.
Bristol, Gloucestershire:
There are 2 entries relating to a Peter Martre which are recorded in the British History Online chapter relating to the Origins of the Grant of the Town of Bristol. [xlii]
Among the Records in the Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer’s Office, in the Exchequer, there is the following text relating to charges made for stalls in the town:
“Bristol: Rental of the Stalls of the Lord the King in the town of Bristol, made in the time of Clement Bagot, Mayor, ......, in the 16th year of the reign of King Henry VI [1422-61 so in the year 1438] , after the conquest of England to the same feast in the then next following year, for the whole year:
Landgable of the Division of All-Saints: -
Of John Cleve, for Adam de Wynton, which the aforesaid Walter held: 0s. 7½d.
For a tenement of the same John, for Peter Martre, which the aforesaid Walter held: 0s. 7½d.
For a tenement of Hugh Payn, for Peter Martre, which John Clowde held: 0s. 7½d.
There is one other reference to a le Martre which I have found and that is in the Fine [7] Rolls of King Henry III. These Rolls, surviving in almost continuous sequence from 1199, are preserved in The National Archives at Kew, one for each regnal year. For Henry III’s reign (1216–1272), there are fifty-six rolls, written in Latin on parchment, with each roll being composed of separate membranes sewn together, the membranes measuring roughly 50 cm in length and 35 cm in width. Since Henry’s regnal year began on 28 October, each roll runs from
28 October in one calendar year to 27 October in the next year.
The fine record details are:
Fine Roll C 60/69. 56 Henry III (1271-1272)
Membrane 20 (sic) [Actually numbered on the original roll as 21]
Fines of the fifty-sixth year of King Henry son of King John
29 [No date] “Hampshire. William le Martre gives half a mark [8] for
having a writ ad terminum. Order to the sheriff of Hampshire.” [xliii]
In conclusion, over the period mid-12th Century to early 15th Century, the name of
Le Martre, and its variants, du Martre, de Martre, Martre, du Martier, and le Martyr, have been variously found in the following areas:
Kingscote, Gloucestershire, England 1153
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland 1186
Castlemartyr, Cork, Ireland 1190
Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England post-1132, 1236, 13th Century,
1293/94, 1336/7, 1365, 1428
Wells, Gloucestershire, England post-1242
Martyr Worthy, Hampshire, England 1251
Winchester, Hampshire, England 1271/72, 1294
City of London, England circa 1297/1307
Driffield, East Yorkshire, England post-1317
Bristol, Gloucestershire, England 1438
One common feature of these areas is that none is located in the hinterland of England with most being actually near the coast and some actually on it, perhaps a not too-surprising finding.
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[1] Rudents is the Dutch word for a group of animals which includes the pine marten and the weasel.
[2] Polish naturalist, historian, educator and physician, born 3rd September 1603 in Szamotuly who died on the
8th June 1675 on the estate of Zybendorf, near Liebnitz, a property he had inherited a few years before his death.
[3] Published by J. J. Schipper of Utrecht, Amsterdam, Holland, in 1660.
[4] A selion is a mediaeval open strip of land or small field used for growing crops usually owned by, or rented to, peasants. Monasteries and other institutions were often bequeathed selions and then derived an income from them by letting. Selion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[5] Quarr Abbey is a Benedictine abbey of the Solesmes Congression on the Isle of Wight and is situated between the villages of Binstead and Fishbourne. It was founded in 1132 by Baldwin de Redvers, fourth Lord of the Isle of Wight. The name Quarr derived from the word quarry because there was a stone quarry nearby. This photograph is now in the Public Domain and shows the Abbey prior to its re-building in 1912.
[6] The Liber Albus is a parchment book held in the library of Wells Cathedral consisting of 292 leaves, bound in oak boards, and named from its white cover. The folios are numbered from 2 to 299 with 8 folios missing. The contents range from the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-66) to 1393.
[7] A fine was essentially a promise of money to the king in return for a concession or favour, and the first purpose of the fine rolls was to record the money so offered. Barons and knights gave money to succeed to their inheritances on the death of their immediate ancestors. The rolls show numerous fines for permission to set up new markets and fairs. They contain fines from nobles to be allowed to construct private parks for hunting, to be exempted from knighthood, and from peasant communities to secure protection from their lords.
[8] A mark could be either a weight in gold or silver of 8 ounces, or money to the sum of 164d. or 13s. 4d. which is about T! of a Pound Sterling.
A Blacksmith s Tale
25
[9]The Origins of Family Names, web pages by Ron Collins.
-----------------------
[i]The Origins of Family Names, web pages by Ron Collins.
[ii] The Oxford Un癩牥楳祴倠敲獳獁硏潦摲眠扥瀠条獥䠓偙剅䥌䭎∠瑨灴⼺眯睷愮歳硯潦摲挮浯眯牯摬景潷摲⽳慮敭猯牵慮敭≳栔瑴㩰⼯睷獡潫晸牯潣⽭潷汲潤睦牯獤港浡⽥畳湲浡獥കഠ 楗楫数楤㩡吠敨䘠敲湅iversity Press, Ask Oxford web pages.
[iii] Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia web pages.
[iv] . English and Welsh Surname Dictionary [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA. The Generations Network, Inc, 2003. Original data: Bardsley, Charles Wareing. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing, 1967 and originally published: London 1901, Page 518.
[v] Family Education search web page:
[vi] Image from Wikipedia Commons from an article on John Johnston available at web site:
[vii] Image from Wikipedia Commons from an article at web site: , the original can be found at: .
[viii] Biography of Jan Jonston published in ‘Who Named It?
[ix] University of Utrecht Copyrights as detailed in:
[x]
[xi] A Dictionary of Surnames, by Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, Oxford University Press, United States, 1998, ISBN 0-19-211592-8.
[xii] Gloucester Record Office: Kingscote Family Papers, Kingscote family of Kingscote, Gloucestershire, England: Catalogue Reference D471/T1/1, and The Berkley Estate, Berkley Lands Outside the Hundred, High Bray, Devonshire, England: Catalogue Reference BCM/A/2/3.
[xiii] British History Online, Victoria County History: A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5 (1912), pp 139-51, Arreton Parish: Huffingford and Rookley. Martre then scroll down to Huffingford.
[xiv] The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England: Chancery, Records of the Petty Bag Office, Certificates of Statute Merchant and Statute Staple, Item details C 241/54/42.
[xv] Isle of Wight Record Office, Hampshire, England: Seely of Brook, Gatcombe Estate, Gatcombe Manor & Associated Papers, Freeholds at Faselham – Title Deeds: Catalogue Reference JER/SEL/87/12.
[xvi] The 7th Earl of Tankerville, George Montagu Bennet. M, #32925, b. 30 March 1852, d. 9 July 1931.
p3295
[xvii] US Passport Applications 1795-1925, Source: Passport Applications January 2, 1906 to March 31, 1925 (M1490) in the name of Sophia A van Marter, dated 21 March 1918.
[xviii] US Passport Applications 1795-1925, Source: Emergency Passport Applications, Passports Issued Abroad 1877-1908 (M1834) in the name of James G Van Marter Jnr, dated 25 June 1890.
[xix] The National Burial Index for England & Wales, Second Edition, Federation of Family History Societies, Disc Ser No 1, Burials 1538-1760.
[xx] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, International Genealogical Index, Individual Record, Batch No: C022291, Dates: 1813-1880, and City of London Burials 1724-1904, Transcriptions ( Cliff Webb. then select: “family history records” and from left hand side menu select “Deaths” and then “City of London Burials 1724-1904”.
[xxi] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1983: James Martar, Jan-Feb-Mar 1848, Stockport, Cheshire/Lancashire, Volume Number 19, Page Number 311.
[xxii] Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Records Office: Gregory of Stivichall, Warwickshire, England: Deeds and Papers references: DR10/387 dated 29 February 1451/52 and DR10/388 dated 5 February 1453/54. The scope and content of these records can be viewed through the Access to Archives A2A web site quick search facility and entering the Keywords “Johannis Marter” into the search box: ?
[xxiii] Surrey History Centre Collections Catalogue, Collection reference: Zg/41/1 - Martyr Family of Guldeford: Pedigree, ND [circa 1963]. Provenance – negatives loaned for printing in August 1992 by Mrs Susan Hall (nee Martyr) of Bovingdon, who owns the original pedigree.
[xxiv] The National Burial Index for England & Wales, Second Edition, Disc Ser No 1, Burials 1538-1760 reads: "6th July 1565, William MARTER, St Mary's Parish Church, Guilford, Surrey, England".
[xxv] England & Wales Marriage Index: 1984-2005: Michael D Marters, Spouse Name: Williams, Oct 1989, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Volume Number 22, Page Number 795.
[xxvi] England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1984-2005: Jennifer C Martir, Spouse Name: Joseph Oppong-Kyekyeku, June 2004, Hounslow, Middlesex, England, Volume Number 237, Page Number 122, Register Number RB, Entry Number 077.
[xxvii] Calendar of Early Mayor’s Court Rolls: 1298-130. A.H.Thomas (editor), 1924, Pages 92-118. Sponsor: Centre for Metropolitan History. then Contents and ‘click’ on Roll D: Membr. 11 Oct 1300.
[xxviii] England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1983: Caroline Martre, Jan/Feb/Mar 1873, Aged 28 years, Wellington, Devonshire &Somersetshire, England, Volume 5c, Page 295.
[xxix] The 1891 Population Census of England: Reference: RG12/3703, Folio 127, Page 15, No. of Schedule: 85 at 16 Clarendon Place, Leeds, Yorkshire, England.
[xxx] St Mary at Lambeth Parish Register Burials 1819-1838 and CD Transcribed by East Surrey Family History Society, ESFHS Publication No. LAMR002: from film at the London Metropolitan Archives.
[xxxi] Corporation of London Records Office: Bridge House Estates, Catalogue Reference CLA/007, Deed Portfolio EM/02, File I/039 dated 1480.
[xxxii] History and Genealogy of the Bolton and certain Related Families including Thorley, Elwood, Ball, Martyr, and Wyld. Alan Bolton, Oatley, 1985. Privately published and distributed.
[xxxiii] Monastic hibernicum: or A history of the abbeys, priories, and other religious houses in Ireland; interspersed with memoirs of their several founders and benefactors, and of their abbots and other superiors, to the time of their final suppression. Mervyn Archdall, Patrick Francis Moran Editor, Published in Dublin by W B Kelly, 1786 and available at the Google Digitized web page:
[xxxiv] The National Archives, Isle of Wight Record Office, Seeley of Brook, Gift JER/SEL/87/11 dated 4 February 1336/7.
[xxxv] The National Archives, Kew. Piece reference E 210/8420 undated but post-1132.
[xxxvi] Photograph from the Project Gutenberg Archives. Pictures in Colour of the Isle of Wight, by various photographers, Printed London by Jarrold and Sons c. 1910. Disclaimer. This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
[xxxvii] British History on Line, Deeds, B.2801 – B2900. Sponsor: History of Parliament Trust Publication:
A Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Deeds: Volume 2, H. C. Maxwell Lyte, (editor), 1894, Pages 337-346, B. 2830, Isle of Wight.
[xxxviii] British History Online, Parishes: Parish of Sandown. Sponsor: Victoria Country History Publication: A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5. Author: William Page (editor), 1912. See references 253-256.
[xxxix] British History Online, Liber albus 1, Fols. 1-20, Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Dean & Chapter of Wells, Volume 1. Author: Historical Manuscripts Commission, Sponsor: Institute of Historical Research, 1907. Pages 1-20.
[xl] Ibid, Fols. 41-60, Pages 47-69.
[xli] Ibid, Fols. 101-120, Pages 134-158.
[xlii] British History Online, Bristol Town Duties: A Collection of Original & Interesting Documents. Sponsor: Bristol Record Society, author: Henry Bush, 1828, Chapter 1, pages 5-42.
[xliii] The Rolls are viewable at: as part of a joint project between The National Archives and King’s College, London to digitalize the Collection of Fine Rolls of Henry III.
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