Reposted here by permission from Lynn Huber. When surnames were first being used as secondary identifiers, one of the many ways of differentiating between two men with the same given name, was by identifying them as being tenant farmers on the lands of different lords, which differentiated between them by where they lived, and who they served as men at arms. Since members of the nobility had far, far, more tenant farmers than they had children, the great majority of people having the same surname as someone who was granted a coat of arms, would not, if we could trace our lineage that far back, prove to be descended from the nobility, The odds are very heavily in favor in of us instead having descended from one of his Lordships many, many, tenant farmers. - his lease holders and liegemen. Furthermore, even if we could prove a relationship to someone in his Lordships family, we still wouldnt be entitled to his coat of arms, which identifies his title, not his family, unless we were heir to the title - i.e. proven the be the oldest son of the oldest son, of the oldest son, all the way back in direct line back to the man who was first given the title. And if we could do that, with few exceptions, wed be a man, over in England, sitting in the House of Lords.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 21:06:33 +0000
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