Fieldsend - Meno

This interesting and unusual name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is topographical for "a dweller at the end of the field", derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "feld", pasture, open country, and the Middle English (1200 - 1500) "end", end, from the Old English "ende". Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names. Other surnames with the same ending include: Townsend (a dweller at the extremity of a village) and Overend (a dweller at the "upper end" of a settlement). Among the sample recordings in Yorkshire are the christening of Johannis Fieldsend on November 12th 1688 at Penistone, and the marriage of James Fieldsend and Jane Pills on June 30th 1726, also at Penistone. The christening of John, son of Joseph and Hannah Fieldsend, was recorded on February 2nd 1769, at Bull Lane Independent, Stepney, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John atte Feldesende, which was dated 1270, M.T. Lofvenberg, "Studies on Middle English Local Surnames (Worcester)", during the reign of King Henry 111, "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.