Tear - Meno

The picturesque and interesting surname is of Scottish origin and is the Maux contration of the Gaelic "Mac an t-Saoir". In this form it is a patronymic, "mac" denoting the "son of", and translates as son of the carpenter or wright. Glenoe, near Bunawe, Nether Horn was the country of this sept, and it is recorded that they possessed the form of Glenoe from 1380 - 1810. Although traditionally the Mac Intyres were given as a sept of Mac Donald, they appear to have always been supporters of the chiefs of Upper Lorn and are included among the "native men" of the stewarts of Appin. They are also hereditary foresters to the Stewarts and the Campbells of Lorn recorded in Jurby, Isle of Man on December 24th 1612 is the birth of twins, Dalin and John Tear, sons of William Tear. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of M'Teare, which was dated 1504, A.W. Moore's "Manx Names", during the reign of King Henry V111, "Good King Hal", 1509 - 1547. 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.