ABSTRACT
Surnames provide some evidence for the history of communities in several aspects, and it is worthwhile for anyone interested in the history of their own town, county, or village to consider what information can be gained from looking into local surnames, both those present today and those present at various periods in the past. The use of surname evidence to trace movements out of any place is therefore liable to be both unproductive and time consuming, unless there is some obvious destination for migrants, such as a growing industrial town nearby. The distinction between free tenants and serfs was already clear and important in legal theory by the thirteenth century, and in practice the differences in status between the two classes had major consequences. Topographical and occupational surnames are both of some use as evidence for local economic conditions, besides providing evidence about the vocabulary in use about such matters locally.
