The surname of BAYLY was an official name 'the bailiff', other spellings of the name include Baillie, Bayley and Bayles. Early records of the name mention Alvered Ballivus of the County of Lincolnshire in 1273. Henry le Baillie of Monmouthshire, Wales in 1307. Adam Bailiff of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. William de Bailli of Scotland in 1411, appears as a juror on an inquest concerning forfeited lands in Lothian. The term baillie now obsolete in England is still the common form in Scotland where it was used of the chief magistrate of a barony. The use of fixed surnames or descriptive names appears to have commenced in France about the year 1000, and such names were introduced into Scotland through the Normans a little over one hundred years later, although the custom of using them was by no means common for many years afterwards. During the reign of Malcolm Ceannmor (1057-1093) the latter directed his chief subjects, after the custom of other nations, to adopt surnames from their territorial possessions, and there created 'The first erlis that euir was in Scotland'. It was an occupational name for a steward or official, the title of a muncipal magistrate, and elsewhere as bailiff which in England denotes an officer who served writs and summonses and ensure that court orders are carried out. Occupational surnames originally denoted the actual occupation followed by the individual. At what period they became hereditary is a difficult problem. Many of the occupation names were descriptive and could be varied. In the Middle Ages, at least among the Christian population, people did not usually pursue specialized occupations exclusively to the extent that we do today, and they would, in fact, turn their hand to any form of work that needed to be done, particularly in a large house or mansion, or on farms and smallholdings. In early documents, surnames often refer to the actual holder of an office, whether the church or state. The associated arms are recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Registered in London. |
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