Coat of Arms & Family Crests Store
Earwaker Coat of Arms / Earwaker Family CrestThe surname of EARWAKER was a baptismal name 'the son of Euerwacer' a font name literally meaning 'boar-watchman'. It was derived from the Old English Eoforwacer. The name is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and later examples are Euerwacer de Gepeswic, County Suffolk in the year 1130. Edmundus Erwak, 1230 County Dorset. Rchard Herewaker, 1247 Bedfordshire. John Euerwaker, 1327 County Suffolk. Thomas Aylett married Jane Arwaker at St.Thomas The Apostle, London in 1662.Originally the coat of arms identified the wearer, either in battle or in tournaments. Completely covered in body and facial armour the knight could be spotted and known by the insignia painted on his shield, and embroidered on his surcoat, the draped garment which enveloped him. Between the 11th and 15th centuries it became customary for surnames to be assumed in Europe, but were not commonplace in England or Scotland before the Norman Conquest of 1066. They are to be found in the Domesday Book of 1086. Those of gentler blood assumed surnames at this time, but it was not until the reign of Edward II (1307-1327) that second names became general practice for all people. Since the dawn of civilisation the need to communicate has been a prime drive of all higher mankind. The more organised the social structure became, the more urgent the need to name places, objects and situations essential to the survival and existence of the social unit. From this common stem arose the requirements to identify families, tribes and individual members evolving into a pattern in evidence today. In the formation of this history, common usage of customs, trades, locations, patronymic and generic terms were often adopted as surnames. The demands of bureaucracy formally introduced by feudal lords in the 11th century, to define the boundaries and families within their fiefdoms, crystallized the need for personal identification and accountability, and surnames became in general use from this time onwards. |
