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Alternatively, the name be from Michaelmas, denoting the season or day that the child was born. 1 2 3
The surname Meddlemas was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat at Middlemarsh. 4 5
Middlemarsh is also a tything, in the parish of Mintern-Magna, union of Cerne, hundred of Cerne, Totcombe, and Modbury, Cerne division of Dorset. 6
Early records in England are scarce but we did find on record of Thomas de Meddelmersee in 1297. 5
So we must look to Scotland for early entries for the family. "The Middlemasses were vassals and tenants of the district around Kelso, and derived their surname from 'lie Middlemestlands in villa et territorio de Calco,' mentioned in 1029. William de Meldiemast who petitioned for a benefice in the gift of the abbot of Kelso, 1406 (Pap. Pet., I, p. 624) was probably Schir Wilyeam Myddilmast, the 'lwvit chapellain' of Archibald de Douglas, earl of Wigtoun, vicar of Selkirk in the first quarter of the fifteenth century." 7
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meddlemas research. Another 350 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1425, 1439, 1495, 1497, 1513, 1530, 1537, 1566, 1567, 1590, 1603, 1610, 1611, 1612, 1629, 1652, 1665, 1670, 1674, 1692 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Meddlemas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Meddlemas include Middlemass, Middlemas, Middlemaist, Middlemiss and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Meddlemas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Meddlemas or a variant listed above: George Middlemane (Middlemast) settled in Virginia in 1679; William Middlemass, who came to Virginia in 1723; James Middlemiss, who came to America in 1726.