Memory

Memory
This most interesting and unusual surname is of Norman French locational origins, and yet holds some of the earliest claims to nobility in England. It was first introduced by close companions of William the Conqueror at the invasion of 1066, and they were rewarded for their efforts with large estates, particularly in the North of England. The original spelling should have been 'Montbrai' from the village in La Manche, Normandy, but no such form has been found. The name translates as literally as 'the muddy place on the hill', a humble beginning for an aristocratic surname. Now variously recorded world-wide as Mowbray, Mowbury, Moubray, Mumbray, Membry, Momery, Mummery, Me(m)mory, Mulb(e)ry, and Mulberry, the move away from the original 'Montbrai' is truly remarkable. Early examples of the recordings include Roger de Mulbrai in the 1130 Rolls of Whitby, Yorkshire, where the family held great estates, Paganus de Moubrai (1150, Oxfordshire), and Roger de Munbrai of Lincolnshire in 1185, both being 'Crusaders' and as such members of the Knights Templar. Joseph Memory is recorded in London in 1584, whilst the Friary Rolls of Leicestershire include the recordings of John Mowbray in 1714, John Mumory in 1725, and John Membry in 1748. Amongst the many famous name holders was Thomas de Mowbray (1366 - 1399), Earl Marshall of England, and the first Duke of Norfolk. The original coat of arms, granted in 1297, one of the most ancient ever recorded and predating the College of Arms by two centuries, has the highly distinctive and unmistakeable blazon of a red field, charged with a silver lion rampant. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Rodbeard a Mundbraeg, which was dated 1087, in the 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicles', during the reign of King William 1, known as 'The Conqueror', 1066 - 1087. 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.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Memory — • Memory is the capability of the mind, to store up conscious processes, and reproduce them later with some degree of fidelity Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Memory     Memory    …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • memory — mem‧o‧ry [ˈmemri] noun [uncountable] COMPUTING the part of a computer in which information is stored: • Storing and retrieving video images requires vast amounts of computer memory. • a machine with 4 gigabytes of memory • Both companies have… …   Financial and business terms

  • Memory — Mem o*ry, n.; pl. {Memories}. [OE. memorie, OF. memoire, memorie, F. m[ e]moire, L. memoria, fr. memor mindful; cf. mora delay. Cf. {Demur}, {Martyr}, {Memoir}, {Remember}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The faculty of the mind by which it retains the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • memory — memory, remembrance, recollection, reminiscence, mind, souvenir are comparable though not wholly synonymous terms since all involve the ideas of remembering and of being remembered. Memory applies chiefly to the power or function of remembering… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • memory — [mem′ə rē, mem′rē] n. pl. memories [ME memorie < OFr < L memoria < memor, mindful, remembering < IE * mimoro , redupl. of base * (s)mer , to remember, recall > MERIT] 1. the power, act, or process of recalling to mind facts… …   English World dictionary

  • memory — (n.) mid 13c., recollection (of someone or something); awareness, consciousness, also fame, renown, reputation, from Anglo Fr. memorie (O.Fr. memoire, 11c., mind, memory, remembrance; memorial, record ) and directly from L. memoria memory,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • memory — ► NOUN (pl. memories) 1) the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information. 2) a person or thing remembered. 3) the length of time over which people s memory extends. 4) a computer s equipment or capacity for storing data or program… …   English terms dictionary

  • memory — [n1] ability to hold in the mind anamnesis, awareness, camera eye*, cognizance, consciousness, dead eye*, flashback, memorization, mind, mindfulness, mind’s eye*, recall, recapture, recognition, recollection, reflection, remembrance, reminiscence …   New thesaurus

  • memory — I (commemoration) noun celebration, remembrance, writing II (retention) noun mind, recalling, recollection, reflection III index hindsight, recognition …   Law dictionary

  • Memory — For other uses, see Memory (disambiguation). Neuropsychology Topics …   Wikipedia

  • memory — /mem euh ree/, n., pl. memories. 1. the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences. 2. this faculty as possessed by a particular individual: to have a …   Universalium

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