Pontefract

Pontefract
This very interesting name is English. It is a dialectual tease being the recognised pronunciation for the town in the county of Yorkshire called Pontefract, and from whence originate the famous "Pomfret Cakes" - a black liquorice sweet. There are several modern spellings including Pomfret, Pomfritt, Pomphrett and Pontefract. Amongst the early recordings are those of William Puntfreit of Essex in 1191, and Robert Pumfret of Norfolk in 1273. However spelt this is a good examples of a locational surname, being one that was given to a former inhabitant of a particular place, who had moved to another area. There he or sometimes she, was given the name of their former home as easy identification. Spelling being at best erratic and dilaects very thick lead to the development of "sounds like" spellings. The place name and hence the surname derives from the Roman (Latin) words "ponto fracto meaning " broken bridge", and another early recordings was that of Thomas le Lange de Pontefracto. This was dated 1310, in the register of the "Freeman of York" during the reign of King Edward 11nd of England, 1307 - 1327. 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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  • Pontefract — Koordinaten 53° 41′ N, 1° 19′ W …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Pontefract — (spr. pónntìsrĕkt oder pómmsrĕt), Stadt (municipal borough) im Westbezirk von Yorkshire (England), unweit des Zusammenflusses von Aire und Calder, mit alter Allerheiligenkirche (im 17. Jahrh. zerstört, seit 1838 teilweise restauriert), hübschem… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Pontefract — (spr. pommfrĕt), Stadt in der engl. Grafsch. York, West Riding, (1901) 13.422 E …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Pontefract — Coordinates: 53°41′17″N 1°18′36″W / 53.688°N 1.310°W / 53.688; 1.310 …   Wikipedia

  • Pontefract — /pon teuh frakt /; locally also /pum frit, pom /, n. a city in West Yorkshire, in N central England, SE of Leeds: ruins of a 12th century castle. 31,335. * * * ▪ England, United Kingdom       historic market town, Wakefield metropolitan borough,… …   Universalium

  • Pontefract — Original name in latin Pontefract Name in other language Pontefrakt, Pontifrakt, pontepeulaegteu, Понтефракт, Понтифракт State code GB Continent/City Europe/London longitude 53.69107 latitude 1.31269 altitude 69 Population 28620 Date 2012 04 17 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency) — Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885,… …   Wikipedia

  • Pontefract Priory — was a Cluniac monastery dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, founded about 1090 by Robert de Lacy, and located in Yorkshire, England. It existed until the dissolution of the monasteries. The Church and buildings have been completely destroyed,… …   Wikipedia

  • Pontefract Priory — • Cluniac monastery founded about 1090 in England Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Pontefract Priory     Pontefract Priory      …   Catholic encyclopedia

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