Saddler

This interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is an occupational surname for someone who made, and also perhaps sold, saddles and harness for horses in general. The name derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century "sadol", in Olde Saxon "zadel", and in Middle English and Middle German "sadel". Obviously the job was a very important one in medieval Europe, when horses provided the only form of land transport available, and were vital in times of peace and war to carry men and supplies. One Peter le Sadelare appears in the 1296 Records of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, and a Thomas Sadeler in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire. The modern surname can be found as Saldler, Saddler, Sadleir and Sadlier. On April 20th 1567, Cicyly, daughter of Roger Sadler, was christened in Saint Peter le Poer, London. One Rowland Sadler was an early settler in the New World, leaving London on the "Merchant's Hope" in July 1635, bound for Virginia. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Simon le Sadelere, which was dated 1288, in the "Hundred Rolls of Sussex", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. 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.