Blaker

This interesting name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is occupational for a "bleacher of textiles", from the Middle English (1200-1500) "blaken" to bleach or whiten, derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "blac", white, pale. The name development since 1246 (see below) includes the following: Ralph le Blaker (1291, Essex), William Blaker (1296, Sussex) and Roger le Blackere (1312, London). The modern surname can be found as Blacker and Bleacher. An interesting namebearer was one George Blacker (1791 - 1871), who was an antiquary; he got an M.A. at Trinity College, Dublin in 1858. He was vicar of Maynooth in 1840, and prebendary in St. Patrick's Cathedral; he also published antiquarian works. The marriages were recorded in London of Richard Blacker and Marie Bullyn on April 4th 1613 at S.t Gregory by st. Paul, and of Thomas Blacker and Eleanor Lawson on January 22nd 1676. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Blacker, which was dated 1246, in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire, during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.