Hember

Recorded in many forms as shown below, this is interesting surname is of pre 7th century Olde English origins. It is locational from a place in North Devon near Honiton, called Hembury Fort. This place is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Henberia", and in the Charter Rolls of 1227 as Hembiri. The origination is from the words "Heah- burg", meaning the high fort. Hembury Fort is a large earthwork, situated circa 900 feet above the sea, and believed to be of Ancient British origin. In the modern idiom, the spelling variants include Hemburrow, Hembery, Hembrow, Hembergh, Hember, Embery, and Embury. Examples of the early recordings include Margery Embry, christened at St Giles Cripplegate, London, on March 16th 1614, Thomas Hembery who was christened on May 27th 1656 at Clyst St. George, Devon, Robert Hemburrow of Huntsham, Tiverton, Devon, on October 17th 1717. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Hembure, which was dated 1273, in the rolls of Somerset known as 'Kirby's Quest', 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.