Shellshear

There are several alternative spellings for this interesting name which is of German (Huguenot) origin. The name is recorded in the former State of Prussia as 'Schelcher'. The Coat of Arms being a Gold Field charged with a Black Lion Rampant and two Laurel Leaves of Victory. The name appears to be first recorded in England one year after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 however 'The Huguenots' had in fact been arriving in growing numbers since 1580. The name recordings include Anthony Shellsheere (1693, London) Elizabeth Shellshear (1792) and David Shelsher christened at St. Saviour, Southwark in 1786 the name derives from the German Schleicher, a nickname for a 'quiet' person. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Shelshier, which was dated 1686, married Elizabeth Portington at St. Katherines by the Tower, London, during the reign of King James 11, known as 'The last Catholic Monarch', 1685 - 1689. 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.