Tabram

Although this interesting surname is found almost exclusively in the south east of England, its origins are either northern or from some now "lost" place. In the old county Palatinate of Lancashire, two miles south of the town of Wigan, and on the former western road to Scotland, lies the village of Abram, in medieval times spelt "Adburgham". Local dialect contracted this to "Abram". Apparently in the medieval period the village suffered from "enclosure", and the displaced inhabitants fled to London and the south taking as their surname the name of their former village. The spelling as "Tabram" is a condensed form of "Atte Abram", although it can also be found in the expanded forms of Taberham, Taberhan, and even Tabraham. The name recording examples include Robert Tabram, a witness at St. Dunstan's, Canterbury on March 23rd 1682, and John Tabram of Aldington, Kent, registered on May 29th 1717, in the reign of George 1 (1715 - 1727). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Margaret Tabrum, which was dated December 10th, 1610, married Bernice Banister at St. Pauls Church, Canterbury, during the reign of King James 1 of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. 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.