Loosemore - Name

This interesting habitational name has Old English origins. It derives from the elements "Hlose", meaning a wild pig or boar, and "mor", a morass or marshy area. The name appears in the site names Lismore in Ireland. Lismore Island off Mull in Scotland, and what was apparently an area called "Loosemoor" in Devonshire whether this was originally a hamlet as well is not clear, but if so it does not appear on the "lost" village list, but hoosemoor farm apparently exists today, (1990). The name recording includes John loosemore, who married Emote Gorton at Bishops Nympton, Devon on June 18th 1563, and John Lusmoore who appears in the register of St. Margarets, Westminster in 1584, when he was christened at the church. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter de Losemore, which was dated 1249, in the Crown Pleas of Devon, 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.