The usual term in Medieval times to describe a worker in Iron was "Ferreor" from the Latin "Ferrum" - meaning Iron. From "Ferreor" developed a mass of variant spellings including Farrer, Farrier, Pharoah, Varey and localised dialectal spellings such as Faragher, Forah, Ferrage, Pherage, Furridge - and many others. There are today an estimated two hundred such spellings found throughout the United Kingdom, demonstrating the widespread requirement for "Ferreors". The names spellings and "links" include the following examples Alexander Farrage who married Susan Whalley at St. Dunstans Church, Stepney, on November 23rd 1651; John Pherage a christening witness at St. Andrews, Holborn, London, on May 16th 1699, and William Ferridge, who was christened at St. Pancras Old Church, Paddington on June 16th 1850. In the North of England the registers show that the name as Ferridge, Ferrage, Farrage, etc was found in the Whitby area of Yorkshire, Joseph Feridge being so recorded on February 1st 1729. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hugo Farrour, which was dated 1379, the Poll Tax Rolls of York, during the reign of King Richard 11, "Richard of Bordeaux", 1377 - 1399. 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.

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