This interesting surname may be either of medieval Scottish or medieval English origin. If the former, Manderson is a variant of Manderston, itself a territorial name from the lands thus called, east of Duns in Berwickshire, believed to have as its component elements the genitive case of the Middle English name "Maunder", a maker of baskets, from the Old French "mande", basket, with the agent suffix "-er" (one who does or makes), plus the Olde English "tun", enclosure, settlement; hence, "Mander's tun". Recordings of the surname from Berwick Church Registers include the christening of Ellabeth, daughter of Thomas Mandersone and Margrat Cockburne at Duns, Berwickshire, on March 24th 1638. As an English name, Manderson is a patronymic form of Mander or Maunder, itself having a number of possible sources. Firstly, it may be an occupational name for a maker of baskets (derivation as above); secondly, it may have originated as a nickname for a beggar, from an agent derivative of maund, to beg (from the Old French "mendier", Late Latin "mendicare"), or perhaps for someone in authority, from a foreshortened form of the Middle English "coma(u)nder", Old French "comander", to order, have authority over. Jane Manderson was christened at St. Mary Whitechapel, London, on November 20th 1603. A Coat of Arms granted to the Manderson family is a silver shield with a pale vaire gold and azure, the Crest being a silver antelope passant, collared red. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Archibald of Manderstoun, which was dated 1467, in "Records of Dunfermline", Scotland, during the reign of King James 111 of Scotland, 1460 - 1488. 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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