This very interesting name, which is not recorded in the New Dictionary of America Family Names, is a local Yorkshire dialectual transposition of 'Sprotborough' - a Parish near the town of Doncaster, and found in England usually under the spellings of Spradbery or Spradbrow. This type of dialectual corruption is quite common in Yorkshire, where Thirsk was known as 'Tresk' and Slaithwaite as 'Slouwet' (Henry Sprattberry 1656, baptised, St. Michaels, Cornhill, London). The meaning of the name is the Fort (Burri or Berri) on the Hill (Spor) Viking-Norse (?) pre 10th Century. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas de Sprotburghe which was dated 1298, in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. during the reign of King Edward 1, known as the Hammer of the Scots 1272 - 1308 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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