But these
names are so numerous that I have put them with the Canterbury
Pilgrims (ch. xvii.). Three of them may be mentioned here in
connection with a small group of occupative surnames of puzzling form.
We have noticed (Chapter XII) that monosyllabic, and some other,
surnames of local origin frequently take an -s, partly by analogy with
names like Wills, Watts, etc. We rarely find this -s in the case of
occupative names, but Parsons, Vicars or Vickers, and Monks are
common, and in fact the first two are scarcely found without the -s.
To these we may add Reeves (Chapter XVII), Grieves (Chapter XIX), and
the well-known Nottingham name Mellers (Chapter XVII). The
explanation seems to be that these names are true genitives, and that
John Parsons was John the Parson's man, while John Monks was employed
by the monastery. This is confirmed by such entries as "Walter atte
Parsons," "John del Parsons," "Allen atte Prestes," "William del
Freres," "Thomas de la Vicars," all from the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries.

Another exceptional group is that of names formed by adding -son to
the occupative names, the commonest being perhaps Clarkson, Cookson,
Smithson, and Wrightson. To this class belongs Grayson, which
Bardsley shows to be equivalent to the grieve's son.

Our occupative names are both English and French, [Footnote: We have
also a few Latinizations, e.g. Faber (wright), Messer (mower). This
type of name is much commoner in Germany, e.g. Avenarius, oat man,
Fabricius, smith, Textor, weaver, etc. Mercator, of map projection
fame, was a Fleming named Kremer, i.e. dealer.] the two languages
being represented by those important tradesmen Baker and Butcher. The
former is reinforced by Bollinger, Fr. boulanger, Pester, Old Fr.
pestour (Lat. piston), and Furner--

"Fournier, a baker, or one that keeps, or governs a common oven"
(Cotgrave).

The English and French names for the same trade also survive in
Cheeseman and Firminger, Old Fr. formagier (fromage).

We have as endings -er, -ier, the latter often made into -yer, -ger,
as in Lockyer, Sawyer, Kidger (Chapter XIX), Woodger, [Footnote:
Woodyer, Woodger, may also be for wood-hewer. See Stanier] and -or,
-our, as in Taylor, Jenoure (Chapter III). The latter ending,
corresponding to Modern Fr. -eur, represents Lat. -or, -orem, but we
tack it onto English words as in "sailor," or substitute it for -er,
-ier, as in Fermor, for Farmer, Fr. fermier. In the