Compson - Name

This interesting and unusual name, with variant spellings Kumpson, Cumpson, Campson, Comson etc., is believed to be a patronymic form of the Old English pre 7th Century personal byname "Cempa", (Medieval English "kempe"), meaning warrior, athlete, wrestler. One, Eadulf Cempa was recorded in "The Old English Byname Register" for Wiltshire dated 902, and an Edmund Kempe in Norfolk County Records circa 1100. In 1195, Robert Campe was noted in "The Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire" and a John Campe or Kempe in the 1205, "Pipe Rolls of Dorset". On April 2nd 1627, Anne Comson and Richard Jenkinson were married in St Dunstan's in the East, London, and on September 4th 1683, Jane Campson married a Richard Fisher in St. James, Dukes Place, London. Ann, daughter of Edward Compson, was christened in St. Luke's, Old Fish Street, Finsbury, on December 7th 1740, and on September 7th 1754, James, son of Thomas Compson, was christened in Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Kumpson, (christening), which was dated February 10th 1627, Landkey, Derbyshire, during the reign of King Charles 1, "The Martyr", 1625 - 1649. 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.