Friday 23 February 2007

Daglish or Dalglish?

This week I found a new web site "The Internet Surname Database" which promises to tell you about the origins of your family name.

If you are a Daglish, at some time you have probably had others mis-spell or mis-pronounce your name! If you live in the UK, the name is often confused with Dalglish (after footballer Kenny Dalglish) or Dalgliesh (after Adam Dalgliesh, the fictional detective in novels by crime writer P.D. James).

So, is there a connection? Well, according to this web site there is - see details below.

It seems to me that it is likely that the name Dalglish has its roots as a place name in this area of Scotland - there are villages of Over Dalgliesh and Nether Dalgliesh on the B709 road south of Ettrick by Tima Water.

However, so far the widely held view that Daglish is a variant if Dalglish has not so far been supported by our research in the Daglish One-Name Study.

For now this remains a big unanswered question - if you have any thoughts or information we would be pleased to know!

This interesting and unusual name, with the variants Dalglesh, Dalglish, Dagleas, Dagless and Daglish, is of Scots origin and is locational from a place "above the sources of the Tinna Water in the parish of Ehrick, Selkirk". It was first recorded in 1383 in the form Dalglas and derives from the Gaelic "dail", field and "glas", green. Unfortunately it seems that some early individual of the family were connected with disturbances of the peace and got on the wrong side of the law, for example George Dalgleish, confidential sevitor of the Earl of Bothwell, was executed for participation in the murder of Darnley in 1567. However in the other extreme, Simon Dalgles was Canon and Prebend of Askirk in 1448 and offshoots of the family established in Timmygaske, Fife "successfully avoided any distinction". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Symon de Dagles, which was dated 1407, in the "Register of the Great Seal of Scotland", during the reign of King James of Scotland, 1406 - 1437. 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.
Copyright: Name Orgin Research www.surnamedb.com 1980 - 2006

4 comments:

kitty said...

Dalglish/Dalgleish etc.The variations would depend on the accent of the individual who was speaking their name and the origins of the clerk who was writing it down.
George Dalgleish who was the servant of the Earl of Bothwell was mentioned in the Biography on George Buchanan in relation to the Kirk of Field papers,he apparently was carrying them. He was tortured and then executed . His sister Jean married a Douglas and their names are entwinned above the entrance at Laurieston Castle. The fortunes of the Dalgleish family took a nose time around this time.They had Wideopen tower and Dalgleish tower both of which were eventually destroyed. But they continued as farmers,listed under abandoned pentland farms.The bulk of offspring appear to have been female ,with just enough males to carry the line . They were also a significant presence in the church Nicol Dalgeish among others was a moderator of the Church of Scotland .despite the decline in their fortunes they married well . Alexander made a forune in Jedda was murdered and left his mother the lot . Her name was Dalgleish Hole and she founded the golf club at Scotscraig. They are also married into the Ogilvy family . The current Crown Princess Mary of Denmark `s father was John Dalgleish Middleton his middle name was his mothers own name .

Stella said...

Tracing my family tree, we have the surnames spelt Dagless, Daglas, Daglis, Dugglas and even Duglasse. I've got back to James Daglis 1687 in Hempstead Norfolk.
I've yet to find the Scottish roots!

Stephen Daglish said...

Hi Stella,
From my research and reaearch done by others, the Dagless name in Norfolk is most likely derived from Douglas, rather than Daglish or Dalgleish.
With best wishes,
Stephen Daglish

Unknown said...

My Great-Great Grandmother was Isabella Daglish born in Morpeth Northumberland 1840 -1850 she married William Potts a Tanner
The Daglish family were 'Stent' holders in the town there was also a shop called Noble and Daglish