Patronymica Cornu-Britannica/S

SANDRY. See Saundry.

SAPLYN. From sarf-lyn, the serpents' pool.

SAUNDRY, SANDRY, SONDRY. From sawan-dre, the dwelling by the hole in the cliff. But these names may ​also be from Alexander; for Pryce renders Vellan-Saundry, Alexander's mill.

SAYER. From root of Soor, q. v. Treganyan in St. Michael Penkevil was anciently the seat of the Sayers.

SCABERIUS. Scawen translates this name, "sweepers or sweeping;" and gives as the arms of the family, three broom besoms. Polwhele translates scaberias, "a barn." If so, it comes from root of Skyburiow, q. v.

SCARDON. From car-don, the rocky hill.

SCAWAN, SCAWEN, SCAWIN, SCAWN, SCOWEN, SCOWN. From a place of the same name; from scauan, an elder-tree. Hals derives the word scauan from Gr. σκοβιεμ, sambucus, ebulus, the elder-tree; and he says that, suitably to its name, this family has for its arms, "Argent, a scawen, or elder-tree, vert." The Scawens anciently dwelt at Millinike in St. Germans.

SCOBELL. This family have flourished for many generations in Cornwall and Devon. The first on record in Thomas de Scobbahull, sheriff of Devonshire in 1291. The name is also found written Scobhull, Scobhill, Scobbel, Scobel, Schobell, Scobhall, Shovel, and Scoble, and, according to Hals, signifies in Cornish the broom-plant. I doubt much its Cornish origin, and think it may be the same as Scovell (H. R. De Scoville, De Scovile), from Escoville, now Ecoville, arrond. Caen, Normandy.

SCORSE. From korsen, a reed, stalk; in composition, kors. Cf. the local name Penkors. There is a place called Scoresham in Launcells.

SCOWEN, SCOWN. See Scawan.

SEELEG. See Silk.

SELDON. As a Cornish name, from sel-don, prospect hill.

​SELKE, SELIOKE, SELLECK, SELLEK, SELLICK. See Silk.

SERPELL, SERPLE. Sarf-pol would mean the serpents' pool; but this name may also be corrupted from St. Petronell. "The manor of Whitestone is called in Domesday Witeston. In 12 Edw. I. it is denominated Wilston and St. Petnell, which is thought to be a corruption of St. Petronell. In 3 Hen. IV., John de Cobbleham held one fee in Wiston and Sepeknol."

SILK. Some derive this name from the parish of Silk-Willoughby, co. Lincoln. The name, which is found written Silke, Selke, Seeleg, Selioke, Sellek, Selleck, Sellick, is probably of Cornish origin, from sellick, sillick, in open view, remarkable, conspicuous, from sel, sil, sul, W. sylly, to look or behold: whence the local name Crugsillick, the barrow in open view; and perhaps the surname Tresilian.

SKEWES, SKEWIS, SKEWYS. From Skewes (formerly Skewis) in Crowan, or Skewes (formerly Skewys) in Cury. These names signify a shady place, from skêz, a shade or shadow. John Skewys was sheriff of the county in the 12 Hen. VIII. Hence also the names Skewish, Skuse, and Skues.

SKEWISH. From Great Skewish in St. Wenn, which belongs to the family. "One of the family was an author at a period so early as the reign of Henry the Sixth, when he compiled an abridgement of the Chronicles, and the Wars of Troy; but in all probability the work has never been printed, since it is not noticed by Warton, nor is the author's name to be found in the catalogues of our public libraries." (D. Gilbert) See Skewes.

SKUES, SKUSE. See Skewes.

​SKYBURIOW. From skiberio, skiberiowe, the barns. Hence Skiberion in Mawgan, and the surname Scaberius.

SOADY, SODDY. From sog-, sug-ty, the moist or wet abode.

SODEN, SOWDEN. From sog-den, the moist or wet hill. Lower refers Soden to Sudden, which he says is a known corruption of Southdean, through Soudean.

SONDRY. See Saundry.

SOOR. From sair, a sawyer; whence the word sair-pren, a woodman, carpenter.

SOWDEN. See Soden.

SPARNON, SPERNON. From spernan, a thorn. "The family became extinct on the death of a gentleman in the medical profession at Lostwithiel; and the property was sold about fifty years ago." (D. Gilbert, 1838.)

SPERNON. See Sparnon.

SPERRACK. This name may be from spernan, a thorn. Tonkin says Trigantan (in Creed) belongs to the family of Sperrack; and there is a place called Sparnock in Kea.

SPETTIGUE. This is said to be an old Cornish family; but it is doubted if the Spettigues were not originally from another part of England. Lower says it is "a Cornish local name, place unknown." The last part of the name may be the same with that in Killigrew and Pettigrew, q.v.

SPOUR, SPOURE. See Spur.

SPRY. Burke says that this family, whose name he writes var. De Spre, De Spray, De Sprey, Spreye, Sprie, Sprye, Spry, Spray, and Sprey, was at a very early period seated in co. Devon, where several places bear the designation in its more ancient spelling, as Spreyton, ​Sprieton or Spryeton, Spray or Sprey, and Sprye Comb. Gilbert (quoting Hals) says: "spry, sprey, spray is Cornish, and signifies a sprout, branch, sprig, twig, split, or slip of any matter or thing." "In the dialect of Somerset, and in the United States, spry means nimble, active, smart," says Lower. If of Cornish origin, the name would corrupt form that of Prye, q.v.

SPUR. This name may be an abbreviation of Butspur in Launcells; from bos-ber, the short dwelling. Spour and Spoure are perhaps the same name. "The arms of Spour are, Gules, on a chevron Or, a rose of the first between two mullets or spur rowells Sable pierced." But see Vosper.