Clazie from France?

[hdw]

In my native East Neuk of Fife one of the old-established surnames in the fishing communities is Boyter. That happens to be the Scots word for a bittern, but I don't see this fairly rare bird giving rise to a surname. I think our Boyters may derive from a Dutch or Frisian Buiter, a name still current in northern parts of the Netherlands. The author of the Latin Vita Kentegerni (Life of St. Kentigern) states that even in his day (mid-1100s) fishermen from all over Northern Europe were flocking to the rich fishing-grounds around the May Island in the Firth of Forth.

Harry

[heiserca]

Spelling of this family name differed with time and place, and with each person.  The vowel was sometimes “a”, sometimes “e”; the next letter “s” or “z”; the ending “ie”, “ey” or "y".

My great-great-great-grandfather, born 1787 at Hutton, wrote his name “George Clezie”;  younger siblings variously wrote it Clazey, Clazie, Clazy, Cleasie, Clezy.   

First known record of the name in Scotland was March 1665 at Hutton, where the Kirk Session Book showed payment of 16 shillings to “Jon Clazie” for delivering the kirk bell .

One year later, Oct 1666, down the road at Berwick-upon-Tweed, a christening showed “Elenor Clasie”; that was followed in January 1670 by her brother “William Clasey”.  Different spelling each time!

No wonder we can’t be sure what was the “original” version.  How original?

[heiserca]

Clazie remains the most common spelling of the name in Scotland today, also found at Berwick-upon-Tweed, and was carried by emigrants to Ontario, Canada and later to California, USA.  But found almost nowhere else in the word!

Early records showed it at 3 widely-separated places:
1656 at Bram, Aude, southern France
1665 at Hutton, Berwickshire, southeastern Scotland
1723 at Leeuwarden, Friesland, northern Netherlands

The name is unusual, unlikely to be confused with other names.  What explains its appearance in three far-apart locations? 

[richarde1979]

Looking at the IGI, there are actually many of instances of the surname Clasie, Clacie, Clacy throughout the 17th century in England, mostly southern. It could well be that the Scottish Clazies are a branch of this family rather than of any foreign origin, As you've noted spelling was fluid even for centuries after this.

[heiserca]

You are correct that those names with a middle “c” are found in parts of England.  But the Clazie spelling - with “z” - is unique: found in France, the Netherlands, Berwickshire, Berwick-upon-Tweed, nowhere else until the 19th century.  “Z” is the consistency, although my ancestors had limited literacy and occasionally changed it to “s”.

[Mike in Cumbria]

You are correct that those names with a middle “c” are found in parts of England.  But the Clazie spelling - with “z” - is unique: found in France, the Netherlands, Berwickshire, Berwick-upon-Tweed, nowhere else until the 19th century.  “Z” is the consistency, although my ancestors had limited literacy and occasionally changed it to “s”.

Given that the Clasie, Clacie, Clacey etc  group of names is widely distributed, then I think you're probably looking for something that doesn't exist when searching for a historical reason for Clazies being located in the three places you mention.

[heiserca]

Well, that is exactly the question: when the Clazie name appears in France, Scotland and the Netherlands, all within the space of 70 years between 1656-1723 - with identical spelling - are the three instances connected?  Or is it just a bizarre coincidence?  We can speculate but looking for some evidence.

[Mike in Cumbria]

Well, that is exactly the question: when the Clazie name appears in France, Scotland and the Netherlands, all within the space of 70 years between 1656-1723 - with identical spelling - are the three instances connected?  Or is it just a bizarre coincidence?  We can speculate but looking for some evidence.

I can't see what's bizarre about it. It seems a very normal and typical spelling change.  The fact that you see it being recorded as "Clazie", rather than Clacy, Clase, Claisey etc in three different places just seems like chance rather than anything significant.

[richarde1979]

Yes I'd tend to agree, as far as evidence goes there doesn't seem to be any that would link the three instances. At that time period the obvious thought would be Huguenot refugees IF there was a link, but that doesn't seem the case at all. I would personally be more inclined to think it is just a coincidence, and actually not all that bizarre, as Mike in Cumbria says the substitution of 'z' for 's' was a common spelling variation particularly amongst western European languages, so it would perhaps be more suprising not to see it occur independantly if the surname is widely spread.