Middle English skirwhit(e) is apparently an alteration by popular etymology of Old French eschervis, a variant of Old French carvi ‘carraway’, a species  of water parsnip formerly much cultivated in Europe for its esculent tubers    which were used for sauce or physic, cf. Skyrwyt, herbe or rote, c1440. {Promptorium Parvulorum}
Metonymic for a grower of parsnips.

Skirwith as a Cumberland place-name is discussed by Gelling  who suggests that it may be a hybrid containing an Old English first element (related to ‘shire’) plus the Old Norse second element ‘vithr’ (meaning ‘wood’).
{Margaret Gelling. Place-Names in the Landscape. Dent 1984/1993 (p.222 and 229)}

Both linguistically and geographically, ‘Sk’ (i) and ‘Sk’ (ii) may therefore be miles apart: the former of Old English + Old Norse origin (suggesting a more northern location in England), the latter wholly of Old French origin (suggesting a more southern location, where Norman influence was strongest).  If both (i) and (ii) survived, we can therefore expect ‘Sk’ names today to have at least two discrete origins.  (The toponymic variant seems likely to have produced more surnames than the rather specialised occupational one, but whether such a hunch is borne out by today’s distribution of ‘Sk’ vs. ‘Sc’ forms is unclear: it appears to be the case that ‘Sk’ forms both now and during the 19th century are more likely to occur in the north than the south of England (investigation of the data needed!).

‘Sk’ versus ‘Sc’

I have no proof that the origin(s) of ‘Sc’ names is (are) different from those beginning with ‘Sk’, i.e. the two forms may in at least some cases be variants of the same surname: there is, for example, much evidence of spellings in parish registers and census returns switching from ‘Sk’ to ‘Sc’ and vice versa for the same person.  However, this also does not preclude the possibility of further discrete etymologies for ‘Sk’ and/or for ‘Sc’ names — the predictable process of coalescence over time simply makes the problem of pinpointing etymologies that much more difficult.

Scarriott

In the Oxfordshire (mostly Charlbury) parish registers, my own 19th century Scarrott forebears were generally spelt Scarriott, and their lines certainly ramified.  However, although the Charlbury Scarriotts multiplied, the -iott spelling seems to have died out:  the last Scarriot(t) occurrences recorded at the General Register Office (records began in 1837) are a male birth in 1902 and a female death in 1915.

Although, across England, the -iott form is much less common than -ott or -att or -ett in the parish registers (as evidenced by IGI data), there are occurrences of -iott over a sufficiently wide area to suggest that -iott may once have constituted a discrete form.  Furthermore, -iatt is apparently absent, i.e. the lack of an -att vs. -iatt ‘contrastive pair’ suggests that with -iott vs. -ott a distinction was perhaps deliberately being made to indicate two distinct names.

Marriott

There are other names ending in -iott or -yott, of which Marriott and variants (Merriott etc., leading to e.g. Merritt) are the most common.  One of the most likely origins  for ‘Marriott’ is apparently ‘Mary’ + a diminutive ending, ‘-iot’ (Reaney p.299)).  Could we therefore, on the same pattern, be looking for a first element + diminutive ending as a possible origin of Scarriott? Certainly, the name Scarr occurs, though, unlike Mary, not (as far as I have been able to ascertain) as a forename.  (Reaneyp.412)   has Sker, Skerr going back to Old Norse skarr ‘bright’, but for our purposes perhaps a bisyllabic form such as ‘Scar(r)ey (whether as forename or surname) + diminutive’ would be needed to match the ‘Mary + diminutive’ structure.

If we knew that Scarriott spellings were documented sufficiently far back, it might be considering whether such a surname in some lines originated as a nickname. There is apparently evidence, incidentally, of many surnames of hypocoristic origin having once had negative connotations.

Iscariot

It has been suggested that there may be a link between the names Scarriott and Iscariot, as in Judas Iscariot.  Given that my early nineteenth century Scarriotts were illiterate and that the parish priests or clerks (who would be very at home with the name Iscariot) would have determined the spelling used in the parish register, there is a chance that they inserted, by analogy, an ostensibly missing ‘i’.

The etymology of Iscariot itself is not certain but may well be ‘man of Kerioth’, (Klaus Koch et al.: Bibellexikon, Reclaim 1987) , the name of two places in the Holy Land, one in Moab, the other in Edom, the latter as in Joshua 15, 25: “And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth and Hezron, which is Hazor”.  That the name Scarriott should have a direct etymological link with the place-name Kerioth is hardly conceivable. (Ironically, given the above citation, a Scarrott called Hazor — which name I had assumed to be a spelling mistake — appears in the parish register for Thame on 12 Jun 1913 as godparent to Sylvia Rose Scarrott, daughter of Jason and Fanny!  Perhaps Hazor is the same person as Azar (GRO: Azer), baptised in Stow-on-the-Wold to Esau and Anni on 30 Mar 1880.)

Huguenot connection?

In 1998 I was in touch with someone called Schariot, a German speaker whose family was from Berlin. He was not sure of the origin of his surname but thought there might be a Huguenot link. Perhaps ‘Schariot’, since the first three letters are  pronounced SH, not SK, at least in modern German, links in with ‘Sharrat’ and ‘Sarrat’ and similar forms.

Basque connection?

John Scarrott, who at the time was Western Australia representative in the Romani Association of Australia, once told me he was sure that the etymology of his surname was explained by the extracts quoted below from Francis Hindes Groome: Gypsy Folk Tales, 1899. John Scarrott wrote: “I found a book by George Borrow [where it] was stated that ‘They usually come this way, the Kay Scarrotts’. I wondered then — who are these Kay Scarrots? I found out in the end that they were the tribe. The Kay really meant Kalderie or Kalderash! It was a family that moved right round from Roumania through Europe and down into Africa. They were prospectors. They get the sheepskins and let the gold collect in that way. They come back through Spain... They went over the mountains into France and back into England. Each journey took about eight years... Caldarari means potmenders, Kaldrash copper smith..”

From introduction to Gypsy Folk-Tales:Francis Hindes Groome, 1899

“...Ciboure, a suburb of St. Jean de Luz, is a sort of Basque Yetholm. Like Yetholm it has largely lost its Gypsy character. Its ‘Cascarrotac’ are supposed to be the descendants of Gypsies who came from Spain two centuries ago but they are now mixed up with the Basques of the neighbourhood, and have lost the last remnants of Romani, though at the beginning of the century they retained a few words... But Ciboure is still a regular halting-place of Hungarian Gypsies, as appears from this passage in a very valuable article on ‘The Cascarrots of Ciboure,’ by the Rev. Wentworth Webster (Gypsy Lore Journal, October 1888, pp. 76-84)... “... Ciboure at present has little or nothing to draw foreign Gypsies to it; but a hundred, two hundred years ago, it was probably a genuine Gypsy quarter: then there would be every reason why Caldarari should make it a regular halting-place. This conjecture, if valid, suggests the antiquity of these strange peregrinations; and Gypsies assuredly are the very staunchest conservatives. Another guess is that at Ascain Gypsies very likely are buried; that would fully account for their descendants turning aside thus...”
   M. Paul Bataillard was for years collecting materials about the Caldarari, but he died without publishing his promised monograph on the subject, so we must content ourselves with these stray notes from his writings:— ‘The Gypsy Caldarari (as they are called in the districts of Roumania where they are accustomed to journey) have recommenced in our own days, throughout the whole of the west, circuits which have led them sometimes as far as England, as far as Norway, and sometimes, by way of France and Spain, as far as Corsica and Algeria. France was during a certain time “infested” by them, to quote the newspapers of the day, whilst I was rejoicing in the good luck which had thrown them in my way... These exotic Gypsy blacksmiths generally return to the country whence they came... They travel sometimes in rather large numbers in waggons which have no resemblance to the houses upon wheels of our Gypsies; and wherever they stop they set up large tents, where each waggon finds its place. The men have generally long hair, and clothes more or less foreign, often ornamented with very large silver buttons; and the chiefs carry a large stick with a silver head. It is easy to recognize them at a glance by these signs, and by their trade... The journeys of these Gypsy blacksmiths had already been noticed in Germany and Italy long before 1866...’

From: The Gypsies, Jean-Paul Clébert, 1963 (translation of Les Tsiganes, 1961):

Cascarrot...may be a corruption of caraco. However, in the dictionaries of nineteenth-century argot one finds: cascaret (miserable) and cascara (skin, peel). The connexion is not impossible. In any case the Cascarrotes are attested in an interesting way in the Basque Country: “...between Bayonne and Saint-Jena-de-Luz one sometimes meets a troupe of young women going at a running pace and carrying baskets on their heads; they wear a silk kerchief round their heads, their necks are bare or have only a flowing neck-tie; compact of figure, they wear a red skirt raised the length of two hands, and their legs are bare; their eyes are black and their skin is bronzed. Who are they? Are these the daughters of some ancient or wandering race, Bohemians, Saracens or Moorish?” [Le Magasin Pittoresque, 1861] The author cannot give the answer. But the name itself leaves no doubt: it must refer to the Gitanes (and not to Gypsies in the sense of our differentiation, for these would not be bare-legged).”

We need always to bear in mind (a) that surnames coalesce, i.e. some with originally different spellings and origins come to be written identically over time, and (b) that for most surnames a ‘multi-origin’ explanation is more likely than a ‘single origin’ one. Presumably not all Scarrotts were Gypsies or travellers, so even if the Basque source is valid for one group, other sources are needed for other groups. Another source would presumably be Huscared/Scared etc., which may have travelled from England to Ireland in the reign of Henry II (where it became the name of one of the ‘Tribes of Galway’  — see below), and later been carried back to England — a name attested well before the first documented citing of Gypsies in the British Isles.

Irish connection?

The following was found at: http://www.wombat.ie/galwayguide/history/hardiman/

The origin and signification of the name of Galway. Opinions of Camden--Ware--Lynch--O'Flaherty, De Burgo and Vallancey--The name derived from commerce--Security of the harbour--Supposed origin of the bay--Derivation of its name--Inhabitants of the town before Henry II.--Subsequent colonies, viz. Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyce, Kiru)an, Lynch, Martin, Morriss and Skerrett--Affiliated families--Former manners and character--Former state and topography--Speed--Heylyn--Sir Oliver St. John-- Ancient Map and Ichnography--References--Concluding observations [.....]

The new colonies, here alluded to, consisted of several families, whose descendants, are known to this day, under the general appellation of the "tribes of Galway," an expression, first invented by Cromwell's forces, as a term of reproach against the natives of the town, for their singular friendship and attachment to each other during the time of their unparalleled troubles and persecutions, but which, the latter afterwards adopted, as an honorable mark of distinction between themselves and those cruel oppressors. These families were thirteen,[[21]] in number, viz. Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyes, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett. They did not settle in the town at one time, or on the same occasion, as is generally supposed; but came hither, at different periods, and under various circumstances, as may appear from the following concise account of each of the families composing this peculiar community, which has been compiled from the most authentic documents [.....]

Skerrett

This old and respectable family is of considerable antiquity in Galway, the name was originally Huscared; and they derive their origin from a noble English family, one of whom, Roger Huscared, is mentioned by Dugdale, as a judge, at a very early period. Robert Huscared, or Scared, held lands in Connaught, under Richard de Burgo, in 1242. In the registry of the monastery of Athenry, Walter Huscared and Johanna his wife are mentioned amongst the principal benefactors of that foundation, and Richard Scared or Skeret, who is supposed to have been their son, was Provost of Galway in 1378. To him belonged the estate of Ardfry, in Mearuidhe, and other lands about Clare-yn-dowl, now Clare Galway to the friars minors; of which convent he bestowed a piece of ground, on which part of their monastery was built. Some of these lands are held by his descendants to this day. The principal branches of this name, at present, are those of Ballinduff,[[12]] Carnacrow, Drumgriflin and Nutgrove in the County of Calway and Finvarra and Funchien in the County of Clare.

Arms. Vert, a chevron, or, between two squirrels, counter sejant, in chief, and one in base, proper. Crest. A squirrel, sejant, proper.[[13]] Motto. Primus ultimusque in acie.

From the foregoing brief notices of the descent and origin of the principal families of Galway, the reader may be enabled to form an adequate idea of their rank and antiquity; but another and perhaps more important feature in their character yet remains to be developed. From the earliest period, they were celebrated for commerce, and for many centuries were classed amongst the most considerable merchants of Europe. Their wealth was consequently great, and the ample landed properties, which they gradually acquired by purchase, from the native Irish, throughout the Province of Connaught, are now enjoyed by their numerous and opulent posterity. During the earlier periods of their career, they carefully avoided all connexion with their surrounding neighbours;[[14]] in consequence of which, added to the circumstance of the town being so remotely situated from the civilised parts of the kingdom, the inhabitants were necessarily obliged to intermarry amongst themselves, and in progress of time, their degrees of kindred so much increased that they became, as it were, one family, and in many instances, it was a difficult matter to effect a marriage amongst them, without an ecclesiastical dispensation, a circumstance, which in some cases, is still known to occur. As civilization, however, increased throughout the country, when the channels of communication were gradually opened, and intercourse became more general, and was less attended with danger, the natives of Galway extended their connexions, and their names now appear inrolled in some of the most respectable pedigrees of Ireland, amongst whom may be ranked the noble houses of O'Neil, Ormond and Clanricarde, with many others of considerable rank, property and influence in the kingdom [.....]

The above courtesy of Glyn Hatherall

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SKERRETT

The Skerretts of ballinduff, Co. Galway, and Finvara, Co. Clare, have now died out in the male line--the last representative being Rev. Hyacinth Heffernan Skerrett, a priest.  They were extensive landowners in both those counties eighty years ago.  Some junior lines survive elsewhere, but the name is now very rare.  It is included here because the family was one of the "Tribes of Galway".  Of English origin it appears under the guise of Huscared, and subsequently Scared, as early as 1242, when they held lands in Connacht under Richard de Burgo.  In 1378 we find the name as Scared, alias Scaret : in that year one of them was provost of Galway ; by 1414, when another of the name held that office, it had become Skeret.  After that it occurs intermittently in the lists of mayors and sheriffs up to 1642, and they were listed as Irish Papists in the return made under the Act of Settlement of proprietors in 1640.  Twelve years after that date, two Skerretts were among those townsmen who refused to sign the articles of capitulation at the end of the siege of Galway.  Two of the "tribe" were Archbishops of Team : Nicholas Skerrett, who was expelled from the see in 1583, and Mark Skerrett, who held it from 1756 to 1775.
 

"The Landed Gentry".   Burke 1899

                           SKERRETT OF FINAVAFA.

        REV. Hyacinth Hefferman Skerrett, of Finavara, Co. Clare, in Holy Orders of the Church of Rome, b. 2 NOV. 1845.

        Lineage.-This family was originally settled in Galway and formed one of the thirteen tribes of that ancient town. It is stated that the name was formerly Huscared, and that Robert Huscared, of Scared, held lands in Connaught under
        Richard de Burgo in 1242. In 1378, Richard Scared alias  Skerritt, was Provost of  Galway, and in 1421 John Skerrett was Mayor. The representative of this long  descended line, Hyacinth Skerrett, of Finavara, m. 20July, 1763, Mary, dau. of George Byrne, of Cabinteely, co Dublin, by Clare his wife, sister of Robert , earl Nugent, and left a son and successor, Major William Skerrett, of Finavara, m. 12 Oct. 1803, Mary, dau. of John Roche, of Limerick, and by her (who d. 1821) he left at his decease, Aug. 1818, with three daus. (Margaret, m. Thomas Comyn, of Holliwell, co.Clare (see Comyn of Woodstock and Kilcorney), Clarinda, m. George Comyn, of Holliwell, brother of Thomas, afore-mentioned; Mary Ann, m.   Valentine French, of Prospect Hill, co. Galway), one son,

             William Joseph Skerrettof Finavara, J.P. and D.L.,High Sheriff 1843, b. 2 Feb 1819; m. 26 Feb 1840, Anna, dau. of John MacMahon, J.P., of  Firgrove, and d.1 Sept 1874, leaving issue,
 

1	William, his heir.
2	John, heir to his brother.
3	Hyacinth Hefferman (Rev), now of Finavara.
>4	Alfred Thomas, dec
5	Philip, b. 3 Nov, 1850; dec
6	Charles Percival, B.A. Trin. Coll. Dublin, b. 30 Aug. 1852; m. 1884, Ada Mildred, youngest dau. of John  Hansen  Sperling, of Catton House,  co. Norfolk, and d. leaving one son and two daughters./td>
7	Valentine Joseph, twins b. 9 Dec 1854.
8	Robert David
9	Frederick, Surg,-Capt. A M S., F R C.S.I., b 16 Oct.1858; m. 31 Aug  1897, Rose Edith, elder dau, of F.F. Kelly, D.L.M.,      Vicar of  Camberwell
10	Patrick de Basterot, Surge.-Capt. A.M.S., b. 20 Aug. 1861.
1	Helena, m. July 1864 Stephen Cowan, of Gornamona, Co Galway, J.P., late Capt Galway Militia.
2	Mary, a nun.
3	Matilda, m. George Douglas Williams of London.
4	Elizabeth, m. Licut G H Yonge, R N.

         The eldest son,

            William Skerrett of Finavara, J P., Capt. 36th Regt, b. 11 Feb. 1842; m. 4 June 1877, Helena, dau. of John Reilly, of Dublin, and dying 10 June, 1878, was s. by his brother,

            John Patrick Skerrett, of Finavara, J.P., b. 30 Aug. 1844; d. unm. 1881, and was s. by his brother, esv. Hyacinth Hefferman Skerrett now of  Finavara.

             Seat-Finavara, Burrin, Co. Clare.
 
 

No records exist for Galway prior to the date of the Anglo-Norman invasion. Athy is one of the earliest recorded names. Tribes of Galway an expression, first invented by Cromwell's forces, as a term of reproach against the natives of the town of Galway. This expression of the close bond of friendship and relationship between the chief families was adopted as a mark of distinction. These families were fourteen in number, i.e. Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Deane, D'Arcy, Ffont (or De Fuente), french,Joyes (or Joyce), Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett.

Source: http://www.wombat.ie/galwayguide/archive.cgi/history/hardiman/c1.html
& Maclysaght's book of Irish Family Names.

                 Did the Tribes of Galway speak Irish? The  Old English colony and the 'mere Irish'

                   James Hardiman, the historian of Galway, gave this account of the Tribes of Galway in about the year   1820:

                   "From the earliest period, they were celebrated for commerce, and for many centuries were classed   amongst the most considerable merchants of Europe. Their wealth was consequently great, and the ample landed properties, which they gradually acquired by purchase, from the native Irish, throughout the Province of Connaught, are now enjoyed by their numerous and opulent posterity. During the earlier periods of their career, they carefully avoided all connexion with their surrounding neighbours;  in consequence of which, added to the circumstance of the town being so remotely situated from the more civilized parts of the kingdom, the inhabitants were necessarily obliged to intermarry amongst themselves, and in progress of time, their degrees of kindred so increased that they became, as it were, one family, and in many instances, it was a difficult matter to effect a marriage amongst them,  without an ecclesiastical dispensation".

                  Hardiman's narrative, however, requires both comment and qualification. It is true that intermarriage was very frequent, but the reasons behind it had as much to do with retaining property within the confines of the main families as it did with distance from 'civilization'.

                   Furthermore, marriages were made, from an early date, with the native Irish. For example, in  Corporation Book A , a note appears in the minutes of the council in 1500 that at
"the request made by Andraue Ffallon, on the behalf of his doughter, Julian Fallon, who is married to Donill Oge Ovolloghan of this same town, goldsmith, and for the better relieffe of the said Androwe  Ffallon, who is old and impotente, it is condescendid and agreid by us, the said Mayor and Bailyvvis and combrethern of Galwy, aforsaid, that the said Donill Ovolloghan shalbe acceptid, taken and receivd in to our ffredoms, and lik as and acordingly oure previledges and chartors, had and obtaynid of suffraynis Kinges of ancient (times). And by vertu therof we, the said Mayor and Bayleffes, with oure combrethern, have gyvin and grauntid unto the said Donyll ffredome and ffre liberties in as ampull  and lardg manner as we grauntid to anny other ffreman made by us and by thes presents we do gyve  and graunt to the said Donyll his ffredome and ffredom and ffre liberties as well within this town, as  also within and without the fraunchies and ffre liberties of the same".
                   The distance Hardiman states the Tribes maintained from the native Irish was never as complete as his statement would imply. Although the creation of the Wardenship was a deliberate move to separate the ecclesiastical control of Galway from the Irish-staffed archdiocese of Tuam, in many other areas of  life, the ruling families of the town mingled closely with their Irish neighbours and fellow townsfolk. In fact, as Seamus O Cathain pointed out in his excellent article Galway - 'An ancient colony of  English' (Studies, 1940),  "In spite of all the laws (discriminating against the non-English residents), the life of the town was too closely linked with the countryside, too dependent on it, to escape its influence. Not only did the town depend for its essential foods on traffic with the country, its trade was mainly a matter of exporting country produce - wool, hides, corn, and wood formed the bulk of the export trade - or of collecting that produce and preparing in the Galway workshops for export. As  trade relations of this kind developed, we may be sure that the merchants saw to it that a good deal of this produce was paid for, not with money but with the commodities they were importing in ever increasing quantities - wine mainly, but iron also and salt, and...there was a very lively if underground trade in guns and other munitions".

                   O Cathain points to an even more significant body of evidence strongly suggesting that the Tribes and their native Irish neighbours mixed more regularly than Hardiman implies - the use of the Irish language  in the town.

                   Although he observes that "Irish was never officially recognised" and "that the proceedings of the Corporation were conducted in English", from the general necessity of communicating with the tradesmen and 'unfree' townsmen, the Tribe families "probably knew at least enough Irish to carry on trade negotiations in that language."

                   However, he argues that a strong case can be made for claiming that Irish was used more commonly and more naturally by the Tribe families than simply for business purposes. For example, there is the famous Ordinance of Henry VIII "enjoining the people of Galway to learn to speak English", which, taken together with the statement of historian John Lynch, in his Alithinologia (c. mid-17th century), "that the settlers differed in no way from the 'meer antient Irish' ", and "that they were as Irish as the old inhabitants, whose customs and language they adopted", certainly supports the contention that the  Tribes used Irish in the course of daily life.   O Cathain also draws attention to the fact - curious if Irish was not commonly spoken - "that many  members of the great town families adopted Irish soubriquets such as Duff, Oge and Roe.. Many of them, too, used an Irish form of their names", and he concludes that this "is a very different matter from  the use of occasional Irish words in the Corporation records". To the objection that these Irish  soubriquets were "bestowed on them by the lower, Irish-speaking classes", he replies, "even if such  were the case, why did they adopt them and use them in official business?"

                 On the same lines, he notes the frequent Irish place-names found on the famous mid-17th century map, allegedly drawn for the Duke of Lorraine c.1650, such as "The lyon's tower, called Tor an Leoin"; one of the city gates "called in Sparra hier"; "Earl Street, or Sraid an Iarlagh"; "St. Mary's hill,  called Cnucka in Tampeill Mirca"; "The whirlpool river, with the whirlpool, called Poultuofil", and "The salt lake, called Lough-an-Stale".

                   "Admittedly", O Cathain notes," all these might have been simply the names given by the Irish-speaking classes, but why did the Corporation adopt them? Not for the Prince surely? What interest would a foreign prince have in such outlandish names. Could it not be argued that the members of the Corporation felt that the Irish names were the real names, the names in daily use, and that as such they should be included in the map?"

                   Finally, in a note, O Cathain raises the perhaps obvious but generally neglected question, when did the  Tribes learn to speak and write English?
                   When they arrived in Connacht, they would have spoken Norman - French, and during the chaos of  the 14th and early 15th centuries, Galway was virtually cut off from English influence. It is in this connection that Henry VIII's insistence that the people of Galway learn English finds its proper  context.
                   "For the furtherance of your weal, profit, and commodity, and the extirpation of all abuses, we  command you to observe the devices ensuing perpetually....
                   "That the inhabitants endeavour to speak English and use themselves after the English fashion, and  specially that you do put forth your children to school to learn to speak English."
                   The clear implication of this command is that the Old English inhabitants of Galway were not endeavouring to speak English, nor were they much troubled to "use themselves after the English  fashion". Furthermore, that the citizens were not over concerned with their children learning "to speak   English". Even if the king was not altogether accurately informed about the condition of the English language in the town, it does not make sense to command something to be done unless it is, in fact, not  being done.

                   Thus, so far from the English language being the lingua franca of the town of Galway in 1536, the evidence suggests that it was primarily used for official purposes, such as the records of the corporation and council meetings. We may imagine the Tribe families speaking a polyglot form of  Norman-French - a kind of 'franglais' - with a certain proportion of 14th and 15th century English.  Latin, we know, was also used for many official and ecclesiastical matters. Finally, there can be no doubt that the merchants of Galway spoke and probably wrote enough Irish to conduct their daily  affairs and business dealings with the 'mere' Irish among whom they lived, traded, worshipped and, increasingly as time went on, married.

                          The Galway Advertiser, 2/3 Church Lane, Galway.
                                Tel. +353-91-567077 Fax. +353-91-567079
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SURNAMES OF COUNTY GALWAY
                                 by T.P. O'Neill

                                 The founding families of Galway City were the mainly Norman followers of the de Burgos in the invasion of Connacht in the early thirteenth  century. These settlers established themselves as merchants and, as  the trade of the area grew, other families joined them - some of them also of Norman origin who had initially settled in other areas within County Galway.

                                 With the passage of time they sought to cast aside the suzerainty of the de Burgos whom they saw as allying themselves with the native Irish and adopting Irish customs. The walls of Galway were fortifications  against military assault and a protection against Irish ways around an English enclave. The year 1484 was one of great achievement for these families because then they gained, in church and state affairs, a degree of independence which was unique.

                                 The vicissitudes of Elizabethan, Cromwellian and Williamite Wars did  not weaken the will of those families to retain rights which originated in a fifteenth century charter or papal bull. It was in response to the Cromwellians that the former ruling families of Galway adopted the description 'Tribes'. On an elaborate seventeenth century map of the city the title was taken proudly, comparing the fourteen tribes of Galway with the seven tribes of ancient Rome. The families had already, in their pride and often without heraldic authority, adopted coats of arms which were ostentatiously blazoned on their stone houses.

                                 Since then it has been accepted generally that there were, in all, twice  as many tribes in Galway as there were in ancient Rome and the  names of those Tribes of Galway were laid down by the man who, in the reign of Charles II, had that map engraved, Rev. Henry Joyce, himself a member of one of the Tribes. Those Tribal families held  tenaciously to their privileges and even as the nineteenth century opened they asserted their right to elect the Catholic clergy of the city of Galway. The creation of the diocese of Galway in 1831 in effect  extinguished this last power of the Tribes of Galway.

                                 The Galway area, from early historical times, was divided into regions or kingdoms in which power rested with certain families. To the east of the county was the Ui Maine territory which was bounded on the south by Slieve Aughty on the Clare burrens and on the east by the Síol Anmchadha, descendants of Anmchadha, of which Ó hUallacháin and  later O'Maddens were chieftains. In part of this Ui Maine area the O'Neachtain, otherwise Naughton, sept were the rulers. To the  south-west in the territory of Uí Fiachrach Aidhne which coincided with the present diocese of Kilmacduagh, the O'Clearv family ruled in early historic times but were later scattered after the Norman invasion. Their power passed to the O'Heynes. Nearby were the O'Shaughnessy and O'Cahill petty kingdoms.

                                 The Norman families who accompanied the de Burgos included not only the Galway Tribes but also the Berminghams who later took the title Lord Athenry. Many of the de Burgo descendants were to take names other than that of Burke which most adopted. For example the  Jennings family is really a branch of the de Burgos. The form Jennings comes from the Irish Mac Seóinín, or son of John. They are descended from a John Burke. The Mac Redmonds are descended from Redmond Burke but most of them have dropped the Mac. It is sometimes thought that the Galway name MacHugo is a variant of MacHugh. It is, in fact, a separate family descended from Hugo Burke just as MacDavie  indicates an ancestor named David Burke.

                             The sale of Encumbered Estates after 1849 brought some new names such as Berridge into the area but they did not set deep roots. The  older names have survived and are still strong in the territories of their ancestors. More detailed notes on a selection of the non-tribes of Galway follows.

       This article is reproduced from of Irish Roots Magazine in which it was published in Issue 1, 1994.

       In 1984 Galway celebrated its quincentennial - five hundred years of history (1484-1984). The event started a fashion. Since then we've had  the Cork 800 the Limerick 300 and the Dublin Millenium. The original idea was the brain-child of Professor T. P. O'Neill of University College Galway. For the occasion he wrote a booklet entitled The Tribes and other Galway Families.

WATCHMAKERS
 

I have culled from various sources a list of the watchmakers in the Skarratt family.

Many of the books on this subject of clock & watchmakers, do not research the backgrounds of these people and therefore give a misleading picture of the actual numbers involved. I have tried to sort the facts given into a more accurate list, with my knowledge of the Skarratts in particular.

references:-
   Brian Loomes Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World. Volo.2
>   G.H.Baillie, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World 2nd edition
nbsp;  Cecil Clutton, G.H.B. Btitten's Old Clocks and watches and their makers, 9th Edition.
   Iorweth Peale, Clock and Watch Makers in Wales
   Brittons Old clocks & Watches & their makers
 

(CC)  Belonged to Clockmakers Company
F       Freedom of the Company (i.e. Thomas Skarratt 4 Nov 1782)
JS     Jane Saxby 1762-1777, St John St,Clerkenwell, London
TB    Thomas Banfield, St John St, Clerkenwell, London
Clu  Cecil Clutton records

KAY'S of Worcester by Skarratts!

I have been  informed that Kay's of Worcester bought out a Skarratt clockmaker, at one time they had a heading "late of Skarratt" on their notepaper. Their early catalogues still had the name J.M.Skarratt on the title page. Kilburn Kay the founder of the Kay's mail order company, initially Kay worked for Skarratt's. He is noted in the 1881 census as a "jeweler's assistant" living over the shop at 3 Broad St. It would appear that by 1891, Kay had either bought out Skarratt or John Martin Skarratt had retired, he would be aged 57.  Watches exist with the name "Kay, Jones & Co., Worcester" from the 1880's, so was Kay in direct competition, if it was Kilburn Kay.
In the Kay's early catalogues there are clocks and watches with Kays name on that are identical those made by Skarratt, even to the marquetry on wall clocks.
Skarratt made station clocks for the G.W.R. and it is suggested that Kay's bought Skarratt out to get the lucrative contract with the G.W.R.

The Skarratt family moved from London about 1780 to Kington in Herefordshire. Carleton was a clockmaker in London, apprenticed according to Clockmakers' company in 1776.  Because his brother Thomas was also apprenticed to Jane Saxby in St John St, London, he my have been apprenticed to her as well. Thomas b.1757 in London, was apprenticed in 16/3/1772 and completed it in 4/11/1782.  He was in business in Kington in 1788 - 1796.

His brother John b,. 1760, went to Worcester in 1792, after being apprenticed to Thomas Banfield, St John St, London. Unfortunately the brother he joined in Worcester, Charles Carleton, b.1761, went bankrupt in the same year.  John later had a business in Goose Lane, Worcester in 1794.

Carleton had one son and three daughters. His son Thomas Carleton, 1776 - 1838 was born in London. He continued the trade of clockmaker in Kington. He is listed in Pigots in 1830 as a clockmaker.  Although Thomas had a large family of 10 children, only Henry Carleton, 1809 - 1888, followed him into clockmaking trade.  He worked in Hay-on-Wye in 1835 , the shop is still a jewellers. He returned to Kington, probably when his father died and joined his mother at 45 High St in the business.. It was Henry who had a "gas" clock in the window of his shop. The dial was lit by a gas jet at night so people could see the time! It died down during the day and turned up at night. At present the clock is in  the Kington museum, but, I have seen it and describe it more in the Kington pages.
 

Other notes
Peplows of Worcester, history.
William (Peplow) junior was succeeded by his son, William, who was born in 1864, and began learning the skill of watch-making from the age of 10. He became best-known by his middle name of  Henry and was sent to Worcester, in his youth, to  gain experience with the then well-known gold and silversmiths, JM Skarratt of Broad Street. It  was a firm nationally-known for making railway  clocks.
From this is Worcester News.

Locating watches.
Has anybody out there any Skarratt timepieces or knows the location of them? I would like to know about them please.  As Bernard Mills and I have no records of watch production we hope to gather info to form some kind of record, neither I or Bernard are experts on watches but are interested in them through the Skarratt and Kay connections.
I am glad to report that people are sending in info on pieces they have, so we may be able to list out some items soon.

One longcase recently on sale had the initials A.M. Skarratt, of Worcester on the face. I can find no trace of any A.M.Skarratt, and it is almost certainly J.M.Skarratt. Obviously the person who restored it was not familiar with the Skarratts, and it begs the question, 'How does it effect the price'?

Another watch I was informed off recently was a puzzle to me. It was engraved 'Skarratt & Co, Worcester, but made in Soluere. It appears this is an early example of badge engineering, the watch is Swiss made c1900 and marked in a similar way to Kay's marked up Skarratt watched etc.
 

ENGRAVER
See story on R.T. Skarratt

Here are questions raised by correspondents which you might be able to assist with.

Books that I have found associated in some way with the families.

Kington and its People by Kington History Society
Some other Records of the Skerrett family  by Philip Crossel, Galway 33-72, 1931-3
The Diaries of Thomas Carleton Skarratt (1818-1909),  Kington History Society.
Some Records of the Skerrett Family in Ireland by Philip Crossle, Galway, XV, 33-72, 1931-3
Irish Families: Their Names, Arms and Origins. by Edward Mac Lysaght.
Burkes General Armorial & Relative info of England, Ireland & Wales. 1874 3rd Edition.
Diaries of Elizabeth R. Hall, by B.C. Skarratt

I have used many sources to search out family members and continue to find new names and listings. I have concentrated on Skarratt, my family name, but have also added soundex names to a lesser degree for now. It might even be that my family name may have been be Scarratt or one of the other variations, this is always in the back of my mind when investigating new sources.

LDS
Many people start with the LDS, and quite rightly. Whatever you think of their doctrines and the listing inaccuracies might be, it is still an important source of info for all researchers. We sometimes despair at its odd entries, but we have all used it and thank the LDS for their immense work.

The only drawback and especially for me, is that certain parishes refused to give access to their records. Herefordshire for instance is very limited in its entries because of the refusals. In these case its parish record archives in local offices that are the next step.

PRO
The public record office has lists of Births, Marriages and Deaths, from 1837 to 1999.  Some libraries have these records on microfiche and they provide the full name, place of registration and year quarter of event. Later dates give age on death, maiden name of spouses.  Some of the early ones are very difficult to read, to the point of indecipherable, even with a magnifying glass!
Sometimes it is not clear which registration office is noted. For instance, Ashton is an office, bit their are several Ashton's around the country, and their is no indication on the record as to which it is. But, if you look at the rag No. i.e.6d 238. this can be referenced in the Register book which gives the location. Don't guess, 6d is used for Warwick, Preston, Ashton, Birmingham, so it could any one of the Ashtons..
 
 
 

1881 Census ..................................................................................................................................................... 
LONDON

Ref Alfred Skairatt:
I believe this to be my GGF (Maternal). His wife was Jane Palmer (from Naval records). The name is almost certainly Skarratt, I have never come across Skairatt before. My GF was born in 1881 & christened at St Pancras, and two more sisters, Sarah Ann and Rose were born later., christened at St Giles & St Pancras respectively.

SKARRATT, Robert Thomas, music engraver and composer,
54, Great Wild Street                                      c1796-1809;
10, King's Place,                      St. Pancras     c1809-1811;
9, Platt's Terrace,                     St. Pancras       18171818 ;
11, Terrace, Upper Street,       Islington           c1821-1828;
5, Eyre Street,                         Clerkenwell     c 1830;
18,ClothFair                                                   c 1836-38;
1,PearlCrescent,Lower Road,  Pentonville      c 1839.
Prob. active from c1791. Humphries and Smith.

Composer                    Title                                 Scoring    Publisher and   Plate      Date       Shelfmark
Skarratt, R. T..   Celebrated operas, 6 nos, No. 2   Vln          [London]                1858-60    GB-Lbl h.217.a.(3)
   & Mullen, A
Database, Great Britain: Instrumental Works Based on Don Giovanni. Not including complete work or extracts for piano and voice. Dates and Publishers’ plate numbers given according to library catalogues.

MORE WORKS by R T Skarratt

                    Fruits and Flowers, a divertimento. [P. F.]

                    Skarratt's Coronation March , for one, and two performers on the piano   forte

                    Fruits and Flowers ... A series of amusing and interesting pieces ... for the    pianiste.

                    Nelly Gray [by B. R. Hanby] ... arranged by R. T. Skarratt

                    The Hundred Pipers. Scotch Ballad, the poetry from the Lays of    Strathearne. The Symphonies & Accompaniments newly
                    arranged by R. T.   Skarratt

                    Mrs. Caudle's curtain lectures. [Song, begins: "All matrimonial men".]

                    Near Woodstock Town, and All [or rather Ah] the Sighs that come from my  Heart. The Piano Forte
                    Accompaniments by R. T. Skarratt (B. Williams'
                    Collection of old English Songs)

                    Ben Bolt. [Song. Composed by N. Kneass.] Arranged for the Piano Forte by
                    R. T. Skarratt

                    Pretty Flower, do not fade. Canzonet

                    Pretty Flower do not fade, etc.

                    "Sally in our Alley", a celebrated old English ballad ... with new symphonies
                    & accompaniments by R. T. Skarratt.

                    Select Sacred Melodies, consisting of a collection of ... Psalms & Hymns ...
                    with accompaniment for Pianoforte by R. T. Skarratt

                    There grew a young Flow'ret, canzonet, with an accompaniment for the  piano forte

                    Victoria regina vivat. Skarratt's coronation march, for one, and two   performers on the piano forte

                    Vocal Church Music ... A series of double chants, sanctus, responses,    glorias, &c. &c. with an
                    accompaniment for the organ  or   piano forte, by R.  T. Skarratt. no. 1

                    Celebrated operas ... arranged as a solo for the Violin by R. T. Skarratt and
                    A. Mullen. no. 1-6
 

Below is a story which would appear to involve the above R.T.Skarratt.

The story of Owen Jones Williams  from a contribution byClaire Rowland

With a view of supplying the deficiency of Psalmody in Wales, the following Christmas he took his manuscript (containing a treatise on the elements of singing in connection with upward of 260 Psalm and Hymn Tunes with Anthems,) and delivered it to a Mus. Doc. near Bangor-Ferry, in order for him to employ an Engraver in London to engrave the same, while the Author followed his employment in his native Country: the Dr. refused to enter into an agreement, nor would he consent to accept any remuneration, but said he would assist him with the greatest pleasure. The prospectus was circulated, announcing his Work would be ready for sale in June 1816.

March, 1816 the Dr. went to London ..., and took the Author's manuscript with him to Mr. Skarratt the Engraver, but when he understood that it was the first Work of the kind ever written in the Welsh Language, and consequently much more valuable than he at first imagined, he made an attempt to pass it on to the Public as his own Work, and claiming an equal share of its profit.

November, 1816, the Author went to London to expedite his Work, and paid Mr. Skarratt £18 on account of his Plates, and the remainder to be paid when finished; but the Dr. refused to deliver the Work to its Author, unless he was allowed his half of the profit of the whole Work, afterwards he offered to accept £100, which the Author resisted, and after vain efforts to deliver his Work to the Subscribers, he was forced to submit to the oppression, and deprived of all his laborious production.

In May 1818, the Dr. sent the Author a bill of £181 for his trouble, with a writ to arrest him for the payment of it; the cause was brought on at Guildhall, and referred to arbitration: Mr. Skarratt (who engraved the Work,) considers the law expenses and loss of sale of 2000 Copies would at the least amount to £700; to which must be added the 400 Copies which Mitchell kept, amounting in the whole to £1330; and to recover his losses, the Author has no resource but the sale of the present Work.

MORE on the above.

I have received info from Michael Kassler in Australia about this item.
It would seem that he was Richard Thomas Skarratt and his father Richard Skarratt. R.T. Skarratt was like his father a music engraver and succeeded his father in the business, he also composed music.  The father lived at 16 Charlotte Street, St Pancras, London. He wrote his will on 14th Feb 1805 and administration was granted on 28 March 1821. He was married in 1780 to Susanna Ann Davies.

Michael would like anyone with more info to let him know.
 
 

SOUNDEX   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------                            ------------

Although based on the Skarratt name I have found the following variations.  The reasons for the variations include misspellings, mispronunciations, accents misheard, illiteracy.
I do not suggest that Skerrett and Skarratt have a common source but propose the following analogy. Skerrett of Galway, like many Irish families, including my own in-laws, may have crossed to Liverpool by boat. Liverpool has always been a home form home for Irish people in England. The name is common in the neighbouring areas of Manchester and the Wirral, in Manchester the name Skarratt is also to be found in numbers second only to London Skarratts Could they have been originally Skerretts?.
 

APPENDIX
 

NOTES     ........................................................................................................................................................

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