This interesting surname, with the modern variants Dodgson and Dodgshun, is a patronymic form of Dodge, itself having two possible origins. The first being from the medieval personal name "Dogge" a pet form of "Roger", which in turn comes from the Anglo-Saxon name "Hrothgar", which is composed of the elements "hroth" meaning fame plus "gar" a spear. The personal name "Doge" appears in the 1196, Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. The second possible origin derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "docga" and "dogga" meaning dog and would have originated as a nickname for someone loyal and faithful. One, Robert Dogge, is noted in the Curia Rolls of Gloucestershire (1206). The patronymic form first appears in the early half of the 14th Century, (see below). One Robert Dogesson, is registered as a Freeman of York (1385). In the modern idiom the surname has many variant spellings including Dodson, Dodgshon, Dodgshun, Dudson, etc.. On November 5th 1750, Hannah Dodgson married John Stiff at Allhallows London Wall, and the marriage of Elizabeth Dodgson and John Price, took place on November 27th 1750, at St. George Mayfair, Westminster, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry Doggeson, which was dated 1332, in the "Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire", during the reign of King Edward 111, known as "The Father of the Navy", 1327 - 1377. 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.

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