This is an interesting and unusual medieval English surname which is locational from a place so called in Northumberland. The derivation is from an Olde English pre 7th Century personal name 'Cysel(a)', a derivative of 'Cusa', with 'byrig', a fortified building. The earliest recording of this place name occurs in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Ceselingeberie' and 'Cifelingeberie', and in the Northumberland Pipe Rolls of 1167 and 1176 as 'Cheselingebiri', and 'Kiselingberia'. During the Middle Ages when it was becoming increasingly common for people to migrate from their birth place to seek work elsewhere, the custom developed where they would adopt the place name as a means of identification. One Charlotte Kislingbury married Isaac Bunning on 3rd January 1806 at St. Marylebone, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Edward Kislingberry, which was dated 27th November 1654, St. Thomas the Apostle, London. during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, 'The Great Protector', 1649 - 1658. 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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