This most interesting surname is one of the patronymic forms of the surname Parson, which is of Old French origin, from the Old French "persone", Middle English "persone, persoun", a priest, parson. This surname also contains the patronymic suffix "-son", son of. Parsizon and Parsonson are other variants of this surname. The name Parson is first recorded in 1197, when one William Persun appears in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk. The surname itself first appears in the mid 13th Century (see below), while John le Personesone is mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1312. Other early examples of the surname include Johannes Parsonson, recorded in the Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire 1379, and John Personson, who appears in the Pardons Roll of 1383. The Yorkshire Church Registers record the christening of Roger, son of Jasper Parsison, on April 18th 1686, at Doncaster, and the marriage of Elizabeth Parsisson to John Green on February 4th 1807, at Doncaster. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas (le Fiz) la Persone, which was dated 1250, in the "Feet of Fines of London", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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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