The word "thrave"or "threave", chiefly found in Scotland and northern England, is of Olde English pre 7th Century origin, itself coming from the Old Scandinavian "thrave" or "trafve" meaning "two stooks of corn (or pulse) generally containing twelve sheaves each". The name Thrave is therefore, occupational in origin and was originally given to one who went from farm to farm to make these thraves. The final "s" on the name indicates the patronymic and is a reduced form of "son of". The patronymic forms are Threves, Threaves and Thraves. On April 17th 1831, one John Thraves married a Sarah Ann Page in Finchley, London, and on June 8th 1860, Alice Jane Thraves was christened at Hinderwell Yorkshire. It is interesting to note that a now ruined castle called Threave Castle once stood on an island in the river Dee, Kirkcudbrightshire. This castle was built near the close of the 14th Century, and Threave House is now situated near to the ruin. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Threves, son of Armstrong and Margaret, which was dated March 1st 1678, christened at Benwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, during the reign of King Charles 11, known as "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685. 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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