This medieval name is job descriptive, either for a maker of head chains or ropes (tethers) or a metonymic for a jailer or warder. It is also possible that it was job descriptive for a stablehand, one responsible for tethering and feeding the horses. "tether" derives from the French "tete" meaning "head", a word introduced by the Normans after the 1066 Invasion. Variations of the name include Tather, Tother, Tet(t)her, Tither and Tuther, and the name recordings (as Tether) include the following examples; Alys Tetther, christened on November 14th 1585, at the church of St. Andrew's Undershaft, London, whilst Edward Teather married Alys Bayle, at Christchurch, on October 11th 1583. It is recorded in Solihul, Warwickshire on February 7th 1608, when Benjamin Tether was christened, he was the son of one Richardi Tether. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Christyn Tether, which was dated February 1st 1560, who was marriage to Henry Gren, at St. Stephans Church, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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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