I have generally adopted the spelling
TOULMIN now used by all known descendants
of those
in the catalogue, rather than trying to adapt the surname in headings to
the
individual variations shown in the notes.
Before about 1850, all names were of
course
liable to variations of this kind.
Surnames in Bolton-l-S register (before
1737) in particular are: Toulmin, Talmin,
Tolmin,
Tolmine, Tolming, Toulming, Toulmine, Towline, Towlinge, Towlmin, Towlmine,
Towlming,
Towlminge. See also App.B,4a for
assorted spellings from Wills, and
App.B,2b
(end) for a table of London spellings.
I strongly suspect the first
syllable
was pronounced as in "soul", not "soup", as almost all
spellings are
consistent
with this (even "Talmin" is not far removed), whereas
"Tool-" seems to be
almost
unknown (one occurrence, London 1786).
This pronunciation is still used by a
US
branch of the London family (per PT, see Lond*133116322), and Toulmins from
Morecambe
(per WLJ, see App.B,5a); but all other modern Toulmins I know are as in
"soup". Another alternative, as in
"sound", though suggested by Towl-, is
inconsistent
with the Tol- spellings, and does not seem to be current anywhere
(though
I've been told it was used, by outsiders, in Lancashire in the 19th
century).
The early tendency to put "ng"
instead of "n" is interesting, apropos of the
possible
French/Dutch origin. C.W.Bardsley, "English Surnames, their sources and
significance"
cites some of these names:
Towlmyn of Bolton-l-S, 1607
Towlmyne of Boulton by the Sands, 1623
Toulmin of Bolton-l-S, 1650
Touleming of Harlocks, Bolton-l-S
as well
as Joseph Toulmin ("m. St Georges Hanover Sq, 1804": Lond*13215 - his
second
marriage). Bardsley claims the name is a corruption of
Tomlin, but these early
forms
do not seem to support that: the m and l are never exchanged, though one
(more
often the l) may be dropped. Another derivation is from "Toll-man":
but the
"i"
or "y" in the second syllable is remarkably constant. Pre-1800 occurrences in
Appendix
B of -man forms (apart from the Somerset wills) are:
1653
Nov 15 Cornelius Towlman m. Grace
Baines, Leeds St Peter's
1653 (Oct 30) Joseph s. of Robert Towlman,
bap.Leeds St John
(and descendants of these)
1707 March. Toulman, Johannes: on the 3rd day
of Lent, Sara Toulman widow of JT
(will, App.B, 4a)
1732 Nov 26
bap. Robert s. of John Tolman of Lancaster
1722-42 "Robert Toulman" of Kirkby
Lonsdale used this spelling consistently; but he
and his children afterwards reverted
to "Toulmin".
1724/5 Feb 27 George Tolman m. Anne Edmundson
at Lancaster
1752
John Tolman m. Hannah Dale, All Hallows, London [JMH, from IGI]
1753
Aug 20 William Toulman of
Bolton by the Sands m. Elizabeth Harrison
1799
Tolman, Samuel, Mariner of Liverpool (will, section 4a: possibly a
Somerset
Tolman by origin)
In the next century, -man occurred more
often, but generally casually. In only
one
branch, Lond **13333126 James Toulmin/Toulman b.1817 and his descendants, it
seems to have been definitely adopted, and
I have accepted this in my headings