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Subject: The Story of Surnames - Scottish surnames
Date: 8/24/99 3:44:38 PM Central Daylight Time
From: domuff@webzone.net (Davidson)
To: Chascum@aol.com

While going through some old files I came across
this, don't recall where I got it from, but thought
someone might find it interesting, if not amusing.

THE STORY OF SURNAMES
     SCOTTISH SURNAMES

Quoting from, page 113

 "The Cummings are the same family as the Comyns, other variants being
Cummings, Cuming, Cumine and Cummine.  They are supposed to have
come from Comines, near  Lille in France.  An old chronicler gives
another
version of the name.  One of the earliest members of the family could
not
speak any language but his own Norman French.  Yet he was keeper of the
king's bedchamber, and when he would admit anyone, he learnt to say '
Come in'.  Hence he was known as William Come-in or Cumyn.  It is always

possible that this type of explanation is correct.  The Comyns are
probably
remembered most at the present time for the murder of one of them by
Robert the Bruce in a church at the beginning of his troubles.
Incidentally,
in connection with this family, there is a clear example of the way in
which
persons not of the same blood came to have the same surname.  Many
people sought the protection of the powerful Cumming chief, and he for
his
part was willing to accept them, but insisted upon them being known as
'Cummings of the hen trough' (because of a sort of initiation which they

underwent in the castle trough), while true Cummings were known as
'Cummings of the blue blood'.  In this particular case we have an
insight
into the growth of a clan, composed of all sorts of heterogeneous
elements."
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