I hope the answer to this will be posted to the list. I'm not a Switzer expert either, but I am a descendant. I also wondered about the "Fitz". JMcIntyre > > Please forgive me asking another question about this interesting incident > (below). I notice two of the defendants below, are named: > > Martin Switzor FitzMichael > Martin Switzor Fitz-Christopher > > Does anyone understand more about these names? I understand in Ireland that > "Fitz" at the beginning of a name originally meant "Son of" ("Fitz" being a > variation of the modern "Fils" in French). In this instance, was the first > man literally the son of a Michael Switzer and the second the son of a > Christopher Switzer - or is my imagination leading me astray? I'm not a > "Switzer" expert!! > > Di Mitchell
Here goes: Di's assumption is correct, good on ya Di! Fitz(fits), n , a son. The form occurs now only as a prefix in certain names, as Fitzgerald (son of Gerald), some of which were first given to illegitamate royal children, as Henry Fitzroy (son of the king). [<Anglo-French fitz, Old French fiz or filz < Latin filius son] source:Thorndike Barnhart Dictionary 1969 Clifford M Dubery -----Original Message----- From: JMcIntyre [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, 9 April 2001 6:13 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [IP] Palatine manuscript I hope the answer to this will be posted to the list. I'm not a Switzer expert either, but I am a descendant. I also wondered about the "Fitz". JMcIntyre > > Please forgive me asking another question about this interesting incident > (below). I notice two of the defendants below, are named: > > Martin Switzor FitzMichael > Martin Switzor Fitz-Christopher > > Does anyone understand more about these names? I understand in Ireland that > "Fitz" at the beginning of a name originally meant "Son of" ("Fitz" being a > variation of the modern "Fils" in French). In this instance, was the first > man literally the son of a Michael Switzer and the second the son of a > Christopher Switzer - or is my imagination leading me astray? I'm not a > "Switzer" expert!! > > Di Mitchell ==== IRL-PALATINE Mailing List ==== Try to do little things in an extraordinary way.