'For a century and a half a family, probably sub-tenants and vassals of Glasgow' derived their surname from the lands of ANCRUM. The name is also spelt ALNCROM, ANCRAM, ANCROME and ANCKRUM. In 1252 John of ALNECROMB appears as a witness to a charter, to the monks of Melrose. In 1296 a writ was issued to the sheriff of Roxburgh, ordering him to restore Richard de ALNECRUM his forfeited lands. John de ALLYNCRUM was Clerk of the Register and auditor of accounts in 1358. John de ALLYNCROM, a Scottish merchant, received in 1361 a safe conduct to travel into England from Edward III. Surnames can be divided into four categories; place names, occupation names, nicknames and patronymics. PLACE NAMES are the largest group and covers all those names first applied to people who lived in or nearby to a particular place. For example, Grove, Wood, Field, Meadow, and Street are obvious. Occasionally names were taken from obscure villages or hamlets which no longer exist and this can make research confusing. OCCUPATION NAMES cover nearly all trades which existed in the Middle Ages. These are numerous. It does not necessarily follow that such names as King, Duke, Earl and so on mean your ancestors were of noble blood. It is much more likely that such named people worked for the person referred to. NICKNAMES. This is a smaller group but in many ways more interesting. They usually originated as a by-name for someone by describing their appearance, personal disposition or character but which became handed down through the ages and did not apply to their descendants. For instance the name Black would denote a dark man, Little, someone small (or even somewhat ambiguously) someone tall. PATRONYMICS. This group covers all names which derive immediately from the owner's father. Many christian names which are also surnames have, over the years, lost the possessive form but the origin is still the same. Examples of this could be names such as Peter,Thomas, Henry - all names which became both christian and surnames over the years. In the early years of the 15th century William de ALYNCROME was the abbot of Kelso, and John ANCRUME, James ANCRUM and Michell ANCRUM were tenants of the Abbey in 1567.