Middlemas

A Toponymic surname.

In his reference work ''The Surnames of Scotland'', George F. Black shows the surnames Middlemas, Middlemass and Middlemiss as one and to these can be added Midlemas and Middlemist from ''A Dictionary of English Surnames'' by P. H. Reaney (subsequently revised by M. A. Wilson) which acknowledges the Scottish source also.

The surname is attributed to an area around Kelso, Roxburghshire in the Eastern Borders of Scotland and specifically a place Middlemestlands.

Although Black uses only three versions of the surname in his dictionary he lists many more from his researches into the recording of them.

{| class="wikitable unsortable" style="text-align:center" width=100% | style="text-align:center"| 1406 - de Meldiemast || 1406 - Myddilmast || 1425 - Medilmaste || 1425 - Middilmaste |- || 1439 - Myddilmast || 1495 - Myddilmast || 1497 - Myddilmest || 1513 - Mydilmest |- || 1530 - Myddilmaist || 1537 - Medillmest || 1566 - Middlemast || 1567 - Middilmest |- || 1610 - Midelmest || 1611 - Middelmest || 1611 - Midilmest || 1612 - Midlemes |- || 1652 - Midlmest || 1670 - Midlemist || 1674 - Midlmess || 1685 - Midlemiss |- || 1742 - Middlemist |-

|}

It can be assumed that these surnames would not be recorded until they were an accepted form of identity. Many records of birth, death and marriage would be created by church or municipal officials. The extent to which census information was compiled by those with the surname would be limited to an ability to write down their personal version and/or read well enough to correct those official entries that don't match those personal choices of spelling. Provided by Wikipedia