What's In My Name

What’s in my name? It’s Candler, A name as old as English tax. If you’re of English descent, yours may be too. Let us take a short trip back. The Magna Carta united Englishmen, But created a need for government. Now, that government required some funding, So, across the land, tax collectors were sent. Too many Williams, Simons and Johns. The tax collectors’ records were a mess. Ideas were tossed around by the King’s advisors. “Give them surnames. That would be best.” So, if John was a carpenter, Carpenter was assigned as his surname. John Carpenter of Holbrook would identify From whence his taxes came. And so it was for all taxpaying men: Fishers, Farmers, Smiths, and Wrights, Thatchers, Tailors, Wellers too. No man escaped a name and taxes…not even Knights. So, “What’s a Candler?” you might ask. Well, there’s more there than meets the eye; A maker of candles seems an answer quite plain; But the tax collectors had other Candlers to identify. There were also those who ‘candled’ eggs; Held them to a candle: are they fertile or ready to eat? You see, a fertile egg would one day be a chicken, To lay more eggs or provide tasty dark and white meat. Now, if a Candler came from Holbrook, He later may have taken Holbrook as his name; But if he chose to stay a Candler, We’ll likely never know which was his game. But whether my forefathers candled eggs Or made candles to light the eerie nights; They survived and made their meager mark, And I just love two over easy with toast….. by candle light.