Which surname appears in the Townsend inscription?

Which surname appears in the Townsend inscription?

• A. Goddard
• B. Goddart
• C. Goddards
• D. Goddardson

Answer: (A)

Inscriptions on monuments and memorials preserve the exact surname of the person or family being commemorated, so reading the line as it is carved tells you the precise name intended by the maker. The Townsend inscription uses the form Goddard—the classic, straightforward spelling with double d and the -ard ending—without any added letters or suffixes. That specific spelling identifies the Goddard surname clearly. The other variants would change the family name or imply a different meaning: Goddart would alter the final letter, suggesting a different name; Goddards would add an -s, which would usually indicate a plural or a family group rather than the single individual named on a memorial; Goddardson would introduce a patronymic form more typical of later naming practices. Because the inscription shows the simple Goddard spelling, that is the surname it presents.

Inscriptions on monuments and memorials preserve the exact surname of the person or family being commemorated, so reading the line as it is carved tells you the precise name intended by the maker. The Townsend inscription uses the form Goddard—the classic, straightforward spelling with double d and the -ard ending—without any added letters or suffixes. That specific spelling identifies the Goddard surname clearly.

The other variants would change the family name or imply a different meaning: Goddart would alter the final letter, suggesting a different name; Goddards would add an -s, which would usually indicate a plural or a family group rather than the single individual named on a memorial; Goddardson would introduce a patronymic form more typical of later naming practices. Because the inscription shows the simple Goddard spelling, that is the surname it presents.