/ »IIKI1IT IIBRARY UNiveuirr op ox Cngltsf) Surnames. 1 C. AND .1. ADLARD, PttlNlEKS, BARTHOLOMEW CI.OSK. ^^ Cngltsf) Surnames. f ESSAYS ON FAMILY NOMENCLATURE, HISTORICAL, ETYMOLOGICAL AND HUMOROUS: WITH CHAPTERS OF REBUSES AND CANTING ARMS, C|)e moll tit matttl mht}), A LIST OF LATINIZED SURNAMES, &c. &c. BY MARK ANTONY LOWER. " VVHArS IN A NAME?" Imago animi, vultus; vitae, Nomen est."— Puteanus. SECOND EDITION. LONDON: JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, 4, OLD COMPTON STREET, SOHO. MDCCCXIilV. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/englishsurnameseOOIowerich t S43 TO E. J. VERNON, ESQ. As a slight acknowledgment of his many valuable Contributions, THIS SECOND EDITION ESSAYS, DESIGNED TO ILLUSTRATE A CURIOUS BRANCH OF PHILOLOGICAL INQUIRY, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY HIS MUCH OBLIGED AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. 828 iltrface. ^ f^^ ^ DOUBT not that the first impression of many persons casually taking up this little volume, and reading the title-page, will be, that a good deal of valuable time has been expended on a very useless subject. Well, it may seem so; but I trust that on further consideration it will be found to possess quite as much both of Utihty and interest as many others with much greater pretensions to importance. Every person, even the most incurious observer of words and things, must have remarked the great variety that exists in the names of English famihes. He cannot fail to notice that such names are of widely different significations, many being identical with names of places, offices, professions, trades, qua- lities, familiar natural objects, &c. I will go further. 8 PREFACE. and say, there is probably no person capable of the least degree of reflection, who has not, in an idle mo- ment, amused himself with some little speculation on the probable origin of his own name. It cannot, then, be a matter of uninteresting inquiry to investigate both the meaning of names and the causes of their appHcation to individuals and famiUes. It is not sufficient for a person of inquisitive mind that he bears such and such a surname because his father and his grandfather bore it: he will naturally feel desirous of knowing why and when their ancestors acquired it. And should he be successful in arriving at some probable conclusion respecting his own, the same or perhaps an increased degree of curiosity will be induced in his mind as to those of others. This feeling will be especially excited when he meets with names of odd or unusual sound. If, for instance, he walk through the streets of a town he has never before visited, and notice the names of the inhabitants on their doors or over their shops, differing from any he has before seen, he will derive some information, and probably extract no little amusement from the carrying out of a train of specula- tions on the origin of those names. To persons of this class, (and a very numerous class I think they form,) my present attempt will doubtless be acceptable, and I venture to hope that it will serve to gratify all reasonable curiosity that can exist on the subject. This volume is necessarily antiquarian in its character, and not therefore likely to interest those whose pursuits are of the strictly utihtarian kind, and who seldom spend a thought upon the past unless it be to subserve some pre- sent interest. "Whatever the objections such individuals PREFACE. 9 may raise against investigations like those before the reader, they would, at least to a certain extent, apply to the study of history, biography, and several other branches of human knowledge. It is an inquiry not devoid of some interest, "What would the annals of mankind and the records of biography be if people had never borne proper names?'* A mere chaos of undefined incidents, an unintelligible mass of facts, without symmetry or beauty, and without any in- terest for after ages: ("sine nomine homo non est.")* Indeed, without names, mankind would have wanted what is perhaps the greatest stimulus of which the mind is susceptible, namely, the love of fame ; and, consequently, many of the mightiest achievements in every department of human endeavour would have been lost to the world. The absolute necessity of a personal nomenclature being thus proved, we are led to a further consideration, namely, that as names were given to men, there must have been some meaning in them, (for it is most unphilosophical to imagine that it could have been otherwise,) and if it be admitted that they signify something, it cannot be useless to ascertain what that something is. Names are princi- pally of two kinds ; those of individualsf and those of families. The latter, for reasons hereafter assigned, have been denominated Surnames, and it is the origin and application of these we have to discuss. * Putean. Diatr.— De Erycio. ^ The names of individuals are termed, in legal proceedings and in common intercourse, CHRiSTrAN-NAMES. Camden calls them foi-e (that is firsl)-nome.», a term which I consider far preferable to the other. Perhaps the word name, without any adjunct, would be better still. We should then use name and sur- name as distinctive words, whereas we now often regard them as synonymes. 1 § 10 PREFACE. I have just alluded to the great variety in English sur- names. It would indeed be wonderful if it did not exist, seeing that, in the words of an eminent antiquary,* we **have borrowed names from everything, both good and bad." Almost every list of surnames accidentally thrown together will, on examination, be found to yield some odd juxta-positions, the result of this extensive variety. Who can read a catalogue like the following without a smile, or perhaps a hearty laugh, while no one of the names standing alone could produce the least approximation to such an effect? " I have seen what was called an * Inventory of the Stock Exchange Articles,* to be seen there every day (Sundays and holidays excepted) from ten till four o'clock. " A Raven, a Nightingale, two Daws and a Swift. A Flight and a Fall ! Two Foxes, a Wolf and two Shepherds. A Taylor, a Collier, a Mason, and a Tanner. Three Turners, four Smiths (!), three Wheelers, Two Barbers, a Paynter, a Cook, a Potter, and five Coopers. Two Greens, four Browns, and two Greys. A Pilgrim, a King, a Chapel, a Chaplain, a Parson, three Clerks, and a Pope. Three Baileys, two Dunns, a , and a Hussey ! A Hill, a Dale, and two Fields. A Rose, two Budds, a Cherry, a Flower, two Vines, a Birch, a Fearn, and two Peppercorns. A Steel, two Bells, a Pulley, and two Bannisters. "Of towns: Sheffield, Dover, Lancaster, Wakefield, and Ross. Of things : Barnes, Wood, Coles, Staples, Mills, Pickles, and, in fine, a Medley ! * Camden. PREFACE. 11 " Our House of Commons has at different and no very distant times numbered amongst its members — A Fox, A Hare, A Rooke, Two Drakes, A Finch, Two Martins, Three Cocks, A Hart, Two Herons, Two Lambs, A Leach, A Swan, Two Bakers, Two Taylors, A Turner, A Plummer, A Miller, A Farmer, A Cooper, An Abbot, A Falconer. Nine Smiths! ! ! A PoHer, Three Pitts, Two Hills, Two Woods, An Orchard, and a Barne, Two Lemons with One Peel ! Two Roses, One Ford, Two Brookes, One Flood and yet but one Fish I A Forester, an Ambler, a Hunter, and only One Ryder. " But what is the most surprising and melancholy thing of all, it has never had more than one Christian belonging to it, and at present is without any !''* From many other species of humour of the same kind I select the two following. The first is an impromptu occasioned by the elevation of Alderman Wood to the office of Lord Mayor, some years since : '* In choice of Mayors 'twill be confest, Our citizens are prone to jest : Of late a gentle Flower thej tried, November came, and check'd its pride. A Hunter next on palfrey gray Proudly pranced his year away. They next, good order's foes to scare. Placed Birch upon the civic chair. Alas ! this year, 'tis understood, They m an to make a Mayor of Wo'jd !^^ * Nares's Herald. Anom. 12 PREFACE. The next is entitled " Wesleyan Worthies, or Ministerial Misnomers:" If " union is strength/' or if aught's in a name, The Wesleyan Connexion importance may claim ; For where is another— or Church, or communion — That equals the following pastoral union : A Dean and a Deakin, a Noble, a Squire, An Officer, Constable, Sargeant, and Cryer, A Collier, a Carter, a Turner, a Tayler, A Barber, a Baker, a Miller, a Naylor, A Walker, a Wheeler, a Waller, a Ridler, A Fisher, a Slater, a Harpur, a Fidler, A Finder, a Palmer, a Shepherd, and Crook, A Smith, and a Mason, a Carver, and Cook; An Abbott, an Usher, a Batcheler Gay, A Marshall, a Steward, a Knight, and a Day, A Meyer, an Alde-mann, Burgess, and Ward, A Wiseman, a Trueman, a Freeman, a Guard, A Bowman, a Cheeseman, a Colman, with Slack, A Britten, a Savage, a White, and a Black, French, English, and Scoits — North, Southerne, and VVest, Meek, Moody, and Meysey, Wilde, Giddy, and Best, Brown, Hardy, and Ironsides, Manly, and Strong, Lowe, Little, and Talboys, Frank, Pretty, and Young, With Garretts, and Chambers, Halls, Temple, and Flowers, Groves, Brooks, Banks, and Levells, Parkes, Orchards, and Bowers, Woods, Warrens, and Burrows, Cloughs, Marshes, and Moss, A Vine, and a Garner, a Crozier, and Cross ; Furze, Hedges, and HoUis, a Broomfield, and Moor, Drake, Partridge, and Woodcock — a Beech, and a Shoar, Ash, Crabtree, and Hawthorn, Peach, Lemmon, and Box, A Lyon, a Badger, a Wolfe, and a Fox, Fish, Hare, Kidd, and Roebuck, a Steer, and a Ray, Cox, Ca'ts, and a Talbot, Strawe, Cattle, and Hay, Dawes, Nightingales, Buntings, and Martins, a Rovve, PREFACE. 13 With Bustard, and Robin, Dove, Swallow, and Crowe, Ham, Bacon, and Butters, Salt, Pickles, and Rice, A Draper, and Chapman, Booths, Byers, and Price, Sharp, Sheers, Cutting, Smallwood, a Cubitt, and Rule, Stones, Gravel, and Cannell, Clay, Potts, and a Poole, A Page, and a Beard, with Coates, and a Button, A Webb, and a Cap — Lindsay, Woolsey, and Cotton, A Cloake, and a Satchell, a Snowball, and Raine, A Leech, and a Bolus, a Smart, and a Payne, A Stamp, and a Jewel, a Hill, and a Hole, A Peck, and a Possnet, a Slug, and a Mole, A Horn, and a Hunt, with a Bond, and a Barr, A Hussey, and Wedlock, a Driver, and Carr, A Cooper, and Adshead, a Bird, and a Fowler, A Key, and a Castle, a Bell, and a Towler, A Tarr, and a Shipman, with Quickfoot, and Toase, A Leek, and a Lilly, a Green, Budd, and Bowes, A Creed, and a Sunday, a Cousen, a Lord, A Dunn, and a Bailey, a Squarebridge, and Ford, A No-all, and Doolittle — Hopewell, and Sleep, And Kirks, Clarkes, and Parsons, a Grose, and a Heap, With many such worthies, and others sublimer, Including a Homer, a Pope, and A RHYMER.* If English Surnames are remarkable for tlieir variety, they are no less so for their number. How great the latter may be it would be a hopeless task to attempt to ascertain : it is sufficient to say with the Rev. Mark Noble that " it is almost beyond belief." A friend of that gentleman '* amused himself with collecting all such as began with the letter A : they amounted to more than one thousand five hundred. It is well known that some letters of the alphabet are initials to more surnames than A : allowing » From the Almanack for the use of Methodists, 1843. 14 PREFACE. for others which have not so many, the whole number will be between thirty and forty thousand T''^ The Rev. E. Duke, in his valuable and extremely curious "ilaltc of 3Jot)n ^alle,*' starts the question, "whether the English nomenclature is or is not on the increase?" and he decides that, notwithstanding many of the older surnames become extinct every century, it is still on the increase, and he accounts for this singular fact by the following arguments : *' Some [names] originated from the influx of foreigners caused by royal marriages — by refuge from per- secutions — by expatriations arising from revolutions — by the settlement of alien manufacturers; and the names of many of these have often been altered and anglicised, and their posterity have in the bearing thereof become as genuine Englishmen. At other times fictitious names have started up and been perpetuated within our own country, from their adoption, in the removal from one part of the kingdom to another, by the criminal and by the insolvent. f Another increment of names arises perhaps from the occasional settlement here of Americans and West Indians ; for it is a certain and curious fact that although America was origi- nally peopled from this country, yet it varies very essentially in its nomenclature from that of England." ;]: Our great master of antiquities, the illustrious Camden, was among the first who paid much attention to English • Hist. Coll. Arms, Prelim. Diss. t See the remarks on sobriquets at the end of my second Essay, for another cause of the multiplication of family names. X Vol. i. Notes, p. 404. One reason, among others that might be assigned for this dissimilarity is the large intermixture of Dutch, German, and French families with those of English extraction. PREFACE. 15 surnames. He has an amusing and learned chapter on the subject in his ' Remaines/ occupying, in an early edition, about forty-eight pages of that work. This forms the basis of all that can be said on English family names. After Camden comes Verstegan, who, though less accurate in his knowledge of the subject, gives many useful hints which serve greatly for the purpose of amplification. Among more recent writers, three clergymen, the Rev. Dr. Pegge, the Rev. Mark Noble, and the Rev. E. Duke, have each added something new in illustration of the subject. It seems that various other antiquaries have been labourers in the same field, whose productions have never seen the light. In Collet's * Relics of Literature,' 1823, it is stated that, " Mr. Cole, the antiquary, was very industrious in collecting names, and in one of his volumes of MSS. he says, he had the intention, some time or other, of making a list of such as were more particularly striking and odd, in order to form the foundation of an Essay upon the subject. A friend of the present writer has gone much farther, and has collected several thousand rare names, which he has partly classified." The late Mr. Haslewood also appears to have done something of the same kind. He had a most extensive collection, which was disposed of at the sale of his library, but which I have not been able to trace to its final destination. There are two manuscripts on Surnames in the Harleian collection. The first. No. 4056, 'Origin of Surnames,' is loosely written upon seven pages. It is a mere abstract from Camden, with scarcely anything additional, except a paragraph in which the writer differs from that author. 16 PREFACE. (as it will be seen that I also do,) with respect to the precise date of the introduction of Surnames into England. The second MS. No. 4630, ' The original or beginning of Surnames/ is likewise from Camden, and has only a single original paragraph: of this I have availed myself at the proper place. Both MSS. form only portions of the volumes in which they occur. Having thus mentioned what my predecessors have done, it may be expected that I should give some account of my own humble labours. But as they are before the reader, I shall content myself with borrowing the words of Verstegan : " Because men are naturally desirous to know as much as they may, and are much pleased to under- stand of their own offspring [descent] which by their Surnames may well be discerned, if they be Surnames of continuance, I have, herein, as near as I can, endeavoured myself to give the courteous reader satisfaction.''^ And, as I have been actuated by this desire, I deem it but justice to myself to state, that if I have assigned to any name a meaning that is little complimentary to the persons who happen to bear it, it has been the farthest from my intention to inflict pain in the mind of those individuals. So little was this my wish or my endeavour that I have, on the contrary, made it one of my chief objects to investigate the etymology of many names which have generally been considered to imply something low or disgraceful, and have proved, satisfactorily I trust, that they mean nothing that their possessors have the slightest reason to be ashamed of. Thus, while I have " filched" no one of his " good name," I have, I hope, been so happy PREFACE. 17 as to make many a person upon better terms with his own appellative — which he may hitherto have considered (etymologically) anything but a good one — than he has ever been before. The following paragraph, from a light and right plea- sant article, entitled * Sound and Sense,* in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, I am loth to lose ; and as a more ap- propriate place for its introduction has not occurred in the course of the following sheets, I give it room here : "What gives pecuhar force to the theory of the con- nexion of sound and sense, is the fact that where mean things are represented by words which do not sound meanly, those words may be employed as Proper Names, or as parts of other words, without conveying a mean im- pression. On a similar principle, mean things may be represented by words of grotesque sound in our own lan- guage, but not in another: and the words employed in the other language may be used as proper names, without appearing to us at all ridiculous. Booth is paltry as the designation of a temporary shop ; but as a name it is felt to be so elegant as to be frequently chosen for fictitious heroes. Brydges, nothing as a common word, is one of the best of names. The same may be said of Brewer and Taylor. When a slight change has taken place in the adaptation of the word to its purpose as a proper name, the improvement is more marked. Stewardy for instance, rises from kitchen to hall by the change of the d into t. Durward, apart from all recollection of its origin in door- ward, or door-keeper, acquires a tinge of rude fourteenth- century grandeur. Hume, which is one of the best old 18 PREFACE. Scottish names, takes its origin from a holm in the neigh- bourhood of Hume Castle in Berwickshire ; and it is un- questionably improved by the change in the spelling and pronunciation. So also JPlantagenety which was derived from the word signifying broom in French, so far from depreciating the dignity of the royal race who bore it, seems absolutely to give them an additional grace. Thus, also. Sack, who by himself is a plain man enough, becomes a gentleman with ville tagged to him ; equally so is Rat, with cliffe. The syllables on diViA. slow, taken separately, are honest decent people; but they seem instinct with Norman blood when put together. Bray is, by itself, one of the most despicable of verbs; hrook is nothing parti- cular: see, however, what a fine, antique, chivalrous sound the two acquire as the designation of Lord Braybrooke. It seems to be only necessary, in order to produce respec- table proper names, that the original words should not be of paltry sound. Nothing can reconcile the ear to Mr. Butter, Miss Bairnsfather, Dr. Peascod, or that immortal firm of English plebeianisms, Messrs. Mugs, Snugs, and Company." After all, "What's in a name ?" "for neither the good names do grace the bad, neither doe evill names disgrace the good. If names are to be accounted good or bad, in all countries both good and bad haue bin of the same Sur- names which as they participate one with the other in glory, so sometimes in shame. Therefore for ancestors, parentage, and names, as Seneca said, let every man say, Vix ea nostra voco. Time hath intermingled and confused all, and wee are come all to this present by successive vari- able descents from high and low; or as hee saith more PREFACE. 19 plainely, the low are descended from the high, and, con- trariwise, the high from the low."* It only remains for me to express my obligations to those gentlemen who have rendered me assistance in bringing together tTie materials out of which this little volume has been composed; and first, my thanks are especially due to my worthy publisher, Mr. John Eussell Smith, who has spared no pains in placing within my reach many valuable works (some of them of considerable rarity), to which I could not otherwise have had convenient access. To Charles Clark, Esq., of Great-Totham Hall, I am indebted for a Hst of upwards of 1500 of the most sin- gular surnames in existence, which were collected by that gentleman, and with many of which this publication is enriched. The reference to the two manuscripts in the British Museum I owe to the Rev. George C. Tomlinson, rector of Staughton in Huntingdonshire, whose polite and unsolicited kindness entitles him to my warmest acknow- ledgments. The following works have been consulted : Camden's "Remaines concerning Britaine, but especially England and the Inhabitants thereof. The third Impressioq." Printed in 1623. Verstegan's ** Restitution of Decayed Intelligence in Antiquities concerning Our Nation." 1605. The Arch^ologia of the Society of Antiquaries, vol. xviii. pp. 105- 111, "Remarks on the Antiquity and Introduction of Surnames into England. By James H. Markland, Esq., F.S.A.^' 1813. " Prolusiones Historic^, or the Halle of John Halle; by the Rev. Edward Duke, M.A., F.S.A., &c." Vol. I., Essay I. ♦ Camden, Remaines, p. 133. 20 PREFACE. *' A HisTORT OF THE COLLEGE OF Arms ; with a Preliminary Dis- sertation relative to the different orders in England since the Norman Conquest. By the Rev. Mark Noble, F.A.S. of L. and E., Rector of Barming in Kent, &c." 1804. The Gentleman's Magazine, 1772. Several Essaj's, by Dr. Pegge, under the signature of T. Row (The Rector Of Whittington) ; and many subsequent volumes of the same periodical. "A Dissertation on the Names of Persons. By J. H. Brady." ]2mo. London, 1822. With numerous manuscript additions by an unknown hand. "CuRiALiA Miscellanea, or Anecdotes of Old Times. By Samuel Pegge, Esq., F.S.A.'* 1818. ** The Stranger in America. By F. H. Lieber." "An English Dictionary By N. Bailey (piXoXoyog." 9th Edit. 1740. The *♦ Heraldry of Fish." By Thomas Moule, Esq. 1842. " Jamieson's Scottish Dict." "Buchanan on Antient Scottish Surnames [or Clans."] — Reprint. 1820. "Blount's Law Dictionary." &c. &c. &c. LEWES ; 15th April, MDCCCXLll. ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION. The first Edition of this little work, consisting of nearly nine hundred copies, having been sold in a few months, the Publisher has called upon me to revise it for a second. I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without tendering my thanks to those gentlemen who have favoured me with communications, and of whose valuable hints I have availed myself for the present Edition. Nor must I be wanting in gratitude to those directors of the public taste, the Reviewers, whose notices of my humble performance have been, upon the whole, most flattering. My thanks are especially due to the conductors of the * Literary Gazette' for the handsome manner in which they threw open the columns of their valuable Journal, in ten or twelve of its numbers, to the discussion of the subject of this volume. -The corre- spondence bearing the signature of B. A. Oxon. was of a peculiarly interesting character, and I deem it the most fortunate circumstance connected with the production of the present Edition, that I have been enabled to open a private correspondence with the author of those letters, E. J. Vernon, Esq. a gentleman far better qualified than myself for etymological investigations, and who has kindly permitted me to inscribe his name* upon my • In one or two of the earlier sheets this gentleman is referred to under his rtom de guerre, as I was not in possession of his name when they went to press. 22 ADVERTISEMENT. Dedication page as a trifling expression of my gratitude for his assistance. I am likewise under great obligations to Geo. Monkland, Esq. of Bath, who forwarded for my use a very curious classified list of English Surnames, made with the most scrupulous attention to their authen- ticity, a feature of the utmost importance in the compilation of such a catalogue; to R. Almack, Esq. F.S.A. of Melford; to John Sykes, Esq. of Doncaster; to J. H. Fennell, Esq. ; and to several other gentlemen, well known in the literary world, who, for reasons best known to themselves, forbid me the gratification of a pubHc acknowledgment of their favours. With such aid, I anticipate, with some confidence, for the present edition, a reception on the part of the public, at least as gratifying to my feelings as that which followed the first appearance of the work. As the Essays appear in a considerably augmented form, so they afford additional scope for criticism. I am far from considering my work complete, or all that could be desired on so curious a subject, yet as "facile est inventis addere," I trust that each successive edition (should others be called for) will be a closer approximation to what seems to me to have long been a desideratum in the circle of our popular antiquarian literature — a standard work on English Family Nomenclature. M. A. L. Lewes; Ist July, 1843, CONTENTS. Dedication ...... Preface ....... Advertisement to the Second Edition Essay I. Introductory .... II. History of English Surnames III. Local Surnames IV. Names derived from Occupations and Pursuits V. Names derived from Dignities, Civil and Eccle siastical, and from Offices VI. Surnames from Personal and Mental Qualities VII. Surnames derived from Christian-names VIII. Surnames from Natural Objects, from Signs of Houses, &c. . ... IX. Surnames from Social Relations, Periods of Age, Time, &c. X. A Cabinet of Oddities XI. Surnames of Contempt ; and more Oddities in the Nomenclature of Englishmen XII. Names derived from Virtues and other Abstract Ideas ..... PAGE 5 7 21 25 35 52 86 101 114 120 140 161 166 170 180 24 CONTENTS. PAGE Essay XIII. Foreign Names naturalized in England, and the Corruptions to which such names have been exposed ..... 187 XIV. Changed Surnames . . . . 193 XV. Historical Surnames . . . .201 A Chapter of Rebuses . . .' . . . 216 A Chapter of Canting-Arms, Puns, Anagrams, &c. . . 225 Additions, and Illustrations of the preceding Essays . 242 APPENDIX. The Roll of Battel Abbey :— Preliminary Observations 253 Leland'sCopy 257 Holinshed's Copy . . 263 John Foxe's Copy 271 List of Latinized Surnames 278 ESSAYS ENGLISH SURNAMES, ESSAY I. INTRODUCTORY. Dr. Johnson has the following definition of the word Surname : " The name of the family ; the name which one has over and above the Christian name." Sirname differed originally from Surname. Simsime has been defined as "nomen patris additum proprio ;'* and iS'wrname as "no- men supra nomen additum." Mac-Allan, Fitz-Hardingy Ap Tudor and Stephenson are properly sir- or sire- names, and are equivalent to the son of Allan, of Harding, of Tudor, of Stephen. Of SuR-names, Du Cange says, they were at first written " not in a direct line after the Christian name, but above it, between the lines;" and hence they were called in Latin Supranomina, in Italian Sopranome, and in French Sur-noms. From the last the English term is immediately derived. A SuRname is, therefore, a name superadded to the first or Christian 2 26 INTRODUCTORY. name, to indicate the family to which the individual bear- ing it belongs, as Edmund Spenser, John Milton, Alexander Pope, Hence it is evident that, although every siRname is a suRname, every suRname is not a siRuame ; a dis- tinction which is now scarcely recognized, and the two words are used indiscriminately by our best writers.* In the first ages of the world a single name was suffi- cient for each individual; "nomen olim apud omnes fere gentes simplex,"t and that name was generally invented for the person, in allusion to the circumstances attending his birth, or to some personal quality he possessed, or which his parents fondly hoped he might in future pos- sess. The writings of Moses and some other books of the Old Testament furnish many proofs of this remark. This rule seems to have uniformly prevailed in all the nations of antiquity concerning which we have any records, in the earliest periods of their history. In Egypt we find persons of distinction using only one name, as Pharaoh, Potiphar ; in Canaan, Abraham, Isaac ; in Greece, Diomedes, Ulysses ; in Rome, Romulus, Remus ; in Britain, Bran, Caradoc, &c. Nares says, names "were in remote times commonly given to mark the wishes of the parents, that the children so named might live to enjoy the good fortune such happy names seemed to promise : according to the old maxim, * Bonum nomen, bonum omen.* Cicero used to call such names * bona nomina,' good names; Tacitus, *fausta no- mina,' happy names. Plautus thought it quite enough to * In several of the notices of the former edition of this volume the existence of Sire-name, as a word of distinct meaning, is called in question. In the Literary Gazette much is said on this point, pro and con, by two learned correspondents, under the signatures B. A. Oxon, and G. (Lit. Gaz., Sept.— Nov. 1842.) Dr. Booth, and others, support my opinion, which I see no reason for retracting. t Puteanus De Ervcio Diatr. INTRODUCTORY. 27 damn a man that he bore the name of Lyco, which is said to signify, a greedy wolf ; * and Livy calls the name Atrius Umber 'abominandi ominis nomen,' a name of horrible portent. Pius ^neas may certainly be considered one of those A«/9py names which Plato recommends all people to be careful to select, f and ^neas must have had as great a right to call himself by it as any persons since to call themselves by the names of Victor, Faustus, Felix, Probus, &c., which were certainly chosen as names of favorable omen, according to the maxim above, and the saying of Panormitan, * ex bono nomine oritur bona prse- sumptio.' " The first approach to the modern system of nomencla- ture is found in the assumption of the name of one's sire in addition to his own proper name, as Caleb the son of Jephunneh, Joshua the son of Nun, Melchi ben Addi (that is, Melchi the son of Addi), I/copos tov AatSaXoi/, AatSaXos rov Ev7raX/4ov, Icarus the son of Daedalus, Daedalus the son of Eupalmus. Sometimes the adjunct expressed the country or profession of the bearer, sometimes some ex- cellence or blemish ; as Herodotus of HalicarnassuSi Poly- cletes the Sculptor, Diogenes the Cynic, or Dionysius the Tyrant.X Another early species of surnominal adjunct is the * What is said of an ill-favoured visage, " His face would hang him," may also be said of an unhappy name ; and our dramatists and novelists are well aware of this, when they give their most profligate characters such names as Fagin, Squeers, cum multis aliis, which will at once arise to the recollection of the reader. + Had the parents of Alexander been blessed with the gift of prescience, they would certainly have hesitated before giving that "murderer of millions" a name signifying " the helper of mankind." I Nares's Heraldic Anomalies. 28 INTRODUCTORY. epithet greats as Alexander the Great; with words ex- pressive of other qualities — concerning which the author just quoted says : " There are some significant titles, names, and attributes, to which I have no objection, as for instance, Alfred the Great, for great he was ; but as to Canute the Great I doubt : his speech to his courtiers on the sea- shore had certainly something sublime in it, and seems to bespeak the union of royalty and wisdom, but Voltaire will not allow that he was great in any other re- spect than that he performed great acts of cruelty. Edmund Iron-sidey I suppose, was correct enough, if we did but understand the figure properly (for as to his really having an iron side, I conclude no one fancies it to have been so, though there is no answering for vulgar credulity). Harold Harefoot betokened, no doubt, a personal blemish or some extraordinary swiftness of foot. Among the kings of Norway there was a Bare-foot! William. Rufus was probably quite correct, as indicative of his red head of hair, or rather head of red hair. Henry the First was, I dare say, for those times, a Beau Clerc, or able scholar. Richard the First might very properly be called, by a figure of speech, Coeur de lAoUy and his brother John quite as properly, though to his shame literally, rather than figuratively, Lack-land. Edward Long-shanks cannot be disputed, since a sight was obtained of his body not very long ago, but at the least 467 years after his death, and which, from a letter in my possession, written by the Pre- sident of the Antiquarian Society, who measured the body, appeared to be at that remote period six feet two inches long."* I fully agree with the facetious author of this * Heraldic Anom. vol. i. p. 107. INTRODUCTORY. 29 passage, that these should be denominated nicknames rather than surnames. The same writer, speaking of the adjunct used by the Norman WiUiam, assigns to it the definition of Spelman, which differs from that in general acceptation : " Conquestor dicitur qui Anglia conquisivity i. e. acquisivit (purchased) non quod subegit; . . . here agreeing," he humorously adds, " with the good old women who attended William's birth, and who having quite a struggle with the new-born brat to get out of his clenched fist a parcel of straws he happened to catch hold of (his mother, perhaps, being literally in the straw), made them say in the way of prophecy, that he would be a great ac- quirer."* While thus digressing on royal surnames, I may be al- lowed to remind the reader that more antient monarchs had their characteristic epithets : thus in Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, Antoninus Pius ; and in Egypt, Ptolemy Phila- delphus, Ptolemy Epiphanes. I may also mention that France has had its Charles the Bald, Louis the Stutterer , Charles the Simple, Louis the Sluggard, Louis the Quarrel- some, and Philip the Fair. The house of Valois recounts among its sovereigns the favorable names of the Good, the Wise, the Well-beloved, the Victorious, &c. The Bourbons have had two Great, one Just, one Well-beloved, and one Loyiged-for.-^- But to return : as society advanced in refinement, partly for euphony, and partly for the sake of distinction, | other * Heraldic Anom. p. 110. ^ ibid. i " Cum essent duo Terentii, aut plures, discernendi caussa, ut aliquid singu- lare haberent, notabant forsitan ab eo qui mane natus diceretur, ut is Manius esset ; qui luci, Lucius ; qui post patris mortem, Postliumus." (Varro. De Latins lingu&, lib. viil.) 30 INTRODUCTORY. names came into common use. Thus among the Romans, three names, and sometimes four or even five, were used by a single person. The first of these was called the prce- nomen, answering to our Christian name. This name ori- ginally characterized the individual ; thus the first Faber (like the French le Fevre, and our own Smith) was no doubt an artificer in iron or wood, while the primitive Agricola (like the first of the French FermierSy and of our EngUsh family of the Farmers) was, in like manner, a cul- tivator of the soil. Their second name, called nomeUy had a close analogy to the term clan as used in Scotland, and was given to all the branches of a common stock. The cognomeny or third name, indicated that particular part of the race or tribe to which the person belonged. Thus in PubHus Cornelius Scipio, Publius corresponded to our John, Thomas, William ; Cornelius was the generic name or term of clanship; while Scipio conveyed the infor- mation that that particular Publius belonged to the family of one Scipio, who acquired his name from his piety in leading about his bUnd and crippled father, to whom he thus became, figuratively, a scipio or sta^. The names Africanus, Germanicus, &c., bestowed upon military magnates for conquests in Africa, Germany, &c., became, in like manner, second and honorary cog- nomina or agnomina. Modern nations have adopted various methods of distin- guishing families. The Highlanders of Scotland employed the «z>ename with Mac, and hence our Macdonalds and Macartys, meaning respectively the son of Donald and of Arthur. The Irish had the practice (probably derived from the patriarchal ages) of prefixing Oy or 0', signifying INTRODUCTORY. 31 grandson,* as O'Hara, O'Neale ; a form still retained in many Hibernian surnames. Many of the Irish also use Mac. According to the following distich, the titles Mae and O' are not merely what the logicians call accidents, but altogether essential to the very being and substance of an Irishman : — "Per Mac atque O, tu veros cognoscis Hibernos. His duobus demptis, quIIus Hibernus adest." which has been translated — " By Mac and O, You'll always know True Irishmen they say ; For if they lack Both O and Mac, No Irishmen are they."t The old Normans prefixed to their names the word Fitc, a corruption of Fils, and that derived from the Latin FiLius ; as Fitz-Hamon, Fits-Gilbert. The peasantry of Russia, who are some centuries behind the same class in other countries, affix the termination -witz (which seems to have some affinity to the Norman Fitz) to their names ; thus, Peter Paulowitz, for Peter the son of Paul. The Poles employ *% in the same sense, as James Fetrowsky, James the son of Peter. The Biscayans adopt a similar method, and, not to multiply instances, this seems to have been in nearly all ages, in all countries, the most obvious, and therefore the most customary, way of forming second, * It is related in the Encyclopaedia Perthensis that an antiquated Scottish dame used to make it a matter of boasting that she had trod the world's stage long enough to possess one hundred Oyes ! t Notes of a Bookworm. 32 INTRODUCTORY. or sur-names. The most singular deviation from the general rule is found among the Arabians, who use their father's name without a fore-name, as Aven Pace, Aven Rois, the son of Pace, the son of Rois. In Sweden, hereditary surnames are said to have been unknown before the commencement of the fourteenth cen- tury. At a much later period no surnames were used in Wales, beyond ap, or son, as David ap Howell, Evan ap Rhys, Griffith ap Roger, John ap Richard, now very natu- rally corrupted into Powell, Price, Prodger, and Pritchard. To a Hke origin may be referred a considerable number of the surnames beginning with P and B now in use in England, amongst which may be mentioned Price, Pum- phrey. Parry, Probert, Probyn, Pugh, Penry ; Bevan, Bithell, Barry, Benyon, and Bowers. A more antient form than AP is hab. This or vap constantly occurs in char- ters of the time of Henry the Sixth. It w^as not unusual, even but a century back, to hear of such combinations as Evan-ap-Griffith-ap-David-ap-Jenkin, and so on to the seventh or eighth generation, so that an individual carried his pedigree in his name. The following curious descrip- tion of a Welshman occurs 15 Hen. VII : " Morgano PhUip alias dicto Morgano vap David vap Philip." The church of Llangollen in Wales is said to be dedicated to St. Collen-ap-Gwynnawg-ap-Clyndawg-ap-Cowrda-ap-Cara- doc-Freichfras-ap-Llynn-Merim-ap- Einion- Yrth-ap - Cuned- da-Wledig,* a name that casts that of the Dutchman, Inkvervankodsdorspanckinkadrachdern, into the shade. To burlesque this ridiculous species of nomenclature, some .wag described cheese as being * Recreative Review, vol. li. p. 189. INTRODUCTORY. 33 "Adam's own cousin- german by its birth, Ap-Curds-ap-Milk-ap-Cow-ap-Grass-ap-Eartb!" The following anecdote was related to me by a native of Wales : "An Englishman, riding one dark night among the mountains, heard a cry of distress, proceeding appa- rently from a man who had fallen into a ravine near the highway, and, on listening more attentively, heard the words, * Help, master, help !' in a voice truly Cambrian. *Help! what, who are you?' inquired the traveller. Jenkin-ap-Griffith-ap-Robin-ap-Wniiam-ap-Rees-ap-Evan," was the response. * Lslzj fellows that ye be,' rejoined the Englishman, setting spurs to his horse, * to lie rolling in that hole, half a dozen of ye; why in the name of common sense don't ye help one another out !' " The frequency of such names as Davies, Harris, Jones, and Evans has often been remarked, and is to be accounted for by the use of the father's name in the genitive case, the word son being understood; thus David's son became Davis , Harry's son Harris, John's son Jones, and Evan's son Evans. It is a well-attested fact that about forty years since the Monmouth and Brecon mihtia contained no less than thirty-six John Joneses. Even the gentry of Wales bore no hereditary surnames until the time of Henry the Eighth. That monarch, who paid great attention to heraldic matters, strongly recom- mended the heads of Welsh families to conform to the usage long before adopted by the English, as more consis- tent with their rank and dignity. Some families accord- ingly made their existing stVenames stationary, while a few adopted the surnames of English families with whom they were aUied, as the ancestors of OHver Cromwell, who thus 9& 34 INTRODUCTORY. exchanged Williams for Cromwell, which thenceforward they uniformly used.* Having thus glanced at the usages of various nations with respect to second names, let us next trace the history of the practice of adopting hereditary or family names in our own country. * Vide Noble's House of Cromwell. Other authentic instances of the adoption of stationary surnames by great families may be found by referring to the fol- lowing works : (Williams of Abercamlais.) Jones's Brecon, iii. 696. (Her6er^ Lord of Blealevenny.) Mon. Ang. 17, 134. {Herbert of Llanowell.) Coxe's Monmouth, 421. It may be observed that several Norman families who settled in Wales, left their original surnames, and conformed to the mode of the country ; thus the Boleyns took the name of Williams. HISTORY OF ENGLISH SURNAMES. 35 ESSAY II. HISTORY OF ENGLISH SURNAMES. The antient Britons generally used one name only : sometimes, but very rarely, they added another in the manner of a Roman cognomen, as Aurelius Ambrosius, Uther Pendragon. The Saxons had a peculiar kind of surname — the termi- nation ING, signifying oifspring, as, for instance, Bearing Atheling^ Browning, Whiting, meaning respectively, deart noble, dark or tawny, and white or fair, offspring. More usually this termination was added to the father's name, " as Ceonred Ceolwalding, Ceolwald Cuthing, Cuth Cuth- wining, i. e. Ceonred the sonne of Ceolwald ; Ceolwald Sonne of Cuth ; Cuth sonne of Cuthwin. William of Malmsbury notes that the sonne of Edgar was called Edgaring, and the sonne of Edmund, Edmunding."* The difference between this species of names and the sur- names now in use is great, for while the former were restricted to the immediate issue of a single individual, the latter are generic terms, including all the ramifications of a family, however numerous or widely spread. The antient practice seems (especially in such names as denote phy- * Camden's Remaines. Sometimes the sire or paternal name with the simple suffix -irtg composed the name, as Bryning, Bryn's son. Ing, inge, or inger is found in the same sense in most of the Teutonic languages. In modern German ing denotes a young man, and in a more extended signification a son, a descen- dant, progeny, offspring. Wachter derives it from the British engi, to produce, bring forth. {Vide Bosworth's Sax. Diet.) 36 HISTORY OF sical or mental qualities) preferable to the modem, because such qualities are not in their nature hereditary. Of this latter remark (were it not matter of common observation) every one must have noticed many ludicrous proofs in the most familiar surnames. For instance, a tall man bears, perad venture, the name of Short , while the most weakly person of your acquaintance is called Mr. Strong. Mr. Meek is, perhaps from his passionate temper, the terror of his family, at the same time that Mr. Bright is the dullest man in every company. In like manner a pale visage may accompany the name of Blackman, and the complexion of a Spaniard, that of Lillywhite. Mr. Friend is perchance your deadliest foe, and Miss Pretty the plainest personage in your neighbourhood. Similar instances might be ad- duced almost ad infinitum^ did the occasion require it ;* my object is merely to show the absurdity of adopting, as the stationary name of a family, a designation, which, however apphcable to the person who first bore it, could not in the nature of things be consistently employed by all his posterity. In point of convenience, however, the here- ditary method is infinitely superior to the other. The Saxons sometimes bestowed honorable appellations on those who had signalized themselves by the performance of any gallant action, like the Roman Cognomina. Every person conversant with the history of those times will call to mind that England was much infested with wolves, and that large rewards were given to such as were able, by force or stratagem, to subdue them. To kill a wolf was to destroy a dangerous enemy, and to confer a benefit on • While the first edition of this work was passing through the press, the public mind was horrified by one of the most inhuman murders on record, committed by a villain named Good ! ENGLISH SURNAMES. 37 society. Hence, several Saxon proper names, ending in ulph dindiwolfy as Biddw/p^, the wolf- killer,* or more pro- perly "wolf-compeller," and some others ;f but these, among the common people at least, did not descend from father to son in the manner of modern surnames. It may be remarked en passanty that the fore-names of the Anglo-Saxons are characterized by a beautiful signifi- cancy and simplicity. As many of these were afterwards adopted as family names, I shall take the liberty of digress- ing a little to give a list of some of them, illustrative of this observation. Alwin, all-victorious or winning all. Camd. All-beloved. V erst eg an. Alfred i all-peace. Aldredy all-reverend fear. Camd. Bede, he that prayeth ; a devout man. Camd. Botolph, help-ship. Cuthbert, bright in knowledge. Edmund, truth-mouth ; a speaker of truth. Edward, truth-keeper ; a faithful man. Frederick, rich in peace. Goddard, honored of God. Godwin, beloved of God. Versteg. Victorious in God. Camd. Hengist, horse, and by a figure of speech horse-maw. Kenard, kind disposition. Camd. Elsewhere I have as- signed a widely different etymology. Leofwin, win-love. * Burke's Commoners, vol. iii. p. 280. There is a parish called Biddulph in Stafifordshire. t The Saxon termination ulph more usually means help, assistance, aid, de- fence ; as Athelulph or -wolf, * noble help ;' Arnulph, « defence of honour,' &c. 38 HISTORY OF Osherny (house-bairn,) house-child. Camd. See anecdote in the Essay on Historical Surnames. Ranulphj (now Randall,) fair-help. Richardy richly honored. RicheTy powerful in the army. — Herric^ says Camden, is the same name reversed ; hence our modern surname, Herrick, Rayniundy quiet peace. Thurstariy most true and trusty. Camd. (?) Walwiuy (whence our modern surnames, Taldwin and GaweUy) a conqueror. No precise date can be assigned to the introduction of hereditary surnames into England, as personal sobriquets were known from an early period of the Heptarchy. That the old termination ing was gradually rejected from names, and that of son substituted for it in the 10th and 11th centuries, is evident from documents of that period ; and I see no valid reason why such names as Herdingson, Swainson, Cerdicson, were not hereditary, as well as our more recent Thompson and Williamson. I am aware that Camden and all our antiquaries since his days concur in the opinion that surnames, of the hereditary kind, were not known in England before the Norman Conquest ; yet I hope I shall not be deemed guilty of presumption if, by and bye, I offer a few suggestions in support of the opinion that they were not altogether unknown before that epoch. Camden says, " about the year of our Lord 1000, (that we may not minute out the time) surnames became to be taken up in France ; and in England about the time of the Conquest, or else a very little before, vnder King Edward the Confessor, who was all Frenchified This ENGLISH SURNAMES. 39 will seeme strange to some Englishmen and Scottishmen, whiche, like the Arcadians, thinke their surnames as antient as the moone, or at the least to reach many an age beyond, the Conquest.* But they which thinke it most strange, (I; speake vnder correction,) I doubt they will hardly finde any surname which descended to posterity hef ore that time: neither haue they scene (I feare) any deede or donatioji BEFORE THE CoNQUEST, but suhsigned with crosses and SINGLE names without surnames, in this manner ; >J< Ego Eadredus confirmaui. >J< Ego Edmundus corro- boraui. >J< Ego Sigarius conclusi. >J< Ego Olfstanus consolidaui, &c." Our great antiquary declares that both he and divers of his friends had "pored and pusled vpon many an old record and evidence" for the purpose of finding hereditary surnames before the Conquest, without success ; what then would he have said to a document hke the following, con- taining the substanceof a grant from Thorold of Buckenhale, sheriff of Lincolnshire, of the manor of Spalding, to Wulgate, abbot of Croyland, dated 1051, the 10th year of Edward the Confessor, and fifteen years before the Conquest ? " I have given to God and St. Guthlac of Croyland, &c. all my manor situate near the parochial church of the same town, with all the lands and tenements, rents and services, &c. which I hold in the same manor, &c. with all the appendants ; viz. Colgrin, my reeve y (prsepositum meum,) and his whole sequell, with all the goods and chattels which * Buchanan asserts that the family of Douglas have borne that name from the reign of Solvathius, king of Scotland, the year 770 ; and that one Sir William Douglas of Scotland entered into the service of Charlemagne. He settled in Tuscany, and was the great ancestor of the Douglassii of that country. 40 HISTORY OF he hath in the same town, fields and marshes. Also Harding, the smith, (fabrum,) and his whole sequell. Also Lefstan, the carpenter, (carpentarium,) and his whole sequell, &c. Also Ryngulf the first, (primum,) and his whole sequell, &c. Also Elstan, the fisherman, (piscatorem,) and his whole sequell, &c. Also Gunter Liniet, and his whole sequell, &c. Also Onty Grimkelson, &c. Also TuRSTAN DuBBE, &c. Also Algar, the black, (nigrum,) &c. Also Edric, the son of Siward, (filiura Siwardi,) &c. Also Osmund, the miller, (molendinarium,) &c. Also Besi Tuk, &c. Also Elmer de Pincebeck, &c. Also GousE Gamelson, &c." with the same clauses to each as before.*. Now while the terms reeve, smith, carpenter, the first, fisher, the black, miller, &c. applied respectively to Colgrin, Harding, Lefstan, &c. are merely personal descriptions; Liniet, Dubbe, Tuk, de Pincebeck, have the appear- ance of settled surnames. The same distinction is observable between * Edric, the son of Siward,* and Grimkelson and Gamelson. Indeed some of these surnames are yet re- maining amongst us, as Dubbe, Tuk, Liniet, and Pincebeck — now spelt Dubb, Tuck, Linney and Pinchbeck, a fact which I think goes far to prove that they were hereditary at the time when the deed of gift above recited was made. This document is also opposed to another opinion pre- valent among antiquaries, namely, that surnames were assumed by the aristocracy long before the commonalty took them. Here we see that the bondmen or churls of the Lincolnshire sherifi" used them, at a period when many of the landed proprietors had no other designation than a Christian name. * See the entire deei in Cough's History of Croylantl Abbey. (A pp. p. 29.) ENGLISH SURNAMES. 41 A great many surnames occur in Domesday book ; (Camden says, they^r*^ occur there.) Some of these are LOCAL, as De Grey^ de Vernon^ cT Oily ; some patrony- MiCAL, as Richardus^/m* Gisleberti; and others official or PROFESSIONAL, as Guhelmus CamerariuSj (the cham- berlain,) Radulphus Venator, (the hunter,) Gislebertus Coeus, (the cook,) &c. &c. "But very many," as Camden remarks, "(occur) with their Christian names only, as Olq^, Nigellus, EustachiuSy Baldricus.'' It is to be ob- served that those with single names are "noted last in every shire, as men of least account," and as sub-tenants. Here a query arises. Are we to conclude that because many names are given in the single form, that the indi- viduals to whom they belonged had only one ? I think not ; and notwithstanding all that Camden and others assert on the subject, I am strongly of opinion that hereditary surnames were sometimes used before the Conquest. Camden's remark, that these single-named gentry come "last in every shire," strengthens my supposition. It is probable that their inferiority of rank was the cause of the non-insertion of the second, or sur-name. We must not forget that many of these " men of least account," were of the conquered Saxon race, who would be treated with as little ceremony in their names as in anything else. Do not modern usages with respect to the nomenclature of inferiors support this idea ? We rarely speak of our su- periors without the double or triple designation : Lord So-and'Soy Sir John Such-a-oney or Mr. This-or-Thaty while the single names Smithy Brown, JoneSy and RobinsoUy suffice for persons of lower grade. I will venture to say that one half of the masters and mistresses of houses in large towns do not even know more than one of the two 42 HISTORY OF names borne by their servants, some accustoming them- selves to command them exclusively by their Christian names, others as exclusively using their surnames, I know that many of my readers will regard all this as in- conclusive gossip, but having hazarded an opinion, I am unwilling to leave anything unsaid that could be said in support of it. The manors of Ripe and Newtimber, in Sussex, are men- tioned in Domesday as having been, before the Conquest, the estates, respectively, of Cane and of jElfech. Now these names are still found in the county as surnames; the former under its antient orthography, and the latter under that of Elphick ; but were these ever used as Christian names ? ^Ifech may be the same with Alphage, a Saxon fore-name ; but Cane was certainly never so used. By the bye, it is an extraordinary fact that the name of Cane is still borne by two respectable farmers at Ripe, in which neighbourhood, I have scarcely a doubt, their ancestors have dwelt from the days of the Confessor, and all bearing the same monosyllabic designation : an honour which few of the mighty and noble of this land can boast ! It would however be preposterous to imagine that sur- names universally prevailed so early as the eleventh century : we have overwhelming evidence that they did not ; and must admit that although the Norman Conquest did much to introduce the practice of using them, it was long before they became very common. All I am anxious to establish is, that the occasional use of surnames in England dates beyond the ingress of the Normans. Surnames were taken up in a very gradual manner by the great, (both of Saxon and Norman descent,) during the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. By the middle ENGLISH SURNAMES. 43 of the twelfth, howeyer, it appears that they were (in the estimation of some) necessary appendages to famihes of rank, to distinguish them from those of meaner extraction. We have an instance of this in the wealthy heiress of the powerful Baron Fitz-Hamon's making the want of a sur- name in Robert, natural son of King Henry the First, an objection to his marriage with her. The lady is repre- sented as saying : H loert to me great iS^amtf Co i^abe a laxti biitiouUn l)i^ tioa name !* when the monarch, to remedy the defect, gave him the surname of Fitz-Roy ; a designation which has been given at several subsequent periods to the illegitimate progeny of our kings. The unsettled state of surnames in those early times ren- ders it a difficult matter to trace the pedigree of any family beyond the thirteenth century. In Cheshire, a county re- markable for the number of its resident families of great antiquity, it was very usual for younger branches of a family, laying aside the name of their father, to take their name from the place of their residence, and thus in three descents as many surnames are found in the same family. f This remark may be forcibly illustrated by reference to the early pedigree of the family of Fitz-Hugh, which name did not settle down as a fixed appellative until the time of Edward III. Thus we read in succession — * Robert of Gloucester. t Vide Lyson's Cheshire, p. 357, and the Essay on Changed Surnames in this work. 44 HISTORY OF Bardolph, Akaris Fitz-Bardolph, Hervey Fitz-Akaris, Henry Fitz-Hervey, Randolph Fitz-Henry, Henry Fitz-Randolph, Randolph Fitz-Henry, Hugh Fitz-Randolph, Henry Fitz-Hugh, which last was created a baron, assuming that name as his title, and giving it permanence as a family appellative.* When there were several sons in one family, instances are found where each brother assumed a different surname. There is another great difficulty in tracing the pedigrees of families, arising from the loose orthography which obtained up to the time of Elizabeth, and even later. Mr. Marklandf mentions having seen a document of the sixteenth century, in which four brothers, named Rugely, spell their names in as many different ways. Dr. Chandler notices the name of Waynflete in seventeen modes of orthography, and Dugdale, in his MS. Collections respecting the family of Main waring, of Peover, co. Chester, has the extraordi- nary number of one hundred and thirty-one variations of that single name, all drawn from authorized documents. It might be conjectured (adds Mr. Markland) that these variations were intentional, could any probable motive be assigned for such a practice.^ * Halle of John Halle, vol. i. p. 10. t Archaeologia, vol. xviii. p. 108. t I have little doubt that what we now regard as irregularities in the ortho- graphy of our ancestors were by them considered ornamental ; a species of taste ♦♦ somewhat akin to the fastidiousness in modern composition, which as stu- diously rejects the repetition of words and phrases." ENGLISH SURNAMES. 45 It has been asserted that an act of parliament was passed in the reign of Edward the Second for enforcing the prac- tice of using surnames, but it seems more probable that necessity led the common people to adopt them. Before the Conquest there was, in most cases, sufficient variety in the Christian names ; but the Normans, giving the pre- ference to scripture names, introduced so great a number of Johns, Jameses, and Peters, that in the course of two or three centuries surnames were absolutely necessary for the sake of distinction. These surnames were of a very loose kind, as is appa- rent from the following list of persons who were living about the year 1340, (13 Edw. III.) taken principally from the Inquisitio Nonarum : Johes over the Water William at Byshope Gate Johes o' the Shephouse Johes q'dam s'viens Rog. Leneydeyman Johis vicarii eccl' Ste. Nich. Agnes, the Pr'sts sister* Johes at the Castle Gate Johes in the Lane Johes up the Pende Petr' atte the Bell Johes of the Gutter Thomas in the Willows Steph' de Portico William of London-bridge. Gent. Mag. June ]821. 46 HISTORY OF About this time (to speak generally) the surnames of the middling and lower ranks began to descend from father to son ; but even at the commencement of the fifteenth century- there was much confusion in family names. Sometimes, indeed, the same person bore different surnames at difierent periods. Thus, a person who in 1406 describes himself as WiUiam, the son of Adam Emmotson, calls himself, in 1416, WilUam Emmotson. Another person who is designated John, the son of WiUiam, the son of John de Hunshelf, appears soon after as John Wilson. , Other names, such as Willielmus-Johnson- Wilkinson, Willielmus-Adamson- Magotson, and Thomas-Henson-Magot, prevail about this period.* The following address to the populace, at the beginning of one of the Coventry Mysteries, serves still further to illustrate the state in which the family nomenclature of the humbler classes stood in the fifteenth century: *II A voj'd sers ! And lete me lord the bischop come And syt in the court, the laws for to doo ; And I schal gon in this place, them for to somowne ; The that ben in my book, the court ye must come to. TI I warne you her,' all abowte, That I somown you, all the rowte, Loke ye fayl, for no dowte. At the court to " per" (appear). Both John Jurdon' and Geffrey Gyle Malkyn Mylkedoke and fayre Mabyle, Stevyn Sturdy, and Jack-Ax-XHE Style, And Sawdyr Sadeler. If Thorn Tvnker' and Betrys Belle Peyrs Potter, and Whatt-AT-THE-WELLE, Symme Smal-feyth, and Kate Kelle, And Bertylmew the Bocher (butcher). • Penny Cyclopaedia. ENGLISH SURNAMES. 47 KyttCAKELER, and Colett Crane, Gylle Fetyse and fayr Jane Powle Powter', and P[ar]nel Prane, And Phelypp the good Fleccher. If Cok Crane, and Davy Dry-dust Luce Lyer, and Letyce Lytyl-trust, Miles the Miller, and CoUe Crake-crust Both Bette the Baker, and Robyn R^de, And LOKE ye rynge wele in yowr purs For ellys yowr cawse may spede the wurs, • Thow that ye slynge goddys curs , Evy[n] at my hede. ^ Both BoNTYNG the Browster, and Sybyly Slynge, Megge Mery-wedyr, and Sabyn Sprynge TyfFany Twynkeler fFayle for no thynge, Ffast co' a way The courte shall be this day. Surnames can scarcely be said to have been permanently settled before the era of the Reformation.* The keeping of parish registers was probably more instrumental than anything else in setthng them ; for if a person were en- tered under one surname at baptism, it is not likely that he would be married under another, and buried under a third. Exceptions to a generally established rule, however, oc- curred in some places. The Rev. Mark Noblef affirms that " it was late in the seventeenth century that many families in Yorkshire, even of the more opulent sort, took stationary names. Still later, about Hahfax, surnames be- came in their dialect genealogical, as William a Bills, a Toms, a Luke.** In Scotland the same irregularities prevailed down to the time of James V. and Mary. Buchanan mentions that * Archaeologia, vol. xviii. p. 108. t Hist. Coll. Arms, Introduction, p. 29. 48 HISTORY OF he has seen deeds of that date 'most confused and un- exact in designations of persons inserted therein,' parties being described as ' John, son of black Wilham,' * Thomas, son of long or tall Donald,' &c. Even so late as 1723, there were two gentlemen of Sir Donald Mac Donald's family, who bore no other name than Donald Gorm, or Blue Donald.* On the remark of Tyrwhitt, in his edition of Chaucer, that it is " probable that the use of surnames was not in Chaucer's time fully established among the lower class of people," a more recent editor of the same poet says, "Why, the truth is, that they are not now, even in the nineteenth century, fully established in some parts of England. There are very few, for instance, of the miners of Staffordshire who bear the names of their fathers. The Editor knows a pig-dealer, whose father's name was Johnson, but the people call him Pigman, and Pigman he calls himself. This name may be now seen over the door of a pubHc-house which this man keeps in Staffordshire.'* But this is nothing to the practice of bearing a double set of names, which, we are assured, prevails among these colliers. Thus a man may at the same time bear the names of John Smith and Thomas Jones, without any intention of concealment; but it must not be imagined that such regular names are in common use. These are a kind of best names, which, like their Sunday clothes, they only use on high-days and holidays, as at christenings and marri- ages. For every-day purposes they use no appellative, except a nickname, as Noseg, Soiden-mouth,^ Soaker, or some such elegant designation; and this is employed, not by their neighbours alone, but by their wives and children, • Scottish Surnames, p. 18, + With the mouth awry. ENGLISH SURNAMES. 49 and even by themselves ! A correspondent of Knight's Quarterly Magazine,* who is my authority for these state- ments, says, " I knew an apothecary in the collieries, who, as a matter of decorum, always entered the real names of his patients in his books; that is, when he could ascertain them. But they stood there only for ornament; for use he found it necessary to append the sobriquet, which he did with true medical formahty, as, for instance, 'Thomas Williams, vulgo diet.. Old Puff.' . . . Clergymen have been known to send home a wedding party in despair, after a vain essay to gain from the bride and bridegroom a sound by way of name, which any known alphabet had the power of committing to paper !" A story is told of an attorney's clerk who was professionally employed to serve a process on one of these oddly-named gentry, whose real name was entered in the instrument with legal accuracy. The clerk, after a great deal of inquiry as to the whereabouts of the party, was about to abandon the search as hopeless, when a young woman, who had witnessed his labours, kindly volunteered to assist him. " Oy say. Bully ed,"" cried she, to the first person they met, " does thee know a mon neamed Adam Green ?" The bull-head was shaken in token of ignorance. " Loy-a-hed, dost thee ?" Lie-a-bed's opportunities of making acquaintance had been rather limited, and she could not resolve the dif- ficulty. Stumpy (a man with a wooden leg), Cowskin, Spindle- shanks, Cockeye, and Pigtail were severally invoked, but in vain ; and the querist fell into a brown study, in which she remained for some time. At length, however, her eyes * Vol. i. p. 297 et seq. 3 50 HISTORY OF suddenly brightened, and slapping one of her companions on the shoulder, she exclaimed triumphantly, " Dash my wig ! whoy he means moy feyther !'* and then turning to the gentleman, she added, "Yo should' n ax'd for Ode Blackbird r I could adduce similar instances, where persons among the peasantry of my native county are much better known by sobriquets than by their proper surnames ; and many only know them by the former. This is particularly the case where several families in one locality bear the same name. A friend of mine informs me, that he lately knew fifteen persons in the small town of F , on the coast of Kent, whose hereditary name was Hally but who, gratia distinctionis, bore the elegant designations of — Doggy-Hall, Pumble-Foot, Feathertoe, Cold-Flip, Bumper, Silver-Eye, Bubbles, Lumpy, Pierce-Eye, Sutty, Faggots, Thick-Lips, CuLA, and JiGGERY, Old Hare. But it is high time to end this " duU, dry, and desultory" Essay, which I now do, with a guarantee to my indulgent reader, that the succeeding ones shall be made, as far as the nature of the subject will admit, more interesting, both as regards " the thing to be said and the manner of saying it." Let me add one word in deprecation of the wrath of learned antiquaries, who may be incHned hastily to con- demn my light and cursory mode of handling a subject which is certainly susceptible and worthy of a more grave ENGLISH SURNAMES. 51 and profound treatment. It must be recollected that I am not writing for the instruction of persons well versed in the records of the past, but for the information and amuse- ment of that greatly preponderating class of readers who have not been initiated into the mysteries of antiqua- rianism, and who, as yet, have to learn that " Not rude and barren are the winding ways Of hoar Antiquity, but strewn with flowers." 52 LOCAL SURNAMES. ESSAY III. LOCAL SURNAMES. Under the general term Local Surnames, I include all such family names as were borrowed from places. These may be divided into two classes : first, the specific, com- prising such as are derived from the proper names of places, as Torke, Winchester, Grantham ; and second, the generic, being all those taken from common names expres- sive of situation, as Wood, Hill, Greene. We have already seen that some second names were bor- rowed from places in antient times. These, however, were not hereditary, like those of modern date. The latter ori- ginated, in all probabiUty, in Normandy and the contiguous parts of France, about the close of the tenth century, or the commencement of the eleventh. Possessors of land, in the first instance, borrowed them from their own estates, a practice in which the Normans were soon imitated by the English, particularly after the Conquest. Chiefly of this kind are the names occurring in that far-famed document, the ^rtat ^K-oIl of 33attel ^hhtv — a list of the principal commanders and companions in arms of WilUam the con- queror. * Camden remarks, that there is not a single village in Normandy that has not surnamed some family in England. The French names introduced at the Conquest may generally be known by the prefixes de, du, des, de la, ST. or SAiNCT, and by the suffixes font, ers, fant, beau, * See Appendix. LOCAL SURNAMES. 53 AGE, MONT, ARD, AUX, BOIS, LY, EUX, ET, VAL, COURT, VAUX, LAY, FORT, OT, CHAMP and viLLE ; most of which are component parts of proper names of places, as every one may convince himself by the slightest glance at a map of northern France. I shall here set down, from Camden, some of the princi- pal surnames imported into England from the opposite side of the channel in or about the year 1066, which he classi- fies into those of Normandy, Bretagne, France, and the Netherlands. From Normandy. Mortimer, Warren, Albigny, Percy, Gournay, Devereux, TankerviQe, St.-Lo, Argenton, Marmion, St.-Maure (corruptly Seymour), Bracy, Maigny, Nevill, Ferrers, Harcourt, Baskerville, Mortagne, Tracy, Beaufoy, Valoins (now Valance?) Cayly, Lucy, Montfort, Bonville, Bouil, Avranche, &c. From Bretagne. St. Aubin, Morley, Dinant (corrupted to Dinham), Dole, Balun, Conquest, VaUetort, Lascelles, Bluet, &c. Fromother parts of France. Courtenaye, Corby, Boleyn, Crevequer, St. Leger, Bohun, St. Andrew, Chaworth, St. Quintin, Gorges, VilHers, Cromar, Paris, Rheims, Cressy (now Creasy), Fynes, Beaumont, Coignac, Lyons, Chalons, Chaloner, Estampes or Stamps, and many more. From the Netherlands. Louvaine, Gaunt (Ghent), Ipres, Bruges (now Brydges), Malines, Odingsels, Tournay, Douay, Buers (now Byers), Beke; and, in latter ages, Daubridgcourt, Rosbert, Many, Grandison, &c. Many persons who bear names of French origin jump, without any evidence of the fact from historical records, to the conclusion, that they must needs be descended from some stalwart Norman, who hacked his way to eminence 54 LOCAL SURNAMES. and fortune through the serried ranks of the Saxons at Hastings. Such ambitious individuals ought to be re- minded that, in the eight centuries that have elapsed since the Conquest, there have been numerous settlements of the French in our nation ; for instance. Queen Isabella of France, the consort of Edward II. introduced in her train many personages bearing surnames previously unknown in England, as Longchamp, Conyers, Devereux, D'Arcy, Henage, Savage, MoHneux, and Danvers ;* to say nothing of the various settlements of merchants, artists, and re- fugees of aU kinds, who have sought and found an '* island home" in Britain. Although the practice of adopting hereditary surnames from manors and locaUties originated in Normandy, we are not therefore to conclude that all those names that have de, &c. prefixed were of Norman origin ; for many famiUes of Saxon lineage copied the example of their conquerors in this particular. If the Normans had their De Warrens, De Mortimers, and D'Evereuxes, the English likewise had their De Ashburnhams, De Fords, De Newtons, &c. ad infinitum. In some cases the Normans preferred the sur- name derived from their antient patrimonies in Normandy ; in others they substituted one taken from the estate given them by the Conqueror and his successors. In a few in- stances the particle de or d^ is still retained ; but, generally speaking, it was dropped from surnames about the time of Henry the Sixth, when the title armiger or ejfqut'er among the heads of famihes, and generosus or gentglman among younger sons, began pretty generally to be substituted. Thus, instead of John de Alchorne, William de Catesby, &c. the landed gentry wrote themselves, John Alchorne of ♦ Anglorum Speculum, 1684, p. 26. LOCAL SURNAMES. 56 Alchorne, Esq., William Catesby of Catesby, Gent. &c. Our quaint old friend Verstegan thinks tbis change began to take place "when English men and EngHsh manners began to prevail unto the recovery of decayed credit;'** or, in other words, when the native English began to breathe from the tyranny of their Norman conquerors. This may be true of the former, but it cannot apply to the latter. Brevity appears to have been the real motive for the omission of the de, and other particles pre- viously used with surnames. Had euphony been regarded, it would never have occurred with the French particles ; for, however much better Hall and Towers may sound than Atte Halle and Atte Tower, it cannot be denied that Be la Chambre and Le Despencer are shorn of all their beauty when transmogrified to Chambers and Spencer. But to return ; to bear the denomination of one's own estate was antiently, as it is still, considered a peculiar honour and a genuine mark of gentility : but sic transit gloria mundi, that I could name instances of persons having become absolutely pauperised on the very spot from which their ancestors had been surnamed. From these observations, however, it must not be in- ferred that all families bearing local surnames were ori- ginally possessors of the locaUties from which those names were borrowed. In all probability a great number of such names were never used with the de at all. In Germany and Poland they discriminate in this respect by using the word IN, when possessors of the place, and of, when only born or dwelling there. The like, Camden tells us, was formerly done in Scotland, "where you shall have Trotter ©/"Folsham, and Trotter in Fogo ; Haitley of Haitley, and Haitley in • Restitution, p. 311, .56 LOCAL SURNAMES. Haitley. The foregoing remark is rendered most evident by such names as these, occurring at an early period in the neighbourhood of Hull : Ralph le Taverner de Nottingham de Kyngeston super Hull ; Robert de Bripol de KyngestoUy &c.* There are several antient baronial surnames to which our old genealogists assigned a false origin. Some of these may be called Crusading names, from the supposition that they were derived from places visited by the founders of the famiUes during the holy wars. Mortimer was, according to these etymologists, de Mortuo Mart, " from the Dead Sea," and Dacre, D'Acre, a town on the coast of Palestine ; but it is well known that the places from which these two are derived are situated, the one in Normandy, the other in Cumberland. Jordan, however, is known to have been borrowed from the famous river of that name in Palestine; and Mountjoy is said to have been adopted from a place near Jerusalem, which, according to that worthy old traveller. Sir John Maundevile, " men clepen Mount- Joye, for it zevethe joy to pilgrymes hertes, be cause that there men seen first Jerusalem .... a full fair place and a delicyous."t There is a "vulgar error" that places borrowed their names from persons, instead of the contrary. On this sub- ject Camden says, "Whereas therefore these locall deno- minations of families are of no great antiquitie, I cannot yet see why men should thinke that their ancestors gave • Vide Frost's History of Hull. t Some religious houses in England had their mountjoys, a name given to emi- nences where the first view of the sacred edifice was to be obtained. This name is still retained in a division of the hundred of Battel, not far from the remains of the majestic pile reared by William the Conqueror. LOCAL SURNAMES. VJ names to places, when the places bare those very names before any men did their surnames. Yea, the very termi- nations of the names are such as are only proper and ap- plicable to places, and not to persons in their significations, if any will marke the locall terminations which I lately spe- cified. Who would suppose Hill, Wood, Field, Ford, Ditch, Poole, Pond, Town or Tun, and such like termi- nations, to be convenient for men to beare their names, vnlesse they could also dreame Hills, Woods, Fields, Ponds, &c. to have been metamorphosed into men by some supernaturall transformation. " And I doubt not but they will confesse that townes stand longer than famihes. " It may also be prooued that many places which now haue Lords denominated of them had .... owners of other surnames and families not many hundred yeeres since. "I know neverthelesse, that albeit most townes haue borrowed their names from their situation and other respects, yet some with apt terminations, have their names frommen, asEdwardston, Alfredstone, Ubsford, Malmesbury (corruptly for Maidulphsbury). But these were from fore- names or Christian names, and not from surnames. For Ingulphus plainly sheweth that Wiburton and Leffrington were so named, because two knights, Wiburt and Leofric,* * The practice of borrowing names of places from the fore-names of men ap- pears to have been pretty usual among the Saxons, and tliat even almost to the period of the Conquest. " Many of the names of places, of which the meaning seems most difficult to explain, are compounded of those of Anglo-Saxon possessors or cultivators ; and the original forms of such words are readily discovered by a reference to Domes- day book. Thus, on the Herefordshire side of Ludlow we have Elmodes-treow or the tree of Elmod (now Aymestry) ; Widferdestune, or the enclosure of 3§ 58 LOCAL SURNAMES. there sometime inhabited. But if any should affirme that the gentlemen named Leffrington, WiburtoUf Lancaster, Leicester, Bossevill, or Shor ditch, gave the names to the places so named, I would humbly, without prejudice, craue respite for a further day before I beleeued them " This error possibly originated either in the flattering tales of old genealogists,* or from the fact of surnames having been occasionally appended to the proper names of towns and manors, for the sake of distinction ; or, as Camden says, "to notifie the owner," as Hurst-Perpoint, and Hurst-Monceux ; Tarring-Neville, and Tarring-Peverell ; Rotherfield-Greys, and Rotherfield-Pypard. It is true that a vulgar ostentation has often induced the proprietors of mansions to give their own names to them, as Hammond^ s- Place, Latimer's, Camois-Court, Mark's-Hall, TheohaWs, Widfeid (Wooffertoii) ; Willaves-lage, or the lee (saltus) of Willaf (probably Willey) ; Edwardes-tune, or the enclosure of Edward (Adferton); Elnodes-tune, or the enclosure of Elnod (Elton); Bernoldune, or the hill of Bemold. In Shropshire there are Chinbaldes-cote, or the cot of Chinbald, a place mentioned as dependent upon Bromfield ; iElmundes-tune, or the enclosure of Elmund ; Elmund-wic, or the dwelling of Elmund ; Alnodes-treow, or the tree of Elnod, &c. Names of places having ing in the middle are generally formed from patro- nymics, which in Anglo-Saxon had this termination. Thus a son of Alfred was an vElfreding, his descendants in general were ^Ifredingas or Alfredings. These patronymics are generally compounded with ham, tun, &c., and whenever we can find the name of a place in pure Saxon documents, we have the patrony- mic in the genitive case plural. Thus Birmingham was Beorm-inga-ham, the home or residence of the sons or descendants of Beorm. There are not many names of this form in the neighbourhood of Ludlow ; Berrington (Beoringatun) was perhaps the enclosure of the sons or family of Beor, and Culmington that of the family of Culm." — Vide Wright's History of Ludlow, reviewed In the Arch^ologist, March, 1842. • Among other instances of this kind, I recollect that, in the pedigree of Roberts, antiently called Rookhurst, (Hayley's Sussex MSS. Brit. Mus.) compiled in the reign of Elizabeth, it is asserted that a gentleman of Scotland, named Rookhurst, settling in Kent, in, the eleventh century, gave that name to the manor so designated ! LOCAL SURNAMES. 59 &c. &c. "when as now they have possessors of other names ; and the old verse is, and alwayes will be, verified of them, which a right worshipfull friend of mine* not long since writ upon his new house : jSunc mea, mox f)\ijvL&, iSeU po&tta tit&cio cujuj;/* But enough of these preliminary observations. It is now time to classify the local surnames into their various kinds : and first, I may mention those of the patrial description or such as denote the country out of which the founder of the family originally came. These are more numerous than might be expected: and they usually occur in antient records with the particle le prefixed. Alman, from Almany, (Germany.) Angevin, from Anjou. Camd. I have not met with this name. Braban, from Brabant. Bret, Bretton, Britton, from Bretagne, a province of France. Burgoyne, from Burgundy. Cornish, Cornwallis, from Cornwall. Champneis, from Champagne. Dane, Denis, Dench, from Denmark. EsTARLiNG, corrupted in some instances to Stradling, from * the East,' probably Greece. English, England. I can only account for these names on the supposition that they were given to some Englishmen, while resident abroad. Inglis. French, France. Flanders, Fleming, from the Netherlands. Gael or Gale, a Scot. ♦ Camd. Rem. p. 108. 60 LOCAL SURNAMES. Germaine, from Germany. Gasgoyne, from the French province. Hanway, from the old name of Hainault, which was so denominated temp. Hen. VIII. In Andrew Borde's "Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge," we are in- formed that the * money, maners and fashyons' of the inhabitants of Holland * is lyke Flaunders, Hanway y and Braban, which be commodious and plentyful contreys.* Holland, Douche. The latter is the antient form of "Dutch." Janeway, a Genoese. On the mention of this name an antient anecdote occurs to my recollection, which I know I shall be pardoned for introducing here. " There was one amonge the Janwayes that the Frenche kyng hyred to make warre agaynst the Englysshe men, whiche bare an oxe heed peynted in his shelde : the which shelde a noble man of France challenged: and so longe they stroue, that they must nedes fyght for it. So at a day and place appointed, the frenche gallaunt came into the felde, rychely armed at all peces. The Janwaye, all vnarmed, came also in to the felde, and said to the frenche man, wherefore shall we this day fight? Mary, said the frenche man, I wyll make good with my body, that these armes were myne auncetours before thyne. What were your auncetours armes ? quod the Janwaye. An oxe heed, sayd the frenche man. Than sayde the Janwaye, here nedeth no batayle : For this that I beare is a c<ywes heed P' (From " Tales, and quicke Answeres, very mery, and pleasant to rede,'* written about temp. Henry VIII.) Ireland, Irish. Lombard, Lambarde, from Lombardy. Mayne, from the French province. LOCAL SURNAMES. 61 Man, from the Island. Moore, Morris. The former may be, and probably is a "generic" name, as it occurs in the form of Atmoor, Amoore, &c. q. d. at the Moor, With respect to the latter name I may observe that it is variously spelt Morys, Moris, Morris, Morice, Morrice, Mawrice, &c., and com- pounded with various initial expressions, De, Mont, Fitz, Clan, &c. Some of the families bearing this name are of Welsh extraction, Mawrrwyce^ being the Welsh form of Mavors (Mars), the god of war, antiently given to valorous chieftains of that country. One of the Welsh family mottoes has reference to this etymology, " Marte et mari faventibus." The other Morrices are supposed to be of Moorish blood ; their progenitors having come over from Africa, by way of Spain, into various countries of western Europe at an early period. It is a well-known fact that the particular species of saltation, called the morrice-dance, and several branches of magic lore, were introduced into these regions many centuries since by natives of Morocco. The professors of those arts, enriching themselves by their trade, seem in some instances to have embraced Christianity, and to have become founders of eminent famihes ; certain it is that several magnates bearing the names of Morice, Fitz-Morice and Montmorice, attended Wilham the Con- queror in his descent upon England, and, acquiring lands, settled in this country. The name Montmorris is said to signify "from the Moorish mountains."* Norman, from Normandy. Pi card, from Picardy, a province of France. PoiTEviN, from Poitou. Camd. I have not seen this name elsewhere ; Poit levin however occurs. • Vide Burke's Commoners, vol. iv. 62 LOCAL SURNAMES. RoMAYNE, from Rome. Rhodes, from the island in the Mediterranean. Scott, from Scotland. Wales, Walsh, Wallis, from Wales. Westphaling, from Westphalia, in Germany; also Westphal. Wight, from the island of that name. To these may he added Payne,* (latinized Paganus,) probably given to some Paynim or Mussulman, who em- braced the Christian faith during the Crusades; and GiPSEY, bestowed on some person who had left the myste- rious nomadic tribe, so well known, and become naturalized as an Englishman. Be this as it may, it is now borne by a very respectable family, who take rank as gentry, and reside, if my recollection serves me, somewhere in Kent. From names of Counties in the British dominions we derive the following family names : Cheshire , Kent, Essex, -^ Cornwall, Devonshire, Devon, Darbishire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Cumberland, Renfrew (cor- rupted to Romphrey), Denby, Montgomery (?) Clare (?) Dmrni (?) Hoss (?) &c. Also Kentish, Devenish, and Cornish, with which last I may add Londonish and Londonoys. From Cities and Towns: Torke, Winchester, Chichester, * Persons who wilfully remained unbaptized were antiently called Pagani. (VideFosbroke's Ency. of Antiq.) t There is now living in the weald of Kent a person called Essex, from the circumstance of his father having migrated from that county. The cause of this change of the family appellation was the oddity of the original name, which the honest ' Wealdishers' found some diflBculty in pronouncing. The surname Wildish (cognate with Cornish, Londonish, &c.) was probably given to its first bearer, not from any particular wildness of demeanour, but because he came from the wild or weald of Sussex. The peasants who go to the South-Down farms to assist in the labours of harvest, are still called by their hill-country brethren, * Wildish men.' LOCAL SURNAMES. 63 Rochester^ Oxford, Bristowe (Bristol), London, Warwick, Buckingham, Bedford, Carlisle, Lancaster, Hertford, Lester, Coventry, Portsmouth, Lewes, Hastings, Arundel, Rye, Blackburn, Hampton, Huntingdon, Grantham, Rugby, Halifax, Grimsby, Bath, Wells, Poole, Dartmouth, Hull, Kingston, Winchelsea,* and others far too numerous to mention. The town of Devizes is often called " The Vise ;" hence, in all probability, we have the name of Fyse. From Villages : as for instance, from Sussex alone ; Heathfeld, Hartfield, Halsham, Bicker, Ernley, Waldron, Ore, Icklesham, Kingston, Balcomb, Wistonneston, Hurst, Ticehurst, Crowhurst, Westfield, Clayton, Patching, Preston, Iden, Mayfield, Ashburnham, Barnham, Beckley, Barwike, Bolney, Compton, Coombs, Etchingham, Glynde, Goring, Grinstead, Lindfield, which, with numerous others, are still borne (some few excepted) by persons resident in the county. From Manors and smaller estates : The surnames from these sources are innumerable. To sum up the whole matter, I may observe that there is scarcely a city, town, village, manor, hamlet, or estate in England, that has not lent its name to swell the nomenclature of Englishmen. As we retain most of the names of places given them by our Saxon ancestors, with their significant terminations, it is no wonder that — " )ht dfortr, in f^am, in Ecg antl Con C!)e mosSt of (^^i^^ ^ummit^ run.** I am not quite sure, however, whether the proverb is ♦ The names of Brighton, Devonport, and other very modern towns, which occasionally occur, (in police reports, &c.) must be of recent assumption, and are probably adopted by delinquents for the purpose of concealment. 64 LOCAL SURNAMES. correct. There are at least some other terminations that are as numerous as the four selected by the rhymester : FIELD, for instance ; ing, hurst, wood, wick andsTED. Other terminations of less frequent occurrence are bury, BOURNE, caster, COTE, OKE, COMBE, CROFT, DUN, EY, PORT, SHAW, WORTH, THORPE, WADE, CLIFF, MARSH, GATE, HILL, DOWN, WELL, &c.; most of which terminations also stand as distinct surnames. Some counties have predominant surnames of the local kind ; hence in Cornwall the old proverbial saying : " 33p Cre, 3PciI, aitti J^tn, Camden (or, more probably, his friend " R. Carew of Anthony, Esquire,") has amplified the proverb to " 33^ Ere, mo^, 33oI, Ean, Caer, ant) 3P«t, i^ou mag fenoii) ^t moilt Corntslj^nten/* In no other county of England are there so many local surnames as in Cornwall ; and as the names of places are almost exclusively derived from British roots, the family nomenclature of that peninsula differs materially from that of the rest of England. I may remark that Tre signifies a town ; Ros, a heath ; Pol^ a pool ; Lan, a church ; Caer^ a castle ; and Pen, a head. In Kent ?iwdi Sussex, Hurst, signifying "wood," is a component syllable in many hundreds of names of places, from many of which surnames have been borrowed, as Ticehurstj Crowhurst, Bathursty Hawkhurst, Akehurst, Penkhurst, Wilmshurst, Askurst, &c. Field and Den are likewise very usual in these counties, as Chatjield, Lindfieldy Hartjieldy Streatjield ; Cowden, Horsrmnden, Haffenden. LOCAL SURNAMES. 65 In Devonshire, combe appears to be a favorite termi- nation. The frequency of two family names in a northern county led to this proverbial saying : ** hi €f)t!ii}ivt i^tvt are %tts a«{ pUntp afi Utaa, ^xits as; mang iiabmport^ ai tiog^a'^mUV** A Cheshire correspondent informs me that the LeigJis are the persons intended; the Lees, a distinct family, having never been numerous in the county. He adds, that the more modern version of the proverb is — "f(iS man|) %tx^^ as; flea^g, f^di^^it^ asl asljieig, antj JBa^enporW a^S tlogjJ^tails;.** Identity of surname is not always proof of the consan- guinity of the parties bearing it ; for in some instances two families have derived their surname from one place, in other cases from two different places bearing the same de- signation. As nearly every county has its Norton, its Newton,'^ its Stoke, or its Sutton, there may be nearly as many distinct families of those names as there are counties. Much less are such names as Attwood, Waters, Wells, Banks, &c. peculiar to one family. "Rivers,*' says Camden, "have imposed names to some men, as the old Baron Sur-Teys (hodie Surtees), that • Grose's Proverbs. t It is remarkable that many of the most antique places in the kingdom bear this name, which signifies New-town. This definition reminds me of an epitaph in a churchyard in the north of England : "" Here lies (alas !) and more's the pity. All that remains of John New-city." To which the following somewhat important nota bene is attached : "03' The man's name was New-iows, which would not rhyme." *: 66 LOCAL SURNAMES. is, upon the Tees . . . Berwentwatery Eden, Troutbecky Hartgilly Esgilly Wampully Swale, Stour, Temes, Trent, Tamavy Granty Tyney CroCy Loney Lundy Calder" To these I add SeverUy Parret, Dee, Kennetty* Loddoriy Yarrow y Mole. I think Pickersgill belongs to this class, as it sig- nifies ' a stream inhabited by pike or pickereU.* Hitherto I have treated of names derived from the proper names of places ; it now becomes necessary to notice those taken from the common or generic names of localities, as HiUy Daley Woody &c. After the practice of adopting the name of one's own estate had become pretty general amongst the landed fami- lies, men of the middle and lower classes, (" ungentplmm," as the Boke of St. Alban's has it,) imitating their superiors, borrowed their family names from the situation of their residences; thus, if one dwelt upon a hill, he would style himself Atte Hull; if on a moor, Attmorey or Amore ; if under a hill, Underdown ; if near some tower or GATE, Atte Tower or Agate; if by some lake or SHORE, Bywater or Bythesea ;f if near the public road, Bythewayy &c. The prefix principally made use of was atte, which was varied to atten when the name began with a vowel. "An instance of this kind occurs in the surname of that cele- * Perhaps from the Scottish name Keneth. t One family of Bythesea, who have been gentry for upwards of three cen- turies at least, have a tradition that the founder of their house was a foundling, and that the name was given him (in reference to the situation where he was discovered) by a gentleman who bequeathed to him the whole of his estate. Names and dates, those useful verifiers of tradition, are wanting, I fear, in this case. The Dutch have their De Meer, and the Spaniards their Delmar, both signifying * Of the sea.' LOCAL SURNAMES. 67 brated personage in legal matters, Mr. John a-Noke, whose original appellation was John Atten Oak^ as that of his constant antagonist was John Atte Style. That the letter N is apt to pass from the end of one word to the beginning of another, is shown in newt^ which has certainly been formed by a corruption from an ewt or eft."* Noke is now seldom met with, but its corruption Noakes is one of the most common of surnames. The phrase, "Jack Noakes and Tom Styles," is familiarly employed to desig- nate the rabble.f Nash is, in Hke manner, a corruption of Atten-Ashy and Nye of Atten-Eye, at the island. In the course of a few generations the prefixes atte, &c., were softened to a, and with the latter some few names have descended to our own times, as Agate, Amoore, Acourt, &c. Generally speaking, however, the a was dropped towards the end of the sixteenth or the beginning of the seventeenth century. Camden supposes the a to be a softening of of, as Adam a" Kerby for Adam o/ Kerby. I think it has three distinct derivations : 1, As just stated, a mollification of of ; 2, It had the force of fronij and was, in fact, the Latin preposition (used instead of DE for of) in a local sense, as Thomas a Dover, for Thomas who came from Dover ; and, 3, That it was the same preposition in a genealogical sense, as Peter a James, for Peter the son of, or one descended /rom, James. As this kind of surnames forms a very considerable por- tion of the family nomenclature of Englishmen, I must beg my indulgent reader to don his hat and gloves, and accompany me to inspect the places from which our ances- • Glossary to Chaucer's Poems. Edit. 1825. ^ The inelegant name of BoaTis appears to be a contraction of ' By the oaks.' 68 LOCAL SURNAMES. tors delighted to designate themselves, which, for the purpose of getting a better view, I shall digest into an alphabetical list, after the example, and with the aid, of my great predecessor in these matters. Master William Camden ; making, in the course of the perambulation, such explanatory observations as may be deemed necessary, and relating such anecdotes as may be required to enliven a part of my subject which all but antiquaries will consider excessively dull.* A. Ashy and other generic names of trees. (See Tree.) B. Beck, (A.-S. Becc,) a brook ; Beckett, a httle brook. How inappropriate a name for that furious bigot ^S*^. Thomas of Canterbury ! Back, a ferry. At Bristol this word signifies a wharf, and in Cheshire it is synonymous with Beck. Baine, Baynes, a bath. (Fr.)f Borde, a cottage. The term * bordarii* of Domesday is understood to signify cottagers. Bank, Bankes. Barn, Barnes. Barrow, (A.-S. Beajtp.) A barrow; a high or hilly place ; a wood, a grove ; a hill covered with wood. Bosworth. * The basis of this list is from Camden's Remaines, (p. 99, 3d edition,) from which I take the liberty of expunging whatever, in my judgment, is trivial or far-fetched in etymology. t There is a remarkable coincidence as to the name of Banwell in Somersetshire, where a great deposit of fossil bones has been discovered, and from which the place might be supposed to be denominated — ban being the A.-S. for bone : but CoUinson mentions a much esteemed sulphureous spring there, which doubtless, as a former hain or bath, caused the name. LOCAL SURNAMES. 69 BiggiUi a building. Newhiggiuy a new building. Bent, rush, reed, sedge. Bearne, a wood. Barton, a curtilage. In Devonshire it is applied to any freehold estate not possessed of manorial privileges. Bury, Berry, a court (jCamd.), a hill, a barrow. By, (A.-S. By) a habitation. The shortest surname in use. Boys (Fr. Bois), a wood. The French have their Dubois, &c. Boroughs. Burke is synonymous. Bourne, 1, a boundary, (Fr. Borne.) " The undiscovered country — from whose bourne no traveller returns." 2, a stream, (A.-S. Bujane.) The last is probably the true derivation of the surname. Query; is the termination -BORN common to several names, as Seaborn, Winterborn, and Newborn, a corruption of this word ; or are we to understand that the founders of those families were born at sea, in winter, &c. ? Bottle (A.-S. botl, a village). The German buttel in Wolfenbiittel and many other names has the same significa- tion. (JSarbottle possibly means the high-botl or village.) A sailor of this name, who had served on board the Unity, man-of-war, gave one of his children the ridiculous name of Unity Bottle, The child was baptized at a village in Sussex ; the minister hesitated some time before he would perform the rite. Booth in Cheshire has the same meaning. Burne, Burns, a brook. Bridge, Briggs, Bridges, Attibridge. Bower. Brunne, v. Bourn. Brought y r^' Borough or Barrow. 70 LOCAL SURNAMES. Burtenshaw was antiently written Byrchenshaw, that is, the little wood or thicket of birch-trees. Bush. Although it may seem exceedingly trivial that so insignificant an object should name one of the lords of the creation, there is little doubt of the fact. There was lately living in Scotland a peasant who, with his children, was called Funns, because his cot was surrounded by furze, called, in some parts of the country, funns. This sobri- quet had so completely usurped the place of his hereditary surname that his neighbours called him by no other name.* Butts, marks for archery. In the days when dBnglanXr iwaji hut a flmg ^abe for tjt *Croofeetl ^ticfe' antf tje * (^reg^i^oo^e OTins,*t most parishes had a place set apart for this necessary sport, and the place is still indicated in many parishes by the name of " the Butts." A person resident near such a spot would very naturally assume the surname of " John at the Butts." Brook, A^ Brook. Bottom, (A.-S. botm.) In Sussex the words dale and valley are rarely used ; Bottom is the substitute. In some cases hills, or rather their summits, are called ^ Tops', e. g. Norton Top : Houndene Bottom. A low ground, a valley: hence Longbottom, a long dale ; Sidebottom, Ramsbottom, and that elegant surname, Shuffiebottom, which, when understood to signify " shaw-field-bottom," has nothing ridiculous in it. " Ramsbottom," says an intelligent correspondent, "is the name of a township in the parish of Bury, Lancashire. In • See an early No. of the Saturday Magazine. t Grose's Proverbs. LOCAL SURNAMES. 71 the same neighbourliood is a place called 'Ramsden.' These places are vulgarly pronounced RoMsbottom and RoMsden. Their signification is the valley of Roms. Roms or Rhoms are the wild onions which abound in these two places and nowhere else in the neighbourhood. In many parts of the North this word is compounded with names of trees, as Oakenbottom, Ashenbottom, Owler (that is Alder-) bottom. In Lancashire, hickin is the mountain-ash, whence perhaps Higginbottom.''* Camp. Chapel. CarVi (Caer, Brit.) frequently applied to elevations where castles have stood. Came, from Cairn, a Druidical heap of stones. " Wilham by the Came." Castell, Castle. Chatto seems to be a corruption of the French chateau. Cave. A good name for a person residing in, or at the mouth of a cave. It originated, perhaps, in Derbyshire. Church, and Churchyard. Chantry. Channel. Chase, a forest. The distinction between a chase and a forest seems to be this : the former generally belongs to a subject — ^the latter to the crown. Cove, a creek. Clough, Clowes, a deep descent between hills, or rather a cliff. " Clym of the Clough," a Cumberland ballad. ♦ Some consider this name to be Gennan. Vide Essay xiii. 72 LOCAL SURNAMES. Clive, a cliff. Cobby a harbour, as the Cobb of Lyme Regis, co. Dorset. Combe, a valley, (A.-S. Comb.) Coty Cote, (A.-S. Eote.) A cottage ; also a den. Court. Cragg, a cliff or rock; perhaps also (A.-S. C;\ecca) a creek. Croft, a small enclosed field, (A.-S.) In the North, Craft. Corner. Cross, given to one who dwelt near a market-cross, or by cross-roads. Cotterel, in Domesday, signifies a cottage. Cowdray. This name seems to be another spelling of ' couldray,' a grove of hazel trees.* Crouch, a cross (from the Latin crux) . That all cross- roads formerly had a cross of wood or stone erected near the intersection, is pretty clear from the names still retained, as John's Cross, Mark-Cross, Stone-Cross, High-Cross, Hand-Cross, New-Cross, Wych-Cross (perhaps so named in honour of St. Richard de la Wych, bishop of Chichester). All these, and many others, occur in Sussex.f At Seaford such a spot bears the name of ' the Crouch.' We find also High Crouch, Katty'sJ Crouch, Fair Crouch, Crow Crouch, &c. &c. Crouched or Crutched Friars were an order of religious who wore a cross upon their robes. The name crutch applied to the supports used by cripples is evidently from the same root. A person dweUing near some way- side cross would feel proud of such an appellative as * Bailey's Diet. t These crosses served also for direction posts. Probably this was their pri- mary use, the religious idea being an after-thought. The annexed cut is borrowed from one in Barclay's »* Ship of Fooles." (Vide Fosbroke's Ency.) % Saint Katherine's. LOCAL SURNAMES. 73 John atte Crouch^ a form in which the name fre- quently occurs. [A CROUCH.] Bale, Dearly Bell. Nearly synonymous. " Sometimes," as a friend observes, " dean means a bushy dingle or vale ; but, occasionally, something much greater, as Dean Forest, and kxden, co. Warwick." The Sussex family of Atte Denne inverted the syllables of their name, and made it Bennat or Dennett. 4 74 LOCAL SURNAMES. Derne, a solitary place. (A.-S. Diejina.) Bitch. Dyke. Dock. Donne, Don, Dun, a down. (A.-S. '©un.) JEy, Eye, a watery place ; an island. (A.-S. ij.) Eruth, Rith, a ford. *' John i' the Eruth" occurs in the Inq. Nonar. in the sense of John Ford. East, West, North, South. F. Farme. Field, Byfield, Attfield. Fell, Fells, barren stony hills. Fleet, a small stream. Fold. In some places the inclosure for impounded cattle is so called. Ford. Forest. In Holland, Van Voorst, in Fr. Lafor^t. Font, a spring. Frith, a plain among woods. In Scotland, an arm of the sea. Mr. Halliwell says " an inclosed wood." Foote, the bottom of a hill. Fenn. The old family ofAtte Fenne of Sussex, dropped the prefix, added an r, and became Fenner or Fenour. G. Garden. Garth, a Httle close, or yard behind a house. K fish- garth is a weir or dam for catching fish. LOCAL SURNAMES. 75 Garnet i a granary. Gate, Agate, Gates, Bygate. Gate in Scotland means a road or way. Gill, a small pebbly rivulet. Glyn, a glen. Grange, a large farm, kept in hand by a religious fra- ternity, with buildings and occasionally a chapel attached. Grave, Graves, a grove ; a cave. (A.-S. Djiaej:.) Gurnall, a granary. (Scot.) Gravett, a little grove. Greene. Grove, Groves. There is now living at Tunbridge a pauper of this name, who was picked up when an infant in the Grove at Tunbridge Wells. Gore, a word used in old records to describe a narrow slip of ground. H. Hall, a great house. Halliwell, a holy well. Ham, a dwelling, whence home. Often appHed in the southern counties to a triangular field or croft. Harbour. Hatch, a flood-gate. Haugh, How, a green plot in a valley ; a hill. Hay, in mediaeval Latin, " Haia," a minor park, or in- closure in the forests, for taking deer, wild goats, &c. Haystack. Head, a foreland or promontory, as Beachy Head, St. Alban's Head, &c. Several names derived from places are the same in sound and orthography as those borrowed from 76 LOCAL SURNAMES. parts of the person, of which hereafter. (Vide Back, Foot, &c.) Hedge, Hedges. There is a great disposition among the illiterate to pluralize surnames, as Woods for Wood, Gibbs for Gibb, Reeves for Reeve. . . Heath. Hurst, a wood. Heme, a house. Beda. Hithe, a haven. (A.-S. HytS.) Hide, an antient law term for as much land as can be cultivated with one plough. Hill, Hull. The French have Bumont, which may be the same with our Dymond. * At the hill' became Thill. Holme, (A.-S.) a meadow surrounded by water; an island (like those in the Bristol Channel, &c.) Holt, a small hanging wood. Percy says this word sometimes means a hill, and he cites Tuberville's Songs and Sonnets (1567,) in proof: — " Ye that frequent the hilles And highest holtes of all, Assist me with your skilful quilles, And listen when I call." I do not consider the use of the adjective * highest' conclu- sive of the Bishop's opinion that the term here means hills, although holts frequently, indeed almost invariably, occur upon hilly tracts of country. It may refer to the height of the trees. Hold, a tenement ; a fort. Hope, " the side of an hill." Camd. A small field. Hoo, or How, a high place. (Hop, A.-S., a mountain.) House. In Italy, Dellacasa ; in Spain, Las Casas. LOCAL SURNAMES. 'J-^ Huntj a chase, as Foxhunt in Sussex. Hont occurs in Chaucer for Huntsman. Hurne^ Homey a corner. JoKes in le Hurne^ that is, John in the Corner, occurs in the Inq. Nonar, 1341, parish of Wyke, county of Sussex. Holyoakcj some oak which a superstitious legend had made famous. Hole. Hookey Howke. Atte Hooke became 'Tooke. Hay-cock. Given first perhaps to a foundling. Hollow-way. (Vide Halle of John Halle.) Ingy a meadow, or low ground. (A.-S.) Isle. An eminent family called De VlsUy and afterwards VlsUy borrowed their name from the Isle of Wight. Another family adopted the same surname from the Isle of Ely. K. Kayy a quay. Atkey. Knapp, the top of a hill. (Cnjep. A.-S.) Knolly KnowleSy the top of a hill. (Cnoll. A.-S.) Kirky a church. L. Lynchy a strip of green-sward between the ploughed lands in common fields ; a small hanging wood. LaWy a hill or tumulus. (Lope, A.-S.) Ladey a passage for water. (La*©, A.-S.) Lake. Land; also Byland. Lane. 78 LOCAL SURNAMES. Lath, a barn. Laund, Lowndes, a place among trees; kodib "lawn." Lee, Legh, Lea, Leigh, Lye, various spellings of one and the same word, meaning a pasture. In names of British origin, Lie, a place. Locke, a place where rivers receive a partial obstruction from a wooden dam. Or, Loch, a lake. Loppe, an uneven place. Lodge. Low, Loe, a barrow ; a farm ; a grove. M. March, a limit or frontier. It is often used in this as well as in a verbal sense by Sir John Maundevile and other antient writers. "Arabye durethe fro the endes of the reme of Caldee, unto the laste ende of Aifryk, and marchethe to the lond of Ydumee." Market. Mead, Meadow, Meadows, Mees. Syn. Pratt, a very common name, seems to be a corruption of the Latin *pratum,* a meadow. Meer, Meeres, a shallow water ; a lake. (A.-S. CCejie.) Marsh. Mill, Milne, Mulne. Syn. Desmouhns (Fr.) =i)fMZ^tw«. Minster, a monastery. (A.-S. ODynj-tfie.) More, Moore, Atte-moore, Amoor, Amor.* Moss, a moor, or boggy plain. Mote, a moat. Mouth, a haven. * A facetious correspondent of the Literary Gazette (B. A. Oxen, Sept. 1842) says he cannot pass 135, New Bond Street, without being reminded of the 10th Eclogue, " Omnia vincit amor;" and he suggests a free translation of the pas- sage, viz. : " Amor is the best wine merchant in London !" LOCAL SURNAMES. 79 Mountain. This name once gave occasion to a pun, which would have been excellent had the aUusion been made to any other book than the Holy Scriptures. Dr. Mountain, chaplain to Charles II., was asked one day by that monarch to whom he should present a certain bishop- ric, just then vacant. "If you had but faith. Sire," replied he, " I could tell you who." " How so," said Charles, '^if I had but faith?" "Why yes," said the witty cleric, " your majesty might then say to this Moun- tain ' Be thou removed into that See.' " o. Orchard. A correspondent of the Gentleman's Maga- zine, Oct. 1820, suggests that such names as Townsend, Street, Churchyard, Stair, Barn, Lane, and Orchard,. " originated with foundhngs, and that they possibly pointed out the places where they were exposed," — a plausible suggestion, had we not abundant evidence of their having been first given to persons from their residing, when masters of famihes, in or near to such places. p. Park, Parkes. Penn, the top of a hill. (Brit.) Pitt, Pitts. Referring to the remark above, I may men- tion that surnames of this kind have, occasionally, been given to foundlings, and that even in recent times. I per- fectly recoUect the grim visage of a surly septuagenarian, named Moses Pitt, who had been exposed in infancy in a voMl-pit. "Nobody likes you," said this crabbed piece of humanity, in a quarrel with a neighbour. "Nor you," replied the latter, "not even your mother. ^^ Moses was silent. 80 LOCAL SURNAMES. PlacCi a mansion. Plat, Plotty a piece of plain ground ; a little field. Pinnock, a little framework bridge over a stream. Pen/old, a place where cattle are shut up. Peelj a pool ; a place of strength. (Scot.) Pine, a pit. (Bailey.) Plaine. Pende. This word is said to signify an arch, and gene- rally one under which there is a passage or road-way. Pole, Poole. Pond, Port. The French have Duport and Laporte. Pound. Prindle, a croft. Plastow, Playstead, a place for sports ; still found in many parts of the kingdom. Quarry. Quarll, a quarry. (Scot.) R. Ricks (corruptly Rix), stacks of corn. Ridge, Rigg. By dropping a from At Rigg, we have Trigg. Ring, an inclosure. Roades. Rodd, Rode, Roydes, an obsolete participle of ' rid/ mean- ing a * ridding' or forest grant. It sometimes occurs as an addition to the name of an early proprietor, or to the names of the trees cleared, as Ack-royd, Hol-royd, &c. Row, a street ; in Scotland called a raw, whence Rawes. LOCAL SURNAMES. 81 Ross, a heath ; peat land. (Brit. Rhos.) Ri/e, a shore, or bank. Perhaps from the town of that name in Sussex. Atte Rye became Tri/. Rill, a small stream. John at the Rill, would first become John Atterill, and afterwards John Trill. How subtle are the clues that guide us in etymological inves- tigations ! Raynes, a bound or limit. s. Sanctuary. Sale, Sales, a hall or entrance. Sand, Sands, Sandys. Shaw, a small wood. Shallow, a fordable place in a river. Shore. Shell, a well in the old Northern English. Camd. Slade. Slough. Slack, a gap or narrow pass between two hills or mountains. Spital, Spittlehouse, an hospital. Spire, Spires, a steeple. At the time when the com- monalty took their first surnames Church Spires were unusual. They were introduced in a very gradual manner during the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. Spring, a well. Strand, the bank of a river. Street. Fr. De-la-rue, Ital. Strada. Strood, or Stroud ; "the bank of a river, as some doe think." Camd. Baxter makes it strawd, that is Ys-trawd, * the lower traject.' 4§ 82 LOCAL SURNAMES. Stable. Stead, a standing place or station. Steeple. Stile, Styles, Stock — of a tree, I suppose ; an odd name for a family, though not more so than the French, Zouch, meaning the trunk of a tree ; or than Curzon, the stem of a vine. Stoke, Stokes, Stow, a place. Stone, Stean. Given first to some one whose house stood near some Druidical or other remarkable stone. Spence, a yard or inclosure. T. Temple. This may be one of those I have designated crusading names, and derived from the temple at Jerusalem ; or it may be derived from the residence of some person near one of the preceptories of the knights-templars, of which there were several in England. We have also Templeman. Tern or Dern, a standing pool. Thorn. Thorpe, a village. (A.-S. Dofip.) Thwaite, a pasture ; a piece of rough marshy ground. To/t, "a piece of ground where there hath been a house." Camd. Tree. Under this head may be mentioned several names originating from the residence of their first bearers near remarkable trees, as Oakes, Aspen, Box, Alder, Pine, Vine, Ash, Plumtree, Appletree, Hawthorne, Cherry, Beech, Hazel, Willows, and Elmes. Apps is a provincial word for Asp, Lind for lime-tree, and Holme for an evergreen LOCAL SURNAMES. 83 oak. To these may be added, from the French, Coigners, a quince tree, and Cheyney, an oak. Torr, a tower, or rather a castle-Hke, though uncas- tellated, hill or crag. Tower, Towers. Towne, Townsend. " Atte Tunishende." V. Vale. Fr. Duval, Dellavalle, &c. w. Wade, a meadow ; a ford. Wall, Walls. Wake or Werk, some work or building. Warren, a colony of rabbits, — also a Norman name. Water, Waters, also Attwater and Bywater. Way. Weir. Wick, Wix, a hold or place of defence. Wyche, a salt spring. Well, Wells. Atwell became Twell. Wold, a hill destitute of wood. Wood, Attwood, Bywood, Underwood, and Netherwood. Worth. " Who shall decide when etymologists disagree ?" No less than six origins have been sought for this word, which has been made to stand for a possession, a farm, a court, a place, a fort, and an island ! Whitaker. To this word Bailey assigns this somewhat unintelligible definition : " The north-east part of a flat or shole ; the middle ground." Y. Yarde. Fate, Yates, old word for gate. 84 LOCAL SURNAMES. From such places, and many others of a similar kind, did numbers of our ancestors borrow their family names ; short, and generally monosyllabic, they were well suited to the plain, hardy Anglo-Saxon race who assumed them; and well adapted to distinguish that race from their Nor- man oppressors : a distinction now happily merged, so that we cannot say with an antient poet of ours — *'(!^i t'i)t^otmm^htt^ i^t^ti^i^ meniu, tjatbe of t^v^ lontr, ^nty tt^t Uiot menne of ^axon^,** Some names of this class had the termination er or MAN attached to them : thus from Church were formed Churcher and Churchman Town , , Towner. Street , Streeter. Hope , Field , , Hoper. Fielder. Bourne , , Boumer. Well Weller. Pond , , Ponder. Hide , Hider. Heath , Grovc , Rayne , Ridge , Holt , Comb , , Heather and Hother. , Grover. , Rayner. , Ridger and Ridgman. Holier. , Comber. Lake , Dean , , Laker. , Denman. Pit Crouch , J Pitman. , Croucher. LOCAL SURNAMES. 85 From Bridge were formed Bridger and Bridgman. Down j> Downer and Bownman, House }) H(mseman. Hill jj Hillman. Mill Si Milman. Stead a Steadman. Court ss Courtman. Rye » By man. "^ Low »i Lower (?) &c. Before leaving Local Surnames, I must mention such as are derived from apartments in houses, and which were most likely first given to menial servants who served in the respective rooms. Like the foregoing, they generally occur in old records in the form of John t' the Kitchen, William atte Chamber, &c. Besides these two we have Garret, Buttery, and ^tair, and Camden says Sellar and Parler, which I have never seen. Chalmers is the Scottish form of Chambers; amdHall is otherwise accounted for. (p. 75.) Drawbridge was probably given to the porter of some old moated mansion. Thus, gentle reader, I have, in humble sort, set forth the origin, antiquity, and varieties of that branch of our family nomenclature borrowed from the names of places, and if thou hast found aught of gratification in my lucubrations I am satisfied : if not, close the book ; thy taste and mine concur not. I quarrel not with thee, and I trust that thou wilt exercise like forbearance with me, recollecting that — " De gustibus non disputandum est," — " and soe I bid thee right heartihe farewel." * Bollman in the Orkney dialect signifies a cottager: hence probably the English name Bulman. 86 NAMES DERIVED FROM ESSAY IV. NAMES DERIVED FROM OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. "After these locall names/' saith Master Camden, " the most in number have been derived from Occupations or Professions," for which reason I purpose to make these the subject of my Fourth Essay. And as some perplexity might arise in marshalUng the various Surnames according to right rules of precedence, I shall consider it no small advantage to follow so skilful a herald as Mr. Clarencieux throughout these pages. The practice of borrowing names from the various avoca- tions of Hfe is of high antiquity. Thus the Romans had among them many persons, and those too of the highest rank, who bore such names as Figulus, Pictor, Fabri- tius, Scribonius, Salinator, Agricola, &c., answering to the P otter Sy PaynterSy &c. of our own times. These names became hereditary, next in order after the local names, about the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Cocus, Dapifer, &c., we have already seen were borne by men of high rank soon after the Conquest. There was, as Camden observes, no employment that did not give its designation to one, or to many families. As local names generally had the prefix DE or AT, so these frequently had le, as Stephen le Sjoicer, Walter le Boucher^ John le Bakere, &c. Concerning these, Verstegan remarks, " it is not to be doubted but their an- cestors have first gotten them by using such trades, and OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 87 the children of such parents being contented to take them upon them, after-coming posterity could hardly avoid them." Pre-eminent in this class of names stands Smith, decidedly the most common surname amongst us. Verstegan asks — *' From whence comes Smith, all be he Knight or Squire, But from the Smith ihhi forgcth at the fire ?'' but the antiquary should have been aware that the radix of this term is the Saxon Smiran, to smite ; and therefore it was originally applied to artificers in wood, as well as to those in metal, as wheelwrights, carpenters, masons, and smiters in general.* Hence the frequency of the name is easily accounted for. It certainly is ridiculously common, and has, on that account, given rise to many jokes, some of which I shall borrow. Smith, without some unusual christian name, is scarcely sufficient to distinguish a person; as to John Smith, it is, as a friend of mine often observes, no name at all. What then shall we say of the countryman who directed a letter " For Mr. John Smith, at London. With Spead"? He might as well have di- rected it to that inaccessible personage, the man in the moon. What better device could the wag who got too late to the theatre have employed for obtaining a seat than that of shouting at the top of his voice, " Mr. Smith's house is on fire?" He well knew that the house would be thinned at the rate of at least five or six per cent. " We remember," says the editor of the Literary Gazette, "a bet laid and won that a John Smith had been condemned either to * It is rather curious that although the appellations of the blacksmith and whitesmith (both very common avocations) do not occur as surnames, that of Brownsmith, an obsolete calling, does. The brownsmith, of five centuries since, must have been a person of some consideration, when the far-famed brown-bills of our warlike ancestors struck terror into the hearts of their enemies. Nasmyth is probably a corruption of nail-smith. 88 NAMES DERIVED FROM death or transportation at every Old Bailey session during (we forget) two or three years !" Perhaps the best piece of humour relating to this name is that which appeared some three or four years since in the newspapers, under the title of "the smiths. " Some very learned disquisitions are just now going on among the American journals touching the origin and extraordinary extension of the family of "the Smiths.'* Industrious explorers after derivatives and nominal roots, they say, would find in the name of John Smith a world of mystery ; and a philologist in the Providence Journal^ after having written some thirty columns for the enlightenment of the public thereanent, has thrown down his pen and declared the subject exhaustless. From what has hitherto been discovered it appears that the great and formidable family of the Smiths are the veritable descendants in a direct Une from Shem, the son of Noah, the father of the Shemitish tribe, or the tribe of Shem: and it is thus derived — Shem, Shemit, Shmit, Smith. Another learned pundit, in the Philadelphia Gazettey contends for the uni- versality of the name John Smith — not only in Great Britain and America, but among all kindreds and nations on the face of the earth. Beginning with the Hebrew, he says the Hebrews had no Christian names, consequently they had no Johns, and in Hebrew the name stood simply Shem or Shemit ; but in the other nations the John Smith is found at full, one and indivisible. Thus : Latin, Johannes Smithius; Itahan , Giovanni Smithi; Spanish, Juan Smithas; Dutch , Hans Schmidt; French , Jean Smeets; Greek , Ion Skmiton; Russian , Jonloif Skmittowski; OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 89 Polish . Ivan Schmittiwciski ; Chinese . Jahon Shimmit; Icelandic . Jahne Smithson; Welsh . lihon Schmidd ; Tuscarora , Ton Qa Smittia; Mexican . Jontli F' Smith. And then, to prove the antiquity of the name, the same savant observes that * among the cartouches, deciphered by RosseHni, on the temple of Osiris, in Egypt, was found the name of Pharaoh Smithosis, being the 9th in the 18th dynasty of the Theban kings. He was the founder of the celebrated temple of Smithopolis Magna.' We heartily congratulate the respectable multitude of the Smiths on these profound researches; researches which bid fair to explode the generally received opinion that the great family of the Smiths were the descendants of mere horse-shoers and hammer-men !" The following piece of banter, in the same style, is from a newspaper paragraph of July, 1842: "By a chain of reasoning not less logical and conclusive than that which enabled Home Tooke to establish the etymological deduc- tion of the word gerkin from King Jeremiah, Sir Edward Bulwer proves, in his beautiful prose-poem of *Zanoni,' that tHe common surname of Smith which I had hitherto supposed to have been professionally derived from Tubal- Cain, or from the family of the Fabricii, so celebrated in Roman history, owes its origin, in point of fact, to the term 'Smintheus', a title bestowed upon the Phrygian Apollo! Sir Edward, following the schoUast upon Homer, assigns the name to one of the god's high priests : but Strabo assures us that it was bestowed upon the deity himself in consequence of his having destroyed an immense number of 2/iiv0at, or rats, with which the country was infested!" But it is now time to leave this widely-spread and suffi- 90 NAMES DERIVED FROM ciently celebrated race of the Smiths, and to notice the long Ust of English surnames derived from other trades and professions. We have then, besides, the Masons and Carpenters^ the Bakers and Butchers^ the Braziers and Goldsmiths, the Butlers and Taverners, the Carters and Wagners,^ the Sadlers and Girdlers, the Tylers and Slaters, the Cartwrights and Plowrights, the Wainwrights and SievewrightSj the Colemans and Woodyers, the Boxers and Siveyers, the Taylors and Drapers, the Plowmans and Thatchers,f the Farmers and Shepherds, the Cappers and Shoesmiths, the Chapmans and Grocers, the Cowpers or Coopers, the Browkers or Brokers, the Cutlers and Jrow- mongers, the Wheelers and Millers, the Tanners and Glovers, the Oxlads and Steermans, the Wrights and Joiners, the Salters and Spicers, the Grinders and Boulters, the Gardeners and Tollers, the Cardmakers and Bookers, the Armorers zxAFurhishers, the Shipwrights dindi Goodwrights, the Marchants and Brewers, the Pipers and Vidlers, the Homers and Drummers, the Bellringers and Hornblowers, the Marketmans and Fairmans, the Coo^5 and Porters, the Hosiers and Weavers, the Bakers and Cheesemans, the Colliers and Sawyers, the Turners and Naylors (nail- makers,) the Potters and Potmans, the Hoopers and Hookers, the Portmans and Ferrimans, the Poticarys and Farriers, the Sellers and Salemans, the Firemans and Waterman^, the Plummers and Glaisyers, the Alemans and Barleymans, the Skinners and Woolers, the Paynters and Dyers, the Mercers and Ironmongers, the Workmans and Drivers, the Boardmans and Innmans, the Chandlers and * This is from the German: it is equivalent, however, to our ' waggoner.' t Thacker, and the German Decker, and Dutch Dekker, have the same meaning. OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 91 Pressmans, the Fiddlers and PlayerSi the Rhymers and Readers, the Oastlers and Tappers, the Whiters and Blackers, the Grooms and Stallmans, the Ropers and Corders, the Twiners and Stringers, the Leadbeaters and Stonehewers, to which may be added from the Nona Rolls — whether extinct or not I cannot say, the Quarreours, the Swepers, the Waterleders, the Lymberners and the Candlemakers. A very great number of words obsolete in our language, or borrowed from other languages, and therefore unintelli- gible to the generahty of people, are retained in surnames which thus furnish the etymologist with many an agreeable reminiscence of the pursuits and manners of our ancestors. Thus Sutor,* is the Latin, Old English, and Saxon (Sutene) for shoemaker ; Latimer is a writer of Latin, or as Camden has it " an interpretour." Chaucer, like Sutor, signifies a member of the gentle craft. Leech, the Anglo-Saxon (laece) for physician, is still partially retained in some parts of the country in " cow-?eecA," a business usually connected with that of the farrier. Henry the First, according to Robert of Gloucester, -OTiUftJ of a lamprcpe to ete, ?3ut i)t£; Ittcl^eg l)tm berbetre, bor gt iuaiS a feble iitett.** Thwaytes, according to Verstegan, means a feller of wood, an etymology supported by the A.-S. verb " thweo- tan,''^ to cut, exsciudere. Barker is synonymous with Tanner. In the dialogue between King Edward the Fourth * The native of Lancashire and the lover of Scottish song will understand the meaning of this term without my aid. Soutar, Sowter, Shuter, and Suter are only variations of the same name. 92 NAMES DERIVED FROM and the Tanner of Tamworth, in Percy's Reliques of Antient Poetry, we have the following lines : " What craftsman art thou, said the King, I pray thee telle me trowe ? I am a Barkevy Sir, by my trade, Now tell me, what art thou?" Jenner is an old form of joiner, Bowcher of butcher, and Milner of miller. A Larimer is a maker of bits for bridles, spurs, &c. There is or was a " Lorimers' Company'* in London. An Arkwright was in old times a maker of meal-chests, an article found in every house when families dressed their own flour. Furner is an anglicised form of Fournier (French), a man who keeps an oven or foury a baker; Lavender of Lavandier, a washerman; {Launder and Lander are further contractions of the same word); and Pullinger of Boulanger a baker. Webber Webber, (and Weber from the German,) are equivalent to weaver; a Sayer is an assayer of metals ; Tucker a fuller ; and Shearman one who shears worsteds, fustians, &c. — an employment formerly known at Norwich by the designa- tion of " shermancraft ;* Banister is the keeper of a bath ; a Pointer was a maker of "points," an obsolete article of dress ; and a Pitcher a maker of pilches, a warm kind of upper garment, the great-coat of the fourteenth century ; hence Chaucer : *' After gret hete cometh cold, No man cast his pylch away.'H • '« As for the cloth of my ladies. Hen. Cloughe putt it to a shereman todight, and he sold the cloth and ran away." (Plumpton Cor., Camd. Soc. p. 30.) t The A.-S. pylche, whence Pilcher, is equivalent to our (or rather to the French) pelisse, which Is derived immediately from the Latin pellia, pellicum, skin or fur. A pilcher was also a scabbard, as being made of hide or leather. Mercutio says to Tybalt, " Will you pluck your sword out of the pilcher by the ears ?" (Correspondence of B. A. Oxon, in the Lit. Gazette, Sept. 1842.) OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 93 Kidder and Kidman are obsolete words for huxter, (Goth, "kyta," to deal, hawk.) Hellier for tyler, slater, or thatcher, (A.-S. helan,) and Crowther for one who plays upon the crowd, an antient stringed instrument, the pro- totype of the modern viohn, called in Welsh crwthy and in Irish cruit. Spenser, in his Epithalamion, has "The pipe, the tabor, and the tremblinpf croudJ' A Conder was a person stationed on the sea-shore to watch the approach of the immense shoals of pilchards and herrings, and give notice thereof to the fishermen by cer- tain understood signals, it being, singularly, a fact, that those migrations cannot be perceived at sea, although from the shore they appear hterally to darken the deep. In Cornwall these men are called Hewers (a name probably derived from the A.-S. eapian, to show), and hence the sur- names Hewer, Huer, and Ewer. A Ridler was a maker of sieves. In the north of England a " hack" means a mattock or axe ; hence Hackman is possibly either the maker or the user of such an implement. Crocker (and perhaps Croker) means a maker of coarse pottery. The word * crock,' in the provincial dialects of the south, signifies a large barrel- shaped jar. It was in general use in Chaucer's days : " Spurn not as doth a crucke against a wall." Maunder (from the Old Eng. verb * maund,' to beg,) is beggar, and Card, a word still in use in Scotland, means a travelling tinker! *Napery' is household linen; hence Napper probably stands for a manufacturer or seller of that article. Seamer is the A.-S. for tailor, and Lomer for a maker of 'lomes' or tubs. Fortner is believed to mean a combatant in a tilting match, from the Old English * for- 94 NAMES DERIVED FROM tuny,' a tournament — the issue of such conflicts being very much dependant upon fortune or chance. Sanger is singer. Monger (A.-S. CDanc^ejie and oOon^eji) is merchant. The monger of Saxon times was a much more important personage than those who, in our days, bear the name. He was the pro- totype of the merchant-princes of the nineteenth century ; he was a dealer in many things (unde nomen) which his ship-men brought from many lands ; but our modern mon- gers, be they Ironmongers, Cheesemongers, Fellmongers WoodmongerSy or Icemongers (?), traffic chiefly in a single article. All these compounds stand, I believe, as surnames, but Horsemonger, Newsmonger, Matchmonger, and Cos- tardmonger, (i. e. a dealer in apples,) have never been used as such. As a general rule, all names terminating with er indicate some employment or profession. er is un- questionably derived from the Anglo-Saxon ' pe;^' or 'pejie' a man; hence Salter is Salt-wian, and Miller, Mill-m«w. These terminations er and man are often used interchange- ably, thus we have Potter and Pottman, Tiler and Tile- man, Carter and Cartman, Wooler and Woolman, cum multis aliis. Besides these, we have Horseman, Palfriman, Coltman, Wainman (corrupted to Wenman), Carman, Coachman, Boatman, Clothman, Seaman, Tubman, and Spelman, which, Camden says, means * learned man,' but which, I should rather say, signifies a man who worked by * spells' or turns with another, if indeed it be not intended for a necromancer, charmer, or worker of spells. pa onjunnon leape men pyjican ' spell.' Then began false men to work spells. {Boet, 38, i.) One of the most singular features in this department of our Family Nomenclature is the existence of several sur- OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 95 names terminating in -ster, which is the regular Anglo- Saxon form of feminine nouns of action, as er is of mascu- line ones. The word ' Spinster' is the regular feminine of * spinner' and not of bachelor, as Lindley Murray would have us suppose. Bcecestre, sangstre, and seamestre, are the regular feminines of hcecere, baker, sangere, singer, and seamere taUor ; hence it is evident that — Tapster is the feminine of Tapper. Brewster „ Brewer. Baxter and Bagster Baker. Whitster „ Whiter. Webster „ Webber (Weaver.) Kempster „ Kember (Comber.) Sangster „ Sanger. Fewster „ Fewer (A. S.peoh-fee) a feofee. Dexter also appears to be a feminine form — ^but of what? Although no such word as saesertjie occurs in the Saxon dictionary, may it not be a compound of baeg, baj, day, and the feminine termination, and so signify a woman that works by the day— a charwoman? The formation of feminine names of employment in the Dutch language is precisely similar, where brouster is a fe- male maker of beer; zangster a female vocalist, &c. &c.* It is difficult to account for the adoption and perpetuation of names derived from the avocations of female ancestors. Perhaps widows, carrying on the trades of their deceased partners, conferred them on their children. There is a string of names derived from occupations which sound right oddly when placed in juxta-position, and which, primd facie, would appear to be fully as applicable ♦ A. B. Oxon, Lit. Gaz., Sept., 1842. yb NAMES DERIVED FROM to the equine as to the human species ; namely. Traveller^ Walker, Ryder, Ambler, Trotter, Hopper, Skipper, Jumper, and Holler! Of these. Traveller was pro- bably given to some one who had visited * straunge contries andilands ;' and Trotter I am unable to explain, although it seems evidently to possess the same meaning with Trotman, whatever that may be. To the remaining seven, etymologies, more or less satisfactory, may be assigned. ThusWALKER signifies either (A.-S. pealcefie) a fuller,* or an officer, whose duty consisted in ' walking' or inspecting a certain space of forest-ground. Rider means another forest officer, a superintendent (as I take it) of the * walkers' — a ranger, who derived his name from the circum- stance of his being mounted, as having a larger district to supervise. In the ballad of * William of Cloudesley,' &c. the king, rewarding the dexterity of the archer who shot the apple from his child's head, says : — ** I give thee eightene-pence a day, And my bowe thoii shalt here, And over all the north countre, I make thee chyfe rydere /"f {Percy's Reliques.) Ambler, antiently le Amhlour, is from the French, * ambleur,' an officer of the king's stable. Hopper pro- bably signified an officer who had the care of swans. By swan-* hopping,' or ' upping,' was meant the searching for and marking of the swans belonging to particular pro- prietors. It must not be forgotten however that the A.-S. Hoppefie means a dancer. Skipper (A.-S. Scipefie, a sailor) is a very antient term for the captain or master of a vessel ; • In the North of England a fulling-mill is still called a * u;aZAf-mill.' t JRyder has elsewhere been considered as the equivalent of the German " Ritter," a knight ; but there seems no good authority for such a supposition. OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 97 Jumper possibly meant a maker of *jumps,' that is, a kind of short coats or boddices for women ;* while Hobler is most unquestionably a contraction of 'hobbelar' or * hobiler,' a person who by the tenure of his lands was obliged to keep a hobby or light horse, to maintain a watch by the side of a beacon, and to alarm the countryf in case of the enemy's approach in the day-time, when the fire of the beacons would not be discernible from a distance. It would seem also that the term was sometimes used to signify persons of an equestrian order, lower in dignity than knights, and probably mounted on meaner and smaller animals. In an antient romance we read of '* Ten thousand knights stout and fers, (fierce) Withouten hobelers and sqnyers I" The etymology of Dancer is sufficiently obvious. The first of that name doubtless possessed peculiar skill in the art saltatory. Perhaps, after all, the names Hopper and Jumper were acquired by proficiency in the gymnastic exer- cises to which at first sight they seem to refer. Massinger is an evident corruption of the French * mas- sager,' a messenger, a bearer of dispatches, &c. Pottinger is the Scottish for apothecary,;]; and Lardnerh an obsolete word for swine-herd, or rather a person who superintended the pannage of hogs in a forest. Names of the foregoing description, however mean in their origin, are now frequently found among the highest classes of society. The names Collier and Salter are, or have been, in the British peerage, although those occupa- tions were once considered so menial and vile that none but bondmen would follow them. Some names of this sort have been changed in orthography to hide their ori- * Bailey's Diet. t Fenn's Faston Letters. % Jamieson's Scottish Diet. 5 98 NAMES DERIVED FROM ginal meanness; "mollified ridiculously," as Master Camden hath it, " lest their bearers should seem vilified by them." Carteer, Smeeth, Tayler, Cuttlar, &c., are frequently met with as the substitutes of Carter, Smith, Tailor, and Cutler. " Wise was the man that told my Lord Bishop that his name was not Gardener as the EngUsh pronounce it, but Gardiner, with the French accent, and therefore a gentleman,"** Some names have reference to mihtary pursuits, as HarmaUy Arblaster,'^ Hookmany Billman, Spearman, Bow- man, Bannerman. The number and variety of surnames connected with the pleasures of the chase furnish evidence of the predilection of our progenitors for field-sports. Thus we have in great abundance our Hunters, Fowlers, Fishers, Falconers, {Faulkners, and Fawkeners,) Hawkers, Anglers, Warreners, Bowyers, and Bowmakers, Stringers, that is bow-string makers. Arrow-smiths, Fletchers (from the Fr. ' fleche'), that is, either an arrow-maker, or more generally, a super- intendent of archery. But some of these may be official names, and, therefore, more properly belong to my next Essay. Buckman and Hartman were probably servants to the * Parker,' and had the care of herds of venison. Brock- Tnan is a hunter of 'brocks* or badgers. A *tod,' in Scotland and the North of England, is a fox ; hence Tod- hunter is a fox-hunter, though not in the red-coated sense of that term. A Northumberland correspondent informs me that he knows an old man, a destroyer of foxes, who calls himself, and is caQed, the "Old Tod-hunter of Grapington," in Craven. The expression "wily tod" occurs in the writings of Wyclifie.:^ Burder signifies a bird- * Camden. + Vide infra. % Todman also occurs as a surname. OCCUPATIONS AND PURSUITS. 99 catcher or fowler, as the following jest, written upwards of three centuries since, will prove : — "There was a doctour on a tyme, whiche desired a fouler, that went to catche byrdes with an owle, that he might go with hym. The hyrder was content, and dressed him with bows, and set hym by his oule, and bade him say nothynge. Whan he saw the byrdes a lyght a pace, he sayde : There be many byrdes alyghted, drawe thy nettes, where-with the byrdes flewe awaye. The hyrder was very angry, and blamed him greatly for his speakyng. Than he promysed to hold his peace. When the hyrder was in again, and many byrdes were alyghted, mayster Doctour said in Latyn, Aves permulte adsunt: wherwith the byrdes flewe away. The hyrder came out ryghte angrye and sore displeased, and sayde, that by his bablynge he had twyse loste his pray. * Why, thynkest thou, foole,' quoth the doctour, * that the byrdes do vnderstand Latin .?' "* 'Low' is the Scottish for fire, and * low-bellers' are, according to Blount,t men " who go with a light and a bell, by the sight whereof birds, sitting on the ground, be- come somewhat stupified, and so are covered with a net and taken." Hence Lower is probably a hird-catcher. The Teutonic word *loer' is one who lays snares, and Lowrie in the Scottish dialect signifies a crafty person, in allusion probably to the same occupation. Most European languages, as has already been intimated, possess many surnames derived from manual employments; but in no country are they so various and abundant as in England. Before leaving this division of my subject I may notice a fact which is Httle known, and which cannot fail to ex- • Tales and Quicke Answeres, very mery, &c. + Law Diet. 100 NAMES FROM OCCUPATIONS. cite the reader's astonishment : the surname Butcher was given as a title of honour. "Le Boucher," says Saintfoix, " was antiently a noble surname given to a general after a victory, in commemoration of his having slaughtered some thirty or forty thousand men !"* Horribile dictu /—hence- forward let all lovers of peace exclaim, " One murder makes a villain ; millions a Butcher V NOTE TO ESSAY IV. With respect to the application of the surnames treated of in the foregoing Essay, we may observe that there was much greater propriety in making the names of occupations stationary family names than ap- pears at first sight ; for the same trade was often pursued for many generations by the descendants of the individual w ho in the, first in- stance used it. Sometimes a particular trade is retained by most of the male branches of a family even for centuries. Thus the family of Oxley, in Sussex, were nearly all smiths or iron-founders during the long period of 250 years. Most of the Ades of the same county have been farmers for a still longer period. The trade of weaving has been carried on by another Sussex family named Webb (weaver) as far back as the traditions of the family extend, and it is not improbable that this business has been exercised by them ever since the first assumption of the term as a surname, by some fabricator of cloth in the thirteenth or fourteenth century. But the most remarkable instance of the long retention of a particular avocation by one man's posterity is in the family of Purkess, of the New Forest in Hampshire. The constant tradition of the neighbourhood states, that when William Rufus met his untimely end in that forest, there lived near the fatal oak a poor " coleman,'' or maker of charcoal, who lent his cart for the purpose of conveying the royal corpse to Winchester, and was rewarded with an acre or two of land round his hut. His immediate descendants of the same name live there still, and yet carry on the same trade, without one being richer than another for it. This family is deemed the most antient in the county. (Vide Gough^s Camden,) * Le Boucher ^toit anciennement un surnom glorieux, qu'on donnoit k un g^- n^ral, apr^s une victoire— en reconnoisance du carnage qu'il avoit fait de trente ou quarante mille homraes. (Saintfoix, Historical Essays.) NAMES FROM DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. 101 ESSAY V. NAMES DERIVED FROM DIGNITIES, CIVIL AND ECCLE- SIASTICAL; AND FROM OFFICES. The same principle which introduced surnames bor- rowed from trades and occupations led to the adoption of the names of dignities and offices, which also became hereditary. The following is a list of EngUsh surnames derived from civil dignities, according to the rules of precedence : Emperor. King.* Prince. Duke. Earle. Baron. Lord. Knight. SciUIRE.f Gentleman. Yeoman. ♦ A learned correspondent is of opinion that our surnames Canning, Channing, and Gunning are so many forms of the Anglo-Saxon cyninj, king. To me they have the appearance of local names. t Arminobr appears to be a corruption of Armiger, the Latin for this title. 102 NAMES DERIVED FROM The following are from Ecclesiastical dignities : Pope. Deacon, Deakin. Cardinal. Clerk, Clark, Clarke.* Bishop, Bysshopp. Chaplin, Caplin. Abbott. Friar, Fryer, Freere, Prior, Pryor. Frere (Chaucer, passim.) Dean. Monk. Archdeacon. Nunn. Parsons. Proctor. Vicar, Vickers. Saxton. Priest. The following offices have all lent their designations as names of families : Stewart (steward). Constable, Marshall, Chancellor, Chamberlayne, Sheriff, Serjeant, Castellan, Mayor, Warden, Burgess, Porter, Champion, Beadle, Page, Reeve, Woodreeve, Ranger, Bailey (bailiff), Parker, Forester, Botiler (or Butler), Hunter, Falconer, &c. Many offices, &c. now obsolete, have also conferred surnames on the persons who bore them, as Le Despencer, corruptly Spencer, and Horden, a steward. The ancestor of the family of Spencer, dukes of Marlborough, was dispenser or steward of the household to "William the Conqueror. Seneschal, a steward, vilely corrupted to SnashalL Staller, a standard-bearer. Camd. Foster, a nourisher ; one who had the care of the children of great men. We have also Nurse as a surname. Kemp, a soldier, especially one who engaged in single * " Adam the Clerk, son of Philip the Scribe," occurs in an antient record, as also does ** Alexander, the son of Glay the Seneschal." DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. 103 combat. In this sense it has been revived in the works of Sir Walter Scott. Kempes and kemperye-men for warriors or fighting-men occur in the ballad of King Estmere in Percy's ReUques : " They had not ridden scant a myle, A myle forthe of the towne, But in did come the kynge of Spayne, With kempes many a one. Up then rose the kemperye-men And loud they gan to crye Ah ! traytors, you have slayne our kynge. And therefore you shall dye." A kemper is stiU used in Norfolk in the sense of a stout, hearty, old man — a veteran. The A.-S. cempa has also supplied us with the surnames Campj Champa and Camper. Campion and Champion have come to us through the French, from the same root. The Swedish Kempenfelt and the Spanish Campeador belong to this family. Kimber is also synonymous ; " Kimher^ enim, homo beUicosus, pugil robustus, miles, &c. significat."* Segar and Seagar, (Sax. Sijejie,) a vanquisher. So says Verstegan ; but a Northern correspondent informs me that this is a provincialism for ' sawyer.' Latimer. This name was first given to Wrenoe ap Merrick, a learned Welshman, who held certain lands by the service of being latimer or interpreter between the Welsh and the EngUsh ; and the name of his office de- scended to his posterity, who were afterwards ennobled as English peers. f Valvasour, (now more generally written Vavasour y) an office or dignity taking rank below a baron, and above a • Sheringham. t Vide Burke's Ext. Peerage. 104 NAMES DERIVED FROM knight. Bfacton says, *' there are for the civil government of mankind, emperors, kings, and princes, magnates, or valvasours and knights.'* In the Norman reigns there was a king's valvasour, whose duty probably consisted in keeping ward ad valvas Regniy at the entrances and borders of the realm ; whence the name. Arblastevy a corruption of Bahstarius, one who directed the great engines of war used before the invention of cannon, a cross-bow-man. Spigurnelly a sealer of writs. Avery. Camden places this among Christian names, but query, is it not the name of an office — Aviarius, a keeper of the birds? The Charter of Forests (section 14) enacts that " every freeman may have in his woods avyries of sparhawks, falcons, eagles, and herons.'* But there is another distinct derivation of this name, for Avery ^ accord- ing to Bailey, signifies " a place where the oats (avence) or provender are kept for the King's horses." Franklin, a dignity next to the esquires and gentlemen of olden times, the antient representative of the class of superior freeholders, known in later times as country 'squires. Fortescue (de Legibus Angliae, c. 29,) describes a franklein as *5 pater-familias — magnis ditatus possessi- onibus." " Moreover, the same country (namely England,) is so filled and replenished with landed menne, that therein so small a thorpe cannot be found wherein dwelleth not a knight or an esquire, or such a householder as is there commonly called a /mwA;Zem, enriched with great posses- sions, and also other freeholders and many yeomen, able for their livelyhoodtomake a jury in form aforementioned." * * Old Translation of Fortescue de L. L. Ang. DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. 105 Chaucer's description of a Franklin is everything that could be wished : " A Frankelein was in this compagnie ; White was his herd, as is the dayesie. Of his complexion he was sanguin. Wei loved he by the morwe a sop in win[e] To liven in delit was ever his wone, For he was Epicure's owen sone, That held opinion that plein delit Was veraily felicite parfite. An housholder, and that a grete was he ; Selnt Julian,* he was in his contree ; His brede, his ale, was alway after on ; A better envynedi man was no wher non, Withouten bake-mete never was his hous, Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous, It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke, Of alle daintees that men coud of thinke. After the sondry sesons of the yere. So changed he his mete and his soupere. Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe, And many a breme, and many a luce in stewe. Wo was his coke, but if his sauce were Poinant and sharpe, and ready all his gere. His table dormant in his halle alway Stode redy covered alle the long^ day. At sessions ther was he lord and sire, Ful often time he was knight of the shire ; An anelace, and a gipciere all of silk Heng at his girdel, white as morwe milk. A shereve hadde he ben, and a countour. Was no wher swiche a worthy vavasour. ''J Heriot, a provider of furniture for an army. Versteg. CoheUy a usual name amongst the Jews, signifies priest. * St. Julian was the patron of hospitality. t Envyned, that is, stored with wine. X Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Vol. i. p. 44. Edit. 1825. 5§ 106 NAMES DERIVED FROM SomneVj one whose duty consisted in citing delinquents to the ecclesiastical courts ; an apparitor. The office existed in Chaucer's time under the orthography of somp- noure, literally summoner, sompne being then the mode of speUing the verb. In the Coventry Mysteries we have the following : " Sim SoMNOR, in hast wend thou thi way, Byd Joseph, and his wyfF, be name, At the coorte to upper this day, Hem to pourge of her defame." Chaucer's portrait of the Sompnour is one of the best in his inimitable gallery. He " . . . . hffilde a fire-red cherubinne's face With scalled browes blake and pllled herd. Of his visage children were sore af^rd. [He loved] to drinke strong win as rede as blood. Then wolde he speke, and crie as he were wood. And whan that he wel dronken had the win, Than wolde he speken no word but Latin. A few 6 termes coude* he, two or three That he had lerned out of som decree ; No wonder is, he herd it all the day ; And eke ye knowen wel, how that ^jay Can clepen watte, as wel as can the pope. But who so wolde in other thing him grope.t Than hadde he spent all his philosophie, Ay, Questio quid juris, wolde he crie," &c. &c.J To this list of official names I may add Judge ; but how the word Jwri/ became the name of a single person I do not pretend to guess. (On reconsideration, ' Jury' appears ♦ He knew. t Examine. %. Cant. Tales, Prologue. DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. 107 to be a corrupt spelling of Jewry y and is therefore a local name. That part of a city or town inhabited by Jews was formerly styled *the Jewrie'.) Foreman was probably adopted by some one who had served on a jury in that capacity. Association of ideas reminds me of another im- portant functionary, Dempster, the common hangman, un- less indeed it signify a judge of the Isle of Man, as the judges of that little kingdom formerly bore this designa- tion. Lockman is a Scottish word for the public execu- tioner. Several names end in gravey meaning a steward or dis- poser, as Waldegrave, a steward of the forest ; Margrave, a steward or warden of the marches or frontiers ; Hargrave, the provider of an army. I think, however, that these names were not indigenous to England, but brought from Germany, where ^vaf is synonymous with count, and 'Pff^zgraf,' whence our Palgrave, is a count-palatine. Grave, in Lancashire, especially in the disafforested dis- tricts, means a constable, and constables' rates are called * grave-leys.' Pilgrim and Palmer are neither offices nor dignities, yet they may find a place here. The Palmer differed from a common pilgrim in making a profession of wandering. The pilgrim laid aside his weed and cockle when his pilgrimage was done, and returned to the world ; but the palmer wan- dered about incessantly ; his pilgrimage was only laid aside at death. He derived his name from the palm-branch he constantly carried as a pledge of his having been in the Holy Land. In the church of Snodland, in the diocese of Rochester, was formerly an inscription to the memory of 108 NAMES DERIVED FROM Palmer, of Otford, Esq. containing several puns or allusions to this name and profession. '* 3^almer5 all otor dFatferj} torn, ^ a ^Palmer liu^tr i^ere, ^ntr trau^rtr isttll, till toorne hipt^ agt, If entfptr tjijs hjorlti*^ pplgramage. •©n tlje bl^sit ^si^mtton^Kap, Ifit tl)e cl)erM nwnti^ of ilHaj), ^ tSoto£(ant( h)|)t]& fohjre l)untrr^tl, £iemn, ^ ntJ toofe m» tornej) l^eniSe to Hcuen.* Sir Walter Scott has given us a sketch of a palmer in Marmion : " Here is a holy Palmer come From Salem first, and last from Rome, One that hath kissed the blessed tomb, And visited each holy shrine In Araby and Palestine ; On hills of Armenie bath been, . Where Noah's ark may yet be seen ; By that Red Sea too hath he trod Which parted at the Prophet's rod ; In Sinai's wilderness he saw The Mount where Israel heard the law, Mid thunder-dint and flashing levin. And shadowy mists and darkness given. He shows St. James's cockle shell ; Of fair Montserrat too can tell ; And of that Grot where olives nod, Where, darling of each heart and eye, From all the youth of Sicily Saint Rosalie retired to God. * * * « * His sable cowl o'erhung his face ; In his black mantle was he clad ; * Weever's Fun. Mod. DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. 109 With Peter's keys in cloth of red On his broad shoulders wrought ; The scallop-shell his cap did deck ; The crucifix around his neck Was from Loretto brought ; His sandals were with travel tore, Staff, budget, bottle, scrip he wore ; The faded fialm-branch in. his hand Shewed pilgrim from the Holy Land," The origin of the name of Gear is curious. In the '^ olden tyme'' great men employed an officer to superin- tend the provision of their entertainments and the equip- ment of their armed retainers ; and, as all sorts of wearing apparel, arms,* utensils, and chattels in general, were called gere or gear^ this person would very naturally ac- quire the name of John-of-the-Gear, John-o-Gear and, at length, John Gear. The termination ward indicates some office, and is equivalent to keeper or custos — thus Milward is the keeper of a mill (probably some manorial or monastic mill;) Kenwardy the dog-keeper, or more properly Kine-wardy cow-keeper ; Aylward, the ale-keeper ; Durwardy the porter or door-keeper ; Haywardy the keeper of a common herd of cattle belonging to some town ; and Woodwardy a forest-keeper, "an officer that walks with a forest-bill, and takes cognizance of all offences committed, at the next swain-mote or court of attachments.*'f Howard certainly belongs to this family of names, but antiquaries are not • Thus in the old poem of Flodden Field : « Then did he send Sir William Bulmer, And bad hym on the borders lye. With ordinance and other gem-, •' Each fenced house to fortify." t Bailey's Diet. 110 NAMES DERIVED FROM agreed as to the meaning of the first syllable. Camden makes it the high-warden; Spelman, the hall-keeper; Verstegan, the keeper of a strong-hold; and Skinner, a keeper of hospitality. What such great names cannot agree upon, I shall not attempt to decide. Ward also stands as a surname, as do Warden and Guardy which have the same meaning. Granger, the superintendent of a grange— a great farm pertaining to some abbey or priory. Portmany an officer, now called a portreeve, with duties similar to those of a mayor. The sessions of some of the older corporations were formerly called portmannimotes, or portman's courts. Landseer, probably a land-steward or bailifi". Palliser, a person who had the care of the pahngs of a park or forest. Poynder, a bailiff, one who distrains. Having given this long hst of names derived from titles and offices, I shall next attempt to account for their having been adopted as the designations of families. That the first of the name of King, Prince, or Duke, held either of those dignities is too preposterous for beUef. Nor is it more likely that the inferior titles of Knight and Squire were so derived, for that would have been a mean kind of nomenclature. If a person were really a knight or an esquire, he would prefer styling himself Sir Roger de Such-a-place, or John So-and-So, Esquire, to taking the simple designation of his rank as a surname. Again, in ecclesiastical dignities such names if adopted could not have been perpetuated, seeing that all churchmen, from his hohness of Rome down to the meanest curate, led a DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. Ill life of celibacy, and, consequently, had no recognized pos- terity. It has been conjectured, however, that these names in- dicate bastardy, and that the persons bearing them are thus bona fide of royal, papal, knightly, squirely, or priestly descent — a plausible surmise, but the proofs are wanting. Most of these names, particularly of the secular de- scription, were probably borrowed from the first users of them having acted or personated such characters in myste- ries or dramatic representations ; or from their having been chosen, as Camden supposes, leaders of the popular sports of the times, as Kings of the Bean, Christmas Lords, &c. The same high authority reminds us that the classical antients had such names as " BasUius, Archias, Archelaus, Flaminius, Csesarius, Augustulus, &c., who, notwithstand- ing, were neither Kings, Priests, Dukes, nor Caesars." There are those who think the clerical names originated from widowers y who had gone into the church and gained particular offices in it, having given the designations of such offices as surnames to their children. The Rev. Mark Noble thinks that such as took these names held lands under those who really bore them. This may be true of some of them, both lay and clerical, but it does not account for the higher dignities, as Pope and Emperor, which have never existed in this country. Of all these conjectures, Camden's, although the most humiliating, seems the most probable. The French name of Archevesque (Archbishop) is thus accounted for. Hugh de Lusignan, an archbishop, be- coming unexpectedly entitled to the seignories of Par- thenay, Soubize, &c., obtained the pope's dispensation to marry, on the condition that his posterity should take 112 NAMES DERIVED FROM the name of Archhishopy and bear a mitre over their arms for ever. None of the objections just adduced apply to surnames borrowed from offices of the inferior kind, as Steward, Reeve, Parker, &c. ; and we have evidence that family names were borrowed from the offices held by the founders of houses. According to Carew, the Porters of Cornwall derived their name from the office of porter of Trematon Castle, antiently hereditary in the family under the Dukes of Cornwall. We have already seen that the name of Spencer originated in a similar manner; but there is a more illustrious instance. The name of Stuart, borne for centuries by the regal family of Scotland and England, descended to them from Walter, grandson of Banquo, who in the eleventh century was steward of Scotland. In conclusion, I may remark that these high-sounding surnames are a very numerous class. Almost every village has its King or Prince, or at least its Knight or Squire. Bishops are, I think, rather more numerous than parish churches ; and as for Popes, it is no unusual circumstance to find eight or ten dwelHng together in perfect amity, a thing never heard of at Rome, where only two have been known to set Christendom in a blaze ! The following humorous morceau will form an appropriate tail-piece to my present essay : " Ctue Copg of a jury taken before Judge Doddridge, at the assizes holden at Huntingdon, a.d. 1619." [It is necessary to remark that "the judge had, in the preceding circuit, censured the sheriff for empannehng men not qualified by rank for serving on the grand jury, and the sheriff, being a humourist, resolved to fit the judge with sounds at least. On calling over the following- names, DIGNITIES AND OFFICES. 113 and pausing emphatically at the end of the Christian, in- stead of the surname, his lordship began to think he had indeed a jury of quality] : "Maximilian King of Toseland, Henry Prince of Godmanchester, George Duke of Somersham, William MARauis of Stukeley, Edmund Earl of Hartford, Richard Baron of Bythorn, Stephen Pope of Newton, Stephen Cardinal of Kimbolton, Humphrey Bishop of Buckden, Robert Lord of Waresley, Robert Knight of Winwick, William Abbott of Stukeley, Robert Baron of St. Neots, WilUam Dean of Old Weston, John Archdeacon of Paxton, Peter EsauiRE of Easton, Edward Fryer of Ellington, Henry Monk of Stukeley, George Gentleman of Spaldwick, George Priest of GrafFham, Richard Deacon of Catworth. "The judge, it is said, was highly pleased with this practical joke, and commended the sheriff for his ingenuity. The descendants of some of these illustrious jurors still re- side in the county, and bear the same names ; in particular, a Maximilian King, we are informed, still presides over Toseland."* * History of Huntingdon, 12mo, 1824 ; also quoted by Nares. 114 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM ESSAY VI. SURNAMES DERIVED FROM PERSONAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES. These seem to form one of the most obvious sources of surnames, and a prolific source it has been. Nothing would be more natural, at the first assumption of sur- names, than for a person of dark complexion to take the name of Black or BlackmaTif a tawny one that of Browne, and a pale one that of White or Whiteman. So, doubtless, originated RufuSy Rom, Rousseau (Fr.), and Russel (which seem only modifications of one word signifying red), Redman, Pink, Tawney, Motley, Whitesides, Silversides, Ruddiman, and perhaps Scarlett.* As no person ever had a green face (however green in other respects), we must refer the common surname that represents that colour to a local origin; John atte the Greene, Roger a^ Green, &c., being among the most famihar names of that class. The colour of the hair also led to a numerous train of these hereditary sobriquets (for they certainly are nothing else) : hence Hoare, Grissel, Grey, Blackhcke, Whitelocke, Silverlocke, Fairhaire, Whithair, Blound (Fr.), fair- haired, Fairfax (A.-S.), fair locks, Blackbeard, Whitehead, Blackhead, Redhead, &c. But it was not from the head alone that names of this description were taken, for we have, in respect of other personal quahties, our Longs and our Shorts; our Langmans, Longmans, and • Purple occurs in America ! PERSONAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES. 115 Longfellows; our Pretty mans and our Tallmans; our Biggs and our Broads; our Greats and our Smalls; our Strongs and our Weakly s ; our StrongmanSy Strongers, Strongfellows, StrongiHK arms, audi Armstrongs ; our Littles and our Lowes, and even our Little rs and our Lowers (!) our Goodbodies and our Freebodies ; our Groses and our Thynnes ;J our Swifts and our Slowmans Speeds, Quicks, and Quickly s ; our Plaines and our Prettys our Larges and our Pettys ; our Lovely s and our Plainers our i^«##5 and our Stouts ; our Darkmans and our £2'%- whites; our Lightfoots and our Heavisides, with many more whose meaning is less obvious. Among these may be noticed, Starkie, strong of body ; F2>5#, broad-footed; Crumpe, crooked; Mewet, one who speaks inwardly; iiVar, a leprous person; Morphew, a scrofulous person ; Michel (A.-S), great ; <S/«eZZ, agile.f J5e4 when affixed to le, is from the French, fair ; Fleet, swift ; JTttZe, healthful; Holder, ihrn-^X Carr and ^er, stout; and Pigot, from the French 'picot^,' pitted with smallpox, speckled ; with its variations, Piggott, Pickett, &c. The very common name of Reed, Read or Reid, is an old speUing of Red, (a name given, probably, in reference to complexion), thus Chaucer : " And floures both white and rede ;" and Sir John Maundevile, speaking of the Red Sea, says : " That See is not more reed than another see ; but in some ♦ This name (so far as one family is concerned) has a different origin. John de Botteville, so lately as the reign of Edward IV., resided at one of the Inns of court, and was thence named John ofth'Inne (Thynne). {Brady's Diss. p. 13.) t **ea't>mun'& cmj Ifien-fi*© paep jeclypo^o pofi hif &nell-fcipe. King Edmund was called Iron-side for his hardihood, agility." {S(^. Chron.) Snell appears to have been a Christian name before the Conquest, when the name of Snelson sometimes occurs. t Camden. 116 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM places thereof is the graveUe reede: and therefore men clepen it the Rede Sea." Many names of Welsh or Gaelic origin, common in England, have similar meanings, thus, More, great ; Begg, little; Roy, red; Duff^^ Dove, Dow, Dee, black; Bane, (whence behke Baynes), white or fair ; Vaughan, little ; Moel, or Mole, bald; Gam, crooked; Fane, slender; Grimm, strong ; Gough, red ; Gwynne, white ; Greig and Gregg, hoarse ; Gleg, quick ; Balloch, spotted in the face. Wight is strong, and Doughty, formidable, (A.-S. Sohti^.) " Lordynges, lysten, and you shal here, You shall well heare of a knight, That was in warre full wyght, And dougfitye of his dede." (Dowsabell.) . The antients had names of cognate significations, as among the Greeks, Pyrrhus, Chlorus, Chryses, and among the Romans, Candidus, Rutilus, Longus, Paulus, &c. with many others indicative of personal qualities or peculiarities. Among the names indicative of mental or moral qualities, we have our Hardy s and our Cowards; our Meeks and our Moodys ; our Bolds and our Slyes ; our Lively s and our Sullens ; our Eagers and our Dulman^ ; our Giffords or liberal ones, and our Curteises. Curteis I take to be an antient spelhng of the adjective courteous. Chaucer says of his " yong squier" — " Curteis he was, gentil and aflFable." So in Percy's Rehques : " And as the lyoune, which is of bestis kinge Unto thy subjectis be kurteis and benygne." Nor must we overlook our Wilds and our Sangwines ; our Merry s and our Sobers ; our Nobles and our Willeys, or PERSONAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES. 117 favorable ones ; our Blythes and our Cleeres j our Sternes and our Bonnys ; our Godmans and our Godlimans ; our Wakes or watchfuls ; our Terry s or tearful ones;* our Forwards and our Wises, our Wooralls or worth-alls,f our Ay twins, or beloved of all; our Proudes and our Humbles; our Sharpes and our Blunts; our Sweets and our Sweetmans ; our Illmans and our Freemans ;% our Wisemans and our Booklesses (!) our Stables and our Hasties ; our Gentles and our Lawlesses]; our Giddys and our Carelesses ; our Sadds and our Merryman^ ; our Innocents and our Peerlesses; our Luckies and our Faithfuls; our Gaudy s and our Decents; our Gallants and our Trusty s ; our Dearloves and our Trueloves ; our Truemans and our Thankfuls ; our Brisks and our Doolittles ; our Dears and our Darlings ; our Closes and our Allfrees ; our Brightmans and our Flatmans ; and, to close this long catalogue, our Goods, § Goodmans, Goodchilds ,\\ Goodfellows, our Thoroughgoods, Allgoods, Bests, Perfects, and Good- enoughs ; and, what is very extraordinary indeed, our Toogoods ! To these (from less obvious origins) add, if you will, jS^mw^ (Stunt, A.-S.) stupid, foolish; taken substantively it means a fool, by no means an enviable designation, but far from applicable to all who bear it. In a Saxon trans- lation of the book of Job, that patriarch calls his wife "stunt wif," i. e. a foolish woman. Widmer (py^, * Verstegan ; la more probable derivation is from the Fr. Thierry, Theodoric. + So Verstegan, Restit. :t The name F?'y, is a modernized spelling of Frie, free. § Goad, a corrupt spelling of the O. E. gode, good. Q The French likewise have Goodman and Goodson — Bonhomme and Bonfils. The surname of Pope Gregory XIII. was Buoncompagno, good companion, and that of his secretary of the treasury Buonfigluolo, good son. 118 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM wide and ODeaji, fame, A.-S.) widely renowned ; Huhhardy (Hu^hbejit, A.-S.) disposed to joy and gladness; Joyce (Fr.), the same ; Hogarth (Dutch,) high-natured, generous ; Mire (A.-S), clear; Baudy pleasant ; iJwsA, subtle ; Barraty cunning. Bowne, ready; Bonner, (Fr. bonaire, 0. E. boner,) kind, gracious; Eldridge is defined by Percy as wild, hideous, ghostly. See a description of an " Eldridge knight," in the ballad of Sir Cauline. Very much do these resemble the Agathias, Andragathius, Sophocles, Eubulus, Prudentius, Pius, Constans, &c. of the classical antients. Indeed there is scarcely any kind of names now in use that has not its prototype among the Greeks and Romans. To this list of names from personal and mental qualities, I may appropriately adjoin such as had their origin in some feat of personal strength or courage, as Armstrong (already mentioned), All-fraye, Langstaffy Wagstaff, Shakestaff and Shakespeare y or, as Mr. C. Knight wiQ have ity • Shakspere. Also Box-ally Tirebucky Turnbully^ and Breakspear, which was the original name of our countryman. Pope Hadrian the Fourth. ^'Harmany^ observes Verstegan, "should rightly be Heartmany to wit, a man of heart or courage." It also signifies a soldier or constable, in both which avocations "heart, or courage" is necessary. Holman may be Whole- many a man of undeniable valour — a man, every inch of him. Analogous to this etymology is that of the patrial noun Alman or German, which, according to Verstegan, " is as much to say as all or wholly a man," attributed • During our wars with the Scotch in the days of Edward I., one TurnbuU —a man of gigantic power — was champion of the Scottish army. PERSONAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES. 119 to that nation "in regard to their great manliness and valour.'* There are certain surnames which I have the greatest difficulty in assigning to any particular class. Gladman probably belongs to those derived from mental pecuharities, but Beadman is a complete nondescript— the most absurd appellation ever given to living creature. I know several people of this name.* * Dudman occurs as a name in that celebrated burlesque poem the " Tourna- ment of Tottenham" in Percy's Reliques. 120 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM ESSAY VII. SURNAMES DERIVED FROM CHRISTIAN NAMES. Everybody must have remarked the great number of names of this kind. Who is there among my readers who does not immediately call to mind some score or two of Edwardses, Johnsons, Stevenses, and Harrisons, in the circle of his acquaintance ? Yet such names are far more common than at first sight they appear to be, as I shall prove before I arrive at the end of this Essay. Many of the christian or fore-names of our ancestors were taken up without any addition or change, as Anthony, AndreWy Abel, Allen, Arnold, Ambrose, Amos, Alexander, Baldwin, Bartholomew, Boniface, Bryan, Barnard, Charles, Clement, Cecil, Cuthbert, Dunstan, Donald, Dennis, David, Daniel, Edgar, Ellis, Everard, Frederick, Gregory, Goddard, Godfrey, Gervaise (now Jarvis), Griffith, Guy, George, Gerard, Gilbert, Henry, Howell, Humphry, Herbert, Hilary, Isaac, Ingram, James, Jeffrey, Lawrence, Leonard, Lambert, Lewis, Martin, Matthew, Miles, Morgan, Neale, Nicholas, Oliver, Osmond, Owen, Paul, Percival, Philip, Ralph (usually written Relf), Randal, Reynold, Rice, Sampson, Silvanus, Simeon, Theobald, Thomas, Titus, Valentine, Vincent, Walter, &c. Great numbers of these have been assumed in the geni- tive case, as John Reynolds, for John the son of Reynold, James PhilHps, for James the son of PhiHp ; others have been corrupted in various ways, as Bennet from Benedict, CHRISTIAN NAMES. 121 Cutheard from Cuthbert, Emary (whence Emmerson) from Almerie, Errey from Eric, Stace from Eustace, &c. Those who are conversant with documents belonging to the middle ages, are well aware of the disposition that then existed to make the father's christian name the surname of the child. Even at a much more recent date the sire-name was frequently preferred to the stationary surname of the family. In Dr. Fiddes's Life of Cardinal Wolsey, Edmund Bonner, bishop of London, is called Dr. Edmunds, and Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, Dr. Stephens. These prelates, indeed, had no children ; but such in- stances may serve to show, nevertheless, with what facility christian names would pass into surnames in cases where there were children. Camden has a hst of surnames, formed of such forenames as are now obsolete, and only occur in Doomsday Book and other records of atitient date. From this list and from another by Dr. Pegge in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1772, p. 318, I select such as I have myself met with, omitting from the doctor's catalogue those names which are still common as christian names, and adding others. Anstis (Anastasius). Ayscough, Askew (Asculphus). Huskisson = Askew's son? AUCHER. Ansell (Anselm). Baynard. Brand {Sax. Chron.) Bennet (St. Benedict). Brandon. 122 surnames derived from Baldric. Bardolph. Barchard (Belchard). Barringer (Berengerius). Berners. Bryant (Brient). Coleman (Bede). Cadman (Csedman). Christian. Calfe. Degory. Durrant (Durandus). Drew (Drogo), DoDD. Whence Dodson. Edolph (Eadulph, Sax. Chron.) Ellis (Elias).* Elmer (^Imer). Everest, Every, Everett and Verry (Everard). Eachard (Achard, Doomsday). Etty (Eddy). Edlin (Atheling). Eade, Eades (Eudo). FULKE (Fulco). Farand, Farrant (Ferdinand). Folkard, Folker (Fulcher).t * The EUises of Yorkshire consider themselves to be surnatned from Eliseux in Normandy. ^ FcLCHEB is evidently the origin of Fullagar and perhaps of Woolgar. CHRISTIAN NAMES. 123 Girth. Godwin, Goodwin. Goodrich. Good LUCK {Doomsday). Grimes (Grime). GuNTER {Ingulphus). Gamble (Gamel, Sax.) Hassell (Asceline). Hesketh (Hascuith). Harman {Sax. Chron.) — See page 118. HoDE, HoAD, Hood (Odo). Hake (Haco). Hamlin (Hammeline) . Harding {Ingulph). Hammond (Hamon). Harvey (Herve). Heward. Herward, Hubert. Ive. Jernegan. Jollande. Kettle (Chetell, Doomsday). KiLLiCK (Calixtus). Lucy (Lucius). Mervyn (Merfin). 124 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM Mallet (Sax. Chron.) Maynard. Massey (Macey, Doomsday). Orson (Urso), whence Fitz-Urse. Ody (Odo). Orme. Other. Reyner (Reinardus). Raymond. Rothery (Rodericus). Rolle (Raoul). Stiggins (Stigandus or Stigand.) Saer, now Sayers. Searle (Serlo). Semar. Sewell (Sewellus). Seaward (Siwardus).* Swain (Sweyn). Seabright (Sigebert). Selwyn. Savery (Savaricus). San KEY (Sancho). Semple, Sampol (St. Paul). Sampiere (St. Peter). Stydolph (St. Edolph). Samand (St. Amado). SiMBERD (St. Barbe). * This was also a name of office, the Anglo-Saxon &£Bpeajl*& was a high- admiral, who kept the sea against pirates. I CHRISTIAN NAMES. 125 Tipple (Theobald). Tippet (the same). Toby (St. Olave). Terry (Theodorie). TOVY. TuRROLD, or TuRREL (Thorold). Tudor, Welsh, (Theodore.) Ulmer. Vivian. Wish art (Wiscard). Wade. Warner. Wimble, Wimboll (Winebald, Doomsday). "^ From this enumeration I omit many of the names called by Camden " Christian names in use about the time of the Conquest," such as Hasting, Howard, Talbot, Pipard, Poyntz. What, I ask, are these but surnames ? Does not the fact of such names occurring singly in Doomsday Book, add weight to the opinion I expressed at page 41 ? We have a few surnames from Welsh Christian names, as Cradock (from Caradoc), Chowne (from Chun), Merricks and Meyrick (from Meirric), Meredith and Madox, cor- rupted to Maddicks, * whereby hangs a tale.' " Are you acquainted with, mathematics .'"* asked a young pedant of a country acquaintance. " No," was the reply ; "I know Tom Maddicks and Will Maddicks, but as to Matthy, I never heard tell on him before." * Wimbledon, in Surrey, is probably the tun or enclosure of one Winebald, a Saxon. 126 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM Next in order come the names terminating with son, as AdamsoUy Johnson^ Henryson^ Clementson, Richardscm, Philipson, &c. whose derivation is clear, together with Heardson, Crowson, Quilson, Wigson, &c. from corrupted names, or from names no longer in use. Many of these were doubtless assumed before the Conquest, as we find GrimkeUon, Gamelson, &c. in the time of Edward the Confessor, if not earlier. The Norman fitz, a corruption of FiLs, was used in the same way, and among the con- quered Saxons was sometimes adopted instead ; thus Waltersonne and Geroldsonne became Fits-Walter and Fitz-Gerald ;* generally however the fitz denotes a Norman extraction. Sometimes, but rarely, son was appended to a profession, trade, title, or condition, as Dukeson, Clarkson, Cookson, WrightsoUy Smithson, Masterson, Stewardson, Hindson, and Widowson. The FITZ or son conjoined to a female name is thought to denote illegitimacy, as Fitz-Parnell, Fitz-Emma, Anson; Fveson, EmsoUy and Nelson, from Ann, Eve, Emma, and Nel or Eleanor.f So also Susans, Maudlins (Magdalene), Avis (Hawisa), Grace, Hannah, Fegge, that is Margery, Mary, Rachel, Jane, and the Hke. But it should be remembered that the Romans occasionally used their mother's name, when born in wedlock, and that our Henry the Second called himself Fitz-Empress. Other names are formed of, and upon, the cant or abbreviated Christian names ; ("pardon me,*' saith Master Camden, " if I offend any, for it is but my coniecture,'") as * '* The use of the prefix fitz has, with propriety, been revived in modem times. The eldest son of Harris, Earl of Malmesbury, is, by title of courtesy, Viscount Fitz-Harris." t Some of these apparently female names are possibly corruptions of masculine ones ; thus Anson may be Hanson — Nelson, Neilson, &c. CHRISTIAN NAMES. 127 Nat for Nathaniel; Bill for William, Wat for Walter, "and many such Uke, which you may learn of nurses P' Whether these odd monosyllables were originally applied to children as terms of endearment, and thus acquired the appellation of nurse-names, I cannot say. However they originated, they are plentiful enough, and of considerable antiquity. The poet Gower has the following verses on the occasion of Wat Tyler's insurrection, which are curious as containing several of these abbreviated names in a Latin dress : '* Watte vocat, cui Thoma venit, neque Symsie retardat, BATque, GiBBE simul, Hvkke venire subent: CoLLE I'urit, quem Bobbe juvat, nocumenta parantes Cum quibus ad damnum Wille coire volat, Gbigge rapit, dum Davie strepit, comes est quibus Hoebe, Larkin et in medio non minor esse putat; HuDDE ferit, quem Judde terit, dum Tibbe juvatur, Jacke domosque viros vellit, en ense necat," cfec. Andrews has rendered thesfe lines in the following humorous manner : " Wat cries, Tom flies, nor Symkin stays aside ; And Batt and Gibb and Hyke, they summon loud ; Collin and Bob combustibles provide, While Will the mischief forwards in the crowd ; Greg hawls, Hob bawls, and Davy joins the cry, With LiiRKiM not the least among the throng; HoDD drubs, Judo scrubs, while Tib stands grinning by. And Jack with sword and fire-brand madly strides along!"* The names of the class of which I am now treating are • Respecting these abbreviated names, Camden remarks that they " seeme to proceede from nurses to their nurslings ; or from fathers and maisters to their boyes and seruants ; for as according to the old prouerbe. Omnia herus seruo monosyllabus, in respect to their short commands ; so Omnia aeruua hero mano- syllabua, in respect of the curtolllng their names." (Remaines, p. 102.) 128 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM exceedingly numerous, as eight, ten, or even fifteen sur- names are sometimes formed upon a single Christian name. The name of William, indeed, is the basis of no less than twenty-seven such names, as will be seen by referring to the list I am about to place before the reader. Besides the syllable son, annexed to the cant names Sim, Wild, Hodge, &c. we have three principal terminations; kin, OT, and COCK, as Simkin, Wilmot, Hedgcock. Of the first two it is only necessary to state that they are diminutives ; -kin being derived from the Flemish,* and -ot from the French. Thus Timpkin stands for ** little Tim" or Timothy, and Adcot for "little Ade,'* or Adam. But the termination COCK is not so easily disposed of. Camden appears to derive it from the male of birds : hence among his names deduced from the "winged nation," he places Alcocke^ Wilcocke, and Handcocke ; but, so far as I am acquainted with our provincial dialects, those are not names locally assigned to any particular species of birds, as some others (shrillcock, stormcock, &c.) are well known to be. We must therefore look elsewhere for the derivation of the termination. Considerable discussion on this very subject took place in the pages of the Gentleman's Magazine not long since, the substance of which is given below. A correspondent, J. A. C. K., in an article pubhshed in that periodical in the number for May 1837, speaking of the great number of surnames of which cock is a component syllable, ob- • It may be remarked that names with this or a similar termination are still very numerous in Holland. There is a great similarity between the family no- menclature of that country and our own, especially in those names which have christian names as their basis. Thus Symonds is Simmonds ; Huygens, Higgins ; Pieters, Peters, dsc. The termination -son is found in most of the languages of Gothic origin. J CHRISTIAN NAMES. 129 serves, that many of them are evidently borrowed from the animal creation, as Peacock, employed to designate a vain, showy fellow; Woodcock, applied to a silly coxcomb ; and Shilcock, that is shrillcock, a Derbyshire provin- cialism for the throstle. Bocock or Bawcock is, of course, nothing more nor less than the French Beaucoq, fine fellow." Alcock, Badcock, Drawcock, Grocock, Slocock, this sapient scribbler casts aside as " indelicate ;" "LuccocK or Luckcock," he continues, ** probably denotes some lucky individual (!) With respect to Hitch- cock, it appears to have been synonymous with woodcock, and employed to signify a silly fellow Glasscock, Adcock, Mulcock, bid defiance to all etymology, unless the termination be a corruption of cot. Thus Glasscock becomes Glas-cote, Adcock, At-Cote, &c It seem highly probable that Atcock and Alcock, Hiccock and WiLCOCK, are but varieties of Atcot and Alket, Hickot and Wilkot, the familiar terms At and Hal, Hick and Will, for Arthur, Henry, Isaac, and William. As far as relates to the latter name, Wilcock, I am decidedly of opinion that such has been its original form, corroborated as it is by the surnames of Wilcockes and Wilcoxon, still existing amongst us." This communication led to a second, (Gent. Mag. Sept. 1837,) in which the writer observes, that only six out of the ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY uamcs Containing this mysterious syllable can be assigned to the animal creation ; while he is inclined to think many of the names local, being derived from cock, a hillock : Cockburn, the burn by the hiUock ; Cockham, the hamlet by the hillock : so also Cockfield, Cocksedge, Cockwood, &c. The reader will remark that in this article the examples are chosen from 130 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM such names as have cock for their initial, and not for their final syllable, and therefore do not aid our inquiry; although the derivation of Cockburn, &c. is probably correct. J. G. N. in a third article on the same topic, (Gent. Mag. May 1838,) remarks that the word "often occurs in the records of this country under the various forms of Coc, Koc, le Cok, le Coq, &c., answering in fact, to the Latin Coquus, more usually, during the middle ages, written Cocus, and while the greater number of those antient professors of the culinary art have modified their ortho- graphy to Coke, or Cooke, or Cook, others have evidently retained the final c, and thus assimilated their names to the victims instead of the lords of the kitchen. Hence we proceed to Cock, Cocks, and Cox." He then quotes the Great Rolls of the Exchequer for 25 Hen. III. 1241, in which one Adam Coc or Cok is commissioned by the king to superintend certain repairs at Clarendon palace, "and to instruct the workmen, so that the kitchen and stables might be enclosed within the outer wall." Having hit upon this clue, he thinks it leads to an " explanation of some of the names ending in cock, as Meacocky the meat- codk (\) . Salcock, the SALT-MEAT-cook (! !) Slocock^ the sLOw-cook (! ! !) and Badcock, the iMPERFECT-cook (!!!!) Grococke is the gross or wholesale cook ... or, perhaps, le gros coc, or fat cook (! !) and those com- pounded with Christian names are thus readily accounted for. Wilcox, will be WiUiam the Cook; Hancock, Johan the Cook ; Sandercock, Alexander the Cook ; Jeffcock, Jefl5y the Cook, &c.* The Allcocks may be descended * If Christian names were ever so compounded with avocations, how is it we have no such names as Han-SAiiTH as well as Hancock ; FTiW-MiLLER as well as Wilcock; Sander- TAILOR as well as Sandercock ? CHRISTIAN NAMES. 131 from Hal the Cook, unless their great ancestor was Aule- cocus, the Hall-Cook." Some others, he thinks, have originated from names o( places, as Laycock fromLacock, in Wiltshire, &c. &c. ; others from the bird, from their being persons of noisy or pugnacious dispositions, or perhaps from their practice of early rising (!) Cockerell (he justly says) is derived " from cockerel, a young or dwarf bird of that species." That Peacock, Woodcock, and a few others, are derived from birds, is unquestionable, seeing that we have the congenerous names Raven, Finch, Sparrow, &c. from that source ; and that others are corruptions of cot, cannot, I think, be denied; but that cock, as a termination, has aught to do with cocus, coq, or cook, is a supposition perfectly ridiculous. As to J. G. N.'s record in the Exche- quer RoUs, it is a most amusing piece of nonsense to imagine that the said Adam Coc was the royal cook. Who indeed ever heard of a cook's possessing any architectural skiU beyond what is required in the construction of the walls of a gooseberry tart or a venison pasty ? Besides, what had a cook to do with walling in the royal stables ? We have just as much right to assume that he was the king's farrier. But even admitting this same Adam's surname to have been originally derived from that neces- sary office of the kitchen, does it at all explain Meacock, Salcock, &c. ? I do not consider the question deserving of a serious reply. What then is the meaning of cock ? Why, it is simply a diminutive, the same as ot or kin. This opinion I had formed long before I saw the correspondence just noticed, and it is supported by numerous proofs. I do not profess to assign a satisfactory meaning to all the names with this 132 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM termination ; yet I think I have been successful in affixing that of five sixths of all such names as I have ever met with. And I doubt not that the remainder might be explained with equal facility were not the Christian names, of which they are the diminutives, extinct. Badcock and Salcock in J. G. N.'s list are evidently "Little Bat," that is, Bartholomew; and *' Little Saul," which, however unenviable a name, was sometimes used by our ancestors. In like manner we may account for Wilcocke or Wilcox^ " Little WilUam," Allcock, "little Hal or Harry," Luckock, " little Luke," and the rest.* My old friend, N. Bailey, $iAo\oyos, whom I have found very useful in these matters, has not the word cock in this sense, but he has the low Latin terms Coca, a little boat, and Cocula, a small drinking cup, which I think help me a " httle."f The term, in its simple form, was probably never used except in a familiar colloquial manner, and in this way the lower orders in the south of England, are still accustomed to address "Httle" boys with "Well, my little Cocky* a piece of tautology of which they are not at all aware. Nor must we forget the use of this mysterious syllable in the antient nursery-rhyme of — Ride a coe?c-horse To Banbury Cross, &c. where little horse is evidently intended. I was long puz- • A correspondent reminds me that " ock is still a common diminutive in Scotland, as Willock, Lassock, Nannock." This sugrjestion enables us to ac- count for Pollock, Mattock, and Baldock, which are evident modifications of Paul, Matthew, and Baldwin. t Bishop Percy is of opinion that the much debated " cocknei/" is a "dimi- nutive of cook from the Lat. coquinator or coquinarius,"— a corruption I should rather call it. CHRISTIAN NAMES. 133 zled with the surname Coxe, which I have now no hesita- tion in calUng a synonyme of Little. Mr. Coxhead is probably Mr. Little-head, (in contradistinction, I pre- sume, to Mr. Greathead.) What a pity it is the sylla- bles of that gentleman's name were not transposed, for he might then stand a fair chance of obtaining the prefer- ment of Head-Cook in J. G. N.'s kitchen!* But lest I should be accused of making "much ado about nothing," I proceed to set down my list of son- names, nurse-names, and diminutives, which I hope will furnish some amusement to the reader : — • I thought I had settled the true etymology of this termination— cock, but from the correspondence of several literary friends I find that it still remains a moot point. It would be no difficult matter to gossip over an additional half- dozen of pages in a similar style to the preceding ; but as the tendency of such discussions is rather to darken than elucidate the subject in hand, I deem it most prudent to leave the matter to the decision of the reader. I cannot how- ever resist the temptation to quote a few observations with which I have been favoured by the secretary of the Gaelic Society of London. «• Coch, the Welsh for red," says that gentleman, " makes in English, Cox and Cocka." , . . ." They" —namely, the surnames in Cock — "are merely Gaelic, Cornish, and Welsh terms (! !), expressive of personal qualities slightly modified into English, as — Algoch, great, Alcock, Stangoch, pettish, Stancock, Magoch, clumsy or large-fisted, Macock and Meacock, Bacoch, lame, Bacock, Leacoch, high-cheeked. Lay cock, Lucoch, bow-legged, Lucock, Peacoch, gay, handsome. Peacock. Bochog, blob-cheeked, Pocock, Bachog, crooked, Bacock, &ic. &c." 134 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM From Adam are derived Adams, Adamson, Ade,* Adye, Addison, Adcock, Addiscot, Addiscock^ and Adkins. Abraham, Abrahams, Mabb, Mabbs, and Mabbot. Arthur, Atts, Atty, Atkins, Atkinson, and Atcock; perhaps also Aitkin and Aikin. Andrew, Andrews, Anderson, Henderson. Alexander, Sanders, Sanderson, Sandercock, Allix, Aiken, Alley. AiNULPH, Haynes, Hainson. Allan, Allanson, Hallet, Elkins, Elkinson. Anthony, Tony, Tonson, Tonkin. Benjamin, Benn, Benson, Bancock, and Benhacock. Baldwin, Ball, Bawcock, Baldey, Baldock. Bartholomew, Batts, Bates, Batson, Bartlett, Batcocky Badcock, Batty, Batkin. Bernard, Bernards, Bemardson, Barnett.f Christopher, Christopherson, Kister, Kitts,Kitson. CuTHBERT, Cuthbertson, Cutts. C LAPPA, an obs. Saxon name, Clapp, Clapps, Clapson.J Crispin, Crispe, Cripps. Clement, Clements, Climpson. Charles, Kell, Kelson, Kelley. DiGGORY, Digg, Digges, Diggins, Digginson, Tegg ? Drogo, Drew, Dray, Drayson, Brocock. Donald, Donaldson, Donkin. Dennis, Denison, Tennison. * Adam is usually abbreviated to Ade in the Nonarum Rolls, and other an- tient records. t Often so corrupted . t Clapham, in Surrey, is the ham or house of • Clappa,' a Saxon, who held the manor temp. Confessoria. CHRISTIAN NAMES. 135 From Daniel, Dann,* Daniels, Tancock. DuNSTAN, Dunn, (if not from the colour.) David, Davey, Da%, Davison, Davis, Dawes, Dawkins, Dawkinson, Dawson, Davidge, (i. e. David's,) &c. Edward, Edwards, Ethards, Edes, Edkins, Edwardson, Tedd. Elias, Ellis, Ellison, Elliot, Elliotson, Elson, Elley, Ellet, Lelliot. Edmund, Edmunds, Edmundson, Munn, Monson. Francis, Frank, Frankes. Fergus, Ferguson. Gideon, Gyde, Giddy, Giddings, Giddies, Geddes. Gilbert, Gill, Gillot, Gilpin, Gibb, Gibbs, Gibbon, Gibbons, Gibson, Gubbins, Gibbings, Gipp, Gipps. Giles, Gillies, Gilkes.f Gregory, Gregg, Gregson, Grocock, Gregorson, Griggs. GoDARD or Godfrey, Godkin, Goddin, Goad. Geoffry, Jefferson, Jeffson, Jepson, Jeffcock, Jeffries, Jifkins. Henry, Henrison, Harry, Harris, Harrison, Hal, Halket, Hawes, Halse, Hawkins, Hawkinson, Haskins, Alcock, Hall (sometimes), Herries. Hugh, Hewson, Hugget, Huggins, Hugginson, Hewet. Joseph, Joskyn, Juggins. John, Johnes, Jones, Johnson, Janson, Jennings, Jenks, Jenkins, Jenkinson, Jack, Jackson, Juxon, Hanson, Hancock, Hanks, Hankinson, Jockins. * Unless it be from Dan, an antient title of respect from the Lat. Dominus. t When the initial G is soft, those names above assigned to Gilbert probably belong to Giles. 136 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM From JuDE, Judd, Judkin, Judson. Job, Jubb, Jobson. Jacob, Jacobs, Jacobson, Jeakes. James, Jamieson. Jeremy, Jerrison, Gerison, Jerkin. Isaac, Isaacs, Isaacson, Hyke, Hicks, Hixon, Higson, Hickot, Hiscock, (q. d. Isaac-OCK,) Hickox, Lawrence, Larry, Larkins, Lawes, Lawson. Luke, Luckins, Luckock^ Lacock, Locock, Lukin, Luckin, Luckings, Luckett. Matthew, Mathews, Matheson, Matson, Madison, Mathey, Matty, Maddy. Maurice, Morrison, Mockett, Moxon. Mark, Markcock, Marks. Nicholas, Nicholls, Nicholson, Nickson, . Nixon, Cole, Colet, Colson, Collins, CoUison, Glascock, Glasson. Neal or NiGELL, Neale, Neilson, Nelkins. Nathaniel, Natkins. Oliver, Olliver, Oliverson, OUey, Nolls, NoUey, NoUekins. Peter, Peterson, Pierce, Pierson, Perkin, Parkins, Parkinson, Peters, Parr, Porson, Parson, (some- times.) Philip, Phillips, Philps, Phipps, Phippen, Philpot, Phillot, Philcox* • " Pillycock, Pillycock, sate on a hill. If he's not gone, he sits there still." From the ' Nursery Rhymes of England/ by Mr. Halliwell, who observes that this word also occurs in (MS. Harl 913,) a manuscript of the fourteenth century. It is probably an older form of Philcox. CHRISTIAN NAMES. 137 From Paul, Paulett, Pawson, Porson, Pocock, Palcocky Palk, PoUock. Patrick, Patrickson, Paterson, Patson. Ralph, Rawes, Rawson, Rawlins, Rawlinson, Rason. Randolph, Randalls, Rankin, Ranecock. Rhys (Welsh.) Ap Rhys, Price, Apreece, Preece, Brice. Richard, Richards, Richardson, Ritchie, Rickards, Hitchins, Hitchinson, Hitchcock, Dick, Dickson, Dixon, Dickens, Dickinson. Robert, Robins, Robinson, Roberts, Robertson, Robison, Robson, Roby, Dobbs, Dobbie, Dobson, Dobbin, Dobinson, Hoby, Hobbs, Hobson, Hobkins, Hopkins. Roger, Rogers, Rogerson, Hodges, Hodgson, Hodgkin, Hodgkinson, Hoskin (?), Hodd, Hodson (if not from Odo,) Hudson. Reynold, Renolds, Reynoldson, Raincock. Simon, Simmonds, Simpson, Simmes, Symes, Simcock, Simpkin, Simpkinson. Stephen, Stephens, Stephenson, Stercock (?), Stimson, Stinson, Stiff (?), Stebbing, Stubbs. Silas or Silvester, Silcock. Timothy, Timms, Timmings, Timpson, Timpkins. Thomas, Thorn, Thorns, Thompson, Thomlin, Thomlinson, Tompkins, Tampkins (a northern pronunciation), Thompkisson, Thompsett, Tamp- sett (northern). ToBiT, Toby, Towes, Towson, Tobin, Tubbe, Tubbes. TuRCHETiL, Turke. 138 SURNAMES DERIVED FROM From Theobald, Tibbald, Tipple (a murderous corrup- tion),* Tipkins, Tibbs, Tippet! Tibbats. Walter, Walters, Watt, Watts, Watson, Watkins, Watkinson, Watcock. William, Williams, Williamson, Wills, Wilks, WiUdns, Wilkinson, Wickens, Wickeson, Bill, Bilson, Wilson, Woolcock, Woolcot, Wilcocke and Wilcoxy TFilcoxon, WiLet, WiUmot, WiUy, WiUis, Wylie, WiUott, Till, TiUot, Tilson, Tillotson, Tilly. ^pparnttlg tleribttJ from female namesi : From Katherine, Kates. Margaret, Marjory, Margerison, Margetts, Margetson, Margison, Maggs, Magson. Mary, Moll, Malkin, Makins, M.eikm&on,Maycock (?) The Latin termination por is said to stand for puer, the son of, as Publipor, Marcipor, Lucipor, which signify Publii puer, Marci puer, and Lucii puer.f Nor must it be forgotten that the Romans formed one name upon another, as Constans, Constantius, and Constantine, somewhat ana- logous to our own mode, in Wilks, Wilkins, Wilkinson, &c. Camden tells us of a landlord at Grantham who used to make a distinction between guests as they bore the full name or the nick-name. Thus he was accustomed to treat the Robertsons, Johnsons, and Wilhamsons with great respect, while the Hobsons, Jacksons, and Wilsons, fared in his hostelry as best they could. A "dainty deuice,*' truly! * I know a place called Tipplel Green, which in old writings is called Theobald's Green. + Camden, p. 116. CHRISTIAN NAMES. 139 Some christian names have been oddly connected with other words to form surnames, as Goodhughy FulljameSy Mat- thewman, MarklovCy Jackaman (!), Cobbledicky on J. G. N/s theory, * Dick the Cobbler !') The name of John has at least seven of these strange appendages, viz.: LittlejOHN, Mickle- JOHN, UpjoHN, PrettejoHN, ApplejOHN, ProperjOHN, and BrownjoHN ! ! ! I cannot consider these last corrup- tions of other names, as the prefixes seem to be all signi- ficant and descriptive. Indeed so common is the forename John, that before the invention of regular surnames, these sobriquets might have been given with great propriety, for the sake of distinction, to as many inhabitants of any little village. Thus the least John of the seven would be the Little John of the locality ; while Mickle (that is great) John would be a very appropriate designation for the most bulky of the number; John at the upper end of the street might be called Up-John j Pretty John was, I sup- pose, the beau of the village, while the goodman who had the best orchard was styled Apple- John ;* Proper- John, no doubt, answered to his name, and was a model oi propriety to all the youth of the parish ; while, to complete the list, Brown-John possessed a complexion which would not have disgraced a mulatto. I know the Oldenbucks will reject all this as inconsiderate trifling, but whether it has less probability than some of the graver conjectures and more learned hypotheses of F.S.A.'s, I leave to the impartiahty of my reader to determine. * I may remark, in support of this etymology, that I once knew a person who was famous for growing an excellent kind of potatoes, on which account he was often spoken of by his rustic neighbours as-Tater-John ! 140 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS ESSAY VIII. SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS, FROM SIGNS OF HOUSES, ETC. One would suppose that when almost every description of locality, whether town, village, manor, park, hill, dale, bridge, river, pond, wood or green ; every dignity, office, profession and trade; every peculiarity of body and of mind, and every imaginable modification of every Christian name, had contributed their full quota to the nomenclature of Englishmen, the few millions of families inhabiting our island would have aU been supplied with surnames ; but no : the thirst for variety (that charming word !) was not yet satisfied ; and consequently recourse was had to objects celestial and things terrene. The wondrous glories of the firmament, And all the creatures of this nether scene. Beasts, fishes, birds, and trees, in beauteous green Yclad, and even stones, ." Accordingly we find the names of the heavenly bodies, beasts, birds, fishes, insects, plants, fruits, flowers, metals, &c. &c. very frequently borne as surnames. I shall first attempt a classification of these names under their various genertty and then offer some remarks on their probable origin. First, from the heavenly bodies. Sun, Moone, Star. From FOUR-FOOTED creatures. Ass, Bear, Buck, AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 141 (with its compounds, Oldbucky Roebuck, Clutterbuck*) Badger, Bull, Bullock, Boar, Beaver, Brock (a local name for the badger), Coney, Catt, Colt, Cattle (!), Cow, Calfe, Beer, Doe, Fox, Fawn, Good-sheep, Goat, Gray (another provincialism for badger). Hart, Hogge, Hare, Hound, Heifer, Kitten, Kidd, Lyon, Leppard, Lamb,f Leveret, Mare, Mules, Mole, Oxen, Otter, Panther, Pointer, Puss, Poodle (!), Palfrey, Pigg, Rabbit, Ram, Roe, Setter, Steed, Steere, Squirrel, Seal, Stagg, Tiger, Talbot, (a mastiff — familiar as an heraldic word), Tod (a fox), Wildbore, and Wetherhogg. Moyle is the 0. E. for any labouring beast, and Capel is an old word, signifying a strong horse ; hence Chaucer, " And gave him caples to his carte." In an ancient "ballade of Robyn Hood" we have, " Yonder I heare Syr Guy's home blow, It blows so wel in tyde -, And yonder he comes, that wight yeoman, Clad in hys capul-hide." I have not found the name of Mouse in modern times, but "le Mouse" occurs in the Nonarum Rolls. One of the most widely-spread names of this kind is Wolfe, which occurs in the classical, as well as in many modern, languages, as Avkos (Gr.), Lupus and Lupa (Lat.), Loupe (Fr.), Wulf (Sax.), and Guelph (Germ.) — the surname of the existing royal family of Great Britain. The old baronial name of Lovel is from the * The word cluttered, in the northern counties, signifies stirred; hence Cluttkrbuck may possibly mean, a " stirred buck,"— a buck just roused or stirred from his lair. This name probably had its origin in some circumstance connected with the chase. t Charles Lamb, in reply to the question, " Who first imposed thee, gentle name?" comes to the conclusion that his ancestors were shepherds ! 142 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS same source. The original name of that family was Perceval, from a place in Normandy ; until Asceline, its chief, who flourished in the early part of the twelfth century, acquired, from his violent temper, the sobriquet of Lupus. His son WiUiam, earl of Yvery, was nicknamed Lupellus, the little wolf, which designation was softened into LupEL, and thence to Luvely and became the surname of most of his descendants.* Fosbroke mentions the name of Archembaldus Pejor-Lupo, Archibald Worse-than-a-Wolf ! but does not give his authority.f One of the most singular surnames I ever met with is that of a gentleman of fortune in Kent. His family name was Bear, and as he had maternal relatives of the name of Savage, his parents gave him the Christian (or rather un- christian) name of Savage ! Hence he enjoyed the pleasing and amiable name of Savage Bear, Esquire ! ! Long prior to the invention of surnames, our Saxon ancestors were accustomed to bear the names of animals ; the names' Horsa and Hengist, both signifying a horse. "The antient pagan Germans too, especially the ^roBLEMEN, did sometimes take the names of Beasts, as one would be called a Lion, another a Bear, another a Wolf, &c/':t And, in ages much more remote, the Greeks and Romans. Among the latter we find multitudes of such names as Leo, Ursinicus, Catullus, Leporius, Aper, &c. The Persian name Cyrus, means a dog, and is possibly the etymon of our EngUsh word cur ! Speaking of such names the witty author of Heraldic Anomalies § says : " We should think Ass and Sow not very elegant names, and yet there were persons of respectability at Rome who • Burke's Extinct Peerage. t Encycl. of Antiq. p. 429. % Verstegan Restit. p. 133. § Vol. I. p. 179. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES, 143 bore them — no less indeed than the Cornelian and Tremellian families. The former got the name of Asinia by one of the family having agreed to buy a farm, who, being asked to give pledges for the fulfilment of his en- gagement, caused an asSy loaded with money, to be led to the Forum as the only pledge that could be wanted. The Tremellian family got the name of Scropha or Sow, in a manner by no means reputable ; but by what we should call, in these days, a hoaXf and a very unfair one into the bargain. A sow having strayed from a neighbour's yard into that of one of the Tremellii, the servants of the latter killed her. The master caused the carcase to be placed under some bed-clothes, where his lady was accustomed to lie, and, when his neighbour came to search for the pig, undertook to swear that there was no old sow in his pre- mises, except the one that was lying among those bed- clothes, which his neighbour very naturally concluded to be the lady herself. How the latter liked the compUment the history does not relate, but from that time the TremeUii acquired the cognomen of Scropha or Sow, which became afterwards so fixed a family name as to make sows of all their progeny, both male and female." Not content with having appropriated the names of the living animals, our ancestors sometimes, oddly enough, adopted the terms applied to their flesh, &c. when dead, as Mutton, Veal, Tripe, Pigfat, Gammon, Brawn, Giblets, Hogsfiesh^ and Bacon, These last two were borne by two innkeepers at Worthing, when a very small town ; where- upon a rustic poetaster penned the ensuing most elegant stanza : — * The mistress of a ladies' semiiiary in a fashionable watering place, who used to advertise her establishment under this name, now spells it Ho'flesh .' 144 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS " Worthing is a pretty place, And if I'm not mistaken, If you can't get any butcher's meat, There's Hogsflesh and Bacon /" From BIRDS we borrow the following names : Birdy Bisset, (Fr. a wild pigeon). Blackbird, Bunting, Bulfinch, Buzzard, Barnacle, Bustard, Coote, Crane, Cock, Cuckoo, Chick, Chicken, Culver (A.-S. a pigeon). Chaffinch, Crowe, Capon, Brake, Buck, Dove, Daw, Egles, Fowle, Finch, Falcon, Goshawk, Grouse, Gander, Goose, Gosling,* Gull, Goldfinch, Hawke, Howlett, Heron, Heme, Henshaw (that is, heronshaw, a young heron). Jay, Kite, Linnet, Larke, Mallard, Nightingale, Peacock, Partridge, Pheasant, Pigeon, Parrot, Raven, Rooke, Swan, Sparrow, Swallow, Starling, Stork, Swift, Teale, Thrush, Throssell, Wildrake, Wildgoose, Woodcock, Woodpecker, Wren ! Also Popin- jay, more usually contracted to Popjay, the old. English for Parrot ;f Carnell, a bird — but of what species I know not. Hone mentions a Christmas carol commencing, " As I passed by a river side. And as I there did rein (run). In argument I chanced to hear A Cbrwa/ and a crane." "As good names these," says Camden, "as [the Roman names] Corvinus, Gallus, Picus, Falco, and Livia, that is, stockedoue.'* So numerous are the names derived from this source that in a small congregation of dissenters at Feversham, CO. Kent, there were lately no less than twenty-three • Pegge's derivation of this name, from Josceline, is not at all probable. t I have not met with Owl as a surname, but ' Towle looks like an abbreviation of "At the Owle," the meaning of which will be discovered a few pages forward. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 145 names taken from the "feathered nation," their pastor, a very worthy man, bearing the singularly appropriate name of Rooke ! Many names of this sort have been the subjects of excellent puns, among which may be noticed the following. "When worthy master Hern, famous for his living, preaching and writing, lay on his death-bed, (rich only in goodness and children,) his wife made womanish lamenta- tions what would become of her little ones ? * Peace, sweetheart,' said he, *that God who feedeth the ravens will not starve the herns ; a speech (says Fuller) censured as Hght by some, observed by others as prophetical ; as indeed it came to pass they were all weU disposed of." Akin to this were the words of John Huss at his burning ; who, fixing his eyes steadfastly upon the spectators, said with a solemn voice — " They burn a goose^ but in a hun- dred years a sw«w will arise out of the ashes:" words which many have regarded as a prediction of the reformer of Eisleben ; the name of Huss signifying a goose, and that of Luther a swan. The following is of a more humorous cast. As Mr. Jay, an eminent dissenting minister of Bath, and his friend Mr. Fuller were taking an evening walk, an owl crossed their path, on which Mr. Fuller said to his compa- nion, "Pray, sir, is that bird 9. jay?" "No, sir," was the prompt reply ; "it's not like a jay, — it's fuller in the eyes, and/wZZer in the head, £ind fuller all over f" It is related in Collins' s Peerage that a certain unmarried lady once dreamed of finding a nest containing seven young Jinches, which in course of time was reahzed by her becoming the wife of a Mr. Finch, and mother of seven children. From one of these nestlings is descended the present earl of Winchelsea, who still retains the surname of Finch. 7 146 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL. OBJECTS Pye, which might be supposed to be derived from the bird so called, is a corruption from the Welsh, Ap-Hugh — u in that language having sometimes the sound of y. This name is exceedingly common in some districts of England and Wales, a fact that can excite no surprise in any one who "marks the conclusion" of the following epitaph from Dewchurch, near Kevenol: "1550. Here lyeth the Body of John Pye of Minde, a travayler in far countryes, his life ended ; he left be- hind him Walter, his son, heire of Minde ; a hundred and six yeares he was truly, and had sons and daughters two and forty /" Corbet, the name of more than one eminent family in the North of England, is raven. In Scotland, the name, both of the bird and the family, is varied to Corby. The reader who is versed in the old Scottish ballads will call to mind that of the Twa Corbies, which for tragic effect and wildness of diction is unequalled, and which for the benefit of those to whom it may be new, I shall here take the liberty to introduce. As I gaed donn by yon house-een', Twa Corbies there were sitting their lane j The ane unto the tother did say : — ' O where shall we gae dine to-day?' O doun beside yon new-faun birk. There, there lies a new-slain knicht ; Nae livin' kens that he lies there, But his horse, his hounds, and his ladye fair. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 147 His horse is to the hunting gane, His hounds to bring the wild deer hame ; His lady's taen another mate ; Sae we may mak our dinner sweet ! O we'll sit on his bonny breist-bane. And we'll pyke out his bonny grey een ; WV ae lock o' his gowden hair. We'll theek our nest when it blaws bare ! Many a ane for him maks mane, But none sail ken where he is gane ; Ower his banes when they are bare, The wind sail blaw for evermair / " Next from fishes, come Bream, Burt, Base, Cod, Crab, Cockle, Chubb, Dolphin, Eel, Flounders, Gudgeon, Grayling, Gurnard, Haddock, Herring, Jack, Ling, Lamprey, Mullett, Pilchard, Plaice, Piper, Pike, Perch, Pikerell, Ray, Roach, Sharke, Sturgeon, Salmon, Sole, Scale, Smelt, Sprat, Seal, Trout, Tench, Whiting, Whale; to which may be added Fish and Fisk, the latter being the true A.-S. form of the same word. The Romans had their cognates, Murena, Phocas, Grata, &c.* From INSECTS, Bee, Wasp, Fly, Bug, Cricket. I do not give these on my own authority, for I never met with any of them. Mr. Monkland's list contains Moth, Spider, and Summerbee. From reptilia. Leech, Worms, and Blackadder. Then from the vegetable world (besides the names of trees to which I have already referred as being borrowed from some specific tree of each species, and therefore classed among local names) we have Myrtle, Box, Holly, * Camden. 148 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS Jvy,* Crabtreet and Gourde (Reed and Rush are already accounted for,) Hay, Straw, Cabbage, Sage and Spinage, Leek and Onion, Pepper and Peppercorn,'^ Barley, Oats, Bean, Peascod, and Vetch. Also Pease, (lately among the M.P's ;) Budd, Flowers, and Leeves, Rose and Lily, Lis and Blanch/lower, Daisy and Primrose, Weed and Nettle, Peach and Pe«r, Nutt and Filbert, Grapes, Cherry, and Sweetapple, Orange, Lemon, and PeeZ. I place this last name in juxta-position with the two preceding, for juxta- position's sake, for it is probably a local name. Some others are possibly corruptions of other words; thus * Holly and Ivy were •personated in the antient holiday games. In Hone's Mysteries is the following quotation from a MS. carol, called '• A Song on the Holly and the Ivy." (p. 94.) " Nay, my nay,hyt shal not be I wys. Let HOLY hafe the maystry ; as the maner ys : Holy stand in the halle, fayre to behold Ivy stond without the dore she is ful sore acold. 'Say, my nay, Sfc. Holt and hys mery men, they dawnsyn and they syng, Ivy and hur maydyns, they wepyn and they wryng. Nay, my nay, Sfc. In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1779, a correspondent, under the name of Kitty Curious, describes an odd kind of sport which she witnessed in an obscure village in Kent on the festival of St. Valentine. The girls and young women were assembled in a crowd, burning an uncouth effigy which they called a HoUy Boy, and which they had stolen from the boys ; while the boys revenged them- selves in another part of the village by burning a similar figure taken from the girls, and called an Ivy Girl. The sport was carried on with great noise and much glee. Kitty inquired the meaning of the observance from the most aged people of the place, but could only learn from them that it was a " very old antient custom." That surnames were occasionally assumed from such and similar mummeries, is confirmed by the following short extract from Fabyan's Chronicle (edit. 1559), sub anno 1302 : " About Mydsomer was taken a felow wych had renued (renewed) many of Robyn Hodes pagentes, which named hymselfe Grenelef," This name is not extinct. t There were formerly living in two adjacent houses in Deptford Broadway, Mr. P/McA;ro5e, a perfumer 5 agd Mr. Peppercorn, a grocer. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 149 Filbert and Pear very probably mean the two French Christian names, Philibert and Pierre, while Lemon is a corrupt spelling of the old English word leman, a para- mour or mistress, which often occurs in Chaucer and elsewhere. Mr. Monkland's MS. affords the following additional names borrowed from vegetables, &c. : Ashplant, Bays, Laurel, Pippin, Codling, Quince, Plum, Damson, Olive, Almond, Nuts (!), Raisin, Barberry, Cranberry, Plant, Balsam, Woodbine, Tulip, Stock, Holy-oak, Hemp, Poppy, Lupin, Violets, Furze, Leaf, Ivyleaf, Hawthorn, Quickset, Grain, Seed, Clover, Garlick, Parsley, Beet, and Thistle I Roser is an obsolete word for rose-bush or tree, (Fr. 'rosier,') as the following true tale from our unsophisti- cated friend Sir John MaundevUe, wiU show : " And betwene the cytee [of Bethlehem] and the chirche is the felde floridus ; that is to seyne, the feld florisched : for als moche as a fayre mayden was blamed with wrong and sclaundred, for whiche cause sche was demed to the dethe, and to be brent in that place, to the whiche sche was ladd, (led.) And as the fyre began to brenne aboute hire, sche made hire preyeres to our Lord, that als wissely as sche was not gylty of that synne, that he wold help hire, and make it to be knowen to alle men of his mercyfuUe grace. And whan sche hadde thus seyd, sche entred in to the fuyer ; and anon was the fuyr quenched and oute ; and the brondes that weren brennynge becomen REDE RosERES ; and the brondes that weren not kyndled, becomen white Roseres fulle of roses. And theise weren the first Roseres and roses, bothe white and rede, that evere ony man saugh." Surnames adopted from the mineral kingdom, are less 150 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS numerous: hence, however, we borrow Clayy Chalky CoaUy Irons J and Ccyppery Gold, Silver,* Brass j Jewell, Diamond, or Bymond, Sands, Whetstone, Hone,f Stone, Flint, and Steele. Some of these may be local names, particularly Clay, Flint, and Stone, there being places so called, situ- ated respectively in Norfolk, Flintshire, and Kent. Coke is not derived from charred coal ; it is, as we have seen in a former Essay, the old orthography of cook. " A COKE they hadden with hem for the nones To boile the chickenes and the marie-bones. He coud-e roste and sethe and boile and frie, Maken mortrew-es and wel bake a pie.'^J Now, while it is quite likely that a few of these names, from natural objects, may have originated from some fancied resemblance of their first bearers to the animals, &c. whose names were assigned them as sobriquets, we must, as I apprehend, look elsewhere for the application of the great majority of them. Those names to which the prefix LE occurs in old records, may be with safety assigned to the characteristic class. The first Adam le Fox was doubtless a clever, knowing fellow, a Httle too sharp for his neighbours in matters of meum and tuum. Roger le Buck and Nicholas le Hart, I should say, were capital fellows for a foot-race ; while Richard le Stere was, with equal probability, a hard-working peasant. Hare would answer nicely for a person of small prowess. Pike for a gourmand, and Jay for a chatter-box — but let us be serious. * Ricardus d'Argent. {Ant. Rec.) t This is an antient spelling (gratis rythml) of hand. (Vide Gloss, to Percy's Ant. Rel.) t Chaucer. Prologue. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 151 The names of celestial objects, very many names of animals, and all names of vegetables, would be inapplicable in this manner. I conclude, therefore, that they were borrowed from the signs of inns and shops, kept by the parties who first used them.* This opinion was original with me long before I had read Camden's " Remaines" : a passage in that work fully confirms it : "Many names that seeme vnfitting for men, as of brutish beasts, &c. come from the very signes of the houses, where they inhabited ; for I have heard of them which sayd they spake of knowledge, that some in late time dwelling at the signe of the Dolphin, Bull, White- horse, Racket, Peacocke, &c. were commonly called Thomas at the Boljphirit Will at the Bully George at the Whitehorse, Robin at the Racket, which names, as many other of like sort, with omitting at, became afterward hereditary to their children."f Hence the names of persons derived from natural objects may be most satisfactorily accounted for — even those bor- rowed from the heavenly bodies ; for the Sun, [Half-] Moon, and Star, were formerly among the most famiUar signs of shops, as they still continue to be of inns and public-houses. Having accounted for this extensive class of surnames, * These signs were not the least curious feature of " London in the Olden Tyme." Every quadruped, from the lyon and hee-cow (!) down to the hedgehogge —every bird from the eagle to the wrenne— every fysshe of the sea—almost every known object in nature, in fact, was employed by the good citizens to excite the attention of passers-by to the various wares exhibited for sale. The numbering of shops and houses is of comparatively recent introduction, although it is as su- perior in point of convenience to the antient practice, as are the fine modern buildings to the round-about timber edifices which existed before the great con- flagration of •« sixty-six." t Remaines, p. 102. 153 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS it becomes, at once, an easy matter to dispose of another, and not less remarkable class. I mean those names that are derived from commodities, articles of dress, imple- ments, and others of a similar kind, which bye and bye I shall mention. They are, I think, almost without excep- tion, borrowed from signs of houses and inns. Formerly every tradesman had his sign, and generally it bore some reference to the commodities disposed of under it. This practice is still retained in many towns on the continent. The city of Malines is said to abound with them, and they add much to the picturesque effect of the streets of that remarkable place.* Even in England some faint traces of the practice remain, particularly in the more antique portions of old cities and country towns, where we occa- sionally find the Golden Fleece at the Drapers', the Pestle and Mortar at the Apothecaries', the Sugar-loaf at the Grocers', &c. The Red Hat, the Golden Boot, the Silver Canister, and others of that kind, which are everywhere pretty numerous, are modern imitations of the antient fashion, and are certainly preferable to such names as * Commerce House,' * Waterloo Establishment,' and * Albion House,' by which enterprising traders dignify their shops. A collection of antient signs in any given place would be a curious and not uninteresting document. A great number of them might be collected from the imprints of old books, among which I recoUect, at this moment, the Rose and Crown; the Angel, the Black Raven, the Hedgehog, the Bible, (on London Bridge), the Star and Garter, &c. ; being the signs chosen by printers of former times. * Vide Gent. Mag. March, 1842. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 153 I am inclined to think that the names adopted from signs generally originated in towns, as such names as Field, Wood, and Grove, did in the country; a consider- ation not devoid of some interest, as from it a conclusion may be arrived at as to whether one's ancestors were citi- zens or * rusticall men.' In Pasquin's "Night-Cap," printed in 1612, we have the following lines, which show that at that comparatively recent date, individuals were recognizable by the signs of their shops : ** First there is maister Peter at the Bell^ A linen-draper and a wealthy man ; Then maister Thomas that doth stockings sell ; A nd George the grocer at the Frying-pan ; And maister Timothie the woollen-draper; And maister Salamon the leather-scraper ; And maister Franke ye goldsmith at the Rose ; And maister Phillip with the fiery nose. And maister Miles the mercer* at the Harrow ; And maister Nicke the silkman at the Ploiv ; And maister Giles the sailer at the Sparrow ; And maister Dicke the vintner at the Coiv ; And Harry Haberdasher at the Home; And Oliver the dyer at the Thome ; And Bernard, barber-surgeon at the Fiddle ; And Moses, merchant- tailor at the Needlel'^f The following names are obviously derived from this source : Bullhead, Silversj)oon, Image, Rainbow, Bell, Posnet (a purse or money-bag). Grapes, Tankard, Pitcher, Scales, Crosskeys, Fyrebrand, Home, Potts, Hammer, Funnell, Baskett, Board, Bowles, Hamper, Tabor (or • The word Mercer is now exclusively applied to dealers in silk; but its original and true meaning is a general dealer. Gospatric Mercenarius occurs in this sense among the burgesses of Clithero, co. Lancaster, in the 12th century. t Vide Gent. Mag. Jan. 1842. 7§ 154 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS drum), Cowlstick, Cade, Cottrelly Cresset. Most of these are quite intelligible, but some others require explanation, as, for instance, Cowlstick (often refined to Costic.) A cowl is a vessel with two ears, generally made of wood, and for the sake of convenience carried between two, on a staff, thence called a cowl-staff or cowlstick. Cade is an old word for a barrel or cask, and hence a very appro- priate sign for an alehouse or tavern.* Cottrell, according to Grose, is a provincial word for a trammel for hanging an iron pot over the fire ; but this name, as I have elsewhere shown, is most probably derived from a very different source. A Cresset was a machine used during the middle ages by soldiers; it was a kind of portable beacon made of wires in the shape of an inverted cone, and filled with match or rope steeped in pitch, tallow, resin, and other inflammable matters. One man carried it upon a pole, another attending with a bag to supply • As I intend " to put into my book as much as my book will hold," I take an opportunity here, on mentioning the name of Cade, to correct an error into which most of our historians have fallen relative to that arch-traitor Jack Cade, temp. Hen. VI. They uniformly state that he was an Irishman by birth, but there is strong presumptive evidence that to Sussex belongs the unenviable claim of his nativity. Speed states that "he had bin seruant to Sir Thomas Dagre." Now this Sir Thomas Dagre or Dacre was a Sussex knight of great eminence, who had seats at Hurstmonceux and Heathfield, in this county. Cade has for several centuries been a common name about Mayfield and Heathfield, as is proved both by numerous entries in the parish registers and by lands and loca- lities designated from the family. After the defeat and dispersion of his rabble- rout of retainers. Cade is stated to have fled into the woods of Sussex, where a price being set upon his head, he was slain by Sir Alexander Iden, sheriff of Kent. Nothing seems more probable than that he should have sought shelter from the vindictive fury of his enemies among the woods of his native county, with whose secret retreats he was doubtless well acquainted, and where he would have been likely to meet with friends. The daring recklessness of this villain's character is illustrated by the tradition of the district, that he was engaged in the rustic game of bowls in the garden of a little alehouse at Heathfield when the well-aimed arrow of the Kentish sheriff inflicted the fatal wound. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 155 materials and a light. Shakspeare and Milton both allude to the cresset as a familiar object: " The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes Of burning cressets.'^ ( Henry I V. 1 .) *' Pendant by subtle magic many a row Of starry lamps and blazing cressets." ( Farad. Lost.) I have made the annexed sketch of a cresset from a de- scription in Fosbroke's Encyclopaedia: I cannot answer for its being very correct. A " cresset with burning fire" 156 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS was formerly a badge of the Admiralty. In the Coventry Mysteries, p. 270, we read — This name. Cresset, is the designation of at least one family of gentry ; and should my humble lucubrations meet the eyes of any who happen to bear it, I trust they will pardon my insinuation, that they are descended from tradesmen — ^vulgar persons who had great flaring signs over their doors — when they call to remembrance that all families of gentle blood must have been amongst the plebeian ranks of society, till some adventitious circumstance raised them to eminence and wealth. A large number of our peerage families are proud to record their descent from Lord Mayors of London, who must necessarily have been trades- men ; and it is probable that many of our great houses of Norman origin, on tracing their pedigrees beyond the Conquest (were such a thing possible), would find them- selves sprung from the poor and servile peasantry of Normandy. For pride of ancestry there is perhaps no antidote more salutary or more humiliating than a calm consideration of the question proposed by the jester to the Emperor MaximiHan, when engaged, one day, in mak- ing out his pedigree : «i)m ^am ^tlhtti ant» (Bbt ^pan, "W^txt toais ti^en ti)t gentltman? Bicher staff (with its corruption Bickersteth), was proba- bly the sign of an inn. It seems to mean a staff" for tilting or skirmishing. (Vide Bailey's Diet, voce * Bicker.') In the old ballad of Chevy Chase we read — " Bowmen bickered upon the bent With their broad arrows clear." AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 157 Several names are borrowed from habiliments of the person, as Copey Mantell, Coates, Cloakcj Meddlicote, (that is, a coat of many or mixed colours, a favorite fashion of our ancestors,) BooteSy Sandally Froche, Hosey Hat, Capp, Peticotey Freemantle, GaicotCy* and Mapes.f I have no doubt that aU these have been used as signs of houses, perhaps of inns; certain it is that there was a tavern in Southwark called the Tabard (a herald's coat), and a very famous tavern it was too, which will never be forgotten so long as the name of Chaucer survives. " Befelle, that in that season on a day In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay, Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage To Canterbury with devout corage, At night was come into that hostelrie, Wei nine and twenty in a compagnie. Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle In felawship, and pilgrimes were they alle, That toward Canterbury wolden ride."| Some of the names borrowed from habiliments, how- ever, were given as sobriquets to those who first set the fashion of wearing them. Of this we have an instance in Curtmantle, the surname of our Henry the Second, given him from his having introduced the fashion of wearing shorter mantles than had been previously used. This rule was reversed in later days by one Spencer, who gave his surname to the article bearing that name ; which is said to have originated in the following manner : Spencer was a celebrated exquisite, who stood so high in these matters that he had only to don any particular fashion of garment, to be imitated by all the dandies of the day ; and so confi- * Camden. t Vide Archaeologist, vol. i. p. 102. ± Chauc. Cant. Tales, Prologue. 158 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS dent was he of his influence in this respect, that he once declared that he verily believed that if he wore a coat without tails, others would do the same. He assumed this ridiculous vestment — so did they ! Hugh Capet, the founder of the royal line of France in the tenth century, is said to have acquired that surname from a freak of which, in his boyhood, he was very fond ; that of snatching off the caps of his playfellows. The names derived from parts of armour, as Helme, Shield, Greaves, Swords,Buckler, Gauntlett,Gunn,Muskett, Shotbolt, and Broadspear, were also, in all probability, signs of inns kept by those who first bore them. Some similar names, however, originated from fashions in war- like implements, and were given to the persons who first used them. Strongbow, the cognomen of the famous Earl of Pembroke, and Fortescue, that is, strong-shield, are of this kind. Longespee, the cognomen of WiUiam first Earl of Salisbury, and son of Fair Rosamond, was given him from his using a longer sword than usual ; and WilHam, son of Robert de Belesme, earl of Shrewsbury, gained the name of Talvas from the kind of shield so called.* This hypothesis respecting signs enables us to account for such surnames as Angel, Saint, Apostles, Martyr, which could never have been applied with propriety to any living person. The Angel is still a common sign for inns, as Saints doubtless were before the Reformation. St. George and the Dragon still retain their post at the doors of some country alehouses. Martyrs, too, I dare say, were plentiful enough in those days; but the only vestige of them remaining, so far as I am aware, is St. Catherine on her Wheel, now usually termed the • Camden. AND SIGNS OF HOUSES. 159 Catton Wheel. Indeed, I am not quite sure whether it has not been corrupted still further to the Cat and Wheel ! There are some other names of a religious cast, as Crucifix, Hallowbready Fix, a little chest for the reception of the consecrated host; Pascall, another utensil used in the service of the church ; and Porteus, a breviary or priest's office-book, to which I am disposed to assign the same origin. Several surnames are from the names of articles of diet ; as Figg (a most excellent name for a grocer). Buttery Dryhutter, Salt, Sugar, Ale, Suet, Honey, Pepper, Mustard, Pickles, Perry, Syder,* and Beer. This last (and perhaps some of the others) may be of the local class, there being two towns of that name in Devonshire, namely, Beer-Ferris and Beer-Alston. Salt, Sugar, and Suet could never have been signs of houses, whence I conclude they were first given as sobriquets to persons who dealt in such articles. I have already extended the present Essay beyond due bounds, but I must not close it without adverting to one other batch of names: I mean those derived from the heathen divinities and celebrated personages of antiquity, whose names and portraitures doubtless, in former days, adorned some of the signs of which I have already said so much. Of the former we have Venus, Mars, and Bacchus,-f and of the latter Homer, Tullsy, Vergil, Ccesar, and * A friend remarks, "The Italian Peray is at least as likely a derivation, and, at all events, a more costly liquor." Syder is probably synonymous with Sidesman, the name of an office. t I am rather afraid we must be content with a much humbler origin for this name, viz. ' Bakehouse.' Backhouse and Bacus are similar corruptions, In some districts, house, as a termination, is often corrupted to us, e. g. Stonehouse to Stonnus, Woodhouse to Woodus, Dovehouse to Duffus, and Malthouse to Malthus. (Mad. d'Arblay's Mem.) 160 SURNAMES FROM NATURAL OBJECTS, ETC. Horace. "^ It is sometimes amusing to find these immortal names in the oddest possible associations: "Many years have not elapsed," says Mr. Brady, in his humorous dis- sertation, "since Horace drew beer at Wapping ; Homer was particularly famous for curing sore legs ; and C^sar was unambitious of any other post than that of shopman to a mercer !" The failure of a person named Homer once gave rise to the following admirable puns : " That Homer should a bankrupt be Is not so very odd-d'ye-see, If it be true, as I'm instructed. So ILL-HE-HAD his books conducted !"t * Had we not evidence that such names as Colbrand, Gup, and Bevis were antiently used as Christian names, I should not hesitate to add them to this catalogue of celebrated persons as being derived respectively from the Danish Giant, from the famous Earl of Warwick, and from the no less doughty, if less illustrious, Bevis of Southampton : "Which geaunt was myghtie and strong. And full fourty feet was long ; A foote he had betwene each brow. His head was bristled like a sowe !" (Romance of Syr Bevis.) It is remarkable that there is still living at Southampton, the scene of his giantship's adventures, a family of Bevis, who from time immemorial have been located there ; but whether they are lineally or collaterally descended from this giant (whose effigies still adorn the Bar-gate of the town,) I leave to the proper authorities at the Herald's College to determine. The name of Littlejohn I formerly imagined to be borrowed from the far-famed compeer of that most redoubtable deer-killing, bishop-robbing, and sheriff-tor- menting wight. Master Robyn Hood of Nottinghamshire. That the name of a person so popular, so courageous, and so worthy in some respects as this antient forester was, should be adopted as a surname by some lover of "hunting craft and the green- wood glade," In the next generation, would have been a circum- stance by no means extraordinary. t Heraldic Anomalies. SURNAMES FROM SOCIAL RELATIONS, ETC. 161 ESSAY IX. SURNAMES FROM THE SOCIAL RELATIONS, PERIODS OF AGE, TIME, ETC. There are several English surnames derived from con- sanguinity, alliance, and other social relations, originating, as Camden thinks, from there having been two or more persons bearing the same Christian name in the same neighbourhood; as Fader y Brothers^ CotmnSj Husband, Young-husbandj Batchelor, Kinsman, Lover, Paramour,* Guest, Stranger, Prentice, Master, Masterman, Friend,f and Foe. Here, for want of a more appropriate place, I may add Mann, Boys, Goodboys, Littleboys, Littlechild, Stripling, Suckling, Baby (^\),X Child,^ Children (I), and * Lei/child seems to be the old English form of love-child, 1. e an ille- gitimate. t The common surname BeUamj/ is derived, according to Bailey, from the French Bbl-Ami, fair Friend ; while Farebrother is probably a corruption of father-brother, a Scottish term for uncle. i^ I have three authorities for this name. § CJiild is frequently used by our old writers as a title. It seems to be equiva< lent to Knight. In the " Faerie Queen" it is applied to the son of a king. Child Waters, the Child of Rile and Gil or CAzVd-Morice, are personages well known to the readers of Percy's Reliques. The word sometimes occurs in its plural form as children. Thus in the ballad of Sir Cauline : — " The Eldridge knight he pricked his steed ; Syr Cauline bold abode : Then either shooke his trustye speare. And the timber these two children bare Soe soone in sunder slode ! (split.)" {Perc. Rel. Ed. 1839, p. 12.) «' In former times the cognomen Childe was prefixed to the family name by the eldest son ; and the appellation was continued until he succeeded to the title of his ancestors, or gained new honours by his prowess." {Lond. Encyc. 1836.) 162 SURNAMES FROM SOCIAL RELATIONS, Gasson, which looks like a corruption of GAR90N (Fr.), a boy. That some of these are corruptions, or words having a double meaning, is, I think, unquestionable. Mann, for instance, as I have already surmised, may be from the island in the Irish Sea ; Batchelor is applicable otherwise as well as to an unmarried man ; and Boys, with its com- pounds, is, in all Hkelihood, a mis-spelling and false pro- nunciation of the French bois, a wood. The French surname Du Bois, naturalized amongst us, is equivalent to our Attwood, &c. To such names of distinction also be- long Rich and Poorer Fassall, Bond, FreemaUy Freeborn, and Burr ell. Borel is used in Chaucer in the sense of LAY, as Borel-clerks, lay clerks, Borel-folk, laymen. The. surname of Wardedu or War deux, formerly borne by the feudal lords of Bodiham, co. Sussex, is of very singular origin. Henry, a younger son of the house of Monceux, was a ward of the Earl of Ou in the thirteenth century, from which circumstance he left his antient patro- nymic, and assumed that of "Ward de Ou. This Henry Wardeou or Wardedu was knight of the shire for Sussex in 1302.* Closely connected with the foregoing are the names de- rived from periods of age, as Young, Younger, Youngman, Eld, and Senior, Rathbone is from the Saxon, and signi- fies "an early gift." This class of surnames presents some very strange anomalies ; for instance, though Eld or Senior might serve very weU to designate a man in the decline of life, how could it apply to his children? "Yong," says Verstegan, was derived from one's "few- * See a very interesting little work, lately published, called •* Gleanings re- specting Battel and its Abbey," p. 63. AND PERIODS OF AGE AND TIME. 163 ness of yeares ;" if so, every day of his life must have made the absurdity of the name increasingly apparent. How oddly do such announcements as the following sound : " Died, on Tuesday week, Mr. Young ^ of Newton, aged 97." " The late Mr. Cousins, the opulent banker, of Kingston, is said to have left the whole of his property to pubUc charities, as he could not ascertain that he had a single relative in the world!" "Died, on the 10th inst.. Miss Bridget Younghushand, spinster, aged 84." " Birth : Mrs. A. Batchelor, of a son, being her thirteenth,*' &c. &c. From periods of time we have several names, as Spring, Summer, Winter. The writer of the article " Names," in the Penny Cyclopaedia, thinks these three corruptions of other words, because the remaining season. Autumn, does not stand as a surname. Thus, he says. Spring signifies a hill; Summer, somner ;* and Winter, vintner. This is far-fetched; besides, I would not undertake to say that we have no Autumns in our family nomenclature. It is a word easily corrupted to the more natural speUing of Otham or Hotham, although I am quite aware that some famiUes bearing that designation take it from places where they were originally settled. Moreover, it is no greater matter of surprise that names should be borrowed from the seasons than from the months, the days of the week, and festivals of the church, like the following : Dai/, with its compounds Goodday and Doubleday ; Evening, Weekes ; March, May; Sunday, Monday, Friday; Christmas (and Noel, Fr.), Easter, Paschall, Pentecost, Middlemiss, that is, if I mistake not, Michaelmas; * See p. 106. 164 SURNAMES FROM SOCIAL RELATIONS, Holidayy Midwinter,* &c. Domesday seems to be a cor- ruption of " domus dei," a name given to some religious houses. We are not singular in the possession of such names: the Romans had their Januarii, Martii, Maii, Festi, and Virgilii — the last so named from having been " borne at the rising of the VirgiHse or seven stars, as Pontanus learnedly writeth against them which write the name VirgiHus."t Perhaps most of these originated from the period of the birth of the persons to whom they were first assigned, or from some notable event which occurred to those persons on the particular day or month. The name Friday, which De Foe makes Robinson Crusoe give to his savage is ex- tremely natural. Perhaps they were occasionally given to foundlings : thus, in Crabbe's " Parish Register :" " Some hardened knaves that roved the country round, Had left a babe within the parish bound, Hi Hi :ki ^ Hi 'Hfi But by what name th' unwelcome guest to call Was long a question, and it * posed' them all ; For he who lent it to a babe unknown, Censorious men might take it for his own. They look'd about ; they gravely spoke to all, And not one Richard answered to the call. Next they enquired the day when, passing by, Th' unlucky peasant heard the stranger's cry. This known, how food and raiment they might give Was next debated, for the rogue would live! At last, with all their words and work content, Back to their homes the prudent vestry went, And Richard Monday to the workhouse sent." * Mr. Monkland's MS. contains the additional names of Thursday, Harvest, August, Dawn, Noon, Eve, and Morrow. ^ Remaines, p. 111. AND PERIODS OF AGE AND TIME. 165 The following surnames may find a place here : Soone, Later J Latter, Last, and Quickly. Well may Master Camden say of such, " To find out the true originall of Surnames is full of difficulty ;" and I shall not waste good time and paper by any attempt to guess at their origin. There is also another commodity of which I should regret the loss still more : to wit, the patience of the reader. I shall therefore close this short Essay by thanking him for his indulgence, and announcing a shorter. 166 A CABINET OF ODDITIES. Eg"SAY X. A CABINET OF ODDITIES. " Odd, very odd !" Old Play* There are a good many surnames which seem to have originated in sheer caprice, as no satisfactory reason for their assumption can be assigned. I doubt, indeed, if they were ever assumed at all, for they have very much the appearance of what, in these days, we are accustomed to call nicknames or sobriquets^ and were probably given by others to the persons who were first known by them, and so identified with those persons that neither they nor their immediate posterity could well avoid them. To this family belong the names borrowed from parts OF THE HUMAN FIGURE, which are somewhat numerous. There were lately living, in a very small village about ten miles from Lewes, three cottagers bearing the singular names of Head, Body, and Shoulders I It may not be unamusing to classify this description of names according to their proper position in the human frame, thus : Head, with its numerous compounds, which are already accounted for, with Pate, and Skull, Face and Fore- head ! Haire, and that of various colours. Cheeke. ♦ At least I dare say so, for I am not a reader of old plays. I believe it is generally understood that authors are at full liberty to coin a motto, and to as- cribe it to any imaginary source that may strike their fancy. A CABINET OF ODDITIES. 167 Mouth, Tongue, Tooth, Gum and Gumboil ! Chin and Beard. It must not be imagined that I have overlooked the nose : that was too prominent a feature to be forgotten. It generally occurs in composition with other words, how- ever, and in its antient form of nesse ; as Thicknesse, thick-nose ; Bednesse, red-nose ; Longnesse, long-nose ; and Filtnessey which, if I may be allowed a jocular etymology, is no other than " fcedus nasus," or, in plain EngUsh, foul- nose f Having thus disposed of the head, I proceed to the Neck and Shoulders, and thence to the Body (with its compounds Goodbody, Freebody, which are mental rather than personal epithets). Side, Back, Bones, and Skin,* with Joint and Blood and Marrow. Heart (with Great-heart, &c.) Belly, Bowell, and Kidney, with its Fat. Arms, Hands, Fist, and Nailes ! Next, in respect of the " nether man," Shanks and LEGGE,f with its Knee-bone. In our downward progress we pass the Shin and the Foote, with its Toe, Heele, and Sole, where having reached "terra firma," we remain as much in the dark as ever as to the • Skin and Bone were the namea of two millers at Manchester on whom Dr. Byrom wrote:— *' Bone and Skin, two millers thin. Would starve us all or near it ; But be it known to Skin and Bone, That yiesh and blood can't bear it." t Some of these names may have been borrowed from signs of houses. Vide Essay VIII. In an old ballad called * London's Ordinary,' we read :— " The hosiers will dine at the Leg, The drapers at the sign of the Brush, &c." 168 A CABINET OF ODDITIES. motives which led our whimsical ancestors to the adoption of such very absurd and extraordinary surnames. Names of this sort are not confined to the human body, for we have several that seem to have been borrowed from parts of the inferior animals, as MaWy HorUj Wing, Feathery Scutty Beaky Crowfooty and Shell. Then there is another set of names not much less ridi- culous, namely, those borrowed from coins and denomi- nations of money; as Farthing y Halfpenny y Penny y'^ Twopenny, Thickpennyy Moneypennyy Manypennyy Fenny- morey GrotCy Tester y and Pound; also Pringle and Bodle, two obsolete Scottish coins. The last, however, may be a corruption of Bothwell, as the name of the coin was taken from that of the person. Angely NobUy and Marky although names of coins, are referrible to other classes of names al- ready discussed. Besides these we have From the weather, &c. Frosty SnoWy Haily and Hailstoney Rainy y Thundery Tempesty Foggy Fairday, and Fairweathery GaUy Breezey ShowerSy Sunshiney FineweatheVy Misty and Dew I From sports and amusements. Bowles, Bally Byce, Dodd, Cards, &c. ; to which may be added Fairplay and Playfair. From VESSELS and their parts, &c.. Ship, Cutter (inn signs), Barge, Boat, Wherry, Beck, Forecastle, Keel, Locker, Tackle, Rope, Cable, Anchor (an inn sign). Mast, Helm, and Rudder. From PACES. Trot, Gallop, Canter (?). * Upon a person of this name some one wrote the following distich by way of epitaph : ** Reader, If cash thou art in want of any. Dig four feet deep, and thou shalt find a Penny !" A CABINET OF ODDITIES. 169 From MEASURES. Gill, Gallon, Peck, Bushell, Bagg, Measures, Cuhitt, Yard, Hal/yard, Furlong, and Inches. From PREDILECTIONS. Loveday, Loveland, Lovethorpe (thojip, A.-S., a village), Lovegrove, &c. From NUMBERS. Six, Ten, Eighteen, Forty e ;'^ also Once and Twice ! and From DISEASES. Cramp, Akinside, Headache, Akin- head, and Ague ! ! ! f Is our motto realized ? * These names seem so absurd, that one would be induced to pronounce them corruptions of others, had we not similar names from various countries ; for Instance, there were lately at Rome two Cardinals, Settantadue and Quarantotto, the Italian for * seventy-two' and ' forty-eight.' The name of the eminent sculptor Trentanove signifies 'thirty-nine!' In Belgium there is a family called Vilain Quatorze or ' fourteen-rascal !' + ^feinside. Headache, y4/finhead and ^^ue may be local from the A.-S. ac, an oak. 170 SURNAMES OF CONTEMPT. ESSAY XL SURNAMES OF CONTEMPT; AND MORE ODDITIES IN THE NOMENCLATURE OF ENGLISHMEN. It is really remarkable that many surnames expressive of bodily deformity or moral turpitude should have de- scended to the posterity of those who perhaps well deserved and so could not escape them, when we reflect how easily such names might have been avoided in almost every state of society by the adoption of others ; for although in our days it is considered an act of villany, or at least a ' suspi- cious affair,' to change one's name unless in compliance with the will of a deceased friend, when an act of the senate or the royal sign-manual is required, the case was widely different four or five centuries ago, and we know from antient records that names were frequently changed at the caprice of their owners. The law seems originally to have regarded such changes, even in the most solemn acts, with great indifference. Lord Coke observes : " It is requisite that a purchaser be named by the name of bap- tism and his surname, and that special heed be taken to the name of baptism, for that a man cannot have two names of baptism as he may have divers surnames." And again: "It is holden in our antient books that a man may have divers names at divers times, but not divers Christian names."* • « The question how far it is lawful for an individual to assume a surname at pleasure came before Sir Joseph Jekyll when master of the rolls in 1730, who, in giving judgment upon the case (Barlow v. Bateman), remarked, 'I am SURNAMES OF CONTEMPT. 171 Names of this kind are not very numerous in England ; still we have Bad, TrollopCy that is, slattern ; Stunt, that is, fool; Outlaw, Wanton, Silly, Silliman ; Parnell (an immodest woman). Bastard, Trash, Harlott, Hussey, Gubbins (the refuse parts of a fish), and Gallows, which strongly implies that the founder of that family attained a very exalted, though at the same time unenviable, station in the world ! Kennard, antiently Kaynard, from caignard (Fr.), literally signifies "you dog!" which assuredly merits a place among surnames of contempt. The same word, in a figurative sense, means a sordid fellow, a miser. Dudman, according to Bailey, means ' a malkin, or scare- crow, a hobgoblin, a spright !' Craven, the surname of a noble family, might be thought to belong to the same class, but this is a local name derived from a place in Yorkshire.* Bene or Bean is an expression of contempt, the meaning of which is not ascertained. f Cheale in the southern dia- lect is probably the same with chield in the north, where it is applied to persons in a shght, contemptuous manner.;]: The A.-S. Eeoj\le, whence our modern English * churl,' is probably the root. Many of the names mentioned in former Essays might be placed among these surnames of contempt. Such, also, are a variety of those indicative of ill-formed Hmbs or fea- tures, as Crookshanks, Longshanks, Sheepshanks, Greathead, satisfied the usage of passing acts of parliament for the taking upon one a sur- name is but modern, and that any one may take upon him what surname, and as many surnames, as he pleases, without an act of parliament.' It is right, however, to add that the above decision was reversed by the House of Lords." (Archceologia, vol. xviii, p. 110.) * Craven, antiently a term of disgrace when the party that was overcome in a single combat yielded and cried Cravent, &c. {Bailey's Bictionaj-y.) t Vide Percy's Ant. Rel. X lb. Gloss, voc. Chield. 172 SURNAMES OF CONTEMPT. Longnesse, &c. The antient Romans, like ourselves, had many family names implying something defective or dis- graceful. Their Plauti, Pandi, Vari, Scauri, and Tuditani would have been with us the Splay-foots, the Bandy-legs, the In-knees, the Club-foots, and the Hammer-heads ! Tlie meanness of the origin of some of the patrician families was hinted at in their names. The illustrious Fahii de- rived their name from being excellent cultivators of beans, and the Pisones theirs from their having improved the growth of pease. The Suilli were descended and denomi- nated from a swine-herd, the Bubulci from a cow-herd, and the Porci from a hog-butcher ! Strabo would have been with us a Mr. Squintum, Naso (Ovid) a Mr. Bignose, and Publius, the propraetor, a Mr. Snubnose. Cincinnatus, and the curly poll of the Dainty Davie of Scottish song, are, strange to say, identical ideas.* The modern Itahans are not more courteous than their ancestors of "old Rome" in the names they give to some families ; as, for instance, Malatesta, chuckle-headed ; Boccanigras, black- muzzled ; Porcina, a hog ; and Gozzi, chubby-chops If To this place may also be referred the by-names of kings, as Unready, Shorthose, Sans-terre, Crookback. "William the Conqueror was so little ashamed of the ille- gitimacy of his birth that he sometimes commenced his charters with William the Bastard, &c. ! Among other names not yet mentioned may be noticed Whalebelly (for which, with all the rest that follow, I have authority), the designation, probably, of some cor- pulent person ; Rotteuy Bubblejaw, and Bottenherym/, a »ame which occurs in some antient records of the town ♦ Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, t Ibid, MORE ODDITIES. 1/3 of Hall, and was most likely gWen, in the first instance, to a dishonest dealer in fish.* Indeed, I have little doubt that these odd appellations all applied with great propriety to those who primarily bore them. How well might Save-all designate a miserly fellow ! and Scrape-skin would answer the same purpose admirably. Doubleman would be odious if it related to duplicity of character, but humo- rous if it originated in some person's being double the size of ordinary people. Stabback and KUlmaster are really horrible. It is perhaps scarcely fair to take many of the above names au pied de la lettre, as they may not be really what they appear at the first sight or sound ; " and a more dili- gent search into our own antient dialects, as well as into those foreign ones from whence we receive so many recruits, would doubtless rescue some of them from unmerited op- probrium." Nor should it be forgotten that in the muta- tions to which a living language is ever exposed many ex- pressions which now bear a bad sense had originally a very different meaning : the words knave, villain, and rascal, for instance, would not have been regarded as opprobrious names in the thirteenth century. The name Coward may be adduced in support of these remarks. " The Argillarius or Hayward of a town or village was one whose duty it was to supervise the greater cattle, or common herd of beasts, and keep them within due bounds. He was other- * The following anecdote will serve to show how easily, even in modem times, a nick-name may usurp the place of a true family name. •♦ The parish clerk of Langford near Wellington, was called Red Cock for many years before his death ; for having one Sunday slept in church, and dreaming that he was at a cock-fighting, he bawled out : • a shilling upon the red cock !' And behold ! the family are called Redcock to this day." {LackingtorCa Life.) This anecdote forms an appropriate appendage to what has been said in Essay VII. 1/4 MORE ODDITIES PUNS. wise called Bubulcus, q. d. Cow-ward, whence the re- proachful term Coward. "^'^ With respect to the term nick- name I may observe that it comes to us from the French {nom de nique), in which language nique is a movement of the head to mark a contempt for any person or thing. I trust that the gentle reader will do me the justice to acknowledge that I have been tolerably successful in the appropriation of surnames to the various classes to which they belong ; but he really must excuse me if I do not so much as attempt either to classify or explain such names as Overhead, Challenge, Pennyfeather, Merrywether, Starkwether, Hayday, Broivnsword, Physic, Wigg, Sus- tenance, and Nothing ! Snare, Need, Stilfox, Brace, Hazard, Horsenail, and Music! Emblem, Mummery, Portwine, Doors, Theme, Tomb, and Vesper ! Chataway, Sermon, Coffin, Fancy, and Pickfat ! Quickfall, Parcel, Casement, Window, and Fudge ! What can we say to compounds such as these : Look-up, Standfast, Small-page, God-me- fetch, and Weed-all? Good-year, Twice-a-day, Small-shoe, Good-lad, May-powder, and Pay-body ? Small-piece, Still- weU,f Ride-out, and Quick-fall? Good-be-here, Full-away, God-helpe, Gay-lord, Twelve-trees, dindi Twenty-man ? Rue- gain, Pop-kiss, Tram-pleasure, Doo-little, Tread-away, % Clap-shoe, Gather-c&al, and Shake-lady ? Rush-out, Well- fit, Met-calf, Go-lightly, Tip-lady, Tap-lady, 9xATop-lady? Gather-good and Scatter-good have some propriety, but what shall be said of Lady-man, Go-to-bed, Hearsay, * Rees's Cyclopedia. t There is a physician of this name. % The name of a shoemaker at Springfield, co. Essex. MORE ODDITIES PUNS. 175 Thick-hroom, and Leather-barrow ? House-go, Crownin- shieldy Hood-less, Cheese-wright, and Honey-loom? Small- boneSf Bean-bulk, White-leg, and Buck-thought ? Bean- shop, Dip-rose, Spar-shot, Hugg-up, and Middle-stitch ? Strange-ways, Bird-whistle, Drink-water,^ Brink-milk, Brink-dregs, and, to conclude, that ne plus ultra of all that is odd, ludicrous, and polysyllabic in English surnames, GOD-LOVE-MI-LADY ? For aught I know, we have the name of Go-and-see ; our neighbours over the water certainly have it, as one poor fellow proved to his cost. An officer under the command of the celebrated Turenne, one Count Falavoir, (Anglice as above,) walking round the camp after night- fall, passed the post of a sentinel, who, as in duty bound, challenged him with the usual " Who goes there ?" to which the officer replied, Va-la-voir. The soldier doubting if he heard right, twice repeated the question, and was twice again answered in the same manner. Enraged, at length, by what he considered an insolent response, the sentinel levelled his musket, and, horribile dictu, shot the bearer of this unfortunate cognomen dead upon the spot.f I cannot conclude this Essay without introducing the following jeux d* esprit in the shape of puns upon a few of these humour-exciting names. Within the precincts of one of our cathedrals, a ball being about to take place at the house of one of the canons, a gentleman of the name of Noys was asked in company whether he was to be present at it. "To be sure," said a gentleman who heard it; "how should a canon-ball go o-^ without Noys ?"" * Camden has this among local names ; but query, where is the place situated ? t Smollett's Adv. of an Atom. 176 MORE ODDITIES— PUNS. A person whose name was Gunn complaining to a friend that his attorney in his bill had not let him off easily y " That is no wonder," said his friend, " as he charged you too high /" But this is not so good as an entry in the custom-house books of Edinburgh, where it appears that A, meaning Alexander — "^. Gunn was discharged for making a false report /'* Sir Thomas More enjoyed a pun and a repartee. On one occasion his fondness for this species of humour got the better of his persecuting zeal. A man named Silver being brought before him, he said, " Silver , you must be tried by fire." "Yes," repHed the prisoner, "but you know, my Lord, that Quick Silver cannot abide the fire !'* Pleased with the answer. Sir Thomas suffered the man to depart. On the failure of two bankers in Ireland, named Gonne and Going, some one wrote : " Going and Gonne are now both one, For Gonne is going, and Going's gone !" Dr. Lettsom, a famous physician of the last century, used to sign his prescriptions " I. Lettsom," which gave rise to the following : " When any patients calls in haste, I physics, bleeds, and sweats 'em ; If after that they choose to die, Why, what cares I ? — I Lets'em." The late Mr. I. Came, the wealthy shoe-maker of Liver- pool, who left his immense property to pubUc charities, opened his first shop on the opposite side of the street to that in which he had been a servant, and inscribed its front with " I Came from over the way." MORE ODDITIES PUNS. 177 A paragraph to the following effect went the round of the papers not many months since: Two attorneys in partnership in a town in the United States had the name of the firm, which was " Catcham and ChetuMy' inscribed in the usual manner upon their office door; but as the singularity and ominous juxta-position of the words led to many a coarse joke from passers-by, the men of law at- tempted to destroy, in part, the effect of the odd associa- tion by the insertion of the initials of their Christian names, which happened to be Isaiah and Uriah ; but this made the afiair ten times worse, for the inscription then ran "I. CATCHAM AND U. CHETUM." ! ! !* While on the subject of puns, I may remark that very few persons like to have their names made use of in this manner. Shenstone is said to have comforted himself with the consciousness that his name was not obnoxious to a pun. " I was once," says F. Leiber, " in company with a Mr. Short, in whose presence a Mr. Shortei' was men- tioned. ' Your son V said a bystander quite gravely to Mr. Short, who, like most people, disrehshed the joke on his name very much."f , Names sometimes form a singular association or contrast, as we have already seen in the case of Messrs. Peppercorn and Pluckrose, and especially in that of Messrs. Catcham and Chetum. Take, if you will, a few additional specimens. ♦ Chetum is probably a corruption of Chetham, the name of an antient family in Lancashire, of which the munificent founder of Manchester College was a member. f Stranger in America, vol. ii. ; a work which contains a very curious letter on American names. 8§ 178 MORE ODDITIES PUNS. " The duke of Wellington in a visit to some place in the country was conducted by a Mr. Coward. In partnerships we often discover a singular junction of names ; for in- stance, ' Bowyer and Fletcher ;' ' Carpenter and Wood ;' * Spinage and Lamb ;' * Sage and Gosling ;' * Rumfit and Cutwell, tailors/ &c. The occupation sometimes asso- ciates very peculiarly with the name; we have known apothecaries and surgeons of the names of Littlefear, Butcher, Death, and Coffin ; Pie, a pastry-cook ; Rideout, a stable-keeper ; Tugwell, a dentist, [another a shoemaker] ; Light-foot, a dancing-master : Mix-well, a publican ; and two hosiers of the names of Foote and Stocking. We also recollect a sign with * Write, late Read and Write," in- scribed upon it ... . Hymen, too, plays sad vagaries with names. We have seen Mr. Good married to Miss JS'mY; Mr. Bean to Miss Pease ; Mr. Brass to Miss Mould ; and Mr. Gladdish to Miss Cleverly."'^ "In the neighbour- hood of one of the squares in London there are now living surgeons whose names are the appropriate ones of Church- yard, Death, Blood, and Slaughter. ""'\ On the Eastern side of Regent street there were, some few years since, only three pastry-cooks, whose names, singularly enough, were VERRY LONG BEARD! Fogg and Mist were china-men in Warwick street. The firm afterwards became Fogg and Son, on which it was said that * the Sun had driven away the Mist !* • Collet's Relics of Literature, p. 395. f Daily Paper, Oct. 1838. MORE ODDITIES PUNS. 179 A most respectable firm of London attorneys not long since bore the very ominous names of Stilly Strong, and Rackham. An ancestor of my own, by trade a carpenter, used often facetiously to remark, that he should never want timbevy as two of his workmen bore the names of Seven- oaks and Tree ! In the 1 7th century Attorney-general Noy was succeeded by Sir John Bankes, and Chief-justice Heath, being found guilty of bribery. Sir John Finch obtained the office : hence it was said : ** Noy-s flood is gone, The Banks appear ; Heath is stiorn down, And Finch sings there !'' Camden closes his curious collection of Epitaphs with the following, on " Thomas Churchyard, the poore Court- Poet." ** Come, Alecto, and lend me thy torch To finde a Church-yard in the Church-porch, Pouerty and Poetry this Tombe doth inclose. Therefore, Gentlemen, be merry in Prose.''* But I am forgetting the adage, " Play when your work's done," and must, for the present at least, dispense with puns and punsters, and proceed in another Essay to the consideration of several classes of English Surnames, which yet require explanation and illustration. * Churchyard, however, was buried not hi the church-porch, but in the choir of St. Margaret's, Westminster, (Weever's Fun. Mou. p. 271.) 180 NAMES DERIVED FROM VIRTUES ESSAY XII. NAMES DERIVED FROM VIRTUES AND OTHER ABSTRACT IDEAS. My business here is first to name — and then to account for — such names as Justice y Virtue y Prudence^ Wisdom, Liberty y HopCy Peace, Joy, Anguish^ Comfort, Want, Pride, Grace, Laughter, Luck, Peace, Power, Warr, Ransom, Reason, Love, Verity, Vice, Patience, &c. To these may be added Bale, sorrow or misery,* and a few other obsolete terms of a similar character. It can hardly be supposed that these names were assumed by persons who thought themselves pre-eminent for the possession of those attributes ; as such arrogance would certainly fail of its object, and expose the parties to con- tempt ; although I am aware that something of a similar kind was attempted by the Puritans of the 1 6th and 1 7th centuries with regard to Christian names. " It was usual," says Hume, (quoting Brome's Travels,) "for the pretended saints of that time [a.d. 1653] to change their names from Henry, Edward, Anthony, William, which they regarded as heathenish and ungodly, into others more sanctified and godly. Sometimes a whole godly sentence was adopted as a name. Here are the names of a jury inclosed in Sussex about this time : • Coventry Myst. p. 30. AND OTHER ABSTRACT IDEAS. 181 " Accepted Trevor of Norsham. Redeemed Compton of Battle.* Faint-not Hewett of Heathfield. Make-peace Heaton of Hare. God-reward Smart of Fivehurst. Stand fast-on-high Stringer of Crowhurst. Earth Adams of Warbleton. Called Lower of the same. Kill-sin Pimple of Witham. Return Spelman of Watling. Be-faithful Joiner of Britling. Fly-debate Roberts of the same. Fight-the-good-fight-of-faith White of Emer. More-fruite Fowler of East-Hadley. Hope-for Bending of the same. Graceful Harding of Lewes. Weep-not Billing of the same. Meek Brewer of Okeham." Had Hume taken a little pains to investigate this sub- ject, he might have saved himself the reiteration of Brome's sneer about the '^pretended saints," for we have indu- bitable evidence that such names were not assumed by the parties who bore them, but imposed as baptismal names. Take, in corroboration of this remark, a few instances from the parochial register of Warbleton : 1617, Bestedfast Elyarde. Goodgift Gynninges. 1622, Lament Willard. 1624, Depend Outered. 1625, Faint-not Dighurst. Fere-not Rhodes. 1677, Replenish French. * Minister of Heathfield (1608.) 182 NAMES DERIVED FROM VIRTUES Hence it will be seen that fully as much of blame (if any exists) rests with the clergy who performed the rite of baptism in these cases as with the " sanctified and godly'* parents who proposed such names of pretended saintship. I do not for a moment wish to extenuate the folly of the parties who gave such absurd names to their children, but I deem it an act of justice to the much-maligned, though, in many respects, misguided, and even fanatical Puritans of that period, to show that the sarcasm of the illiberal his- torian falls pointless to the ground, because, generally speaking at least, the bearers of such names had nothing at all to do with their imposition, and could no more get rid of them than any persons now living can dispense with the Christian names they have borne from their infancy. Indeed it seems to have become fashionable towards the close of the 1 6th century for parents to choose such fore- names for their offspring, and scarcely any of the parish registers of the period, that I have examined, are free from them. It seems that Sussex was particularly remarkable for the number of such names, long before the unhappy dissentions which disgraced the middle portion of the 1 7th century. There is another jury-list for the county in the Burrell Manuscripts, Brit. Mus. without date, but which I have good reason for assigning to about the year 1610, many years, be it remarked, prior to the era of Barebones and his "pretended saints."* I know that I am disgressing * Since the above was written, I have observed a passage in Camden which had previously escaped my notice, in which he alludes to these "new names. Free-gift, Reformation, Earth, Dust, Ashes, Delivery, More-fruit, Tribulation, The Lord is neare, More-tryall, Discipline, Joy-againe, From-above, which have lately [that is probably about the close of Elizabeth's reign] beeti given hy some to their children with no evil meaning, but upon some singular and precise conceit " The names • Remedium amoris,' * Imago sasculi,' are mentioned by this author, among the oddities of personal nomenclature at the same date. AND OTHER ABSTRACT IDEAS. 183 from the subject of surnames, yet as I am upon a kindred topic, I think I shall be pardoned for the introduction of this Ust also, which will probably be quite new to the ma- jority of my readers : " Approved Frewen of Northiam.* " Bethankful Maynard of Brightling. Be-courteous Cole of Pevensey. Safety-on-High Snat of Uckfield. Search-the-Scriptures Moreton of Salehurst. More-fruit Fowler of East-Hothly. Free-gift Mabbs of Chiddingly.f Increase Weeks of Cuckfield. Restore Weeks of the same. Kni-sin Pemble of Westham. Elected Mitchell of Heathfield. Faint-not Hurst of the same. Renewed Wisberry of Hailsham. Return Milward of Hellingly. Fly-debate Smart of Waldron. Fly-fornication Richardson of the same. Seek-wisdom Wood of the same. Much-mercy Cryer of the same. Fight-the-good-fight-of-Faith White of Ewhurst. Small-hope Biggs of Rye. Earth Adams of Warbleton. Repentance Avis of Shoreham. The-peace-of-God Knight of Burwash.*';}: * A near relative of Archbishop Frewen. t He was living at Chiddingly in 1616, I make these notes because the au- thenticity of these lists has been called in question. t Horsfield's Lewes, vol. i. p. 202. Some of the names in this list are the same as those in the preceding. 184 NAMES DERIVED FROM VIRTUES To return to the names which stand at the head of this Essay; I am inclined to think they originated in the allegorical characters who performed in the antient mys- teries or moralities; a species of dramatic pieces, which before the rise of the genuine drama served to amuse under the pretext of instructing, the play-goers of the "olden tyme." The favourite characters in these performances were Charity, Faith, Prudence, Discretion, Good-doctrine, Death, Vice, Folly and Iniquity,* who strutted upon the stage in grotesque costume, and, I fear, did far more to injure than promote good morals. The humour of these performers was of the broadest kind, and their acting irresistibly droll, but indecencies both in gesture and lan- guage neutraUzed their attemps to improve the moral feelings of their audiences, and eventually brought them into disrepute. It is probable that the actors in these performances acquired the names of the characters they personated, which thus became surnames and descended to their posterity. We have already seen that the names King, Lord, Knight, &c. originated in a manner very similar. The name of Woodhouse may be either a local name, or the designation of a favourite character in the mummings and Christmas festivities of our ancestors — if the latter, it may find a place here. The Wodehouse, or Wild Man of the Woods, was usually represented as a hairy monster wreathed about the temples and loins with holly and ivy, and much resembling the "wild man," so famihar in heraldic bearings. I am inclined to think he was ori- ginally derived from the Woden of the Saxon mythology. * Strutt's Sports and Pastimes. AND OTHER ABSTRACT IDEAS. 185 The etymon of Woden appears to be pobe, mad, wild, furious, which agrees well enough with the assumed cha- racter of the "Wodehouse straunge*' of the olden days of merrie England. As the Wodehouse was distinct from the rehgious cast of the characters who performed in the Mysteries just referred to, he survived the Reformation and continued to be a favourite till a comparatively recent period. "When Queen Elizabeth was entertained at Kenilworth Castle, various spectacles were contrived for her amusement, and some of them produced, without any 186 NAMES DERIVED FROM VIRTUES, ETC. previous notice, to take her, as it were, by surprise. It happened about nine o'clock one evening, as her majesty returned from hunting, and was riding by torch-Ught, there came suddenly out of the wood by the road-side, a man habited Hke a savage, covered with ivy, holding in one of his hands an oaken plant torn up by the roots, who placed himself before her, and after holding some discourse with a counterfeit echo, repeated a poetical oration in her praise, which was well received. This man was Thomas Gascoyne the poet ; and the verses he spoke on the occasion were of his own composition."* As an accompaniment to this Essay I have presented the *' lively effigies" of a Wodehouse, *'set down," as old Verstegan would say, "in picture." * NichoU's Progresses, vol. i. quoted in Hone's Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, p. 253. FOREIGN NAMES AND CORRUPTIONS. 187 ESSAY XIII. FOREIGN NAMES NATURALIZED IN ENGLAND, AND THE CORRUPTIONS TO WHICH SUCH NAMES HAVE BEEN EXPOSED. Various causes might be assigned for the great variety that exists in the nomenclature of Englishmen. Probably the principal cause is to be found in the peculiar facilities •which our island has for many ages presented to the settlement of foreigners. War, royal matches with foreign princesses, the introduction of manufactures from the con- tinent, and the patronage which our country has always extended to every kind of foreign talent — all have of course tended to the introduction of new names. It would be a vain and hopeless task to attempt anything like a classification of these names by the various countries whence we have received them. I shall therefore confine myself to the mention of a few, my principal object in the present Essay being to show that many very usual names, generally supposed to be English, are merely corruptions of foreign words, and therefore unintelligible even to the famiUes who are designated by them. Of French names I have already incidentally said much. The proximity of Normandy, and the fact of our country having been poHtically subjected to that duchy at a period when surnames were of recent introduction, sufficiently account for the vast number of French names which have become naturahzed in England. The names already men- 188 FOREIGN NAMES tioned, and those included in the Roll of Battel Abbey, given in the Appendix to this volume, must suffice for French surnames. I shall therefore only allude to names corrupted from the French, which are sufficiently numerous. I may quote, by way of example, Molineux, La-Ville, De-Ath, and De-Ville, which have been scandalously trans- formed to iUfw/ZmcA;*,* Larwill, Death, and Devil! St. Leger, has become Sellenger ! Scardeville has fared still worse ; for while on one hand it has been Anglicised to Skarfield, on the other it has been demonized (shall I say?) to Scaredevil ! ! The Americans are, if possible, worse than ourselves in respect of this torturing of names, for F. Lieber tells us that "in Salem, Massachusetts, there is now living a family of the [vile] name of Blumpay, a corrup- tion of Blancpied (Whitefoot), their original name ;" but more of the Americans presently. The readiest corruption from the French is that which turns ville into field, as Blomfield for Blondeville, Summerfield for Somerville, Baskerfield for Baskerville. ** The late Lord Orford used to relate that a dispute once arose in his presence, in the way of raillery, between the late Earl Temple and the first Lord Lyttleton, on the comparative antiquity of their families. Lord Lyttleton concluded that the name of Grenville was originally green- field; Earl Temple insisted that it was derived from Grand-ville. "Well, then," said Lord Lyttleton, "if you wDl have it so, my family may boast of the higher anti- quity, for Little Towns were certainly antecedent to Great Cities ; but if you wiU be content with the more humble derivation, I will give up the point, for Green Fields were * In some families the true orthography is retained. AND CORRUPTIONS. 189 certainly more antient than either."* In some cases VIX.LE has been changed to well, as Rosseville to Roswell, Bosseville to Boswell, Freshville to FretweU! Among other corruptions may be given Darcy from Adrecy, Mungey from Mountjoy, Knevett from Duvenet, Davers from Danvers, Troublefield from Tuberville, Frogmorton from Throckmorton, Manwaring and Mannering from Mesnilwarin, Dabridgecourt and Dabscot from Damprecourt, Barringer from Beranger, Tall-boys (!) from Taille-bois. Many of our family names came from Germany, a cir- cumstance not to be wondered at when we recollect that our present royal family are of German blood ; others from Holland, between which country and our own the most friendly relations have for a long time subsisted. The famihar names of Rickman, Bunk, Shurmariy Boorman,f Hickman, Vanneck, and Vansittart, are all probably from those countries. The ludicrous names of Higginhottom and Bomgarson are corruptions of the German, Ickenbaum, an oak-tree, and of Baumgarten, a tree-garden, or orchard.^ The names of Denis, Scrase, and Isted, are said to be of Danish original, while Boffey, Caesar, Castilian, Fussell, and Bassano are derived from Italy. Names in an denote an Irish extraction, as Egan, Skogan, Flanagan, Dor an, &c. * Brady's Dissertation. t Among corruptions may be noticed the changing of the syllable man into mer. In the parish in which I was born there are living persons of the names of Heasman, Hickman, and Holman, who are usually called Heasmer, Hickmer, and Hiimerd. This is interesting, as it seems to indicate something like a re- membrance of the meaning of the original Saxon termination er, and its identity with man, (Vide p. 94.) i Vide Gent.'s Mag. Oct. 1820. 190 FOREIGN NAMES If foreign names have been liable to corruptions, it must not be imagined that names originally English have escaped deterioration. Such corruptions were excusable in times when few besides learned clerks could write their own names, and when the spelhng of words was governed by the sound, whether truly pronounced or not; but that they should be perpetrated now, in the nineteenth century, when the schoolmaster professes to be everywhere abroad, is a sad disgrace to that personage. I know a family of farmers who are descended from a younger branch of the antient family of Alchorne of Alchorne, and who always spelt their name properly until about twenty years since, when a new schoolmaster settling in the village, informed them that their proper designation was All-corn^ which name they are now contented to bear! Another family who antiently bore the name of De Hoghstepe, a local appellative, signifying * of the high steep,' have laid aside that line old Teutonic designation, and adopted in its stead the thrice-barbarous cognomen of Huckstepp ! What can be more barbarous than Wilbraham for Wilburgham, Wilberforce for Wilburghfoss, Sapsford for Sabridgeworth, Hoad for Howard, or Gurr for Gower? Alas for such " contracting, syncopating, curtelUng, and moUifying" as this! Who would think of looking for the origin of the name o^ Lewknor va. Levechenora, the name of one of the hun- dreds of Lincolnshire?* Who but a patient antiquary could find Buppa in D'Uphaugh?f The Italian name Hugezun has been corrupted to Hugh-son I This reminds me of an anecdote in Lieber's Stranger in America, which ♦ Pegge's Curial, Miscel. p. 208. f Ibid. p. 209. AND CORRUPTIONS. 191 forms so good an illustration of the manner in which names are often corrupted, that I give it as it stands : " The plain EngUsh Christian name and surname of Benjamin Eaton, borne by a Spanish boy, was derived from his single Spanish Christian name of Benito or Benedict ; and this by a very natural process, though one which would have defied the acuteness of Tooke and the wit of Swift. When the boy was taken on board ship, the sailors, who are not apt to be fastidious in their atten- tion to the niceties of language, hearing him called Benito (pronounced Benee^o), made the nearest approximation to the Spanish sound which the case required, and which would give an intelligible sailor's name, by saluting their new shipmate as ^ Ben Eaton,'' which the boy probably supposed was the corresponding English name, and ac- cordingly conformed to it himself when asked for his name. The next process in the etymological transforma- tion was, that when he was sent to one of our schools, the master of course inquired his name, and being answered that it was Ben Eaton, and presuming that to be his true name abbreviated as usual in the famihar style, directed him, as grammatical propriety required, to write it at full length, Benjamin Eaton .-'" Sometimes the speUing of names is so changed that the various branches of one family lose sight of their consan- guinity. I think there is little doubt that the Goring Sy Gorrings, and Gorringes of Sussex proceed from a common ancestor, and that he borrowed his designation from the village of Goring. Similar instances might be adduced from many other districts in the kingdom. There are many surnames that have the appearance of nicknames, but which in reahty are from names of places. 192 CHANGED SURNAMES. as Wormewoodi Ink-pen^ Allchin, Tiptow, Moone, Maners, Cuckold, Go-dolphin, Hurl-stone, Small-back, Bellows, Filpot, Waddle, &c. ; from Ormond, Ingepen, Alchorne, Tiptoft, Mohun, Manors, Cokswold, Godolchan, Hudle- stone, Smalbach, Phillipot, Waliiill, &c. Also Task, Toke, Tabbey, from At Ash, At Oke, At Abbey ; and Toly, Tabbe, Tows, from St. Olye, St. Ebbe, St. Osyth. The following are taken from places without change : Spittle-house, Whitegift, Alshop, Antrobus, Hartshorn, Wood-head, All-wood, Gardening, and Killingback ! We are not to suppose that all families bearing Enghsh names are of English extraction. " Sometimes," says the author of the Stranger in America, and the remark applies equally well to England, ** Sometimes they are positively translated; thus I know of a Mr. Bridgebuilder, whose ancestors came from Germany under the name of Brucken- bauer.* I have met with many instances of this kind. There is a family now in Pennsylvania whose original name was Klein; at present they have branched out into three chief ramifications, called Klein, Small, and Little ; and if they continue to have many * little ones,' they may, for aught I know, branch out into Short, Less, and Lesser, down to the most Lilliputian names A German called Feuerstein (fire-stone, the German for flint,) settled in the west when French population pre- vailed in that quarter. His name, therefore, was changed into Pierre h Fusil ; but in the course of time the Anglo- American race became the prevalent one, and Pierre a Fusil was again changed into Peter Gun !" So much for corruptions. * Our English Pontifex has the same meaning. Query —how liave we come by the Latinized forms of several names, as Pontifex, Princeps, Virgo, Magnus, &c. ? CHANGED SURNAMES. 193 ESSAY XIV. CHANGED SURNAMES. I HAVE already hinted at the changes which frequently took place in the nomenclature of English families from the substitution of one name for another ; but I consider those changes sufficiently interesting to form the subject of a short separate Essay. The practice of altering one's name upon the occurrence of any remarkable event in one's personal history, seems to have been known in times of very remote antiquity. The substitution of Abraham for Abram, Sarah for Sarai, Israel for Jacob, Paul for Saul, &c. are matters of sacred history; but the custom prevailed in other nations as well as among the Jews. Codomarus, on coming to the king- dom of Persia, took the princely name of Darius.* Romulus, after his deification, was called Quirinus. Some persons adopted into noble famiUes substituted the name of the latter for their own original appellations. The practice of changing names in compliance with testamen- tary injunctions is also of antient date ; thus Augustus, who was at first called Thureon, took the name of Octavian. Others received a new name when they were made free of certain cities, as Demetrius Mega, who on becoming a free citizen of Rome was designated Publius Cornelius.f Slaves, who prior to manumission had only one name, received, on • Camden. + Ibid. L94 CHANGED SURNAMES. becoming free, the addition of their master's. Among the primitive Christians it was customary to change the names of persons who left Paganism to embrace the true faith. The popes, as all know, change their names on coming to " the holy apostolical see" of Rome ; a practice said to have originated with Sergius the Second, because his pre- vious name was Hogs-mouth ! One pope, Marcellus, re- fused to change his name, saying, " Marcellus I was, and Marcellus I will be; I will neither change name nor manners."* In France it was formerly customary for eldest sons to take their fathers' surnames, while the younger branches assumed the names of the estates allotted them. This plan also prevailed in England some time after the Norman Conquest. Camden gives several instances. "If Hugh of Suddington gaue to his .second sonne his mannour of Fridon, to his third sonne his mannour of Pantley, to his fourth his wood of Albdy, the sonnes called themselves De Frydon, De Pantley, De Albdy, and their posterity re- mooued Be. So Hugh Montforte's second sonne, called Richard, being Lord of Hatton in Warwickeshire, tooke the name of Hatton. So the yongest sonne of Simon de Montfort, Earle of Leicester, staying in England when his father was slaine and brethren fled, tooke the name of Welshorne, as some of that name haue reported. So the name of Euer came from the mannour of Euer, neare Uxbridge, to yonger sonnes of L. John Fitz-Robert de Clauering, from whom the Lord Euers, and Sir Peter Euers of Axholme are descended. So Sir John Cradocke, knight, great grandfather of Sir Henry Newton of Somerset- • Camden. CHANGED SURNAMES. 195 shire, tooke first the name of Newton, which was the name of his habitation ; as the issue of Huddard in Cheshire tooke the name of Button their chief mansion."* The annexed little pedigree of a family in Cheshire soon after the Conquest affords a most striking illustration of the changes which occurred in family names before here- ditary surnames were fully established, and the difficulty which must be experienced in tracing pedigrees in those early times. It was taken by Camden " out of an antient Roule belonging to Sir William Brereton of Brereton, knight." ♦ Camd. Rem, p. 123. 196 CHANGED SURNAMES. 5: 3 s w 3 S ^ a 6, re, • 5- :^ 5> 5 c H^ S- ^ c £ ° -S 3 ^ H 5 $: 3 B 3- 5 & ^75 s- 5 re o fr 5. (^ '^ a o l^.i o o S O ^ o is ^' C5 C6 &■ ^. k— 3 «^60 —II f w^o 5" >• pF" o Is '* M " re -^ i a 5" =: — (« Z tL -< "r-2 o ^s' ^ I* H -< S* a- jj* > re « 5 ^" f^ 2 s- ~ -• g 5 I g >^ cr <-» re r: >^ ,-, ?r 5 3? £. a re S • s: c "5 S ^ 5. a 2 « ^ s- o. 2. - ?^ ° a f as t>) B9 S 2 o _ g =rffi 3 e-g C 33 EOS «■■ ;c c; --' ? - s o 3 2> ss' ?° S. r_ <* H I— I tr* CO § 3 -S 3 -> CHANGED SURNAMES. 197 From this table it will be seen that in four descents, and among about fifteen persons descended from one and the same individual, there were no less than thirteen surnames. Well may our antiquary say, "Verily the gentlemen of those so different names in Cheshire would not easily be induced to be- lieve they were descended from one house, if it were not war- ranted by so ancient a proofe." * It is also worthy of remark that we have here in one family, within the compass probably of a single century. Jive descriptions of surnames, namely, FOREIGN, as Bel ward ; local, as De Malpas, De Cotgrave ; from PERSONAL QUALITIES, as Gogh or red, and Little; from MENTAL QUALITIES AND ATTAINMENTS, aS GoodmaU and Ken-Clarke; and from the paternal name, as Richardson. Another of Camden's instances : — A young gentleman of the family of Preux, an attendant on Lord Hungerford, Lord Treasurer of England, being of remarkably tall sta- ture, acquired among his companions the sobriquet of Long Henry. Marrying afterwards a lady of quality he transposed his names to Henry Long, and became the founder of an eminent family, who bore Long as a * A correspondent has called my attention to a curious point; namely, the similarity or identity of armorial bearings between families beaiing the name of a place, and other families originally located in the same place. For instance, the Stanleys were of Lathom — the arms of Lathom and of Stanley are alike. Freschvile, Foljambe, and Daniel, were all antiently connected with Tidswell in Derbyshire : accordingly the arms of all these families and those of Tidswell vary principally in their colours only. The arms of Middleham and of Glanville are very similar, Glanville having been possessed of property at Middleham. This similarity or identity of arms seems to point out an original connexion be- tween the families. In the first case mentioned we have proof of such connexion, for Sir John Stanley, k.g., in the 14th century, married the heiress of Lathom of Lathom, and so acquired that estate. But it must be recollected that tenants in fee often assumed the bearings of their lords, differenced only by colour or the addition of some new charge. — (Vide Chapter of Canting Arms.) Another correspondent remarking upon the above note, says, •' the arms of Stanley and Latham are by no means alike." — Sir John Stanley's descendants used the crest of Latham (the eagle and child), but retained their paternal arms. 198 CHANGED SURNAMES. surname. The original name of the most renowned of the compeers of Robin Hood was John Little, (a sobriquet acquired from his being a foot taller than ordinary men,) but on his joining Robin's party he was re-baptized, and his names were reversed. Will Stukeley loquitur : " This infant was called John Little, (quoth he,) Which name shall be changed anon ; The words we'll transpose ; so wherever he goes. His name shall be called Little John." {Vide Ritson.) There are many cases on record of the sons of great heiresses having left their paternal surnames for those of their mothers : this was done by the Stanleys, Nevilles, Percies, Carews, Cavendishes, Braybrookes, &c. &c. Others took the names of attainted lords, whose property fell into their possession : this was the case with the Mowbrays. Some changed their names by the royal command, as we have seen in the case of the Cromwells. " I love you," said Edward the Fourth to some of the family of Picardy " but not your name ;" whereupon they adopted others : one took that of Ruddle, from the place of his birth* — no improvement, certainly, so far as euphony goes. During the civil wars in the time of Henry the Fourth, several antient families totally changed their names for the purpose of concealment, as the Blunts of Buckinghamshire, who took that of Croke ; and the Carringtons of Warwick- shire, who took that of Smith.f Ralph Brooke, York Herald in 1594, says, "If a man had three sonns, the one dwelling at the Towns-end, the other at y*" Woode, and the thyrde at the Parke, they all took theyr surnames of theire dweUinge, and left their aunciente surnames ; which errour hath overthrowen and * Camden. t Fuller's Worthies, p. 51. CHANGED SURNAMES. 199 brought into oblyvion manye aunciente houses in this realme of England."* With respect to ecclesiastics, or as they are styled by Holinshed, " spiritual men," it was, according to that his- torian, an almost invariable "fashion to take awaie the father's surname (were it never so worshipful or antient), and give him for it the name of the towne he was born in." Of this practice amongst the clergy, especially upon their entering into holy orders, innumerable instances occur, but it may be sufficient to quote the two celebrated prelates, William of Wykeham, whose father's name was Longe, and William Waynflete, who, as an unbeneficed acolyte, is found in the episcopal register of Lincoln (as Dr. Chandler con- jectures) under the name of Barbor, and which he dropped on becoming a sub-deacon. Waynflete' s father was called indifferently Richard Patten or Barbour.f There is one other circumstance under which, according to Camden, names were changed ; namely, when servants took the surnames of their masters. I much question if ever this was of very usual occurrence ;|: if it was, the know- • From a MS. quoted in Blore's Monumental Remains. t Archaeologia, vol. xviii. p. 109. " It was the use in old time upon entrye into religion to alter the name and take it from the place, for that by their taking religious habits they were dead persons in law, as to the world, and the next heire should inherite and enter upon their lande as if they were ded indeed; and professing themselves of an order, they were revived to a spiritual life, and so assumed a new name." (Harl. MS., No. 463Q.) :j: On further consideration I do not believe it ever took place, and my reason is founded on the pride which characterizes great and antient houses. This would have prohibited the adoption of the cherished family appellative — which had been for ages regarded as a distinctive mark of the high-born and noble— by humble dependants and neighbours. An excellent illustration of this feeling occurs in a recent publication on Esthonia, where it is mentioned that on the enfranchisement of the serfs on a certain estate, which took place two or three years since, the nobleman, their former proprietor, advised them to assume surnames; but would not, on any account, allow them to bear that of his own family, notwithstanding their earnest and oft reiterated entreaties. The system 200 CHANGED SURNAMES. ledge of the fact inflicts a sad blow on our plebeian Seymours, and Lovells, and Pierpoints, and Sinclairs, and Spencers, and Tyrrells, who fancy themselves to be de- scended from noble blood; for they may, after all, be nothing but genuine Smiths, and Browns, and Joneses, and Robinsons, with changed names. Alack-a-day for such pretensions ! Finally, women, at marriage, change their surnames. How many wish in this manner to change them: how many regret they have ever done so!* of clanship in Scotland may be urged in defence of Camden's assertion, as the members of the clans generally assumed the surnames of their lords and pro- tectors ; but the circumstances under which clans were originally formed had no parallel in feudal England. We have not space to enter minutely into the ques- tion how the most illustrious and aristocratic of names have come to be diffused among all classes of the community; but it may suffice generally to remark, that the fact may be accounted for by the mutations to which families as well as individuals are subject in the common course of events. Families seldom remain at a stationary point in worldly prosperity for many successive generations; and instances of the rapid advancement of some families to fortune, and of the equally speedy decay of others, must be familiar to all. Hence it is that the near kindred of the most exalted individuals are often found in stations compara- tively humble. The story of Lord Audley and shoemaker Touchet is well known : and the claim of a trunk-maker to the earldom of Northumberland, and the honours of the illustrious house of Percy, is a matter of history. There is now living in a southern county, a rat-catcher, whose near consanguinity to a noble earl representing one of the most antient houses in England, would not be questioned, on investigation, by the most fastidious member of the Heralds' College. With such instances before us, it ceases to be a matter of surprise that the proudest names of English history have, in the lapse of ages, descended to the very " basement story" of society. Suetonius mentions " that it was thought a capital crime in Pomposianus for calling his base bond-slaves by the name of grand captaines." • In Spain, the wife does not change her name at marriage. The son uses the paternal or maternal name, as he thinks proper. The choice generally falls upon that of the best family, in accordance with the proverb : " El hijo de ruyn Padre Toma el appelido de la Madre." HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 201 ESSAY XV. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. I HAVE reserved this subject for my last Essay, because it would have been difficult to find a place for it under any of the respective heads to which I have undertaken to re- duce our English family names. By an historical surname I mean a name which has an allusion to some circumstance in the life of the person who primarily bore it. Thus Sans-terre or Lack-land, the bye- name of King John, as having relation to one incident in that monarch's life, might be designated an historical sur- name. Of a similar character were the names Scropha and Asinia, borne by the famihes of the Tremellii and the Cornehi.* To this class of surnames, also, belongs that of Nestling, borne by a Saxon earl, who in his infancy, ac- cording to Verstegan, had been rescued from an eagle's nest. Perhaps the term " accidental" would be more proper as applied to such names than that which I have adopted, as they generally had their origin in some acci- dent which befel the persons who first bore them. Many examples of historical or accidental surnames might be given from antient and mediaeval history, but I shall confine myself chiefly to such as have become here- * Vide Essay VIII. Most modern nations have surnames of the historical kind ; for instance, the Italian family of Santa-Croce (i.e. Holy Cross) were so denominated from one of their ancestors who brought the wood of the true cross into Italy. {Dr. Adam Clarke.) 9§ 202 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. ditary within the last eight centurieSy and which I have either met with in genealogical records, or gleaned from oral family traditions. Several of these belong to the period of the Norman Conquest and the times of the Crusades. Thus the name of FoRTEScuE is Said to have been bestowed on Sir Richard le Forte, (that is " the strong,") one of the leaders in the Conqueror's array, who had the good fortune to protect his chief at the battle of Hastings, by bearing before him a massive escue or shield. The noble family descended from this personage use, in allusion to this circumstance and to their name, the punning motto, — iffaxiZf^cvitVixa i^alu^ ISucum — " A strong shield is the safety of commanders." The following traditionary anecdote belongs to the same date, and accounts for the name of Eyre : "The first of this family was named Truelove, but at the battle of Hastings, Oct. 14, 1066, William was flung from his horse and his helmet beaten into his face, which Truelove observing, pulled off, and horsed him again. The duke told him, "Thou shalt hereafter from Truelove be called Fyre (or Air), because thou hast given me the air I breathe." After the battle, the duke, on inquiry respect- ing him, found him severely wounded (his leg and thigh having been struck off), ordered him the utmost care, and, on his recovery, gave him lands in Derby in reward for his services, and the leg and thigh in armour, cut off, for his crest, an honorary badge yet worn by all the Eyres in England."* There is more of romance than truth in this story, for it must strike the reader as very remarkable, that the per- * Thorpe's Catalogue of the Deeds of Battel Abbey, p. 106, note. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 203 sonage of whom it is related, a Norman born and bred, should bear a cognomen so very English as True-love. The singular crest borne by his descendants must have ori- ginated from some more recent occurrence, as armorial bearings were not used fo. many years after the battle of Hastings. Still there may be some foundation for the tra- dition. The following has more appearance of credibility ; while it is unfortunate that the name to which it refers was borne as a Christian name (teste Camden) much earlier than the date of the occurrence. "Walter, a Norman knight, and a great favourite of the king (WiUiam the First), playing at chess on a summer's evening, on the banks of the Ouse, with that king, won all he played for. The king thtew down the board, saying he had nothing more to play for. * Sir,' said Sir Walter, *here is land.' * There is so,' replied the king, * and if thou beatest me this game also, thine be all the land on this side the bourne or river, which thou canst see as thou sittest.' He had the good fortune to win ; and the king, clapping him on the shoulder, said, * Henceforth thou shalt be called Ousebourne.' Hence it is supposed came the name of Osborne."* The thrice illustrious surname of Plantagenet, borne by eight successive kings of England, originated with Foulques or Fulke, count of Anjou, who flourished in the twelfth century. This personage, to expiate some enormous crimes of which he had been guilty, went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and wore in his cap as a mark of his humility, a piece of planta genista or broom (which was sometimes used by his descendants as a crest), and on that account • Life of Corinna. Pegge's Curialia Miscellanea, p. 319, 204 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. was surnamed Plantagenet. The antient English family of Broome are said to be lineal descendants of this nobleman. The following is said to be the origin of the surname of Tynte: In the year 1192, at the battle of Ascalon, a young knight of the noble house of Arundel, clad all in white, with his horse's howsings of the same colour, so gallantly distinguished himself on that memorable field that Richard Coeur de Leon remarked publicly, after the victory, " that the maiden knight had borne himself as a lion, and done deeds equal to those of six croises [crusaders], whereupon he conferred on him for arms, " a lion gules on a field argent i between six crosslets of the first ^''^ and for motto, Tynctus cruore Saraceno ; that is, " Tinged with Saracen blood." His descendants thence assumed the surname of Tynte, and settled in Somersetshire.* WilUam de Albini, earl of Arundel, received the surname of Strongimanus, or Strong-hand,f from the following circumstance, as related by Dugdale : *' It happened that the Queen of France being then a widow, and a very beautiful woman, became much in love with a knight of that country, who was a comely person, and in the flower of his youth : and because she thought that no man excelled him in valour, she caused a tourna- ment to be proclaimed throughout her dominions, promising to reward those who should exercise themselves therein according to their respective demerits ; and concluding, that if the person whom she so well affected, should act his part better than others in those mihtary exercises, she might marry him without any dishonour to herself. Here- upon divers gallant men from forrain parts hasting to * Burke's Commoners, vol. iv. t In this instance the surname did not become heredit.ary. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 205 Paris, amongst others came this our William de Albini, bravely accoutred, and in the tournament excelled all others, overcoming many, and wounding one mortally with his lance, which being observed by the queen, shee became exceedingly enamoured of him, and forthwith in- vited him to a costly banquet, and afterwards bestowing certain jewels upon him, offered him marriage ; but having plighted his troth to the Queen of England, then a widow, he refused her, whereat she grew so much discontented, that she consulted with her maids how she might take away his life, and in pursuance of that design enticed him into a garden, where there was a secret cave, and in it a lion, unto which she descended by divers steps, under colour of showing him the beast ; and when she told him of his fierceness, he answered, that it was a womanish and not a manly quality to be afraid thereof. But having him there, by the advantage of a folding door, she thrust him in to the lion ; being therefore in this danger, he rolled his mantle about his arm, and putting his hand into the mouth of the beast, pulled out his tongue by the root; which done, he followed the queen to her palace, and gave it to one of her maids to present unto her. Returning there- upon to England, with the fame of this glorious exploit, he was forthwith advanced to the earldome of Arundel, and for his arms the lion given him." He subsequently obtained the hand of Queen Adeliza, relict of King Henry I., and daughter of Godfrey Duke of Lorraine, which Adeliza had the castle of Arundel in dowry from the deceased monarch, and thus her new lord became its feudal earl. The Scottish surname of Dalzell originated, according to Nisbet, from the following incident. " A favourite of Kenneth II. having been hanged by the Picts, and the 206 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. king being much concerned that the body should be ex- posed in so disgraceful a situation, offered a large reward to him who should rescue it This being an enterprize of great danger, no one was found bold enough to undertake it, till a gentleman came to the king and said * Dal zieli that is * I dare/ and accordingly performed the hazardous exploit."* In memory of this circumstance his descendants assumed for their arms a man hanging on a gallows, and the motto I dare. The Dalziels at length be- came Earls of Carnwath. — Another eminent Scottish sur- name, that of BuccLEUCH, is derived, on the authority of Sir "Walter Scott, from a very trifling incident. " A king of Scotland being *on hontynge,' in company with his courtiers, a fine buck of which he was in pursuit being hard pressed by the hounds fell into a clough or ravine, Scottic^, ^ cleuch.^ The sports being thus interrupted, the royal hunter requested one of his attendants to extricate the game in order that the sport might be renewed. This, although no slight task for a single arm, he accomplished to the king's liking, and the athletic courtier received from the king's own mouth the name of Buck-cleuchy which is still borne by his descendant, the Duke of Buccleuch." The old Norman Malvoisin or Mauvesyn is, strictly speaking, a local surname, but its origin is so singular that it deserves a place among these anecdotes. Our old histo- rians inform us that when a besieging army erected a tower or castle near the place besieged, such castle was called, in French, a Malvoisin or 'dangerous neighbour' to the enemy, because it threatened to cut him off from all possi- bility of relief. In the northern district of the Isle of • Peggs's Curial. Miscel. p. 233. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 207 France, not far from the banks of the Seine, some time stood one of those awful bulwarks, from which the great ancestor of the English family, who was Lord of the neigh- bouring domain of Rosny, received his surname.* The name Mauleverer was antiently written Maliis- Leporarius or Malevorer, the " bad hare hunter," and tra- dition states that a Yorkshire gentleman being to let slip a brace of greyhounds to run for a stake of considerable value, held them with so unskilful a hand as rather to en- danger .their necks than to expedite the capture of the hare. This deficiency of skill brought down upon him the nickname above mentioned, which thenceforward de- scended to his posterity, an everlasting memorial of his ignorance of hunting-craft. But that learned student in matters genealogical, Peter le Neve, Norry king of arms, more rationally supposes it to be Malus-operarius, (in French Mal-ouvrievy) because that in Domesday Book (Essex, p. 94) Occurs the following entry: "Terra Adamis, filii Durandi de Malis Operibus," which I translate, the land of Adam the son of Burand of the Evil Deeds ! no enviable surname, in truth, if it corresponded to the cha- racter of the original bearer. The arms of the family how- ever seem to support the tradition : they are * Sable, three greyhounds courant in pale, argent.' The next anecdote has often appeared under various forms . I give it on the authority of a famous genealogist. '^ One of the antient Earls of Lennox in Scotland had issue three sons, the eldest succeeded him in the earldom ; the second, whose name was Donald ; and the third named Sillcrist. The then king of Scots, having wars, did con- * Burke's Commoners. 208 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. vocate his lieges to the battle. Amongst them that were commanded was the Earl of Lennox, who keeping his eldest son at home, sent his second son to serve for him with the forces under his command. The battle went hard with the Scots, for the enemy pressing furiously upon them, forced them to lose ground, until at last they fell to flat running away, which being perceived by Donald, he pulled his father's standard from the bearer thereof, and valiantly encountering the foe, (being well followed up by the Earl of Lennox his men,) he repulsed the enemy and changed the fortune of the day, whereby a great victory was got. After the battle, as the manner is, every one advancing and setting forth his own acts, the king said unto them, * Ye have all done valiantly, but there is one amongst you who hath NA PIER !' (no equal,) and calling Donald into his presence, commanded him in regard of his worth, service, and augmentation of his honour, to change his name from Lennox to Napier, and gave him lands in Fife, and the lands of GofFurd, and made him his own servant."* Some of the Scottish surnames originated in the slog- gans, slug-horns, or war-cries used by the clans ; as in the case of the Hallidays, an old family of the genuine Celtic blood, who settled in Annandale, and made frequent raids or marauding excursions on the English border. On these occasions they employed the war-cry of " A Holy Day ;" every day in their estimation being holy that was spent in ravaging the enemy's country : hence the surname. Tradition is, at best, but "an uncertain voice," and many of the little tales I am now telling, seem to be only * From a MS, temp. Charles I. written by Sir W. Segar, Garter king of arms, quoted in Burke's Commoners. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 209 "figments of fanciful brains." Such, doubtless, is that which follows, as Tyrwhitt is a local name. A knight of Northumberland, who lived in the time of Henry I. being severely wounded in defending a bridge, single-handed, against a host of assailants, fell, exhausted, the moment he had forced them to retire, amongst the flags and rushes of an adjacent swamp, where he would probably have perished had not the attention of his party, who in the mean time had rallied, been directed to the spot where he lay by the vociferations of a flock of tyrwhitts or lapwings, which had been disturbed by his fall. Hence, says the story, the wounded Sir Hercules received his surname. This tradi- tion possibly originated in the canting arms borne by the family, which are Gules, three tyrwhitts or lapwings or, and the crest, which represents an athletic human figure defending himself with a club. The next anecdote is about as true as the foregoing, with less point in it. At a remote period (that is to say, " once upon a time,") the head of a certain family having quar- relled with another gentleman, they agreed, as was the fashion, to settle the dispute by single combat in the pound-fold at Alnwick ; and such was the deadly hate that influenced them both, that having procured the key of the inclosure they locked themselves in, determined not to quit the spot until one should have slain the other. The gentleman first referred to having come ofi" victorious, to escape the vengeance of his enemy's partisans, leaped over the wall of the fold, and escaped to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. From the affair of the key he was afterwards called Key or Cay, the name still borne by his descendants. A lame story truly ! Some of these historical surnames originated from absurd 210 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. and servile tenures under the Norman kings. Thierry says, " Those among the Saxons who after much servile crouching succeeded in preserving some slender portion of their patrimony, were obliged to pay for this favour by degrading and fantastic services. . . . One woman is left in the enjoyment of the estate of her husband on condition of feeding the king's dogs. And a mother and son receive their antient inheritance as a gifty on condition of their offering up daily prayers for the king's son Richard. "Hoc manerium tenuit Aldene teignus R. E. et vendere potuit sed W. rex dedit hoc m. huic Aldene et matri ejus pro anima Ricardi filii sui."* From a similar tenure origi- nated the name of Paternoster. In the time of Edward the First Alyce Paternoster held lands at Pusey in Berk- shire by the service of saying the paternoster, or Lord's prayer, five times a day^ iov the souls of the king's ances- tors ; and Richard Paternoster, on succeeding to the same estate, did not present the fee usual on such occasions — a red rose, a gilt spur, a pound of pepper, or a silver arrow — but went upon his knees before the baronial court and devoutly repeated the * Pater noster qui es in coelis,' &c. for the manes of the illustrious dead before mentioned ; and the like, we are told, had previously been done by his brother, John Paternoster of Pusey. f — Among the surnames of this kind we have that of Amen, which I suppose ori- ginated in some equally absurd, (and query, irreligious ?) custom. Delicacy almost forbids the mention of another name, Pettour, which was given to Baldwin le Pettour, who held his lands in Suflfolk " per saltum, sufflum, and • Thierry Norm. Conq. Edit. Whitaker, p. 123. Domesday, 1 fol. 141 ver. r Vide Blount's Tenures. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 211 pettum, sine bumbulum," that is, as Camden translates it, ** for dancing, pout-puffing, and doing that before the king ofEnglandin ChristmassehoHdayes which the word * * * signifieth in French." In a royal wardrobe account, made towards the termina- tion of the thirteenth century, and preserved in the British Museum,* is the following curious entry : " 1297, Dec. 26. To Maud Makejoy for dancing before Edward, prince of Wales, in the King's Hall, at Ipswich, 2«." Here the sur- name evidently took its rise from the pleasure which the saltations of this antient figurante afforded the royal per- sonage. As this name does not occur in modern times it is probable that the lady lost it in marriage. Camden relates that a certain frenchman who had craftily smuggled one T. CrioU, a great feudal lord of Kent about the time of Edward II. out of France into his own country, received from the grateful nobleman a good estate called Swinfield, and (in commemoration of the finesse he had displayed on the occasion) the name of Fineux ; which became the surname of his descendants — a family who attained considerable eminence in England. f In the late Mr. Davies Gilbert's^ History of Cornwall, is an anecdote of a pretty Cornish maiden, the daughter of a shepherd, who by a concatenation of fortunate cir- cumstances, almost without parallel, became (by three several marriages) the richest woman in England, and a connexion of several of its most dignified families. On * /Vddit. MSS. 7965. t Remaines, p. 117. t This venerable, talented, and much-lamented gentleman paid considerable attention to surnames. Among other conversations which the humble writer of these pages had the honour of enjoying with him, within a week of his some- what unexpected demise, these formed the topic of a very agreeable colloquy. 212 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. this account she received the appropriate surname of BoNAVENTURA or Goodluck. The great and widely-spread Scottish family of Arm- strong derive their surname from the following circum- stance : "An antient king of Scotland having his horse killed under him in battle was immediately remounted by Fairbairn, his armour-bearer. For this timely assistance the king amply rewarded him with lands on the borders, and to perpetuate the memory of so important a service, as well as the manner in which it was performed, (for Fair- bairn took the king by the thigh and set him on his saddle,) his royal master gave him the appellation of Arm- strong, and assigned him for crest — ' an armed hand and arm ; in the left hand a leg and foot in armour, couped at the thigh all proper.' "* The family traditions of Scotland abound in anecdotes of this kind. " The Skenes of that kingdom obtained this name," says Buchanan, " for killing a very big and fierce wolf at a hunting in company with the king in Stocket forest in Athole ; having killed the wolf with a dagger or ahene.^'' His original name was Strowan. The Colliers, according to the same authority, borrow that appellative from an ancestor, having, when hotly pursued by his ene- mies, concealed himself in a coal-pit. Alfray (or Fright-all) was the surname of a Sussex worthy, who died in the reign of Elizabeth. As he was in point of rank a gentleman, and no mention occurs in the pedigree of any progenitor bearing the same name, it seems probable that the surname was adopted by him in reference to some extraordinary strength of limb he possessed : a * Burke's Commoners, vo\ iv. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 213 supposition that receives support from his epitaph, which may still be seen on a brass plate in the choir of Battel church. The whole inscription is worth copying : " Thomas Alfraye, good courteous frend, Interred lyeth heere, Who so in actiue strength did passe jIs none was found his peere ! And Elizabeth did take to wjfe, One Ambrose Comfort's child, Who with him thyrtie one yeares lyvid A virtuous spouse and mild ; By whom a sonne and daughter eke. Behind alyue he left. And eare he fiftie yeares had rune Death hym of lyfe bereft. On Neweyeares day of Christe his birth Which was just eighty-nine, One thousand and fiue hundreth eke, Loe here of flesh the fine. But then his wooful wyfe, of God With piteous praiers gann crave. That her own corps with husbande hers Mi,u:ht ioine in darksome graue. And that her soule his soule might seek Amongst the saints aboue, And there in endless blysseenjoye Her long desired loue ; The whiche her gratious God did graunt. To her of Marche the last. When after that deuorcement sower One yere and more was past.'' There is a tradition that a certain gentleman was com- pelled, during some popular commotion, to quit his resi- dence in the north of England and to seek safety in flight ; but so sudden was his departure that he was unable to pro- vide himself with money, for want of which, in his journey southward, he might have perished had he not fortunately 214 HISTORICAL SURNAMES. found on the highway a glove containing a purse well stored with gold. How the purse came there, or how the finder satisfied his conscience in keeping its contents, the tradition does not state. It merely adds that deeming an alias to his name necessary, he, in allusion to the circum- stance, adopted the surname of Purseglove ; a name which is not yet extinct. What credit can be attached to this story I know not : certain it is that many years before the event is supposed to have occurred there was a Thomas Pursglove, (or Purslow, as his name was sometimes spelt,) bishop of Hull. Many of the names given to foundlings might be classed with historical surnames. A poor child picked up at the town of Newark-upon-Trent, received from the inhabitants the whimsical name of Tom Among us. Becoming a man of eminence he changed his name for the more euphonious one of Dr. Thomas Magnus. He was employed in several embassies, and, in gratitude to the good people of Newark, he erected a grammar-school there, which still exists.* The following was related to me by a gentleman, one of whose friends witnessed the occurrence. A poor child who had been found in the high-road and conveyed to the village workhouse, being brought before the parish vestry to receive a name, much sage discussion took place, and many brains were racked for an appropriate cognomen. As the cir- cumstance happened in the " month of flowers and song," a good-natured farmer suggested that the poor child should be christened John May ; an idea in which several of the vestrymen concurred. One of the clique, however, more * Camd. Rem p. 128. HISTORICAL SURNAMES. 215 aristocratic than his neighbours, was of opinion that that was far too good a name for the ill-starred brat, and pro- posed in lieu of it that of Jack Parish — the designation that was eventually adopted ! I shall conclude these anecdotes with another on the name of a foundling. There now resides at no great dis- tance from Lewes a farmer whose family name is Brooker, to which the odd dissyllable of Napkin is prefixed as a Christian name. Both these names he inherits from his grandfather, a foundling, who was exposed at some place in Surrey, tied up in a napkin and laid on the margin of a brook ; and who — as no traces of his unnatural parents could be found — received the very appropriate, though somewhat cacophonious name of Napkin Brooker ! 2h6 A CHAPTER OF REBUSES. "This for Rebus may suffice, and yet if there were more I think some lippes would like such kind of Lettuce.'' Camden. The word Rebus (from the ablative plural of the Latin res) is accurately defined by Dr. Johnson as "a word represented by a picture." Camden says that this whim- sical mode of representing proper names by objects whose designations separately or conjointly bear the required sound, (and which he calls " painted poesies,") was intro- duced into England from Picardy, after the wars between Edward the Third and the French. Whatever may be thought of the pueriUty of hunting out a fanciful picture or device to answer a purpose which the letters of one's name would answer much better, the practice has the sanction of some eminent names in antient as well as in modern days. Even the great-minded Cicero was not too proud to represent his name by the paltry species of pulse called by us vetches or chick-pease, and by the Romans Cicer ; and that too in a dedication to the gods. Many of the coins of Juhus Csesar bear the impress of an ELEPHANT, as the word cesar signifies that animal in the antient language of Mauritania.* In Mke manner the sculptors Saurus and Batrachus carved upon their works, the one the figure of a lizard, and the other a * Camden. REBUSES. 217 FROG, as their names implied;* and two Roman mint- masters distinguished themselves upon the coins struck by them, Florus by a flower, and Vitulus by a calf. Having thus seen that there exists classical authority for the use of rebuses, I shall proceed to set before my reader a dish of "lettuce" culled from the fruitful garden of Master Camden and elsewhere, and which I hope he will find salted and sugared to his palate. " Sir Thomas Cavall, whereas caval signifieth a horse, engraved a galloping horse in his scale, with this limping verse : ** Cj^omae txttiHz cwm axmti^ t)Vii (ilEqtmm.^* Trust Thomas when you see his Horse. Gilbert de Aquila, alias Gislebertus Magnus, alias Gilbert Michel, founder of the priory of Michelham, temp. Henry III., was sometimes styled Dominus Aquilse, Lord of the Eagle, and his rebus occurs in the shape of an eagle on the corporate seal of the town of Seaford, where he had great possessions. John Eagleshead used as his rebus an eagle's head, surrounded with '*f^oc aqttilae caput t^t, sugnumque figura 3lo]^amiisi/* This is the head of an eagle, the seal and badge of John. * Vide Donaldson's Connexion between Heraldry and Gothic Architecture, a work to which I am indebted for some other hints concerning rebuses. 10 218 REBUSES. The Abbot of Ramsay bore on his seal a ram in the sea, with this verse : " Cwjus; jgigna gcro t>ux gr^ffisl iit ego ! *' He whose signs I bear is leader of the flock, as T am. Abbots, priors, and churchmen generally, were famous fellows for these name devices, which, like oral puns, may be either apt and good, like those already mentioned, or forced and bad, like the following : " William Chaundler, warden of New College, Oxford, playing with his owne name, so fiUed the hall-windowes with candles and these words, ^iTiat llux, [Let there be light,] that he darkened the hall; whereupon Vidam of Chartres, when he was there, said it should have been FiANT Tenebr^, [Let there be darkness!]" Here the rebus, to be correct, should have been a candle-maker " drawing his dips," like that of old Barker, a printer of the sixteenth century, which represents a man with an axe stripping hark from the trunk of a tree. Some rebuses were defective, representing only part of the name ; as that of Abbot Ramridge on his tomb in St. Alban's Abbey Church, which gives only a ram, as in the annexed engraving. Still more defective is that of Abbot Wheathampsted, who presided over the same monas- tery, and spent six thousand pounds (an immense sum in those days,) in adorning the REBUSES. 219 church, in which his device many times occurs : it is three wheat-ears fastened together with a wreath. The rebus of Peter Rams am, abbot of Sherborne, was a text or old Enghsh ^ inclosing a ram and an abbot's crosier. This still remains in Sherborne Church, as also another, namely, a ram holding a scroll inscribed 3^tttx 3^am£iam. This last instance, among others, induces one to believe that the ecclesiastics had a motive in employing these de- vices which lay deeper than a mere playing upon words. It must be recollected that the majority of the persons who frequented the splendid edifices their piety or their vanity had adorned were unable to read any inscription that might have recorded the benefaction ; but these pic- torial representations were intelligible to the most illiterate, and served to commemorate to the populace the names of the reverend fathers to whom they stood indebted for the sculptured glories of their houses of worship. Perhaps the general ignorance of the common people accounts for the absence of inscriptions on the sepulchral monuments of early date. Whatever may have been the motive, this omission is very much to be regretted, as all the acumen of learned antiquaries very often fails to assign them to their proper tenants. Very probable conclusions are some- times arrived at from the heraldic achievements, the cos- tume of the statues with which tombs are adorned, and the posture of those figures ;* but the parties commemo- rated are seldom satisfactorily ascertained. • Thus an abbot may be distinguished from a bishop, and common warriors from crusaders, which latter usually «« lie. The vow performed, in cross-legged effigy. Devoutly stretched upon their chancel floors." 220 REBUSES. Sometimes the whole range of visible objects could not furnish a full rebus. In such cases ® single letters or even whole words were adjoined to complete the device. Thus a capital A in a roundlet or rundle was made to do duty for the name of Thomas, Earl of Arundel. Sir Anthony Wingfeld devised a wing with the letters F. E. L. D. quarterly about it, "and over the wing a crosse to shew he was a Christian, and on the crosse a red rose to shew that he followed the house of Lancaster." In like manner the old Surrey family of Newdigate used for their seal an an- tient portcullised gate with nu at the top, and a capital D in the centre, thus : Nu-D-gate. Camden tells us of an amorous youth who, in order to express his love for a certain fair damsel named Rose Hill, painted on the border of his garment lively repre- sentations of a rosBy a hill^ an eye, a loaf, and a well, " that is, if you will spell it, ROSE HILL I LOVE WELL f" Ton being a common termination to names of places, and consequently to those of persons, has rendered a tun a favorite ingredient in rebuses, as the following list will show : Archbishop Thurston. A thrush upon a tun. This device still remains on the ruins of Fountain's Abbey, which that prelate founded. REBUSES. 221 Archbishop Moreton. The letters mor upon a tun, and sometimes a mulberry-tree (in Latin morus) issuing out of a tun. Luton. A lute upon a tun. Thornton. A thorn upon a tun. AsHTON. An ash-tree issuing out of a tun. Bolton, prior of St. Bartholomew's, in Smithfield. A \mdi-bolt through a tun. Huntington (John), Rector of Assheton under Lyme. " An huntsman with dogges whereby hee thought to ex- presse the two former syllables of his name. Hunting ; on the other syde, a vesseU called a Tonne, which being ioined together makes Huntington.* Rebuses are occasionally of great use in determining the dates and founders of build- Thus the parsonage- ings. house at Great Snoring, in Norfolk, is only known to have been bmlt by one of the family of Shelton by the device upon it repre- senting a shell upon a tun. Many of the seals of antient corporations exhibit rebuses on the names of the towns, as that of Camelford, a camel ; Gateshead, an antient gate ; Kingston-upon-HuU, a king between two lions rampant and another couchant; Hertford, a hart statant in a ford : Maidenhead, a maiderHs head ; Lancaster (antiently Lun-ceastre), a lion couchant before a castle, &c. &c. Sometimes rebuses occur as signs of inns, as at the Hollingworth, his Chronicle of Manchester. 222 REBUSES. antique little village of Warbleton, co. Sussex, where the device is a battle-axe or war-bill thrust into the bung-hole of a tun of foaming ale. In the neighbouring hamlet of Runtington, there was a similar rebus, namely, a runt, or young cow, and a tun. Quaint was the conceit of Robert Langton, who gave new windows to Queen's CoUege, Oxford, (where he re- ceived his education,) and placed in each of them the letters ton drawn out to a most extraordinary length, or rather breadth, for Lang- (that is Long-) tun ; thus : TT OINJ "You may imagine," says Master Camden, "that Francis Cornfield did scratch his elbow when he had sweetly inuented, to signifie his name. Saint Francis, with his Frierly kowle in a corne-field T** A hare upon a bottle, for Hare bottle, forms one of the best of these speechless puns. A mag-pie upon a goat, for Pigot, is very tolerable. As for a hare in a sheaf of rye standing in the sun, for Harrison, it is barely pass- able, but a chest surmounted with a star, for Chester, is the ne plus ultra of wretched punning. Lionel Bucket gave as his rebus a Lion with an l upon his head, " whereas," says Camden, " it should have been in his taile." — " If the Lyon had beene eating a ducke it had beene a rare deuice worth a duckat or a ducke-eggeV The rebus of Ralph Hoge or Hogge, (who in con- junction with Peter Baud, a Frenchman, was the first * Remaines, p. 145. REBUSES. 223 person who cast iron ordnance in England — at the village of Buxted, in Sussex,) was a hog. On the front of his residence at that place this device remains carved on stone, with the date 1591 ; from which circumstance the dwelling is caUed the "Hog-house." The rebus of one Medcalf was a ca^ inscribed with the letters m. e. d. Our old printers were as fond of name-devices in the sixteenth century, as the abbots and priors of the fifteenth had been. Thus WiUiam Norton gave, on the title-pages of the books printed by him, a sweet-William growing out of the bung-hole of a turij labelled with the syllable nor ; John OxENBRiDGE gavc an ox with the letter N on his back going over a bridge ; Hewe Goes, the first printer in the city of York, a great f| and a goose! WiUiam MiDDLETON gave a capital M in the middle of a tun ; Richard Grafton, the graft of an apple-tree issuing from a tun ; and Garret Dews, two fellows in a garret playing at dice and casting deux ! John Day used the figure of a sleeping boy, whom another boy was awakening, and, pointing to the sun, exclaiming, "Arise for it is day ;*'* a clumsy invention, scarcely deserving the name of a rebus. Perhaps the most far-fetched device ever used was that of another printer, one Master Jugge, who " took to express his name a nightingale sitting in a bush with a scrole in her mouth, wherein was written "jugge, jugge, jugge !"t Some printers in recent times have imitated their typographical ancestors by the introduction of their rebus on title-pages. The late Mr. Talboys, of Oxford, ensigned • Vide a plate in Ames's Typogr. Antiq., and in Fosbroke's Encyc. of Antiq. t Peacham («' Compleat Gentleman," I presume,) cited in Johnson's Diet, voc. Rkbus. 224 REBUSES. all his publications with an axe struck into the stem of a tree, and the motto taille bois! Some of Mr. Pickering's books have an antique device, representing a pike and a ring. I have reserved for the last, as being the best I have seen, the celebrated rebus of IsLip, Abbot of Westminster, which occurs in several forms in that chapel of the abbey which bears his name. Two copies of this rebus are now before the reader: a description of the one forming our tail-piece will suffice for both. It may be read three ways : first, a human EYE and a slip of a tree ; second, a man sliding from the branches of a tree and of course exclaiming " i slip !" and third, a hand rending off one of the boughs of the same tree and again re-echoing, "J slip!" Camden, who mentions this quaint device, gives a fourth reading of it, namely, the letter % placed beside the sHp, thus again producing the name — Islip. Reader, our Lettuce is exhausted! 225 A CHAPTER OF CANTING ARMS, tfec. tfec. When Rebuses are borne by families as coats of arms, they are called, in the language of heraldry, Arma Can- TANTiA, Armes Parlantes, or Canting Arms. They seem to be in use in most countries where heraldry is known; thus among the French, du Poirier bears 'Or a Pear tree, argent;' among the Italians, Colonna bears * Gules, a column argent ;' among the Germans, Schilsted bears * Argent, a sledge, sable.'* The arms of the united houses of Castile and Leon are quarterly, a castle and a lion, and those of the province of Dauphin^, a Dolphin.f English Heraldry delights in these punning devices. The arms of Arundel are six swaUows, in allusion to the French word hirondelle ; and those of Corbet, a raven, referring to the French corbeau, from which the surname is derived. The arms of Towers are 'Azure, a tower, or;' those of De la Chambre, 'Argent, a chevron, &c. between three * Porny's Heraldry, p. 12, note. t Louis VII. of France (or as the name was then spelt Loys) used for his signet a fleur-de-Zw, evidently a play upon his name. This was the origin of the royal arms of that kingdom. 10 § 226 CANTING ARMS. chamber-pieces^ proper;'* those of Brand, Lord Dacre, * two brands (or swords) in saltire argent ;* those of Coote, * Argent, a chevron between three cootSt sable;' those of Heron, * Azure, three heronsy proper;' those of Colt, ' Argent, a fesse between three colts, current, sable ;' those of OxENDEN, 'Argent, a chevron, between three oxen, sable;* those of Blackmore, 'Argent, a fesse between three blackmoor's heads erased, sable ; those of Coningsby, ' Gules, three conies, sejant argent ;' those of Starkey, a stork ; those of Urson, a bear (in Latin ursa) ; those of Laroche, * Or, a rook, sable ;' those of Shelley, * Sable, a fesse engrailed between three whelk shells, or ;' those of * Chamber-pieces, a species of small cannons. The various kinds of artillery in use amongst our ancestors bore the most singular names. There were can- nons and demy-cannons^ curtall-cannons and robinets, culverins and demy- culverins, calivers and fowlers, fawcons and fawconets, dragons and basilisks, sakers and petronels, chambets and jakers, harquebusses, dags, and pistols ! " This," says a writer of the age of Elizabeth, «« is the artillerie which is now in most estimation." How many more kinds there might be I am unable to say, but the above catalogue seems sufficiently numerous. Most of the above terms are calculated to inspire a degree of terror, being derived from the names of monsters, serpents, and birds of prey. Culverin is from the Fr. Couleuvrine, a snake— and faucons, fauconnets, sakers, were various species of birds used in hawking. Dragons, basilisks, &c. need no explanation. CANTING ARMS. 227 Wood, * Argent, Sitree, proper ;'^ those of Dolfin, * Azure, three dolphins naiant, or ;' those of Whalley, ' Argent, three whales' heads erased sable ;' those of Maunsell, *Argent, a chevron between three maunches (antient sleeves,) sable ;' those of Dobell, ' Sable, a doe passant, between three hells, argent ;' and last, though not the least remarkable, those of Trebarefoot, * sable a cheveron, or, between three hears^ feet.'' Porny seems inclined to place arms of this description amongst what are called Assumptive Arms, that is, such as have been assumed at the caprice of parties to gratify personal vanity, without any authority from the heralds.* It is perhaps impossible to place any limits to the class of coats that come under this designation. It is certain that comparatively few families of antient gentry have any record of the exact date of their arms, or of their having been conferred in a legal manner. The college of arms is of no older date than the reign of Richard the Third. Prior to that time coat-armour was sometimes the immediate gift of royalty, but oftener conferred by com- manders on such as had earned it by valour on the battle- field ; or given by noblemen to those who held estates under them and followed their banners. Camden says *' Whereas the carles of Chester bare garhes or wheat-sheaf es, many gentlemen of that countrey tooke wheat-sheaf es. Whereas the old carles of Warwicke bare chequy or and azure, a cheueron ermin, many thereabout tooke ermine and chequie. In Leicestershire and the countrey confining * Heraldry, p. 12, note. Menestrier of Lyons, a better authority than Porny, states that Armes Parlantes are as antient as any other heraldic device. (Vide Moule's Heraldry of Fish, p. 47.) 228 CANTING ARMS. diuers bare cinqaefoyles, for that the antient earles of Leicester bare geules, a cinquefoyle, ermine. In Cumber- land and thereabouts, where the old barons of Kendall bare argent two barres geules, and a lyon passant or, in a can- ton of the second ; many gentlemen thereabout tooke the same in different colours and charges in the canton."* All this shows that many of our antient families had no good authority for their arms, which were taken up without the warrant of the officers of arms, if any such in the modern sense of the term, then existed. But if Porny means to insinuate that canting arms ha\e been generally assumed by upstarts within a comparatively recent period, he is certainly mistaken, as vcL2i!a.j grants of such bearings, devised by the heralds themselves, are duly registered in the College of Arms. I recollect one instance of the grant of a coat containing a canting charge within the last few years. King William IV. on visiting his antient borough of Lewes, 10th Oct. 1830, was pleased to use the mansion called 'The Friars,' belonging to Mr. Nehemiah Wimble, on * It would seem that the practice of borrowing the arms of other families is not quite extinct, for a certain plebeian high-sheriff of Sussex not many years since, on being asked by his coach-maker what arms he would have painted on his carriage, replied, "Oh I don't care — suppose we have Lord Chichester's — I think they're as pretty as any !!" Nor is it altogether confined to our eastern hemisphere, if the following anecdote is correct. An English gentleman at New York sent his carriage to a certain coach-maker for repairs, with a promise that he would call in a few days to view the progress of the work. Judge of his surprise on entering the coach- maker's workshop to find some half- dozen other carriages besides his own bedizened with his family arms. When he asked the coach-maker for an explanation of this " heraldic anomaly," that worthy replied with genuine simplicity : " Why you see. Mister, several of my customers who have been in to look at their carriages have ordered me to copy the arms from yours, for let me tell you," he added, in a patronizing manner, " it's a pattern that's very much liked !" CANTING ARMS. 229 which occasion His Majesty gave that gentleman a coat of arms, containing among other charges, a wimble."^ But to give some other instances of heraldic rebuses : the family of Oakes bear acorns, (very natural that they should !) the Butlers, of Ireland, bear three covered cups, (very proper again!) the Lambs, three lambs; the Roaches, three roaches; the Bacons, a boar ; the Pines, 2^ fir- tree ov pine ; the Parkers, a stag's head; the Calls, three trumpets; and the Featherstones, three feathers. Sometimes the crest cants when the arms do not ; this is the case in the family of Beevor, a beaver; Ashburnham, an ash tree; Beckford, a heron's head holding in his strong beak (Bee fort) a fish ; Fisher, a kingfisher, &c. Canting arms are common in Scotland as well as in England. " The Arms of Matthias are three dice (sixes, as the highest throw), having, no doubt, a reference to the Election of St. Matthias to the apostleship ; " and the lot fell upon Matthias." "The arms of Lockhart are *A man's heart, proper, within a padlock, sable,' in perpetua- tion, as they tell you, that one of the name accompanied the good Sir James Douglas to Jerusalem with the heart of king Robert the Bruce."t The following are also from Scottish heraldry: Craw, three crows; Fraser, three /rases or cinquefoils ; Falconer, a /aZcow; Forester, three bugle-horns ; Heart, three human hearts ; Hogg, • Ermine, on a pile gules, a Lion of England in chief and a wimble in base over all a fesse chequy or and azure, thereon two escallops sable, f Pegge's Curial. Miscel. p. 229. 230 CANTING ARMS. three hoars^ heads j Justice, a sword in pale, supporting a balance ; Peacock, 2^ peacock ; Skene, three daggers, called in Scotland skenes ; and Bannerman, 'd^ banner displayed argent ; on a canton azure, St. Andrew's cross.* The Lucys of War- wickshire bore luces or pike; three however — not twelve, as might be inferred from Shakspeare, whose Justice Shallow is supposed to be a carica- ture of a knight of that family. "Merry Wives of Windsor," Act I. Scene 1 Shallow. Sir Hugh, persuade me not; I will make a Star-chamber matter of it: if he were twenty Sir John Falstaffs, he shall not abuse Robert Shallow, esquire. Slender. In the county of Gloster, justice of peace and coram. Shal. Ay, cousin Slender, and Custalorum. Slen, Ay, and ratolorum too; and a gentleman born, master par- son ; who writes himself armigero ; in any bill, warrant, quittance, or obligation, armigero. Shal. Ay that we do ; and have done any time these three hundred years. Slen. All his successors, gone before him, have done't; and all his ancestors, that come after him, may: ihey mscy gi\eX\iQ dozen white luces in their coat. Shal. It is an old coat. Evans, The dozen white louses do become an old coat well ; it agrees well, passant : it is a familiar beast to man and signifies — love. Shal. The luce is the fresh fish ; the salt fish is an old coat. CANTING ARMS. 231 The arms of Sir William Sevenoke or Sennocke were seven acorns, 3, 3, and 1 . This remarkable person was deserted by his parents in infancy, and found either in the hollow of a tree, or in the street, at Sevenoaks, co. Kent, towards the end of the reign of Edw. III. By the charitable assistance of Sir William Rumpstead(the person who found him) and others, he was brought up, and apprenticed in London, where being admitted to the freedom of the Grocers' Com- pany, he gradually rose in eminence, until at length he became Lord Mayor, which office he served with great honour in the 6th year of Henry V., and received from that monarch the honour of knighthood. Three years afterwards he served in parliament for the city of London . He was a benefactor to the parish of St. Dunstan in the East, and also to the place whence he received his name, for " calling to minde the goodness of Almightie God, and the favour of the Townesmen extended towards him, he determined to make an everlasting monument of his thank- full minde for the same. And therefore of his owne charge builded both an Hospitall for reliefe of the poor, and a free Schoole for the education of youthe within this towne, &c."* He made his will in 1432, and was buried in the Church of St. Martin, Ludgate. * Lambarde's Perambulation of Kent, p. 520. Quibbling old Fuller says "he gave Seven Acorns for his armes, which if they grow as fast in the Field of Heraldry as in the common field, may be presumed to be oaks at this day." (Worthies, vol. i. p. 509.) 232 PUNNING MOTTOES. Punning mottoes were at one time much the fashion. The motto of the family of Piereponte (Duke of Kingston) is PIE RE PONE TE, a Capital A^Y, as the three words make the name almost exactly. FoRTE-Scu^wm Salus Bucum, the motto of the Fortescues, has already been mentioned. The family of Onslow use Festina lente, "On slow !" or " Hasten slowly." The windows at Chiddingly Place, co. Sussex, the seat of the Jefferays, formerly contained their arms and motto, *' %tf^x^y> tt que tiiraj)/* I shall do what I say ! Sir John Jefferay, lord chief baron (temp. Eliz.) who was of this family, used the shorter motto, "(©uetra^jefra.'*'* The Cavendishes use Cavendo tutus, " Safety in cau- tion ;" the Fanes, Ne vilefano, " Bring nothing base to the fane, or temple;" the Maynards, MAnusjusta nardw*, "A just hand is a precious ointment ;" the Courthopes, Court hope ; the Fairfaxes, Fare, fac, " Speak, do ;" the Vernons, Fer non semper viret, " The spring does not always flourish," or " Vernon always flourishes ;" the FiTTONS, *' Fiffht on quoth Fitton ;" the Smiths, "Smite on quoth Smith ;" and the Manns, Homo sum, " I am a man !" the Nevilles, Ne vile velis, " Incline to nothing base ;" the Agardes, Dieu me garde, " God defend me ;" and the Lockharts, Corda serat a pando, " I lay open the locked hearts." The antient family of Morrice, of Betshanger, co. Kent, who trace their genealogy to Brut, * Hearne's Curious Discourses, vol. ii. p. 270. PUNNING MOTTOES, ETC. 233 the first king of Britain (!) have for their motto " Antiqui Mores." Many of the Scottish mottoes originated in the slug-horn, slogan, or war-cry of the clan of which the bearer was chief. Thus the motto of Seton, earl of Wintoun, is Set-on ! being at once, an exhortation to the retainers to set upon the enemy, and a play upon the name. The motto of John Wells, last abbot of Croyland, engraved upon his chair, which is still extant, is, " 33metKtcite ^(B§,%e^ IBomim.*'* Bless the Wells O Lord I Thus much for canting arms and punning mottoes : a few additional allusions, or puns upon surnames, with a word or two upon anagrams^ will conclude this chapter and my lucubrations. Giraldus Cambrensis tells a curious anecdote of three persons travelling together, of whom the first was an arch- deacon named Peche (latinized Peccatum,) the second, a rural dean called Beville, and the third, a Jew. When they arrived at Illstreet, on the borders of Wales, the archdeacon remarked to his subordinate that their jurisdiction began there and extended to Malpas. " Ah !'* said their com- panion, "is it even so? a great marvel be it if I escape with a whole skin out of this jurisdiction, where the arch- deacon is Sin, the dean a Devil, and the boundaries Ill- street and Mal-passe F'f One Alexander Nequam, a man of great learning, wrote to the abbot of St. Albans for leave to enter his * There is an engraving of this Chair in Cough's Croyland Abbey, p. 98. t Camd. Rem. p. 141. 234 PUNS. monastery, to whom the abbot returned this laconic note : " ^i ijonuj; iSisl, beniasi, ^i ^eijuam, nequaquam/* If you be good you may ; if Wicked, by no means ! The applicant changed his name to Neckham, and was received into the fraternity.* Gilbert Folioth, bishop of Hereford, having incurred the hatred of the partisans of Archbishop Beckett, one of the latter went to the prelate's window at midnight and vociferated, " Folioth, Folioth, FoHoth, Thy God is the goddess Azaroth /" [Venus.J To which he promptly replied — " Thou lyest fowle fiend. My God is the God of Sabaoth !"t An epitaph on Mr. John Berry. " How ! how ! who's buried here ? John Berry, Is't the younger? No, it is the Elder-'QY.'R.B.Y. An EldiSr-Berry buried surely must Rather spring up and live than turn to dust : So may our Berry, whom stern death has slain. Be only buried to rise up again." On the worthy Dr. Fuller : " Here lies Fuller's Earth !" On Dr. Walker, who wrote a book on the English particles : "Here lie Walker's Particles!" * Camd. Rem. p. 141. ^ Ibid. This is not a pun, but rather what our antiquary calls an allusion. ANAGRAMS. 235 On Mr. Aire, in St. Giles's Cripplegate : " Methinks this was a wondrous death. That Aire should die for want of breath !" Perhaps the oddest mode of expressing a name ever seen was that made use of by one of the family of Noel : " ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPaRSTUVWXYZ." No-* L.* As my motto is, "What's in a Name ?" a few words on Anagrams cannot be out of place here. Few people are aware of what their names really include ; for they most probably contain a deal of mysterious wisdom did we but know how to extract it. As for myself I am one of those "duU wyttes" who might as well hunt for a statue of ApoUo in a block of marble, as try to extract what Camden calls the * quintessence' of names. I must therefore rest content to be a compiler^ that is to say, literally, a robber* of the produce of more fertile geniuses. " Anagrammatisme or metagrammatisme," (forgive me * shade of the venerable Camden,' if I, for the hundredth time, again rob you,) " is a dissolution of a name truely written into his Letters, as his Elements, and a new con- nexion of it by artificial! transposition, without addition, substraction, or change of any letter into different words, making some perfect sense applyable to the person named."f " Some of the sowre sort wiU say it (namely the search- ing out of anagrams) is nothing but a troublous ioy, and * Compile, v. a. to rob, pillage, plunder, filch, steal ! How truly honorable, therefore, is the office of a compiler, t Remaines, Anagrammes, p. 147. 236 ANAGRAMS. because they cannot attaine to it will condemne it, least by commending it, they should discommend themselues. Others more milde, will grant it to bee a dainty deuise and disport of wit not without pleasure, if it be not wrested out of the name to the reproach of the person. And such will not deny but that as good names may bee ominous, so also good Anagrammes, with a dehghtfull comfort and pleasant motion in honest minds, in no point yeelding to any vaine pleasures of the body. They will also afford it some com- mendations in respect of the difficulty ; {Bifficilia quce pulchra ;) as also that it is the whetstone of patience to them that shall practice it. For some haue beene scene to bite their pen, scratch their head, bend their browes, bite their Hps, beate the boord, teare their paper, when they were faire for somewhat, and caught nothing therein.'* The invention of anagrams is ascribed to a Greek poet called Lycophron, who flourished about B.C. 380, in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, whose name he proved to be full of sweetness, nTOAEMAIOS, Atto fxeXiTos — Made of honey I Nor was he less successful upon that of Arsinoe, Ptolemy's wife, which he thus read : APSINOH, *Hpa$ \ov — Juno's violet ! The practice of making anagrams was first used in modern times in France, upon the revival of learning in that country under Francis the First. Not long after, the ANAGRAMS. 237 following transpositions were made of the name of the un- fortunate Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland. Maria Stuarta, VtxitH^ ^rmata, Armed Truth. This, however, does not come up to Camden's rule of " making a perfect sense applyable to the person named." The next is much better : iHaria ^tetoartfa, ^cotorum i^egina. TRUSA VI REGNIS, MORTE AMARA CADO, Thrust by force from my kingdoms^ I fall by a hitter death! It is to the French also, we are indebted for the beautiful anagram on the name of Christ, which has an allusion to the passage in Isaiah lviii, " He is brought as a sheep to the slaughter." IHSOYS; 2v 17 oh — Thou art that sheep. Anagrams, on their introduction into this country, were often employed for the purposes of flattery. Camden cites several, made in his own times, on the names of James the First and his family, which do not, according to my view of that race, conform to his own rule. I shall pass by these and many others my author has given, and come at once to notice a few of the best I have met with upon English names. Among these is that upon " Dorothy, Vicountesse Lisle. Christ joins true love's knot. Where hands and hearts in sacred Hnke of love Are joyn'd in Christ, that match doth happy prove." 238 ANAGRAMS. Of the name of Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Keeper, one Mr. Tash, * an especial man in this faculty,' made — Is horn and elect for a ric [A] speaker. Of that of Johannes Williams, the Welsh divine and statesman, well known as the strenuous opponent of Laud, Mr. Hugh Holland made a quadruple anagram, which, however, is far from exact : 1. lO SIS LUMEN IN AULA. O, mayst thou be a light in the palace ! 2. My wall is on high. 3. My wall high Sion. And (in reference to his love for the country that gave him birth,) 4. WALLIS ES IN ANIMO. O Wales how I love thee ! Honest John Bunyan found out the following for his anagram, which, albeit somewhat defective and rough, is highly characteristic of the man : John Bunyan. NU HONY in A B (!) The anagram on Monk,^ afterwards Duke of Albemarle, on the restoration of Chas. IL included an important date in our history : Georgius Monke, dux de Albemarle, Ego Regem reduxi, An\ Sa. MDCLFF.* I brought back the King in the year 1660. * D'Israeli, Curiosities of Literature, vol. iii. p. 209, ANAGRAMS. 239 Anagram-making seems to have been the favourite amusement of wits and scholars two or three centuries ago, and every name of note was found to contain what would least be expected from it. Those indeed were the days for seeking 'what's in a name.' By a slight transposition a Wit was found in Wiat, Renoun in Vernon, and Lawrel in Waller. Randle Holmes, the heraldic writer, was complimented with LO, men's herald! Few anagrams have been more happy than that on Lord Nelson. Horatio Nelson, Honor est a Nilo. My honour is from the Nile. It would be an easy matter to extend this gossip over many pages, but I must refer the reader who wishes for more of it to the teeming chapters of Camden and D'IsraeH. There is, however, an anecdote connected with anagrammatizing which although ^decies repetita, placebit.' "Lady Eleanor Davies, the wife of the celebrated Sir John Davies, the poet, was a very extraordinary cha- racter. She was the Cassandra of her age, and several of her predictions warranted her to conceive she was a pro- phetess. As her prophecies in the troubled times of Charles L were usually against the government, she was at length brought by them into the Court of High Commission. The prophetess was not a Httle mad, and fancied the spirit of Daniel was in her, from an anagram she had formed of her name, Eleanor Davies, Reveal O Daniel ! 240 ANAGRAMS. The anagram had too much by an l and too little by an s ; yet Daniel and reveal were in it, and this was sufficient to satisfy her inspirations. The court attempted to dis- possess the spirit from the lady, while the bishops were in vain reasoning the point with her out of the scriptures, to no purpose, she poising text against text : one of the deans of Arches, says HeyUn, * shot her thorough and thorough with an arrow borrowed from her own quiver :' he took a pen, and at last hit upon this excellent anagram : Dame Eleanor Davies. Never so mad a Ladie ! " The happy fancy put the solemn court into laughter, and Cassandra into the utmost dejection of spirit. Foiled by her own weapons, her spirit suddenly forsook her ; and either she never afterwards ventured on prophesying, or the anagram perpetually reminded her hearers of her state — ^and we hear no more of this prophetess."* A few more "last words." A friend of mine has favoured me with two specimens of his own construction, which have so much of the spirit of true metagrammatism in them, that I am sure I shall be pardoned the introduc- tion of them here. After the battle of Navarino, Admiral Sir Edward Codrington having made some reflections discreditable to the reputation of Capt. R. Dickenson in that affair, Capt. D. - demanded a court-martial, the result of which was, not only his honorable acquittal, but the most complimentary testimony of the court to his high professional merit. • Curiosities of Literature, vol. iii. pp. 212-13. ANAGRAMS. 241 This circumstance gave rise to the anagram below, on the name of Sir Edward Codrington. Rd. Bic'enson got reward. George Thompson, Esq., the eloquent anti-slavery advo- cate, was solicited to go into Parliament, with a view to his more efficiently serving the cause of negro emancipation. This question being submitted to the consideration of his friends, one of them found the following answer in the let- ters of his name : George Thompson. O go — the Negro's M.P. ! 11 242 ADDITIONS ; AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRECEDING ESSAYS. [Several highly valuable communications having been received since the first sheet went to press, I deem it more advisable to present them to the reader in this desultory form than to omit them altogether.] Essay I. Patronymics. — The use of the word son, adjoined to the father's name as a surname, is by no means pecuhar to this country. Many Swedish and Icelandic names end in -son, as Torstenson, Arfredson, Thorlaksson, Sturleson. Danish in -sen, as Herningsen, Cristensen, Emarsen. Dutch in -sen, as Petersen, Jansen, Hendriksen. Essay II. Inappropriateness of surnames denoting qualities inherent in the person, &c. &c. for transmission to descendants. Some droll lines proving that " surnames ADDITIONS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 243 ever go by contraries," written by * a Mr. Smith,' contain the following hits : " Mr. Oldcastle dwells in a modern-buUt hut, Miss Sage is of mad-caps the archest, Of all the queer bachelors Cupid e'er cut, Old Mr. Younghusband's the starchest. Mr. Swift hobbles onward, no mortal knows how. He moves as though cords had entwined him ; Mr. Metcalfe ran off upon meeting a cow, With pale Mr. Turnbull behind him ! Mr. Barker's as mute as a fish in the sea, Mr. Miles never moves on a journey ; Mr. Gotohed sits up till half-after three, . Mr. Makepeace was bred an attorney. Mr. Gardener can't tell a flower from a root, Mr. Wild with timidity draws back ; Mr. Rider performs all his travels on foot, Mr. Foote all his journeys on horseback !" Essay III. Local names. — Goth and Gaul occur in Yorkshire : these, if not corruptions of foreign names, were probably sobriquets. Si/kes, hitherto regarded as a diminutive or 'nurse- name' of Simon, appears to be a local name of the second class, meaning in the North a small brook or a fountain. In the latter sense it occurs in the blazon of the arms of Sykes of Yorkshire, viz. "Argent, a cheveron sable be- tween three si/kes or fountains." The names of foundlings were usually local, as we have seen in the instances of Bytheseuy Pitt, Groves, &c. At Doncaster there is a person named Found, whose grand- father's grandfather was a foundling. Inventus occurs in the register of that parish as a surname. Galilee occurs in Yorkshire. 244 ADDITIONS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF By the shortest surname in England. On has occurred since this was written. In Belgium there is a noble family bearing the still shorter one of O. To the glossary of local names, add Bold, a dweUing, (Newbold, Archbold, &c.) Russell, (sometimes — See Essay VI.) a stream, brook. Two channels near Guernsey are called * le grand et le petit Ruiseil,' and by our seamen * the great and little Russell.' Eccles, (eglise, ecclesia, eKKkriaia,) a church. *' Ollerenshaw^^ a local name meaning holly-grove, has been contracted to Renshaw, and that in its turn corrupted to Wrencher! Thwaytes may be nothing more than the plural of Thwayte, notwithstanding Verstegan's assertion. A York- shire correspondent thinks Thwayte, a crasis for * the wait,'' that is, minstrel. Halytreholm, the singular name of a benefactor to St. John's Coll. Camb., probably means *the island of the holy tree.' Heap occurs as an English surname, and the French have de Monceux, * of the heaps.' Essay IV. To the list of surnames derived from avo- cations, add Copper-wright, Starman (^1) Tyerman and Tireman, probably a maker of ornaments for the head ; tire being, as Johnson supposes, a corruption either of * tiara' or of * attire.' " On her head she wore a tire of gold, Adorned with gems and ouches." (Spenser.) Round tires lilje the moon. — hakh, c. iii. v. 18, * Tirewoman,* an obsolescent word, meaning one whose THE PRECEDING ESSAYS. 245 business it is to make dresses for the head, is retained by Johnson. Perhaps, however, the TyerMXs of olden times was no man-milHner, but followed the more masculine occupation of making ready the furniture of the battle- field : " Immedicate sieges and the tire of war, Rowl in thy eager mind." {Philips.) Lunhunter has cost me conjectures not a few. An in- genious correspondent suggests the two following etymons : 1 . Lone, soUtary, having no companion — one who hunted by himself. 2. Loon, Icelandic *lunde,' a sea-fowl of the genus Colymbus — a hunter of that species of bird. I con- fess that it would have been more satisfactory had my correspondent identified lun or lund with some quadruped bearing such trivial or provincial appellation. Names of occupations in a latinized form occur among the freeholders of Yorkshire, (vide Poll-books,) as Mercator, Tomor, Faber, &c. Smith in Gaelic is Gow : hence M'Gowan is Smithson. The Gows were once as numerous in Scotland as the Smiths in England, and would be so at this time had not many of them, at a very recent date, translated the name to Smith. M'Intyre is Carpenter's son. Comber, Camber, and the feminine form Kempster, are from *came,' and *kembe,' old forms of comb, and are synonymous with Coomber, a wool-comber. Carder, Towzer, and Tozer, point to another branch of the same craft : * toze' and * towse' are synonymous with tease : Upon the stone His wife sat near him teasing matted wool, While from the twin cards tooth 'd with glittering wire He fed the spindle of his youngest child." 246 ADDITIONS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF Tubman, Tupper, and Dubber are probably synonymous with the Germ. ' Taubmann,' a maker of tubs. * Daube' in that language is a stave used in making tubs, and to * dub,' a piece of wood, in the language of our shipwrights and coopers, means to fashion it with an adze. *Cade' we have seen (Essay VIII.) is a cask; hence Cadman is a maker of cades or kegs. Cade, in this sense, was used in Shakspeare's days : " Cade. We John Cade, so termed of our supposed father." " Dick. Or rather of stealing a cade of herrings /" {Hen. vi. Act iv. «Se. 2.) In the same play we have an illustration of the name Shearman. George Bevis loquitur : "I tell thee. Jack Cade the clothier means to dress the common- wealth and turn it, and set a new nap upon it." {Act iv. Sc. 2.) Stafford (to Cade.) " Villain, thy father was a plasterer, and thou thyself a shearman, art thou not?" "With respect to Gladman two suggestions have been offered; 1, that it is a corruption of (cla'c-man) cloth- man ; and 2, that as 'gley'd' or *gleed,' in Scotland, means squinting as applied personally, or crooked as applied to things inanimate, a gledeman might be either a squinting man or a crooked man.* Spelman. In addition to what has been said upon this name it may be remarked, that * spelman' is the Swedish, and ' speilmann' the German, for a wandering musician, while ' spielman' in the Scottish dialect, means a chmbing man.f A ' spill' is a spindle or a lath : hence Speller, ♦ Lit. Gaz. Ap. 29, 1843. + Id. THE PRECEDING ESSAYS. 247 Spiller, and Spillmany must be makers of spindles or cleavers of laths. The latter business, it may be observed, still maintains its existence as a separate branch of em- ployment in some districts. To Horseman, FalfrimaUy &c. may be added F adman : a * pad' was an easy-paced nag. Pulter, Poltevy and Poulter are the original and true forms of poulterer (to which, as in the cases of fruiterer, upholsterer, &c. an extra -er has been added). In the directions to the Lord Mayor of London for the reception of the suite of Charles V. when he visited Henry VIIL appears this, " Item, to appoynt iiij pullers to serve for the said persons of all maner^M^n/,* and the same king incorporated a " Poulters' Company." Cramer is German (kramer), and signifies a retail dealer. Among other names of Occupations which require no explanation may be added. Stapler, Paviour, Milliner, Collarmaker, Driver, Drover, Pilot, Caulker, Pedlar, and Bellman. Essay V. To the names from ecclesiastical dignities add Canon ; also Primate, borne by a family in Yorkshire. The Highland name M'Taggart means the son of a priest. Essay VL To the surnames from qualities inherent in the person, of the physical class, add Spruce, Fairest, Nut- brown, Long-waist, Mankin (manikin, a dwarf). Fairy, Shurlock (shire-lock), Hurlock (hoar-lock), Brunell (0. F. brown), Sale (Fr.) dirty, and Lyt (A.-S, lyt, little). * Rutland Papers, Camd. Soc. 248 ADDITIONS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF Chaucer describes his poor parson as visiting impartially all his parishioners, "both moche and ZzYe," that is, both great and little. Handsomehody occurs in the west of England. To those of the moral class add Holyt Precious, Idle, Lax, SilUman, the last, by the "way, the most inappropriate in the world for the great transatlantic philosopher. Prudhom and Prudhoe are from the Old French * prud- homme,' brave man. In the church at Eaton-Bishop, near Hereford, is this epitaph : " Good was first her maiden name, Better, when in marriage given, Best she at the last became ; The next degree reached Heaven !" Essay VII. Gillot is more probably from Gmllot, the French diminutive of William. Tidd and Teed are from Tit or Tid, the abbreviate of Theodore. Essay VIII. Mushett is the male sparrow-hawk. Mudd occurs in Suffolk, and possibly its origin may be traced by a very antient inscription on the pil/pit of the church at Newton in that county : " (©rate p aia ^itfy. |Hotri.*' The following are probably borrowed from signs : Buckle, Phoenix, Griffin, Garland, Arrow, Dart, Lance, Banner, Vase, Bowl, Goblet, Knife, Cruse, Cushion, Bridle. The German names Rothschild and Schwarzschild mean respectively * red-shield' and * black-shield.' THE PRECEDING ESSAYS. 249 To the names borrowed from habiliments add Shirty Stocking^ Boot, Buskin, Breeches, Hat, Bonnet, Scai'f, Robe, Mitten, Patten, Silk, Ribbon, &c. To those from articles of food, &c. Cheese, Bread, Cake, Cakebread, Eggs, Jelly, Custard, Coffee, Ginger, Sherry, Claret, and Dinner ! Essay IX. The non-existence of Autumn as a surname may be accounted for by the recent introduction of that word into English : * fall' was the old name for the season, and is still retained in America. Fall occurs as a surname, though not so frequently as Spring, probably because not of such good augury. Essay XI. Surnames of Contempt, &c. Maulovel, a Norman name, is * bad wolfling,' and Maureward, may be either * mal-regard,' evil look, or bad reward, probably with some historical allusion. Ourson is from the French — a young bear ! The Normans seem to have given many similar names : the following with others occur in the Battel 2don : Malebuche, bad-mouth ; Malemayn, bad- hand ; Musard, the loiterer ; Maucovenaunt, ill-bargain ; Mauclerc, bad-scholar. Essay XII. Oddities. The following names may fairly rank under this category : Boast, Bragg, Blow, Bias, Cure, Cheap, Cant, Clammy, Duel, Speck, Spike, Shirt, Tuck, Pick, Tremble, Slumber, Pant, Whip, Much, Skim, Battle (local?) Priesthood, Worship, Gossip, Gabble, Open, Shut, Treble and Bass (in one street in London), Mummery, Foppery, Simper, Grieve, Self, Gaze, Ogle, Catch-side, Cap-stick, Drink-row, Duck-wit, Drake-vp, Pick-up, Card- 11 § 250 ADDITIONS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF up. Luck-up J Broxhup, Green-up,"^ Wool-fork, Pitch-fork, Stand-even, Garman-sway, Smooth-man, Kettle-band, Ket- tle-strings (!) Red-rings, Suck-smith, Hug-buck, Rake-straw, Inch-board, and Great-rakes. What, without conveying the shghtest idea of their meaning, can be more absurd than the following? — Twitty, Nutchy, Jowsy, Snarry, Vitty, Thruttles, Jagger, Wox, Fligg, Jibb, Ragg, Lutt, and Brabbs. It is but right to state that the authentic list from which the above names have been selected, was compiled in part from such authorities as the Pohce Reports and the Newgate Calendar. Hence probably a great many of them are but sobriquets and * aliases.' Pillage was literally the name of a thief brought not long since before the magistrates at Bath ; and a female brought before the Lord Mayor bore the ominous cognomen of Comeagain, which she averred to be her true and only name! Essay XIII. Foreign names naturalized in England. Many Jew^ish names are German, as Roths- child (vide ante), Ha7^t (herz, heart). Some Dutch, as Goldsmid, Some Portuguese, as Lousada, Lindo. Some Italian, as Montefiore. Some Spanish, as Ximenes, Mendoza. Names in -er with the name of a German town are Jewish, as Friedland-er, Bantzig-er, Hamburg-er. Having no surnames of their own, the German Jews often assume them from the place of their abode. * Many of these are questionless corruptions of local names. Those names terminating in up are piobably corruptions of hope, explained in Essay III. THE PRECEDING ESSAYS. 251 The greatest importation of French names and families since the Conquest was at the revocation of the edict of Nantes : hence date the Ducarels, Chamiers, Palairets, Gtiardots, Laprimandayes, Tessiersy and many others. Essay XIV. To what is said on changed surnames, it may be added that many famihes in our own times have changed their names for others of better sound or higher fame ; thus Hayward has become Howard ; Sheepshanks, Yorke ; Upjohn, Ap-John. Many Jewish families have assimilated their surnames to others of English origin, as Abraham to Braham, Moses to Moss, Salomon to Salmon, Jonas to Jones, Levi to Lewis. Almack is supposed by the family bearing it to be a transposition of the Scottish Mac-All. Chapter of Canting Arms, Puns, &c. — Robert de Eglesfield, the munificent founder of Queen's Coll. Oxon. thought fit to perpetuate his name with what may be called a practical pun. On Christmas-day, the great annual solemnity of the College, when the boar's head is placed on the hall table with various ceremonies, each of the senior fellows receives from the provost pertain needles- ful of purple and scarlet silk, with the admonition, *Be thrifty :' the French aiguillis et Jil, (needles and thread,) being a play on Eglesfield. The donor's punning v/as as poor as his liberality was large. 252 ADDITIONS, &C. OF THE PRECEDING ESSAYS. Victor Hugo (a close observer of nominal curiosities), in his work on the * Rhine,'* mentions c?e-MEUSE ; that is, " Of the Meuse," as a common name at Namur and Liege on that river. At Paris and Rouen (both on the Seine) c??SEiNE and c^^senne are found. The Roman name Tiberius was derived from the Tiber. Hence it appears that the borrowing of names from rivers is by no means peculiar to the English, nor to modern times. From the same work we find that names borrowed from classical personages are not infrequent on the continent : M. Janus is a baker at Namur, M. Marius a hairdresser at Aries, and M. Nero a confectioner at Paris ! ! « Vol. I. p. 76. 253 APPENDIX. m)t ISoU Of ISattel atiea. INTRODUCTION. I HAVE already mentioned this celebrated document, and 1 cannot better introduce it to the reader than by citing the Rev. Mark Noble's curious and valuable "Dissertation on the various Changes in the Families of England since the Conquest," prefixed to his History of the College of Arms. "Those who had fought under the ducal banners [at Hastings] took every possible means to have their names well known and remembered by future ages, not only be- cause they and their descendants would by it be enabled to plead for favours from the reigning family, and an assuring to themselves the estates they had gained, but also from the pride inherent in human nature as founders of families in a country they had won by their prowess. For these reasons the name of every person of any con- 254 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : sideration was written upon a Roll, and liung up in the Abbey of Battel.* " As the persons there mentioned were the patriarchs of most of the EngUsh gentry for many ages, and of many of our chief nobility at the present day, it will not be im- proper to examine into the authenticity of this roll of names; for different authors have given, some a greater, and some a less, number. As to the orthography, it is of little consequence; the spelling of names was not at that time, nor for many ages afterwards, fixed; every one writing them as he pleased. " Grafton, in his Chronicle, has given very many names, which he received from Clarenceux, king at arms, and out of John Harding's Chronicle, with others. Holinshed mentions upwards of six hundred; Stow, in his Chronicle, only four hundred and seven ; Thomas Scriven, Esquire, still fewer. Fuller, in his Church History, has copied them, but he does not mention who Mr. Scriven was, nor from whence that gentleman took them. Foxe, in his Acts and Monuments, has also given in a list of the names of William's officers and great men; but these. Fuller thinks, were not collected by Foxe. This catalogue of names is valuable, however, because the initials of the christian names are given. The great difference made in these collections naturally leads us to suspect that many omissions are made in some, and that numbers of names have been put in others to please individuals. Sir WiUiam Dugdale openly accuses the monks of Battel of flattery, from having inserted the names of persons whose ancestors * William ordered the erection of a monastery on the very spot where he had gained that decisive victory which gave him the crown of England, from which circumstance it was called Battel Abbey. INTRODUCTION. " 255 were never at the conquest. Guilliam Tayleur, a Norman historian, who could not have had any communication with the monks of Battel, has also published the muster-roll, which was called over after the battle of Hastings."* In the foregoing enumeration of the copies of this famous Roll, the writer does not mention Leland's copy, nor that of Dugdale. It is remarkable that although many, per- haps the majority, of the names occur in all the copies, others occur in one or two only ; and the difference between the copies is such as to render all attempts at collation useless. As my object is to give names said to have been introduced into this country by the Norman Conquest, rather than a critical inquiry into the authenticity of the several lists, I shall lay before the reader three of the latter, namely, those of Leland, Holinshed, and Foxe, adding, en passant, such notes and observations as may seem useful in illustration of the subject. The original Roll, compiled by the monks of Battel, was hung up in their monastery, beneath the following Latin verses : " Sicitur a hello, fSellum locu^ ^tc, quia hello ^nSltgenae iiictt, ^unt ^t in morte relictt : IRarturiiS in €^x\^ii fes'to cecitiere Calixti : ^exagenuig evat i^extu^ miUeiSimug annus; Cum pereunt ^ngli Jitella monsitrante cometa.** ♦ *« The day after the battell, very early in the morning, Odo, Bishop of Baieux, sung masse for those that were departed. The duke after that, desirous to know the estate of his battell, and what people he had therein lost and were slaine, he caused to come unto him a clerk, that had written their names when they were embarked at S. Valeries, and commanded him to call them all by their names, who called them that had bin at the battell, and passed the seas with Duke William." (John Foxe, Acts and Mon.) 256 RdLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Id esty " This place is called Battel, because the English, slain in war, were here left dead. They fell on the day of the feast of Christ's martyr, Calixtus. It was the year one thousand and sixty-six when the English perished, a great comet being visible at the time(?)" A metrical Enghsh version of these verses was formerly inscribed on a tablet in the parish church of Battel. ** Z^i^ place of toar t!^ ?3attel fallttJ, becauiSe mhattle \)txt, (Suite CO nqiierttJ antJ obeirti^^olun t\)t (Qn^i^\^ nation iwere ; %^^ iSlaugl^ter ^appenetr to t^em upon ^t. Celtct'iS t(ap, Cf)e^ear tojereof (1066) t^ijg uumtiei: trot]^ arrap.*' Of the history of the Roll subsequently to the dissolution of the monastery nothing certain is known. Three months after the surrender of the abbey, the site and lands were given by Henry VIII. to Sir Anthony Browne, ancestor of the Viscounts Montague, This family sold the mansion, with its appurtenances, to Sir Thomas Webster, Bart, (whose descendants still possess it), and resided afterwards at their other seat, Cowdray House near Midhurst, and thither this famous document was probably carried.* Cowdray was destroyed by fire in 1793, when the Roll is presumed to have perished, with everything else of value which that lordly edifice contained. • Gleaniugs respectinj Battel Abbey. leland's copy. 257 The preference ought unquestionably to be conceded to this copy. John Leland saw and transcribed the original;, and in the notes to his transcript he notices some particular points marked upon the Roll, which he also transfers to his copy. There seems to be an attempt to arrange the names in such a manner as to make the last syllable of the second pair rhyme with that of the first, and also to produce aUiteration in the pairs, e. g. '' Ferers et Foleville, Briaunson et Baskeville.'* AuMARiLLctDEYNCouRT, Camoys et Cameville, Bertrem et Buttencourt, Hautein et Hanville, Baird et Biford, Warenne* et Wauncy, Bardolf et Basset, Chauunt et Chauncy, Deyville et Darcy, Loveyne et Lascy, Pygot et Percy, Graunson et Tracy, Gumey et Greilly, Mohaud et Mooun, Tregos et Trylly, Bigotf et Brown, | * Some families bearing this name are unquestionably of English origin ; from the first persons bearing the name having resided near a rabbi t-wan-en. + According to Camden the name of Bigod was a sobriquet given to the Nor- mans for their profanity, " because at euery other word they would sweare 6y God," (Remaines, p. 106,) and hence our word bigot. ^ This name occurs in most copies of the Roll, but it would seem to be an interpolation, unless, indeed, it be an English spelling of the French Brun. 258 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY: Mamey et Maundeville, Vipont et Umfreville, Mauley et Meneville, Burnel et Buttevillain, Malebuche et Malemayn, Morteyn et Mortimer, Comeyn et Columber, St. Cloyis et St. Clere,* Otinel et St. Thomer, •• t Gorgeise et Gower, Bruys et Dispenser, Lymesey et Latymer, Boys et Boteler, Fenes et Filebert, Fitz-Roger et Fitz-Robert, Martine et Muse, St. Ligiere et Quyncy, Cricketot et Crevecuer, Morley et Moundeville, Baillol et Boundeville, Estraunge et Estoteville, Mowbray et Morville, Viez et Vinoun, Audele et Aungeloun, Vausteneys et Wauille, SouchevilleCoudrey et CoUe- ville, Ferers et FolevUle, Briaunson et Baskeville, Neners et Nereville, Chaumberlayne et Chaumbe- roun, Fitz-Walter et Werdoun, Argenteyn et Avenele, Ros et Ridel, Hasting:^ et Haulley, Merkenfell et Mourreis, Fitz-Phillip et Filiot, Takel et Talbot, Lenias et Levecot, Fourbeville et Tipitot, Saunzauer et Saundford, Mountague et Mountford, Forneux et Furnivaus, Valence et Vaux, Clerevals et Clarel, Dodingle et Darel, Mantelent et Maudiet, Chapes et Chaudut, Cauntelow et Coubray, Sainct Tese et Saunay, * Some of the Normans " affecting religion took the name of some Saint." (Noble, p. 6, 7.) t Sic cum duobus punctis. + This name would seem to be of the local kind, and was probably borrowed from Hastings in Sussex. This, however, is no argument against the Norman origin of this celebrated family, as some Norman grandees took the names of the seignories given them by the Conqueror. LELAND S COPY. 259 Braund et Baybof, Fitz-Alayne et Gilebof, Maunys et Maulos, Power et Panel, alias Paignel, Tuchet et Tmsselle, Peche et PevereUe, Daubenay et Deverelle, Sainct Amande et Adryelle, Ryvers et Ryvel, Loveday et Lovel, Denyas et Druel, Mountburgh et Mounsorel, Maleville et Malet, Newmarch et Newbet, Corby et Corbet, Mounfey et Mountfichet, Gaunt et Garre, Maleberge et Marre, Geneville et Gifard, Someray et Howarde, Perot et Pykard, Cliaundoys et Chaward, De la Hay et Haunsard, Mussegros et Musard, Maingun et Mountravers, Fovecourt et Feniers, Vesay et Verders, Brabason et Bevers, Challouns et Chaleys, Maihermer et Muschet, * Bans et Bluet, Beke et Biroune, Saunz Peur et Fitz Simoun, Gaugyf et Gobaude, Rugetius et Fitz-Bohant, Peverel et Fitz-Payne, -ger, Fitz-Robert et Fitz-Aleyne, ••• t Souley et Soules, Bruys et Burgb, NeviUe et Newburgh, Fitz- William et Wateville, § De la Launde et Del Isle, Sorel et Somery, St. John et St. lory, Wavile et Warley, De la Pole et Pinkeney, Mortivaus et Mounthensey, * Sic cum puncto sub posteriore parte literae m. t Gage ? t Sic cum tribus punctis. § The termination ville (equivalent to our own ton) was the prevalent one among the Normans. Noble gives the following general rule for ascertaining the district to which any particular name in the Roll should be assigned : " The Norman names end chiefly in -ville ; those of Anjou in -lere ,• those of Guienne and the banks of the Garonne in -acj and those of Picardy in -cour." 260 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Crescy et Courteny, St. Leo et Lascey, Bavent et Bassey, Lascels et Lovein, Thays et Tony, Hurel et Husee, Longville et Longespe, De WakeetDelaWar, De la Marehe et De la Marc, Constable et Tally, • * Poynce et Paveley, Tuk et Tany, Mallop et Marny, Paifrer et Plukenet, Bretoun et Blundet, Myriet et Morley, Tyriet et Turley, Fryville et Fresell, De la River et Rivell, Destranges et Delatoun, Perrers et Pavilloun, Vallonis et Vernoun, Grymward et Gernoun, Herey et Heroun, Verdour et Veroun, Dalseny et Dautre, Mengle et Maufe, Maucovenaiint et Mounpin- son, Pikard et Pinkadoun, Gray et Graunson, Diseny et Dabernoun, Maoun et Mainard, Banestre et Bekard, Bealum et Beauchamp, • t Loverak et Longechamp, Baudin et Bray, Saluayn et Say, Ry et Rokel, Fitz-Rafe et Rosel, Fitz-Bryan et Bracey, Place et Placey, Damary et Deveroys, Vavasor et Warroys,;]: Perpounte et Fitz-Peris, Sesce et Solers, Navimere et Fitz-Nele, "Waloys et Levele, Caumpeneys et Chaunceus, Malebys et Monceus, Thorney et Thornille, Wace et Wyville, Velroys et Wacely, Pugoys et Paiteny, * Sic, cum puncto sub posteriore /. t Sic, cum puncto sub posteriore parte literse m- i The names that contain the letters w and k aie thought to be Flemish - those letters not being found in Norman-French. LELAND S COPY. 261 Galofer et Gubioun, Burdet et Baroun, Davarenge et Duylly, Soverenge et Snylly, Kymarays et Kyriel, Lisours et Longvale, Glauncourt et Chaumount, Bawdewyn et Beaumont, Graundyn et Gerdoun, Blundel et Burdoun, Fitz-Rauf* et FiKol, Fitz-Thomas et Tybot, Onatule et Cbeyni, Maulicerer et Mouncey, Querru et Coigners, Mauclerk et Maners, Warde et Werlay, Nusetys et Merlay, Baray et Breteville, Tolimer et Treville, Blounte et Boseville, Liffard et Oseville, Benny et Boyville, Courson et Courtville, Fitz-Morice et St. More, Broth et Barbedor, Fitz-Hugh et Fitz-Henry, Fitz-Aviz et Esturmy, Walangay et Fitz-Warin, Fitz-Raynald et Roselin, Baret et Bourt, Heryce et Harecourt, Venables et Venour, Haywardf et Henour, Dulce et De la Laund, De la Valet et Veylaund, De la Plaunche et Puterel, Loring et Loterel, Fitz-Marmaduket Mountrivel, Tinel et Travile, Byngard et Bernevale, La-Muile et Lownay, Damot et Damay, •• X Bonet et Barry, Avonel et St. Amary, Jardyn et Jay, Fourys et Tay, Aimeris et Avereris, Vilain et Valeris, Fitz-Eustace et Eustacy, MaucLes et Massey, Brian et Bidin, Movet et St. Martine, * Verstegan is of opinion that the prefix fitz originated in Flanders. It is remarkable that it is now unknown in France, and that it does not occur in the antient chronicles of that country. {Noble.) t This is evidently an English name. % Sic cum duobus punctis. 262 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Surdevale et Sengryn, Buscel et Bevery, Durant et Doreny, Disart et Dorynell, Male-Kake et Mauncel, Burneville et Bretville, Hameline et Hareville, De la Huse et Howel, Fingez et Coruyele, Chartres et Chenil, Belew et Bertine, Mangysir et Mauveysin, Angers et Angewyne, Tolet et Tisoun, Fermbaud et Frisonn, St. Barbe et Sageville, Vernoun et Waterville, Wermelay et Wamerville, u Broy et Bromeville, •• t Bleyn et Briecourt, Tarteray et Chercourt, Oysel et Olifard, Maulovel et Maureward, Kanoes et Keveters, Loif et Lymers, Rysers et Reynevile, Busard et Belevile, Elvers et Ripers, Perechay et Perers, Fichent et Trivent. * Sic cum duobus punctis. t Sic cum duobus punctis. KOLINSHED S COPY. 263 '^o\mf)tr>'^ ©DPS. Aumarle, Bertram, Blondell, Aincourt, Buttecourt, Breton, Audeley, Brebus and Bluat and Angilliam, Bysey, Baious, Argentoune, Bardolfe, Browne, Arundel, Basset and Beke, Auenant, Bigot, Bikard, AbeU, Bohun, Banastre, Arwerne, Bailif, Baloun, Aunwers, Bondevile, Beauchampe, Angers, Brabason, Bray and Angenoun, Baskervile, Bandy, Archere, Bures, Bracy, Anuay, Bounilaine, Boundes, Asperuile, Bois, Bascoun, Abbevile, Botelere, Broilem, Andevile, Bourcher, Broleuy, Amouerduile, Brabaion, Burnell, Arcy and Berners, BeUet, Akeny, Braibuf, Baudewin, Albeny, Brand and Burdon, Aybeuare, Brouce, Berteuilay, Amay, Burgh, Busseuille, Aspermound, Bushy, Blunt, Amerenges. Banet, Baupere, 264 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Be\d]l, Braine, Cribett, Barduedor, Brent, Creuquere, Brette, Braunch, Corbine, Barrett, Belesur, Corbett, Bonrett, BlundeU, Chaundos, Bainard, Burdett, Chaworth, Barnivale, Bagott, Cleremaus, Bonett, Beauuise, ClareU, Bary, Belemis, Chopis, Bryan, Beisin, Chaunduit, Bodin, Bernon, Chantelow,* Beteruile, Boels, Chamberay,t Bertin, Belefroun, Cressy, Bereneuile, Brutz, Curtenay, Bellew, Barchampe, Conestable, Beuery, Beaumont, Cholmeley, Bushell, Barre. Champney, Boranuile, Camois, Chawnos, Browe, Cam vile. Coinivile, Beleuers, Chawent, Champaine, Buffard, Cauncy, Careuile, Bonueier, Conderay, Carbonelle, Botevile, Colvile, Charles, BeUire, Chamberlaine, Chereberge, Bastard, Chambernoun, Chawnes, Brazard, Comin, Chaumont, Beelhelme, Columber, Caperoun,:^ * Cantelupe ? t De-la- Cham bre ? :j: Caperoun. The antient family of Quaife, of Kent and Sussex, have a tra- dition that their ancestor came into England with the Conqueror, and that he was called Ck>ife, because he wore a hood in battle instead of a helmet. Now caperoun is the old French (or chaperon , a hood, which renders it exceedingly probable that the individual named in the Roll, and the person referred to by the tradition are identical. HOLINSHED S COPY. 265 Cheine, De la Ware, Estrange, Curson, De la Uache, Estuteville, Couille, Dakeny, Engaine, Chaiters, Dauntre, Estriels, Cheines, Desny, Esturney. Cateray, Dabernoune, Ferrerers, Cherecourt, Damry, Folvile, Cammile, Daueros, Fitz Walter, Clerenay, Dauonge, Fitz Marmaduke, Curly, Duilby, Fleuez, Cuily, De la Uere, Filberd, Clinels, De la Hoid, Fitz Roger, Clifford. Durange Fauecourt, Denaville, Delee, Ferrers, Derey, Delaund, Fitz Philip, Dive, Delaward, Fohot, Dispencere, De la Planch, Furnieueus, Daubeney, Damnot, Fitz Otes, Daniel, Danway, Fitz WiUiam, Deuise and Deheuse, Fitz Roand, Druell, Deuile, Fitz Pain, Devaus, Disard, Fitz Auger, Davers, Doiville, Fitz Aleyn, Dodingsels, Durand, Fitz Rauf, Darell, Drury, Fitz Browne, Delaber, Dabitott, Fouke, De la Pole, Dunstervile, Frevile, De la Linde, Dunchamp, Front de Boef,* De la HiU, Dambelton. Facunburge, • An early instance of the sobriquet, literally signifying " the forehead of an ox." 12 266 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Forz, Fitz Fitz, Guines, Frisell, Fitz John, Griuel, Fitz Simon, Fleschampe. Greneuile, Fitz Fouk, Gurnay, Glateuile, FolioU, Grassy, Giffard, Fitz Thomas, Graunson, Gouerges, Fitz Morice, Gracy, Gamages. Fitz Hugh, Georges, Hauteny, Fitz Henrie, Gower, Haunsard, Fitz Waren, Gaugy, Hastings, Fitz Rainold, Goband, Hanlay, Flamvile, Gray, HaureU, Formay, Gaunson, Husee, Fitz Eustach, Golofre, Hercy, Fitz Lawrence, Gobion, Herioun, Formibaud, Grensy, Heme, Frisound, Graunt, Hareeourt, Finere, Greile, Henoure, Fitz Robert, Grenet, HoueU, Furnivall, Gurry, Hamelin, Fitz Geffrey, Gurley, HareweU,* Fitz Herbert, Grammori, HardeU, Fitz Peres, Gernoun, Haket, Fichet, Grendon, Hamound, Fitz Rewes, Gurdon, Harcord. * From the frequent occurrence of names with such very English orthographies, one of two things is pretty certain. Either the monks of Battel introduced names of English families surreptitiously to gratify the vanity of benefactors, or the Roll cannot have been compiled until many years after the foundation of the abbey, and by persons who did not understand the French language. This re- mark may seem to clash with a former note, (vide the name of Hasting in Leland's copy;) but the names borrowed from seignories in England, immediatel.v after the Conquest, were very few in number. HOLINSHED S COPY. 267 Jarden, Loterell, Mare, Jay. Loruge, Musegros, Jeniels, Longueuale, Musarde, Jerconuise, Loy, Moine, Januile, Lorancourt, Montrauers, Jasperuile. Loious, Merke, Kaunt, Limers, Murres, ICarre, Longepay, Mortiuale, Karrowe, Laumale, Monchenesey, Keine, Tiane, Mallony, Kimaronne, Lovetot. Marny, KirieU, Mohant, Mountagu, Kancey, Mowne, Mountford, Kenelre. Maundevile, Maule, Loueney, Marmilon, Monthermon, Lacy, Moribray, Musett, Linnebey, Morvile, Menevile, Latomer, Miriel, Manteuenant, Loveday, Maulay, Manse, Lovell, Malebrauch, Menpincoy, Lemare, Malemaine, Maine, Leuetot, Mortimere, Maniard, Lucy, Mortimaine, MoreU, Luny, Muse, Mainell, Logeuile, Marteine, Maleluse, Longespes, Mountbother, Memorous, Louerace, Mountsoler, Morreis, Longechampe, Maleuile, Morleian, Lascales, Malet, Maine, Louan, Mourteney, Malevere, Leded, Monfichet, Mandut, Luse, Maleherbe, Mountmarten, 268 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Mantolet, Newmarch, Pomeray, Miners, Norbet, Pounce, Mauclerke, Nonce, Pavely, Maunchenell, Newborough, Paifrere, Mouett, Neiremet, Plukenet, Meintenore, Neile, Phuars, Meletak, Normavile, Punchardoun, Manuile, Nefmarche, Pinchard, Mangisere, Nermitz, Placy, Maumasin, Nembrutz. Pugoy, Mountlouel, OteveU, Patefine, Maurewarde, Olibef, Place, Monhaut, Olifant, Pampilivun, MeUer, Olenel, Percelay, Mountgomerie, Oisell, Perere and Manlay, Olifard, Pekeny, Maularde, Ounall, Poterell, Menere, OrioU. Peukeny, Martin aste. Pigot, Peccell,* Mainwaring, Pery, PineU, Matelay, Perepound, PutriU, Malemis, Pershale, PetiuoU, Maleheire, Power, Preaus, Moren, PaneU, Pantolf, Melun, Peche and Peito, Marceaus, Pauey, Penecord, Maiell, Pevrell, Preuelirlegast, Morton. Perot, Percivale, Noers, Picard, Quinci, Nevile, Pinkenie, • PechelH Quintini. HOLINSHED S COPY. 269 Ros, Saunsouerre, Tracy, RideU, Sanford, Trousbut, Rivers, Sanctes, Trainell, RiueU, Sauay, Taket, Rous, Saulay, Trussell, RusheU, Sules, Trison, Raband, SoreU, Talbot, Ronde, Somerey, Touny, Rie, Sent John, Traies, Rokell, Sent George, Tollemach, Risers, Sent Les, Tolous, Randuile, Seffe, Tanny, Roselin, Saluin, Touke, Rastoke, Say, Tibtote, Rinuill, Solers, Turbevile, Rougere, Sent Albin, Turvile, Rait, Sent Martin, Tomy and Ripere, Sourdemale, Tavernez, RigDy, Seguin, Trenchevile, Richmound, Sent Barbe, Trenchilion, Rochford, Sent Vile, Tankervile, Raimond. Suremounte, Tirell, Souch, Soreglise, Trivet, Shemle, Sandvile, Tolet, Sucheus, Sauncey, Travers, Senclere, Sirewast, Tardevile, Sent Quintin, Sent Cheveroll, Tinevile, Sent Omere, Sent More, Torell, Sent Amond, Sent Scudemore. Tortechappell, Sent Legere, Toget, TrevereU, Somervile, Tercy, Tenwis, Sieward, Tuchet, Totelles. 270 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY Vere, Vauuruile, ViuiUe, Vernoun, Veniels, Vancorde and Vesey, Verrere, Valenges. Verdoune, Vschere, Wardebois, Valence, Vessay, Ward, Verdeire, Vanay, Wafre, Vavasour, Vian, Wake, Vendore, Vernoys, Wareine, Verlay, Vrnall, Wate, Valenger,* Vnket, Watelin, Venables, Vrnaftd, Watevil, Venoure, Vasderoll, Wely, Vilan, Vaberon, Werdonell, Verland, Valingford, Wespaile, Valers, Venecorde, Wivell. Veirny, Valine, - * Now Wallinger. JOHN FOXE S COPY. 271 3fo5n Jfoxt*^ S'opg. It is, strictly speaking, a misnomer to call this a copy of the Battel Roll. Foxe does not mention it as such, but says, he took it "out of the Annals of Normandy, in French, whereof one very ancient written booke in parch- ment remaineth in the custody of the writer hereof." " The names of those that were at the Conquest of England. Odo, Bishop of Baieux, Robert, Conte de Mortaign, (these two were brethren unto Duke WilUam by their mother,) Baudwin de Buillon, Roger Conte de Beaumont, surnamed With the Beard, of whom descended the line of Meullent, Guillaume Malet, Le Sire de Monfort, sur Rille, Guill. de Viexpont, Neel de S. Saveur leViconte, Le Sire de Hougiers, Henry Seigneur de Fer- rieres, Le Sire Daubemare, Guillaume Sire de Rom- mare,* Le Sire de Lithehare, Le Sire de Touque, Le Sire de la Mare, Le Sire de Neauhou, Le Sire de Pirou, Rob. Sire de Beaufou, Le Sire Davou, Le Sire de Sotoville, Le Sire de Margneville, * It is pretty evident that this personage and numerous others in this list had not as yet assumed surnames, although they soon after took the names of their estates as family appellatives. 272 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY Le Sire de Tancarville, Eustace Dambleville, Le Sire de Mangneville, Le Sire de Gratmesnil, Guillaume Crespin, Le Sire de S. Martin, Guill. de Moulins, Le Sire de Puis, Geoffrey Sire de Maienne, Auffroy de Bolion, Auffroy and Mangier de Cartrait, Guill. de Garrennes, Hue de Gournay, Sire de Bray, Le Conte Hue de Gournay, Euguemont del'Aigle,* Liviconte de Touars, Rich. Danverrnechin, Le Sire de Biars, Le Sire de Solligny, Le Bouteiller Daubigny, Le Sire de Maire, Le Sire de Vitry, Le Sire de Lacy, Le Sire du Val Dary, Le Sire de Tracy, Hue Sire de Montfort, Le Sire de Piquegny, Hamon de Kaieu, Le Sire Despinay, Le Sire de Port, Le Sire de Torcy, Le Sire de lort, Le Sire de Riviers, Guillaume Moyonne, Raoul Tesson de Tin- gueleiz, Roger Marmion, Raoul de Guel, Avenel des Biars, Paennel du Monstier- Hubert, Rob. Bertram le Tort, Le Sire de Senile, Le Sire de Dorival, Le Sire de Breval, Le Sire de S. lehan, Le Sire de Bris, Le Sire du Homme, Le Sire de Sauchhoy, Le Sire de Cailly, Le Sire de Semilly, Le Sire de Tilly, Le Sire de Romelly, • Mar. de Basqueville, Le Sire de Preaulx, Le Sire de Gonis, Le Sire de SainceaiUx, Le Sire de Moulloy, Le Sire de Monceaulx. * Elsewhere called Engenulph d'Aquila or Aguillon. JOHN FOXE S COPY. 273 ^ The Archers du Vol du Reul, and of Bretheul, and of many other places. Le Sire de S. Saen, i. de S. Sydonio, Le Sire de la Kiviere, Le Sire de Salnaruille, Le Sire de Rony, Eude de Beaugieu, Le Sire de Oblie, Le Sire de Sacie, Le Sire de Nassie, Le Visquaius de Chymes, Le Sire du Sap, Le Sire de Glos, Le Sire de Mine, Le Sire de Glanuille, Le Sire de Breencon, Le Vidam de Partay, Raoul de Morimont, Pierre de Bailleul Sire de Fiscamp, Le Sire de Beaufault, Le Sire de Tillieres, Le Sire de Pacy, Le Seeschal de Torcy, Le Sire de Gacy, Le Sire de Doully, Le Sire de Sacy, Le Sire de Vacy, Le Sire de Tourneeur, Le Sire de Praeres, Guillaume de Coulombieres, Hue Sire de Bollebec, Rich. Sire Dorbeck, Le Sire de Bonneboz, Le Sire de Tresgoz, Le Sire de Montfiquet, Hue.le Bigor de Maletot, Le Sire de la Hay, Le Sire de Mombray, Le Sire de Say, Le Sire de lay Ferte, Bouteuillian, Troussebout, Guillaume Patric de la Laund, Hue de Mortemer, Le Sire Danuillers, Le Sire Donnebaut, Le Sire de S. Cler, Rob. le filz Herneys Due de Orleans, Le Sire de Harecourt, Le Sire de Crevecoeur, Le Sire de Deincourt, Le Sire de Bremetot, Le Sire Combray, Le Sire Daunay, Le Sire de Fontenay, Le Conte Deureux, Le Sire de Rebelchil, 12 § 274 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : Alain Fergant Conte de Britaigne, Le Sire de S. Vallery, Le Conte Deu, Gualtier Gilford Conte de Longeville, Le Sire Destouteville, Le Conte Thomas Daubmalle, Guill. Conte de Hoymes and d'Arques, Le Sire de Bereville, Le Sire de Breante, Le Sire de Freanvible, Le Sire de PauiUy, Le Sire de Clere, Toustan du Bee, Le Sire Maugny, Roger de Montgomery, Amauri de Touars. " Out of the ancient Chronicles of England, touching the names of other Normans which seemed to remaine alive after the battell, and to be advanced in the signiories of this land : John de Maudevile, Adam Vndevile, Bernard de Frevile, Rich, de Rochuile, Gilbert de Frankuile, Hugo de Dovile, Symond de Rotevile, R. de Evile, B. de Knevile, Hugo de Morvile, R. de Colevile, A. de Warvile, C. de Karvile, R. de Rotevile, S. de Stotevile, H. Bonum, L Monum, W. de Vignoum, K. de Vispount, W. Bailbeof, S. de Baleyn, H. de Marreys, 1. Aguleyne, G. Agilon, R. Chamburlayne, N. de Vendres, H. de Verdon, H. de Verto, C. de Vernon, H. Hardul, JOHN FOXE S COPY. 275 C. Cappan, W. de Camvile, I. de Cameyes, R. de Rotes, R. de Boys, W. de Waren, T. de Wardboys, R. de Boys, W. de Audeley, K. Dynham, R. de Vaures, G. Vargenteyn, I. de Hastings, G. de Hastank, L. de Burgee, R. de Butuileyn, H. de Malebranch, S. de Malemain, G. de Hautevile, H. Hauteyn, R. de Morteyn, R. de Mortimer, G. de Kanovile, E. de Columb, W. Paynal, C. Panner, H. Pontrel, I. de Rivers, T. Revile, W. de Beauchamp, R. de Beaupale, E. de Cu, F. Lovel, S. de Troys, I. de Artel, John de Montebrugge, H. de Monteserel, W. Trussebut, W. Trussel, H. By set, R. Basset, R. Molet, H. Malovile, G. Bonet, P. de Bon vile, S. de Rovile, N. de Norback, I. de Corneux, P. de Corbet, W. de Mountague, S. de Mountfychet, I. de Genevyle, H. GyfFard, I. de Say, T. Gilbard, R. de Chalons, S. de Chauward, H. Ferret, Hugo Pepard, I. de Harecourt, H. de Haunsard, I. de Lamare, P. de Mautrevers, G. de Ferron, 276 ROLL OF BATTEL ABBEY : R. de Ferrers, I. de Desty, W. de Werders, H. de Borneuile, I. de Saintenys, S. de Syncler, R. de Gorges, E. de Gemere, W. de Feus, S. de Filberd, H. de Turbervile, R. Trobleneur, R. de Angon, T. de Morer, T. de Rotelet, H. de Spencer, E. de Saintquenten, I. de Saint Martin, G. de Custan, Saint Constantine, Saint Leger and Saint Med, M. de Cronu and de S. Viger, S. de Cray el, R. de Crenker, N. Meyuel, I. de Berners, S. de Chumly, E. de Chares, J. de Gray, W. de Grangers, S. de Grangers, S. Baubenyn, H. Vamgers, E. Bertram, R. Bygot, S. Treoly, I. Trigos, G. de Feues, H. FiHot, R. Taperyn, S. Talbot, H. Santsaver, T. de Samford, G. de Vandien, C. de Vautort, G. de Mountague, Tho. de Chambernon, S. de Montfort, R. de Ferneuaulx, W. de Valence, T. Clarel, S. de Cleruaus, P. de Aubemarle, H. de Saint Arvant, E. de Auganuteys, S. de Gant, G. de Malearbe, H. Mandut, W. de Chesun, L. de Chandut, B. Filz Urs, B. Vicont de Low, G. de Cantemere, T. de Cantlow, JOHN FOXE S COPY. 277 R. Breaunce, T. de Broxeboof, S. de Bolebec, B. Mol. de Boef, I. de Muelis, R. de Brus, S. de Brewes, J. de Lille, T. de BellUe, J. de Watervile, G. de Nevile, R. de Neuburgh, H. de Burgoyne, G. de Bourgh, S. de Lymoges, L. de Lyben, W. de Helyoun, H. de Hildrebron, R. de Loges, S. de Saintlow, I. de Maubank, P. de Saint Malow, R. de Leoferne, I. de Lovotot, G. de Dabbevile, H. de Appetot, W. de Percy, H. de Lacy, C. de Quincy, E. Tracy, R. de la Soucbe, V. de Somery, I. de Saint John, T. de Saint Gory, P. de Boyly, R. de Saint Valery, P. de Pinkeny, S. de Pavely, G. de Monthaut, T. de Mountchesy, R. de Lymozy, G. de Lucy, I. de Artois, N. de Artey, P. de Grenvile, L de Greys, V. de Cresty, F. de Courcy, T. de Lamar, H. de Lymastz, L de Moubray, C. de Morley, S. de Gorney, R. de Courtenay, P. de Gourney, R. de Cony, 1. de la Huse, R. de la Huse, V. de Longevile, P. Longespy, I. Pouchardon, R. de la Pomercy, L de Pountz, R. de Pontlarge, R. Estraunge, Tho. Savage. 278 3Latini?eii §>urnamej3* As Latin was the language employed by the clerks of early times, proper names were almost uniformly latinized. This practice was in full vogue from the eleventh century to the sixteenth, in most legal and other documents written in that language. Thus Hall was made D'Aula, Rivers, De RiPARiis, and Haultry, D'Alta Ripa ; Gilbert de Aquila, surnamed the Great, who flourished in the eleventh century, was called Gislebertus Magnus. This name was again transformed into the Saxon as Gilbert Michel, and it is remarkable that although the family of which he was the head is extinct in the legitimate Une, there are two Enghsh families illegitimately descended, from him still in existence — one bearing for their patronymic EgleSy from Aquila, and the other Michel, from Magnus — the one his family, the other his personal surname. By means of this latiniza- tion some very commonplace names were transformed into high-sounding appellations — Goldsmith and Saltmarsh, for instance, became Aurifaber and Salsomarisco, Sometimes the EngUsh form was retained with a Latin termination, as Lowerus Boscowinus, Lower Boscow^en, Thomas Chouneus, Thomas Chowne. Even scholars and divines affected this pedantry, and that after the revival of learning, not iu England alone, but in Holland, Germany, and several other LATINIZED SURNAMES. 279 countries.* Some of these attempts to put modern names into a Latin dress were extremely ridiculous. Andrew BoRDE, the "original Merry Andrew," in his "Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge," written in the reign of Henry VITI. styles himself Andreas Perforatus (bored!) But this is nothing to the name of Sir John Hawkwood being turned into Johannes Acutus ! Let Verstegan tell the story : " Some gentlemen of our nation travelling into Italy and passing thorow Florence, there, in the great church, beholding the monument and epitaph of the renowned EngUsh knight, and most famous warrior of his time, there named Johannes Acutus, long wondered what John Sharp this might be, seeing in England they had never heard of any such, his name rightly written being indeed Sir John Hawkwood ; but by omitting the H. in Latine as frivolous, and the K and W as unusual, he is here from Hawkwood turned into Acutus, and from Acutus returned in EngHsh again unto Sharp /" Camden gives a list of latinized surnames in his Remaines.f In Wright's " Court Hand Restored,":}; is a more copious catalogue, which I here copy, in the hope that it will prove useful to the antiquary, and afford some amusement to the general reader. It is certainly interest- ing in an etymological point of view, although not much to be depended upon in that respect. I have made a few literal and verbal alterations, but they are not of sufficient importance to need particularizing. * Does not our veneration for Erasmus and Grotius and old Puteanus, receive a slight shock when we find that they were de jure, only simple Gerard and Groot anJ Vandeput ? t Pages 130-1-2-3. % London, 1776. 280 LATINIZED SURNAMES. De Adurni portu, De Albeneio, De Alba Maria, Albericus, Albrea, Aubraeus vel Aubericus, De Albo Monasterio, Ala Campi, Henricus de Alditheleia, De Alneto, De Arcubus, De Alta ripa, De Aqua frisca, Aqua pontana, De Arida villa, Arundelius, Arundelius, De Hirundine, Johannes Avonius, De Augo, Aurifaber, De Aula, De Aureo vado, Bardulphus, De Beda, vel De Bajocis, De Bella aqua, De Bella fide, De Bello loco, De Bello foco, De Bello marisco, De Bello faco. Ethrington. D'Aubeney, Albiney. Albemarle. ^Awbrey. Whitchurch. Wingfield. Was the first Lord Audley. Dauney. Bowes. Dautry. Freshwater. Bridgewater. Dryton, or Dry don. f Arundel. John of Northampton. Owe, or Eu. rOrfeur, an»antient name in L Cumberland. HaU. Goldford, or Guldeforde. B. Bardolf, cr Bardolph. Bacon. Bellew. Beaufoy. Beaulieu. Beaufeu. Beaumarsh. Beaufo. LATINIZED SURNAMES. 281 De Bello campo, Beauchaimp. De Bello monte. Beaumont. De Bello prato, Beaupre. De Beverlaco, Beverley. De Bello situ. Ballasise. De Benefactis, Benfield. Benevolus, Benlows. De Bona villa. Bonevil. De Bono fossato, Goodrick. De Blostevilla, Blovile, Blofield. Blaunpain, alias Blancpain, * Whitebread. Bononius, BoUen. Borlasius, Borlace. De Bortana, sive Burtana, Burton. De Bovis Villa, BovH. De Bosco, Bois. De Braiosa, Braose. De Bosco Roardi, Borhard. De Bruera, De Bryer, or Bryer. De Buliaco, Busli, or Bussey. De Burgo, Burgh, Burk, or Bourk, De Burgo charo. Bourchier. De Calvo monte. c. Chaumond. De Camera, Chambers. De Campania, Champnies. De Campo Florido, Chamfleur. De Campo Arnulphi, Champernoun. De Capricuria, and IChevercourt. De Capreolocuria, De Cantilupo, Cantlow. De CamviUa, Camvil. * Some few of these names are Frenchified, not Latinized. 282 LATINIZED SURNAMES. De Capella, Caradocus, De Cearo loco, De Casa Dei, De Casineto and Chaisneto, De Castello, De Castello magno, De Ceraso, De Cestria, Cinomannieus, De Chauris, and Cadurcis, Cheligrevus, Chirchebeius, De Claro monte, De Claris vaUibus, Claranas, De Clarifagio, De Clintona, De Clivo forti, De Columbariis, De Conductu, De Cornubia, De Corvo Spinse, De Curva Spina, De Crepito Corde, De Curceo, De Curci, Cunetius, Capel. rCaradock, or Cradock, now L called Newton. Carelieu. GodshaU. Cheyney, Cheney. Castle, or Castel. Castlemain. Cherry. Chester. Maine. Chaworth. Killigrew. Kirby. Clermont. Clarival, or Clare. Clerfay. CUnton. Clifford. Columbers. Chenduit. Cornwayle. Crowthorne. Creithorne. Crevecoeur. Decourcy. Kenet. De Dalenrigius, Dalegrig, Dalyngruge. De David villa, D'Aiville, D'Eyville. D'Aynecuria vel Daincuri-' ensis, De Dovera, "JDai Daincourt. Dover. LATINIZED SURNAMES. 283 De la Mara, De la Mare. De Doito (Fr. Doet), Brooke. Dispensator, Le Dispencer, Spencer. De Diva, Dive, Dives. Drogo (Saxon), Drew. Dunestanvilla, Dunstavile. Dutchtius. Doughty. De Ebroicis and de Ebrois, E. D'Evreux. Easterlingus, Stradling. De Erolitto, Erliche. De Ericeto, Briewer. Estlega and de Estlega, Astley, or Estley. Extranaeus, L' Estrange. De Fago, F. Beech and Beecher. De Ferrariis, Ferrers. De FiUceto, Fernham. Filius Alani, Fitz Alan. Filius Alvredi, Fitz Alard. Filius Amandi, Fitz Amand. Filius Andrese, Fitz Andrew. Filius Bernardi, Fitz Barnard. Filius Briani, Fitz Brian. Filius Comitis, Fitz Count. Filius Eustachii, Fitz Eustace. Filius Fulconis, Fitz Fulk. Filius Galfredi, Fitz Geoffry. Filius Gerrardi, Fitz Gerrard. Filius Gilberti, Fitz Gilbert. Filius Guidonis, Fitzwith. Filius Hardingi, Fitz Harding. Filius Haimonis, Fitz Haimon. 284 LATINIZED SURNAMES. Filius Henrici, Filius Herbert!, Filius Hugonis, Filius Humphredi, Filius Jacobi, Filius Jobannis, Filius Lucse, Filius Mauricii, Fnius Micbaelis, Filius Nicbolai, Filius Oliveri, Filius Osburni, Filius Osmondi, Filius Odonis, Filius Pagani, Filius Patricii, Filius Petri, Filius Radulpbi, Filius Reginaldi, Filius Ricardi, Filius Roberti, Filius Rogeri, Filius Simeonis, Filius Stepbani, Filius Tbomasi, Filius Walteri, Filius Warreni, Filius Gulielmi, De Foliis, De Fonte Australi, De Fonte Limpido, De Fontibus, Fitz Henry. Fitz Herbert. Fitz Hugh. Fitz Humphrey. Fitz James. Fitz John. Fitz Lukas or Lucas. Fitz Maurice. Fitz Michael. Fitz Nichols. Fitz Oliver. Fitz Osburn. Fitz Osmond. Fitz Otes. Fitz Paine. Fitz Patrick. Fitz Peter. Fitz Ralph. Fitz Raynold. Fitz Richard. Fitz Robert. Fitz Roger. Fitz Simon. rFitz Stephen, commonly \ called Stephenson. Fitz Thomas. Fitz Walter. Fitz Warren. Fitz William. FouUs. Southwel. Sherbourne. WeUs. LATINIZED SURNAMES. 285 De Fonte Ebrardi, Fonteverard. De Forti scuto. Fortescue. Flavus, Blund, Blount. De Fossa nova, Newdike. De Fluctibus, Flood. Frescoburnus, Freshburne. De Frisca Marisca, Freshmarsh. De Frevilla, de Frisca villa, Frevil, or Fretcheville. De Fraxino, Frene, Ashe. De Fronte bovis. De Grundbeof. G. De Gandavo, et Gandavensis, Gaunt. De Glanvilla, Glanvil. De Gorniaco, Gorney, or Gurney. De Granavilla vel Greenvilla, Greenvil, or Grenvile. De Grandavilla, Gran vile. De Geneva, Genevile. De Genisteto, Bromfield. De Grendona, Greendon. Giovanus, Young. De GrossoVenatore, Grandis^ vel Magnus Venator, jGrosvenor. De Grosso Monte, Grismond. De Guntheri sylva. Gunter. De Hantona, H. Hanton. De Harcla, Harkley. Havertus, Howardus, Howard. De Hosata, Hosatus Usus Mare, veh > Hose, or Hussey. Jodocus, I. Joice. De Insula, Lisle. De Insula bona, Lislebone. 286 LATINIZED SURNAMES. Be Insula fontis. Lilburne. De Ipra, De Ipres. J4. De Kaineto, alias Caineto, Keynes. De Laga, 1.. Lee, Lea, and Leigh. Lambardus, Lambard, or Lambert, De Langdona, vel Landa, Langdon. De Lato Campo, Bradfield. De Lato Vado, Bradford. De Lato pede. Braidfoot. De Lseto loco. Lettley. De Leicestria, Lester. De Leica, and Lecha, Leke. Leuchenovus, Lewkin. De Lexintuna, Lexington. Laurentii filius, Lawson. De Limesi, Limsie. De Linna, Linne. De Lisoriis, Lisurs, Lisors. De Logiis, Lodge. De Longo campo. Longchamp. De Longo prato. Longmede. De Longa spata. Longespee. De Longa villa. Longville. Lupus, Woolf, Love, Loo. Lupellus, Lovel, or Lovet. Macer, M. Le Meyre, De Mala platea, and Malo passu. ^^1 Malpas. Magnus Venator, Grosvenor. De Magna Villa, and ^^\ Mandeville. Mandavilla, / LATINIZED SURNAMES. 287 De Magroomonte, De Mala terra, De Malis manibus, Malus catulus, De Malo lacu, Male conductus, vel De Malo conductu, De Malo leone, De Malo visu, Malus leporarius, Malus lupeUus, De Maneriis, De Marchia, Marescallus, De Marei vallibus, De Meduana, De Media villa, De Melsa, Medicus, De Micenis, De Mineriis, Grosmount, or Gromount. Mauland. Malmains. Malchin, vulgo Machel. Mauley. .Malduit. Malleon. Malvisin. rMaleverer, Mallieure, co 1^ monly Mallyvery. Manlovel, Mallovel. Manners. March. Mareschal, or Marchal. Martival. Maine. Middleton. Mews. Leech. Meschines. Miners, or Minours. DeMolendenis,Molendinarius,Molines. De Moehs, Moelles. De Monasteriis, Musters, or Masters. Monachus, Moigne, Monk. De Monte canisto, Montchensey. De Monte hermerii, Monthermer. De Monte fixo, Montfitchet. De Monte pesono,De Monte ~)-^ ^ i ,t - TIT ^ • • fMontpesson, vulgo Mom- pessulano, Monte pissonis, > ^ ° , vel De Monte pissoris, ) P 288 LATINIZED SURNAMES. De Monte Jovis, De Montel ^ . . r<„„j" f J J' Gaudii, I''- De Monte acuto. Montacute. De Monte alto, Montalt, or Moald De Monte Gomericee, Montgomery. De Monte hegonis, Monthegon. De Monte forti. Montfort. De Monte aquilse. Mounteagle. De Mortuo Mari, Mortimer. Ad Murum, Walton. De Musco campo, Muschamp. De Mowbraia, Mowbray. De Nevilla and de Nova villa N. , Nevil. Nigellus, Niele, or Neal. De Novo burgo, Newburgli. De Novo loco. Newark. De Novo castello. Newcastle. De Nodariis vel Nodoriis, Nowres. Norriscus, Norris. De Norwieo, Norwich. De Nova terra, Newland. De Nova mercatu, New march. o. De Oileio, and Oili, and^ D'O'l Oilius, J Pagenelli, De Pavilliano, Pietonus, De Parva villa, Parmentarius, De Palude, p. Pagnells, or Painels. Peiton. Littleton. Taylor. Puddle, Marsh. LATINIZED SURNAMES. 289 De Pascua Lapidosd, Stanley. De Pavilidro, and Pauliaco, Paveley. De Pedeplanco, Pauneefot. De Peccato, Peche vel Pecke. Pelliparius, Skinner. De Perrariis, Perrers. De Petraponte, Pierepont, vulgarly Perpoint, De Pictavia, Peyto. De Plantageneta, Plantagenet. Ad Pontem, Paunton. De Porcellis vel Purcellis, PurceU. Le Poure, Power. De Praeriis, Praers. De Pulclirocapellisio, Fairfax. De Puteaco, Pusae, com TTi only Pudsey. De Querceto, Q. Cheney. De Quinciato, Quincy. De Ralega vel Regeneia, R. Raleigh. De Radeona, Rodney. De Redveriis, De Ripariis, Rigidii, De Riperia, S-Rivers. Reginaldus, Reynolds. De Rico monte. Richmond. Rotarius, Wheeler. rRouxcarrier, Roussir, t Rooper, Roper.* De Rubra spatha, De Rupe forti. Rochfort. • " There is a very antient family of the Ropers in Cumberland, who have lived iramemorially near a quarry of red spate there, from whence they first took the surname of Rubra-Spath^." (Wright.) 13 290 LATINIZED SURNAMES. De Rupe, Rupibus, Rupinus, Roche, Rock. De Rubro clivo, Radcliff. De Rubra Manu, Redmain. Rufus, Rouse. De Rupe scissa, Cutcliffe. De Sabaudia, De Sacra quercu, De Sacra fago, De Sacro bosco. Savoy. Holyoak. HoUebeach. Holywood. De Sacro fonte, De Saio, Sagittarius, De Salceto, De Salicosa mara, De SalchaviUa, Holybrook. Say. Archer. Saucey. Wilmore. Salkeld. De Salicosa vena. Salvein. De Salso marisco, Saltmarsh. De Saltu capellee, Salvagius, De Sancto Mauro, De Sancto Laudo, Sacheverel. Savage. St. Maur, or Seymour. Sentlo, or Senlo. De Sancta Terra, De Sancta Clara, Holyland. St. Clare, Sencleer, Sinclair. De Sancto Medardo, Semark. De Sancto Amando, St. Amond. De Sancto Albano, St. Alban. De Sancto Audemaro, St. Omer. De Sancto Lizio, and Sylvaneclensis, De Sancta Ermina, De Sancta Fide, rSenlez, Seyton. Armine. St. Faith. De Sancto Mauricio, St. Morris. LATINIZED SURNAMES. 291 De Sancto Wallerico, St. Wallere. De Sancto Leodegario, St. Leger, vulgo Sallenger. De Sancta Barbara, Senbarb, vulgo Simberb. De Sancto Petro, Sampier. De Sancto Paulo, Sampol, or Sample. De Sancto Lupo, Sentlow. De Sancto Audceno, St. Owen. De Sancto Gelasio, Singlis. De Sancto Martino, Semarton. De Sandwico, Sandwich. De Sancto Quintinio, St. Quintin. De Sancto Alemondo, Salmon. De Sancto Vedasto, Foster. De Saxo ferrato. Ironston, vulgo Ironzon. De Scalariis, Scales. De Sicca villa. Drytown, or Sackville. Sitsiltus, alias Cecilius, Sitsilt, or Cecil. De Solariis, Solers. De Spineto, Spine. De Stagno, Poole. De Stipite sicco. De la Zouch.* De Stratone, Stretton. Super Tysam, Surteys, Surtees. De Sudburia, Sudbury. De Suthleia, and Sutleia, Suthley, or Sudley. De Sylva, Weld. De Tanaia, T. Taney. De TankardiviUa, Tankerville. * For William de la Zouch, archbishop of Yorke, is so called in this verse, for his valour in an encounter against the Scottishmen at Bear par ke, 1342: *' Est pater inuictus sicco de stipite dictus." (Camden, Rem. p. 133.) 292 LATINIZED SURNAMES. Teutonicus, Teys. De Tulka, Toke, Tuke. De TurbidaviUa, Turberville. Turchetissus, Turchill. De Turri, Towers. De Parva Turri, Torel, Tirel. De Turpi vado, Fulford. De Vado Saxi, V. Stanford. De Vado bourn, Oxford. De VaUe torta, Vautort. De VaUe, Wale. De Valentia, Valence. De VaUibus, Vaux. De Vesci, Vesey. De Veteri aula. OldhaU, Oldham. De Veteri ponte, Vipont, or Vipount. De Vicariis, Viccars. De ViUa torta. Croketon. De Villariis, ViUers. De Villa magna, Mandevile. De Vino salvo. Vinesalf. De Umbrosa quercu, Dimoak, now Dymock. De Urtica, Lorti, Lort. De Warrenna, Warren. De Warnevilla vel jwilloughby. Willoughbaeus, De Watelega, Wateley, Wheatley. FINIS. C. AND J. ADIARD, PIUNTERS, BARTHOLOMEW CU)SE. 2^aluai)le antr Xnterestiitfl HSoofes PUBLISHED OR SOLD BY JOHN EUSSELL SMITH, 4, OLD COxVlPTON STREET, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON. */\ DICTIONARY of ARCHAIC and PROVINCIAL WORDS, '*• OBSOLETE PHRASES, PROVERBS, and ANCIENT CUSTOMS, from the XI Vth Century. Forming a Key to the Writings of our Ancient Poets, Dramatists, and other \uthors, whose works abound with allusions of which explanations are not to be found in he ordinary books of reference. By JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, F.R.S., F.S.A.,&c. <vo. Parts I. and II. closely printed in double columns, 2s. Qd. each. *^* To be completed in Twelve Parts. The work now placed before the notice of the public is intended to furnish a Manual, the Tsnt of which has long been felt by most persons who have had occasion to study or refer ;o the works of our old writers. No general dictionary of the early English language has litherto appeared, and the student often finds himself at a loss, when, probably, a compre- lensive glossary would at once give the information required. To remedy this inconve- lience, the present publication has been projected. It is intended, within as moderate a com- jass as possible, to give a large collection of those obsolete and provincial words which are nost likely to be generally useful, without extending the size and cost of the work by ety- nological or other similar researches ; and while care is taken to establish, as far as possible, he correct meanings of the words, to avoid discussions on subjects that would be interesting )nly to the professed etymologist. It is not, of course, proposed to exclude etymology, but nerely to render it subservient in the way of explanation, and not allow it to occupy much ipace. Bearing this general plan always in view, it is hoped that the work, when completed, vill be found a useful book of reference in the hands of a large class of readers. Most of the irincipal archaisms will be illustrated by examples, many of them selected from early inedited VISS. and rare books, and by far the larger portion will be found to be original authorities. The libraries of Lincoln, Cambridge, and Oxford have supplied much valuable material for ;his purpose. Without examples it is often difficult to convey the true meaning, and the eferences to books more readily accessible will enable the student to pursue the history of my particular word to a greater extent than our plan has here permitted, "This promises to be a most useful work . . . Mr. Halliwell, though habitually too oflF-handed to be altogether satisfactory, is, we must acknowledge, as well qualified, by industry, ability, and previous study, to be the editor as any man living. We could indeed easily name a dozen persons, each of whom would be better qualified for particular departments, but not one who, including the whole range embraced by the title, would have the ability and energy to go through all the drudging duties of the office more satisfactorily. It is a work, however, that, in the first instance, must be im- perfect. We hold, therefore, that every English scholar should have an interleaved copy, that he may contribute a something towards improving a second edition. The first number appears to have been carefully compiled ; but we are not inclined to seek , very curiously for faults in a work of such obvious difficulty, when, even if it be fi imperfect, it cannot fail to be nseiuV—AthencEum. J VALUABLE AND INTERESTING BOOKS ON SALE IVrURSERY RHYMES of ENGLAND, collected chiefly from -L^ Oral Tradition. Edited by JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R.S. The ' Third EninoN, with alterations and additions, royal 18mo, with 33 Designs by W. B. Scott, engraved by Orrin Smith and Linton, extra cloth, 4s. 6d. "Well done! 'Third Edition!' Q. What could make a collection of nursery rhymes more than ever acceptable to the large and small public ? A. Illustrations. And here they are: clever pictures, which the three-year olds understand before their A, B, C, and which the fifty-three-year olds like almost as well as the threes." — Lit. Gaz. " We paid a merited tribute to the former editions of this collection. The present volume with its neat and droll little vignettes, is reduced to dimensions such as to render it not too bulky for that important part of the public who are the most legitimate and numerous patrons of Nursery Rhymes." — Globe. " We confess to a sort of respect for these Nursery Rhymes, when we consider that they were sung to the rocking of the cradles of such people as Milton and Shakspeare, and Locke and Newton, and we are therefore well pleased to see them collected into an erudite volume, one, too, that may be useful to the antiquary, by helping him to trace the footprints of the backward steps of time." — Metropolitan Magazine. ««Not only all mothers, aunts, nurses (for nurses can even read now) are obliged to Mr. Halliwell for this careful and elegant collection of this most popular portion of our national poetry, but grave and gray-head scholars may find in them traces of manners long passed away, and sentiments that may awaken a pleasing train of meditations." Monthly Magazine. ' ' We are persuaded that the very rudest of these jingles, tales, and rhymes possess a strong imagination-nourishing power; and that in infancy and early childhood a sprinkling of ancient nursery lore is worth whole cartloads of the wise saws and modern instances which are now as duly and carefully concocted by experienced litterateurs into instructive tales for the spelling public, as are works of entertainment for the reading public. The work is worthy of the attention of the popular antiquary." — Tail's Mag. Feb. 1843. •»* The public are cautioned against other works with imitative titles, which have been pub- lished since the second edition of the above, and which are mostly pirated from it. Mr. Halliwell's is the cheapest and most copious book. AUTOBIOGRAPHY of JOSEPH LISTER, of Bradford, in York- ■^^ shire, to which is added a eotemporary account of the Defence of Bradford and Capture of Leeds by the Parliamentarians in 1642. Edited by THOMAS WRIGHT, M.A. F.S.A. &c. 8vo, cloth, 4s. [Only 250 Copies PRINTED.] "This volume is curious in several respects: 1st, as showing us the spirit, tenets, and manners of the nonconformists ; 2dly, as minutely describing some remarkable affairs belonging to the civil wars; and 3dly, as throwing a light upon the general habits of a particular class of the inhabitants of England two hundred years ago." — Literary Gaz. " Several remarkable matters may be collected from its perusal, and such compositions are always valuable as pictures of character and manners." — Gent's Mag. '« The volume is a curious and interesting fragment of the history of those eventful times. It gives a welcome glimpse of the early nonconformists."— Brad/ord Observer. LOVE LETTERS of MRS. PIOZZI, written when she was Eighty, to the handsome Actor, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS CONWAY, aged Twenty-seven. 8vo, sewed, 2s, " written at three, four, and five o'clock (in the morning) by an Octogenary pen, a heart (as Mrs. Lee says) twenty-six years old, and as H. L. P. feels it to be, all your own."— Letter V. 3d Feb. 1820. " This is one of the most extraordinary collections of love epistles we have ever chanced to meet with, and the well known literary reputation of the lady— the Mrs. Thrale, of Dr. Johnson and Miss Burney celebrity— considerably enhances their interest. The letters themselves it is not easy to characterize ; nor shall we venture to decide whether they more bespeak the drivelling of dotage or the folly of love ; in either case they present human nature to us under a new aspect, and furnish one of those riddles which nothing yet dreamt of in our philosophy can satisfactorily so\\e."— Polytechnic Rev. BY J. R. SMITH, 4, OLD COMPTON ST. SOHO. 3 ENGLISH SURNAMES. A Series of Essays on Family Nomen- clature. Historical, Etymological, and Humorous ; with Chapters on Canting Arms, Rebuses, the Roll of Battel Abbey, a List of Latinized Surnames, &c. By MARK ANTONY LOWER. The Skcond Edition, enlarged, post 8vo, pp. 292, with 20 woodcuts, cloth, 6s. «* This is a curious volume, and full of divers matter, which comes home to everybody, both in the way of information and amusement." — Literary Gazette. '• This is a curious book of its kind, written by a man of some antiquarian reading, and possessed of a certain vein of dry humour. He apologizes to the utilitarian for the frivolity of his subject ; but the origin of surnames is a branch of the history of the formation of language, and of the natural operations of the mind in making known or supplying its wants Taken, as a whole, the book is really entertaining as well as informing," — Tait's Mag. " An instructive and amusing volume, which ought to be popular. Perhaps no subject Ls more curious than the history of proper names. How few persons are there who have not on one occasion or other been struck with the singularnames which have fallen under their own observation, and who have not sought for information as to their origin? Yet we know of no work of any value, much more a popular work, which treats on the subject. Mr. Lower has written a very good and well-arranged book, which we can with confidence recommend to our readers." — Archceologist. " This is a most amusing volume, mingling wit and pleasantry with antiquarian research and historical interest." — Weekly Chronicle. QT. PATRICK'S PURGATORY: an Essay on the Legends of Pur- *^ gatory. Hell, and Paradise, current during the Middle Ages. By THOMAS WRIGHT, M.A., F.S.A., &c. Post 8vo, cloth, Qs. " It must be observed, that this is not a mere account of St. Patrick's Purgatory, but a complete history of the legends and superstitions relating to the subject, from the earliest times, rescued from old MSS. as well as from old printed books. Moreover, it embraces a singular chapter of literary history, omitted by Warton and all former writers with whom we are acquainted ; and we think we may add, that it forms the best introduction to Dante that has yet been published." — Literary Gazette. " This appears to be a curious and even amusing book on the singular subject of purgatory, in which the idle and fearful dreams of superstition are shown to be first narrated as tales, and then applied as means of deducing the moral character of the age in which they prevailed."— Specfa^or. " This is a very curious and learned work, and must have cost the writer an immense deal of research. The subject is full of interest, and one on which we have scarcely any literature, at least in a collected form. It is a curious fact, that nearly all the old monkish legends relative to purgatory are either English or Irish. They are exceed- ingly poetical, and open up a new field to the imaginative mind. There can be no estimation of the power these Legends must have had upon the minds of the ignorant people of the middle ages. The monks, when they invented them, perfectly knew what they were about, and perhaps they did what was best on the whole,— they could only reach the intellect of the age by these means." — Weekly Chronicle. ?!3ramatic Hitcrature* A COURSE of LECTURES on DRAMATIC ART and LITE- ■^ RATURE. By AUGUSTUS WILLIAM SCHLEGEL. Translated from the German by JOHN BLACK, Esq., Editor of the 'Morning Chronicle.' 2 vols, foolscap 8vo. Second Edition, cloth, I2s. " The present work contains a critical and historical account of the ancient and modern drama — the Greek, Latin, Italian, German, Spanish, and English. The view which the author has taken of the standard productions, whether tragic or comic, is ingenious and just, and his reasonings on the principles of taste are as satisfactory as they are profound. The acute and sensible remarks— the high tone of morality — are very ad- mirable and exemplary ; and we refer those who desire to elevate their understandings to a guide so learned and philosophical as the author of these volumes." — Edinb. Rev. " In a few pages we reap the fruit of the labour of a whole life. Every opinion formed by the author, every epithet given to the writers of whom he speaks is beautiful and just, concise and animated." — Mad, de StaeVs Germany. " A work of extraordinary merit." — Quarterly Review, Vol. XII. pp. 112-46. 4 VALUABLE AND INTERESTING BOOKS ON SALE CHAKESPERIANA, a Catalogue of the Early Editions of Shakespeare's ^ Plays, and of the Commentaries and other Publications illustrative of his Works. By JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R.S. F.S.A. &c. 8vo, cloth, 3s. " Indispensable to everybody who wishes to carry on any inquiries connected with Skakespeare, or who may have a fancy for Shakesperian Bibliography." — Spectator. " It ought to be placed by the side of every edition. It is the most concise, yet the most copious illustration of the subject which has been given to the public."— Li<. Gaz. AN ACCOUNT of the only known MANUSCRIPT of Shakespeare's •^ Plays, comprising some important variations and corrections in the Merry Wives of Windsor, obtained from a Playhouse copy of that Play recently discovered. By JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, F.R.S. &c. 8vo, sewed, Is. T'HE HARROWING of HELL, a Miracle Play, written in the reign -■- of Edward II., now first published from the Original in the British Museum, with a Modern Reading, Introduction, and Notes. By JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R.S. F.S.A. &c. 8vo, sewed, 2s. This curious piece is supposed to be the earliest specimen of dramatic composition in the English Language : vide Hallam's Literature of Europe, Vol. I. ; Strutt's Manners and Customs, Vol.11.; Warton's English Poetry; Sharon Turner's England; Collier's History of English Dramatic Poetry, Vol. II. p. 213. All these writers refer to the Manuscript. ■pARLY MYSTERIES; and other Latin Poems of the XHth and ■^ Xlllth centuries. Edited from original MSS. in the British Museum, and the Libraries of Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, and Vienna. By THOS. WRIGHT, M. A., F.S.A. 8vo, bds. 4s. 6d. ANECDOTA LITERARIA: a Collection of Short Poems in English, "^^ Latin, and French, illustrative of the Literature and History of England in the Xlllth Century ; and more especially of the Condition and Manners of the different Classes of Society. By T.WRIGHT, M.A., F.S.A., &c. Bvo, cloth. Only 250 printed, la. Gd. T^UG^ POETICiE ; Select Pieces of Old English Popular Poetry, •'■^ illustrating the Manners and Arts of the XVth Century. Editedby J. O. HALLIWELL, Esq., F.R.S., &c. Post Bvo. Only 100 copies printed, cloth, 5s. Contents: — Colyn Blowbol's Testament; the Debate of the Carpenter's Tools; the Merchant and his Son; the Maid and the Magpie; Elegy on Lobe, Henry Vlllth's Fool ; Romance of Robert of Sicily, and five other curious pieces of the same kind. nrORRENT of PORTUGAL ; an English Metrical Romance, nowjirst -*- published, from an unique MS. of the XVth century, preserved in the Chetham Library at Manchester. Edited by JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq. F.R.S. F.S.A. &c. Post 8vo, cloth, uniform with Ritson, Weber, and Ellis's publications, 5s. " This is a valuable and interesting addition to our list of early English metrical romances, and an indispensable companion to the collections of Ritson, Weber, and Ellis." lAterary Gazette, «« A literary curiosity, and one both welcome and serviceable to the lover of black-letter lore. Though the obsoleteness of the style may occasion sad stumbling to a modem reader, yet the class to which it rightly belongs will value it accordingly; both because it is curious in its details, and possesses philological importance. To the general reader it presents one feature of interest, viz. the reference to Wayland Smith, whom Sir W. Scott has invested with so much interest." — Metropolitan Magazine. rpHE MERRY TALES of the WISE MEN of GOTHAM. Edited ■■■ by JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq. F.S.A. post 8vo, Is. These tales are supposed to have been composed in the early part of the sixteenth century by Dr. Andrew Borde, the well-known progenitor of Merry Andrews. " In the time of Henry the Eighth, and after," says Ant.-a-Wood, «• it was accounted a book full of wit and mirth by scholars and gentlemen." rpHE NOBLE and RENOWNED HISTORY of GUY, EARL of -*- WARWICK, containing a full and true account of his many famous and valiant actions, 12mo, new edition, with woodcuts, cloth, 2s. 6d. BY J. R. SMITH, 4, OLD COMPTON ST. SOHO. 5 ©oposrapibical Hiteratuve* TJISTORY and ANTIQUITIES of the HUNDRED of COMPTON, BERKS, with Dissertations on the Roman Station of Calleva Attrebatum, and the Battle ofAshdown. By W. HEWETT, Jun. 8vo. 18 plates, cloth. Only 25Q printed. I5s. UISTORY and ANTIQUITIES of DARTFORD, in KENT, with ■*•■■■ Incidental Notices of Places in its Neighbourhood. By J. DUNKIN, Author of the "History of the Hundreds of Bullington and Ploughley in Oxfordshire;" "History of Bicester;" "History of Bromley," &c. 8vo. VJ plates, cloth. Only 250 printed. II. Is. Published Monthly in royal &vo, averaging 52 pp. and profusely illustrated with woodcuts, price Is. per part, nPHE LOCAL HISTORIAN'S TABLE BOOK of Remarkable Oc- -*- currences, Historical Facts, Traditions, Legendary and Descriptive Ballads, &c. &c., connected with the Counties of Newcastlk-on-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham. By M. A. RICHARDSON. Parts I. to L. have already appeared. Volumes I, II, and III, of the " HISTORICAL DIVISION," containing 1309 pp. and 554 woodcuts may now he had in cloth, price 9*. each. Volume I, of the "LEGENDARY DIVISION," containing 424 pp. and 31 woodcuts, cloth, 9«. This will be found a very interesting volume to those who feel no interest in the Historical portion. ** This chronology of local occurrences, from the earliest times when a date is acertainable, possesses an especial interest for the residents of the Northern Counties ; but, inas- much as it records historical events as well as trivial incidents and includes biogra- phical notices of men whose fame extended beyond their birth-places, it is not without a value to the general reader. The work is divided into two portions, the larger con- sisting of the chronicle, and the lesser of the traditions and ballads of the country. Some of these are very characteristic and curious ; they invest with poetic associations almost every ruin or plot of ground ; and the earlier legends of moss-troopers and border-strifes afford an insight into the customs and state of society in remote periods. The handsome pages are illustrated with woodcuts of old buildings and other an- tiquities."— Spectator. " We cordially recommend this work to our friends. We are at a loss to conceive how, at so low a price, the proprietor is to be remunerated for the immense outlay incurred in its production." — Newcastle Journal. l^EWCASTLE TRACTS; Reprints of Rare and Curious Tracts, ^^ chiefly illustrative of the History of the Northern Counties; beautifully printed in crown 8 vo, on a fine thick paper, with Facsimile Titles, and other features characteristic of the originals. Only IW copies printed. \Q tios. sewed, \l. 14*. 6d. Purchasers are expected to take the succeeding Tracts as published. HISTORIC SITES and other Remarkable and Interesting Places in the County of Suffolk. By JOHN WODDERSPOON, with Prefatory Verses by BERNARD BARTON, esq., and a Poetical Epilogue by a " Suffolk Villager." Im- proved eAition, fine woodcuts, postSvo, pp. 232, closely printed, and containing as much matter a many 125. volumes, cloth, 6s. 6d. Principal Contents: — Framlingham Castle; Staningfield ; Rookwood; Mrs. Inchbald ; Aldham Common; the Martyr's Stone; Westhorpe Hall, the residence of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk ; Ipswich ; Wolsey's Gate and Mr. Sparrow's House ; Rendlesham ; Redgrave; Bury St. Edmunds, the Abbey; David Hartley; Bp. Gardiner; George Bloomfield ; Wetheringset ; Haughley Castle ; Grimstone Hall ; Cavendish, the Voyager ; Framlingham Church, the burial place of Surrey, the Poet; Bungay Castle; Dunwich; Aldborough ; Wingfield, and the Old Halls of Suffolk. A NEW GUIDE to IPSWICH, containing Notices of its Ancient "^^ and Modern History, Buildings, and Social and Commercial Condition. By JOHN WODDERSPOON. Foolscap 8vo, fine woodcuts, cloth, 2s. 6d. " It is handsomely got up, and reflects great credit on Ipswich typography."— Specfo^or. 6 VALUABLE AND INTERESTING BOOKS ON SALE "DIBLIOTHECA CANTfANA, a Bibliographical Account of what ■^ has been published on the History, Topc^raphy/ Antiquities, Customs, and Family Genealogy of the County of Kent, with Biographical Notes. By JOHN RUSSELL SMITH. In a handsome 8vo volume, pp. 370, with two platea of facsimiles of Autog7-apha of 33 eminent Kentish Writers. 14*. reduced to 5s.— large paper, 10*. 6d. Contents— I. Historians of the County. II. Principal Maps of the County. III. Heraldic Visitations, with referenceto the MSS. in the British Museum and other places. IV. Tracts printed during the Civil War and Commonwealth, 1640-1660. V. A Chronological List of all the Local, Personal, and Private Acts of Parliament, (upwards of 600) which have been passed on the County, from Edward I. to Queen Victoria. VI. Works relative to the County in general. VII. Particular Parishes, Seats, Customs, and Family Genealogy, in alphabetical order. The work also comprises a notice of every Paper which has been written on the County, and published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Gentleman'* Magazine, Archcenlogia, Vetusta Monumenta, Topogiapher, Antiquarian Repertory, and nume- rous other valuable publications, with a copious Index of every person and place mentioned throughout the volume. " The industrious compiler of the volume before us has shown how largely the history and antiquities of Kent have already occupied the attention of Topographers and Anti- quarians; and, by exhibiting in one view what is now before the public, he has at once facilitated the researches of future writers, and has pointed out how ample a field still remains for their labours. The volume contains a complete catalogue of all the printed works relative to the county, including, with respect to the most im- portant, not only their titles in length, but also useful particulars which serve as the guide for collation, in ascertaining whether a book is perfect, or the principal divisions of the contents, the number of pages, lists of plates, &c. We must also mention that it is rendered more readable and interesting by the insertion of memoirs of the Kentish authors, and the plates of their autographs." — Gentleman's Magazine. TTISTORY of PORTSMOUTH. PORTSEA, LANDPORT, SOUTH- ^^ SEA and GOSPORT. By HENRY SLIGHT, Esq. 8vo, third Edition, hds. 4*. npHE VISITOR'S GUIDE to Knole House, near Seven Oaks in Kent, -•- with Catalogue of the Pictures contained in the Mansion, a Genealogical History of the Sackville Family, &c. &c. By J. H. BRADY, F.R.A.S. 12mo, 27 woodcuts by Bonner, Sly, ^c. cloth. As. 6d. Large paper, 10s. " A very interesting guide to one of the most remarkable old family mansions, or we might even say, palaces, of England. The biographical notices of the portraits are very curious, and the descriptions of old trees, and other particulars in the park and gardens will amuse the gardener ; while the architect will be instructed by the engravings of difftrent parts of the house, and of the ancient furniture, more par- ticularly of the fire-places, fire-dogs, chairs, tripods, masks, sconces, &c." — J. C. LiOVDON, Gardener's Magazine, Jan. 1840. ILLUSTRATIONS of Knole House, from Drawings by Knight, "*- engraved on Wood by Bonner, Sly, &c. 8vo, 16 plates with descriptions, 5s. nREENWICH: its History, Antiquities, and Public Buildings. By ^-^ H. S. R1CHARDS(3n. 12mo,^ne woodcuts by Baxter, ls.6d. THE FOLKESTONE FIERY SERPENT, together with the Hii- mours of the Dovor Mayor; being an Ancient Ballad full of Mystery and pleasant Conceit, now first collected and printed from the various MS. copies in the possession of the inhabitants of the South-east coast of Kent, with Notes. 12mo, Is. THE KENTISH CORONAL, consisting of Contributions in Prose and Verse. By Writers of the County of Kent. Fcp. 8vo, pp. 192, with frontispiece, cloth, gilt leaves, 2s. 6d. Among the papers inserted may be mentioned a series on the " Vegetable Productions of Kent," by Ann Pratt, author of " Flowers and their Associations ;" on the Geology of Maidstone and its neighbourhood, by W. H. Benstkd ; on the Historical and Traditionary Incidents connected with the County, by the Editor G. H. Adams, and other matters LOCALLY interesting. BY J. R. SMITH, 4, OLD COMPTON ST. SOHO. ^ A JOURNEY to BERESFORD HALL, in Derbyshire, the Seat of CHARLES COTTON, Esq. the celebrated Author and Angler. By W. ALEXANDER, F.S.A., F.L.S., late Keeper of the Prints in the British Museum. Crown 4to, printed on tinted paper, with a spirited frontispiece, representing Walton and his adopted Son Cotton in the Fishing-house, <ind vignette title-page, cloth, 5s. Dedicated to the Anglers of Great Britain and the various Walton and Cotton Clubs. Only 100 printed. THE ARCH^OLOGIST and JOURNAL of ANTIQUARIAN -*' SCIENCE, Edited by J. O. HALLIWELL, Esq. 8vo, Nos I. to X. complete, with Index, pp. 490, with 19 engravings, cloth, reduced from 10s. 6d. to 5s. 6rf. Containing original articles on Architecture, Historical Literature, Round Towers of Ireland, Philology, Bibliography, Topography, Proceedings of the various Antiquarian Societies, Retrospective Reviews, and Reviews of Recent Antiquarian Works, &c. nOINS of the ROMANS relating to BRITAIN, described and ^ illustrated. By JOHN YONGE AKERMAN, F.S.A., Secretary to to the Numismatic Society, &c. Second Edition, greatly enlarged. 8vo, with plates and woodcuts, cloth, 10s. 6d. A NCIENT COINS of CITIES and PRINCES, Geographically arranged ■^ and described. By J. Y, AKERMAN, F.S.A. Nos. I, II, and III.-HrsPANiA,8vo, with 12 plates. 2s. 6d. each. " This promises to be a large and laborious work, but for which neither the industry nor the talents of the now long experienced author are likely to prove deficient. He has commenced with the coins of a country presenting, probably, greater room for novelty of illustration than any other, in consequence of having bafiSed, in a great degree, the learning and research of the most eminent numismatists."— Genu's Mag. nPHE NEW TESTAMENT of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS •*■ CHRIST. The Text from the authorized Version, with Notes and Numismatic Illus- trations, from Ancient Coins in various Public and Private Collections. By J. Y. AKERMAN. No. I. 8vo, 2*. 6d.—(To be completed in 8 parts.) *' Mr. Akerman's Numismatic Illustrations are not confined to the explanation of the direct allusions to different kinds of money in the sacred text ; but he brings his numis- matic knowledge not only to explain historical difficulties, but to furnish new and most decisive evidence of the authenticity of Holy Writ. In fact, he has done as much (if not more) for the New Testament as the Gronovii and Graevii of former days did in this department of criticism for the classical writers of antiquity. His notes are en- tirely explanatory, and he has carefully avoided entering into all subjects of a con- troversial or doctrinal nature, so that we can safely recommend his edition of the New Testament to all classes of readers, to whatever religious sect they may belong. Literary Gazette. T^UMISMATIC CHRONICLE and PROCEEDINGS of the NUMIS- MATIC SOCIETY, 5 vols, and 3 Nos. to Oct. 1843; a subscriber's copy, many plates, eloth, 21. I2s. 6d. (pub. at 3/. 17*.) l^eraltirB anti CSenealoag. '^FHE CURIOSITIES OF HERALDRY, with Illustrations from old ■*■ English Writers. By MARK ANTONY LOWER, Author of " Essays on English Surnames;" with Illuminated Title-page, and numerous Engravings from designs by the Author. 8vo, cloth, GULES, appropriately ornamented, or. 14,v. Contents :~C\\'AY>. I. The Fabulous History of Heraldry. II. The Authentic History of Heraldry. III. Rationale of Heraldric Charges. IV. The Chimerical Figures of Heraldry. V. The Language of Arms. VI. Allusive Arms. VII. Observations on Crests, Supporters, Badges, &c. VIII. Mottoes. IX. Anecdotes relative to the acquisition of arms and Aug- mentations ; X. Desultory Remarks on Titles of Honour. XI. Brief Historical Sketch of the College of Arms. XII. Notices of Heraldric Authors and their Works, from the 15th century to the 19th. XIII. Genealogy. — Appendix. On the Differences of Arms, by Sir Edw. Dering, Bart., noiv first printed. Exemplifications of the Practice of Deriving Arms from those of feudal superiors, &c. drawn from the County of Cornwall, and several other curious Papers. 8 VALUABLE AND INTERESTING BOOKS ON SALE A GENEALOGICAL and HERALDIC HISTORY of the EXTINCT -'^ and DORMANT BARONETCIES of England, Ireland, and Scotland, By J. BURKE, Esq. and J. B. BURKE, Esq. Medium 8vo, Second Edition. 638 closel}/ printed pages, in double columns, with about 1000 arms engraved on wood, fine portrait of James I, and illuminated title-page, extra cloth, 105., published at II. 8s. This work, which has engaged the attention of the Authors for several years, comprises nearly a thousand families, many of them amongst the most ancient and eminent in the kingdom, each carried down to its representative or representatives still existing, with elabo- rate and minute details of the alliances, achievements, and fortunes, generation after gene- ration, from the earliest to the latest period. The work is printed to correspond precisely with the last edition of Mr. Burke's Dictionary of the Existing Peerage and Baronetage ; the armorial bearings are engraved in the best style, and are incorporated with the text as in that work. \ GENERAL ARMORY of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, and -^ IRELAND ; comprising a Registry of all Armorial Bearings, from the earliest to the present time. By J. BURKE, Esq. and J. B. BURKE, Esq. Royal Bvo, Third Edition, with Supplement. 1200 pages, in double columns, illuminated title-page, cloth, 1/. Is. published at 21. 2s. The most useful book on Heraldry extant; it embodies all the arms of Guillim, Edmonson, Robson, Berry and others, prefaced by a history of the art. tlrabincial ©ialectgs of ©nglanli. pOEMS of RURAL LIFE, in the DORSET DIALECT, with a ■*■ Dissertation and Glossary. By WILLIAM BARNES, royal 12mo, cloth, 10*. A GLOSSARY of PROVINCIAL WORDS and PHRASES in use -^ in Wiltshire, shewing their Derivation in numerous instances from the Language of the Anglo-Saxons. By JOHN YONGE AKERMAN, Esq. F.S.A, 12mo, cloth, 3s. WESTMORLAND and CUMBERLAND DIALECTS. Dialogues, Poems, Songs, and Ballads, by various Writers, in the Westmorland and Cumberland Dialects, now first collected, to which is added, a Copious Glossary of Words peculiar to those Counties. Post Bvo, pp. 408, cloth, 9s. This collection comprises, in the Westmorland Dialect, Mrs. ANN WHEELER'S Four Familiar Dialogues, with Poems, &c.; and in the Cumberland Dialect, I. Poems and Pastorals by the Rev. JOSIAH RELPH ; II, Pastorals, &c., by EWAN CLARK; IIL Letter from Dublin by a young Borrowdale Shepherd, by ISAAC RITSON ; IV. Poems by JOHN STAGG ; V. Poems by MARK LONSDALE ; VI. Ballads and Songs by ROBERT ANDERSON, the Cumbrian Bard {including some, now firat printed) ; VII. Songs by Miss BLAMIRE and Miss GILPIN; VIII. 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Gaz, (CHRONICA JOCELINA de BRAKELONDA, de Rebus Gestis ^^ Sarasonis Abbatis Monasterii Sancti Edmundi: nunc primum typis maudata curante J. G AGE-ROKEWODE, Ws. 6d. " There is one publication which the Society may well be gratified at having been the means of adding to the materials of the History of England, the Chronicle of Josceline de Brakelond, a work edited with singular care and judgment, and unique in its cha- racter, as affording an illustration of monastic life more vivid and complete than can be found in any work with which the Council are acquainted." Report of the C. S. 1841. VrARRATIVES illustrative of the CONTESTS in IRELAND in ■^^ 1641 and 1693. Edited by T. C. CROKER. 6s. (CHRONICLE of WILLIAM of RISHANGER of the Barons' ^ Wars-The Miracles of Simon de Montfort. Ed. from MSS. by J. O. HALLIV^ELL. 7*. T ATIN POEMS, commonly attributed to Walter de Mapes, Arch- ^^ deaconof Oxford in the XI nth Century. Edited by T. WRIGHT, pp.420. 12». 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Public par la Societe de I'Ecole Royale des Chartes. Royal 8vo, handsomely printed. Vol I, (out of print.) Paris, 1839-40. Vol. 11, sewed, I2s. 6d. 1840-1. Vol. Ill, sewed, I2s. Qd. 1841-2. Vol. IV, sewed, I2s. 6d, 1842-3. Vol. V, sewed, \2s. 6d. 1843-4. Five Volumes of the Publications of this Society have appeared at 12*. 6d. per Vol., which contain many articles interesting to the English Historian and Antiquary. The succeeding volumes of the Society will be on sale by J. R. S., who has been appointed Agent to the Society for England. A Prospectus may be had on application. BOOKS AT VXIZtY XtEBTTCBS PRICES. UISTORY of GERMAN LITERATURE. By WOLFGANG ■■■ -■• MENZEL. Translated from the German with Notes by THOMAS GORDON. Four Vols, post 8vo. — Oxford, 1840. Cloth, 15s., pub. at 21. A very popular work in Germany, of which there has been many editions. UISTORY of the ORIGIN and ESTABLISHMENT of GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE, and an Inquiry into the mode of Painting upon and Staining Glass, as practised in the Ecclesiastical Structures of the Middle Ages. By JOHN SIDNEY HAWKINS, F.A.S. Royal 8vo, eleven plates, bds. 3*..6d., pub. at 12s. 22 VALUABLE AND INTERESTING BOOKS ON SALE T ECTURES on the COINAGE of the GREEKS and ROMANS, -*^ delivered in the University of Oxford. By EDWARD CARDVVELL, D.D., Principal of St. Alban's Hall, and Professor of Ancient History. 8vo, c/., reduced from 8*. 6d. to 4*. A very interesting historical volume, and written in a pleasing and popular manner. A RRTAN'S VOYAGE ROUND the EUXINE SEA, translated and accompanied with a Geographical Dissertation. By THOMAS FALCONER, Editor of Strabo, Hanno, &c. 4to, tvitti maps, and a plate of the Coins of the Cities on the Coast of the Euxine, bds. 3s. 6d. (pub. at 1/. 15.?.) The Appendix contains— I. On the trade to the East Indies by means of the EuxineSea. II. 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By Capt. W. H. SMYTH, R.N. 8vo, two charts, privately printed, cloth, 2s. Qd. r)OMESDAY BOOK for the COUNTY of WARWICK, translated "■-^ with the original on the opposite page. By W. READER. 4to, only IW printed, bds. 7s. (pub. at 21*.) A brief Dissertation on Domesday Book, compiled from various authorities, is prefixed to the translation — also, a List of the Saxon Possessors in the time of King Edward the Con- fessor ; an Alphabetical List of the Land-owners after the Norman Invasion, with Biogra- phical Notices ; The names of the Persons who held under these Landholders ; and to com- plete the arrangement, a copious Index of the Ancient and Modern Names of Places is added. POPULAR ERRORS in ENGLISH GRAMMAR, particularly in ■"■ Pronunciation, familiarly pointed out. By GEORGE JACKSON. 12mo, Third Edition, with a coloured frontispiece of the " Sedes Busbiana." 6d. 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A CCOUNT of the FOREIGN ORDERS of KNIGHTHOOD, and other marks of Honorable Distinction, especially such as have been conferred upon British Subjects. By NICHOLAS CARLISLE, Secretary of the Antiquarian Society . Royal 8vo, very handsomely printed, cloth, Qs. (pub. at 20?.) T EGENDS of the CONQUEST of SPAIN. By WASHINGTON ^^ IRVING. Post 8vo, bds. 2s. 6d. (pub. at 10*. 6d.) r)OINGS in LONDON, or, DAY and NIGHT SCENES of the ^^ FRAUDS, FROLICS, MANNERS, and DEPRAVITIES of the METROPOLIS. By GEORGE SMEETON (the curious Printer) 8vo, 33 woodcuts by R. Cruikshank, a very amusing volume, cloth, 4*. 6d. (pub. at 12*.) OISTORY of MUHAMEDANISM, comprising the Life and Character of the Arabian Prophet, and succinct account of the Empires founded by the Muhamedan Arms. By CHARLES MILLS. 8vo, cloth 6s. (pub. at 14*.) nPHE ORIGIN, PROGRESS, and PRESENT CONDITION of the -■■ Fine Arts in Great Britain and Ireland. By W. B. SARSFIELD TAYLOR. 2 thick vols, post 8vo, with many woodcuts, cloth, 8*. 6d. (pub. at \l. Is.) fiOLECCiON de OBRAS y DOCUMENTOS relativos a la HIS- ^ TORIA ANTIQUA y MODERNA de las PROVINCIAS del RIO DE LA PLATA, illustrados con notas y disertaciones. Por PEDRO DE ANGELIS. 6 vols, folio, sewed. 61. 6s. Buenos Aires, 1836-7. The most valuable and important collection of documents that has yet appeared relative to this part of the New World : they were printed at the expense of the Argentine Republic, and not for sale. Through the kindness of the editor, J. R. Smith has been allowed to import a few copies for the purpose of being placed in some of the public libraries in England and on the Continent, or in those who take an interest in the early history and geography of the middle part of South America. pAPPORTS aM. le MINISTRE de I'lNSTRUCTION PUBLIQUE -■■*' sur les ANCIENS MONUMENTS de I'Histoire et de la Litterature de la France, qui se trouvent dans les Bibliotheques de I'Angleterre et de I'Ecosse. Par FRANCISQUE MICHEL, 4to, pp. 280, Part*, Imprimerie Royale, 1838, sewed, 8*. Of this interesting volume, only 200 copies were printed, at the expense of the French Government. 14 DAY USF ^-^TOOBSKPKOMWH^BOKROWBO LOAN DEPT This book is due on fhA loc* J * (H241slO)476B . General Library University of California Berkeley >»J»tn>a