The Osceola times., 1881-02-26

children's names, and sometimes only to
distinguish individuals. Thus, if there
were two in one house or circle, one Of
them would be called Evot Thus the
name Hancock was formed by appending
cock TO the Dutch Hans, or John. The
literal meaning. therefore, of the name
Hancock is Johnny. Another common
way of designating individuals was to
shorten or nick their names. Thus. Nab.
Mabel and Mabbott were different forms
of the same name; Gillian became Jill:
Margaret became Margot, Mag and
Madge.
Before the reign of Elizabeth. English
names were few, simple, short and famil-
lar. If a person had a new name of some
length il was very sure to be shortened
or nicked. In ordinary life few names
were heard but Tom, Dick, Harry, Hal,
Jack, Rob, Hob, Dob PhiI, Nancy, and
similar abbreviations. But in the year
1860 an event occurred which in n few
years changed half the names i'm Eng
land. The Bible was Published i'm the
English language, and one copy of the
same, If no more, was soon TO be found in
each parish, perhaps chained TO desk in
the church. Before that time, the Eng
lish Bible was forbidden book, and if q
family had copy, it was kept most care
fully hidden, and never read except with
great precautions. The Bible was some
times fastened under the lid of stool.
and If danger threatened, the book was
conceased by closing the lid. Sometimes
the odious detective, when he entered,
would be invited to take seat on that
very stool.
If you wish to make n book universal
ly desired, you have only to put the ban
of the law upon it. In 1858, Elizabeth
became Queen of England, and soon
after this passionately loved and long for
hidden book was spread all over the
kingdom. People read it as it had never
been read before, and has never been
read since. Peasants in remote parishes
may be said in the most literal sense to
have searched the Scriptures; they ram
sacked them from Genesis to Revelations,
and particularly the chapters containing
little more than lists of names. People
in general regarded every word and syl-
liable even of the English translation ms
the veritable language Of Jehovah. They
soon began TO name their children from
it. The old English names rapidly went
out Of fashion, and Bible names succeed
cd them. Although the new fashion
lasted little more than two generations,
some of the old names never returned
Hamlet, for example, was common in
Shakespeares day. Amice, Avis, Colet
Sibyl, Dinah, and many others, are now
scarcely known. Even Barbara. with its
nickname of Bah, Dorothy and Dolly,
Olive and Olivia, Cecilia and Cicely, are
no longer the favortes they once were
Some of the old forgotten names were
no great loss. We read in an ancient
parish register of certain Original
Bellamy," who had a son named Origin
al, and his son was also named Original
Original ofthe same century. There was
a John Darlington in 1850 who gave his
son and heir the name Of Original.
Many parents, it appears, have given
their children something ridiculous in
the way Of name Mr.. Bardsly copies
from the London directory the following,
all of which must have been given with
deliberate intent to flsten a Joke upon
the unfortunate children: Cannon Ball,
Dunn Brown, Friend Bottle, River Jor-
dan, Jolly Death, and Sudden Death. A
Mr.. Sudden Death" appeared as wit
ness in a London trial about two years
ago. In this country We have had odd
names like the following; America Spar
row and America G.. Tabb \ certain
Robert New christened his two sons
Nothing and Something. We have had
also Christmas Carol, Pepper Mixer, OPP
portunity Hopper, China Ware Lemon
Peel, Salt Codd, and Always Gentle. Fin
ally, the London Times Of December :.
1878, announced the death Of a highly
respect bic gentleman, "Mr. Emperor
Adrian