The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-30

shelter under the tnr2LcneO lOol VI oo'
ancestors where we may look upon the
faxen-haired urchins of our old Saxon
progenitors. If our resting place be
under the humble roof of John we car
certainly find no difficulty in account
ing for the existence ofthe Johnsons: L
we stop with William we may account
for many surnames, and an Engllsf
writer has framed list of thirty from
that single appellative, as Williams
Williamson, Wilson, Fitz Williams
etc. The Johnsons and Jacksons have
one common origsn, they are all SONS
of John. The Richardson's and Dick
sons are limbs from the same geneaiogl'
cal trunk. The Jameson, Clarksons,
and Thompsons. or Thomasons all bear
the name Of their progenitors.
The Norman prefix Fifty from filius
a SOM is frequently met with, The
Russians offix s0ity and the Polanders
sky to signify the same thing. The
Welch prefix ap which signifies son.
It is said of q Welshman, who was very
jealous that no one should surpass him
in the length Of his pedigree, when
making out his genealogical tree, wrote
near the middle of his long array OF
aps-''about this time Adam was
born" Frequently the q in ap was
dropped and thus John ap Richard
became John Prichard-ap Howell,
Powel-ap Rice, Price and so on. We
are all familiar with the Macs anc Os.
The Irish and Highland Scotch prefix
Mae to indicate sonship, while the
Irish use O to signifying grandson.
Some ludicrous things occur some
times in bestowing Christian names,
when some little Jenkins or Jones Is
handicapped for life with some such
historic eognomen as Julius Caesar, or
George Washington. I knew one little
Smith, not above five years old, bear
ing the ponderous appellation Napoleon
Bonaparte. But things still more
amusing occur in surnames, when, for
instance some sweet little maid bears
the name Minnie CIarkson, or Nellie
O'Brian, or Julia McElhany, which in
plain English means "Minnie the son
of Clark" or "Nelly the grandson OF
Brian," or Julia the son of Elhany.'
The Macs and Os when bestowed as
component elements in Christian
names give rise to very amusing con-
tradictions-"John Bolton ONeall
Smith, means that John Belten is the
grandson of Neal Smith, which may
be anything else but true, for the
grandfather in all probability was really
the ubiquitous John Smith.
But a. unrelenting fate has liked
these names upon us and we claim
them with all of their contradictions.
But it does seem little strange that
the daughters of the Rices, Richards,
Thomas, Brians and Meals did not re-
ceive any such lasting cognomenic dis
tinction. But, perhaps, names were
not plentiful, and evidently they We're
not, for our progenitors utilized every
Heath, Wood, Glen, MeadooO-pasture
marsh. hedge, and Christian name in
making surnames, therefore they must
have thought that it would be but q
waste of time and name material to
confer such appellations on the sex ever
ready to change them when proper
opportunity presented itself.
Towns and streams, hills and wells,
and the trees of the forest were also
fruitful source from which family
names were culled. While Richard
who lived at or near the wood, natural,
ly inherited the title Richard Atwood,
John from Cornwall became John
Cornwall or Cornish. While William
who lived on hill, under a hill. OF
near hill, we'll won for himself the
surname William Hill, or Underhill OF
Atwell. Thomas who lived near
small stream (Anglo-Sa1on a beckett,
was Thomas at the beckett, and thus
was named the martyr Thomas
Beckett. John who lived near a clumr
of oaks was John otten oaks, abbreviated
; into Noaks. William who had pitched
his tent or cabin near a notable ash
tree was known as William otten ash
which easily drifted into Nash.
Surnames were also derived from re
ligious offices which men held as Priest
Abbot, Prior, Dean, Parson, Sextor
, and Clark: and from civil offices a!
King, Queen, knight, Squire, squire'
or Squiers; Earl, Baron, Lord, Cham
berlain, Marshal and Page.
But, to conclude this ramble, may
} we aot aspire to become leaders in ou
, several vocutions. The Duke (fron
dux-a leader were leaders, and it is
duty we owe to ourselves, to yonde
! temple of learning, our country and t.
, God not only to become stewards ofth
talents that God has given US, but II
f aspire to be dukes among men. Han
in the Saxon tongue meant home. Gun
: ningham therefore means 1.-THE home o
5 the knowing man." The knowing
+ man was truly the leader Of the men 0
his community, the name signifies pri
t marily the home of Tue king. CO.
, "hath made no kings and priests.
; The great Carlyle derives the tern
S king from konning-konning, the ma
t who knows or cans. Kings among tn
original Scandinavian tribes were th
Y strongest and most potent men phys
i cally and mentally. Their attain
t ments fitted them for the pos
. | x:~ ~ loo5orc o,S povprnorc Th