The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1901-07-12

as, for example, the name, 81. Muare
which, by process OF time, has come to
stand as Seymour; Valions, which we
know only in its English surname as
Valance, etc. Some of our names,
again, have Netherland birthplace,
as Gaunt, which was originally Client;
St. Ledger, and Bridges, which last
is corruption, in all probability, of
Bruges.
1t needs no pointing out how easily
place-names can become family names.
To distinguish an individual by the
name Of his home, birthplace or resi-.
dence was ready means of securing
his identity. In rural districts, and
among a population that continued
for generations 10 the same old home.
steads, place.names would be given
from trivial features OF locality, as
Wood, and Hill and Lane and Dale.
In this connection we can find mum.
Der of ancient words for country ob.
iects which have long ago become OBJ.
solete and forgotten. "Cowdray," for
instance, in olden days signifled a
grove of hazel; Garth Is old English
for a yard; "Hithe" for a haven, "Gar.
nett for granary. "Shaw" for a
small wood. The common surname
Head is really place.name, Head"
being frequent term for promontory
or cape, as Beachy Head. The suffix
"Bee, as in Ashbee, Holmbee, Is a sur
vival Uf the Danish "By," a habita.
tion.
The name Dean is hot from the
church dignitary, but signifies hol.
low or dell, whence we get Dean For.
est and Arden. Another word still in
common use in certain parts of En-.
gland for the same thing is BOTTOM
Higginbottom thus means the dell
where the chicken" or mountainash
hourished. "Becket" is a little brook
still called beck In the north; "boys'
is the English corruption OF down.
"Holt" a grove, and Hurst" copse,
Stead" of course, is a farm house
and its surroundings. Lynne" is a
pool. "Law" once meant a hill, and
"Horner" a corner. Townsend"
would signify the towns end, "'Brock'
was the old term for a badger-hence
Broxbourne and other similar titles;
while "gos," as In Gosford and other
examples, merely referred to goose.
1t is needles TO say that vast ma
jority of English surnames, among
which are to be numbered our very
commonest, are derived from trades
and callings-Smith and Baker, and
Turner and Taylor, and others past
enumerating. Here, too, we may
trace ancient words, which have since
completely dropped out. "Chaucer"
and "Sut0r" are to US now perfectly
meaningless, but long ago they both
signifled a shoemaker. A "Pilcher"
formerly made great coats, a Reader
thatched buildings with reeds or
straw. A "Latimer" was writer OF
Latin for legal and such like purpo-
ses. f.. .r.i.. .N....
An cartwright" was the maker OF
the great meal.chcsts or "arks,''
which were formerly essential pieces
of household furniture. Tucker
was a fuller" "Lorimer" sadler,
"Launder" or Lavender" a washer.
man, "Tupper" made tubs, "Jenner
was a joiner, Barker a tanner, "Dex.
ter" a charwoman, "Banister" kept a
bath. Sanger is but corruption Of
singer or minstrel, "Bowcher" o.
butcher, Miner Of miller, Forster o.
forester. A Chapman was merchant
the ancestors OF the Colemans ant
WoOdyers sold those indispensable
commodities in former generations.
Wagners were wagg0ners, and Nay
lors made nails. A !'Kemp" was ono
"a term for a soldier; "Vavasour
held rank between knight and bal
on. Certain Old.fashioned Christian
names, or quaint corrurtions OF then
have given rise to patrony mics, which
at first sight, might appear hard Il
interpret. Every one is aware tina
Austin Is identical with Augusttn
but the name Anstice Is not 50 gener
ally known to be but shortening 0l
Anastasius. Ellis, too, was originally
derived from Elias. Hood, In like
manner, is but q modern corruption Of
the ancient Danish Odo. Everett IL
not far removed from the once not un'
common Christian name Eyerard;
while even Stiggins can be quite safely
referred to the northern "Stigand.'
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pETTNR IT HAD.