The Washington times., 1901-06-30

come to stand as Seymour; valoins. which
we now know only in its English surname
as valance, etc. Some of our names
again, have a Netherfand birthplace as
Gaunt, which was originally Client; St
l-eger, and Bridges. which last is a cor
ruption. in all probability, of Bruges.
IL needs no pointing out how easily
place names can become family names
To distinguish an individual by the name
OF his home, birthplace, or residence was
ready means of securing his identity.
In rural districts and among a popula-
tion that continued for generations In
the same homesteads place names would
be given from trivial features of locality.
as Wood and Hill and Lane and Dale
In this connection we can find a number
of ancient words for country objects
which have long ago become obsolete and
forgotten. "Cowdray. for instance. in
ofden days sigaifed grove of hazel;
Garth is old English for yard; ''EIithe''
for haven; Garnet" for granary;
Shaw for a small wood. The common
surname Head is really place name
Head being a frequent term for n
promontory or cape, as Beachy Head.
The sufiix bee" as in Ashbee. Holmbee,
is survival Of the Danish BY" habita-
tion.
The name Dean is not from the church
dignitary but signifies hollow or dell,
whence We get Dean Forest and Arden.
Another word still in common use in GER
tain parts of England for the same thing
is bottom" Higginbottom thus means
the dell where the "hicken" or mountain
ash flourished- Beckett Is a little brook,
still called a beck in the north; boys is
the English corruption of 'bofs." wood.
"Donne" means a down, Holt a grove,
and Hurst corpse. Stead" of course.
Is a farmhouse and its surroundings
Lynne is a pool. Law" once meant a
hill, and "Horner" 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.
II is needless to say that a vast ma
jority OF English surnames. among which
are 20 be numbered our very commonest
are derived from trades and callings-
Smith, and Baker, and Turner, and Tay-
lor. and others past enumerating Here.
too, we may trace ancient words which
have since completely dropped out.
"Chaucer' and "Sutor'' are to us now
perfectly meaningless. but long ago they
both signified a shoemaker. A Pitcher"
formerly made greatcoats, a "Reeder"
thatched buildings with reeds or straw.
'Latimer' was writer Of Latin for
legal and such ike purposes
An "Arkwright' was maker of the
great meal-chests or ''arks, which were
formerly essential pieces of household
furniture. Tucker" was a fuller Lori
mer' a saddler, ''Launder' or Lavender
a washerman, "Tupper' made tubs, "Jen-
ner" was a Joiner, Barker" a tanner,
Dexter charwoman, HBanister" kept
a bath. Sanger is but a corruption of
singer or minstrel, 'Bowcher'' of BUTCH
er, "Milner" of miller, Forster of for
ester. A Chapman was a merchant; the
ancestors of the Colemans and Woodyers
sold those indispensable commodities in
former generations.
Wagners were wagoners, and MAYORS
made nails. A Kemp was once a term
for soldier; ''Vavasour" held rank be-
tween knight and a baron. Certain old
fashioned Christian names, or quaint cor
ruptions of them. have given rise to
which. at first sight. might
appear hard to interpret. Everyone is
aware that Austin is identical with Au-
gustin; but the name Anstice is not so
known to be but a shortening
of Anastasius. Ellis, too, was originally
derived from Elias. Hood, in like man
ner. is hut a modern corruption of the
ancient Danish Odo. Everett is not far
Christian name Everard; while even Stig-
gins can be quite safely referred to the
northern ''Stigand. London Standard.