The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-19
FAMILY NAMES.

1t is a curious aesthetcism rather be
yond our present Virginia perceptions
which moves Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stan
ton TO urge people with plain names TO
change them to names more fanciful.
We agree with her that such names as
I3ulI i1oar, Gait, Cram Fish, Gran,
Hitchcock, Cruilishank, ETC. are not
pretty, but we can hardly concur in her
opinion that "a man should be ashamed
Of himself to give a family of innocent
sons and daughters any of those names
when by a simple act of the Legislature
they can be easily changed
Imagine two beautiful girls, in white
muslin and blue sashes,'' writes the
aesthetic and snoboish Mrs. Stanton,
announced in an English drawing room
by Ioud-mouthed usher as The Misses
Bull, while we have such dgnified fam
ilv names as Douglass. Hamilton, Liv-
ingston and Montgomcry.'-"l Here is
department of social ethics to which wo-
man must now give her supervision.
Imagine the Woman's Clubs taking
list of the traditional Brown-J ones Robin
sons in Virginia and assigning them the
'dignified family names" which many of
them bear or which their ancestors bore
before them!
II is true that the law in the United
States has very little respect for names
;n comparison with the rigid rules of
Europe. In this country a man may
change his name if he wants TO without
ircin, 10 do
The law deals with the individual, no
matter by what name he may be labeled.
American law seeks only TO establish the
continuous Identity of the persons with
whom it is concerned; and III that larger
consideration names are only a detail.
nut under the unwritten social laws that
make public opinion, it is a very dubious
thing for a man to change his name with
out the best reasons or ample justiiica-
ton Tor doing so. And properly SO.
Names were not \cvolved from the
caprice of our ancestors. In the begin
ming they were given by parents merely
to distinguish between children; they
were added to later for some personal
REGULARITY, or achievement; and then
chiefs and mobiles gave them or men took
them for certain deeds, or from their
place Of abode. or from their occupa-
don IN life, or whatever. In England, Off
Instance, a man named Thomas was call
cd Thomas the Archer to distinguish him
from Thomas the Smith, and their sons
would be John Archer and John Smith:
or maybe the son of Thomas the archer
was called John, Thomas son, and his
boy came to be called William Thompson,
Or a man named Ralph moved from his
native village of Crosby and in his new
home was called Ralp of Crosby; hence
Tom Dick or marry Crosby; and SO on.
Our distinguished Governor is descend
ed from Norman Knight, whc went in
TO England With William the Ccnqueror
in the train of the Dukes half-brother,
the Earl of Mortain. He bore the roman
tic medieval name of Droso de Mon
taigu. or THE Dragon of the Peak,
and one of his castles still stands in
Somersetshre and is called Monta cute.
This name was Latinized into Monte
Acute. became Montacute, and then
Montagu, the same which is borne to-day
by the titled branch of tho family Of
which the Duke of Manchester, William
Angus Drogo Montasu, is the head.
Younger sons added the final letter for
the sake of distinction, and TO one Of
these our Governor traces his descent.
What right would any of Mrs. Stanton's
Bulls and Bears and Cats and Hogs
have TO assume the name of Montague.
with all the significance that lies be-
hind it. or the similar proud names of
Chamberlaync, Lee. Stuart, Washington,
cabell, Lightfoot, Randolph, Winston.
Berkoley. Harrison. Pcyton, willoughby.
Wormeley. Baylor. Fairfax, Pelham,
Page. yenable Beverly, Fitzhugh, Powell,
Mason, Tazcwell. Thornton, Norwood,
Dudley, Braxton. Byrd. Gusts, = son.