HISTORY IN NAMES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 February 1932, Page 12

HISTORY IN NAMES

ROMANCES IN TABLET FORM Them is scarcely in England a town the name of which docs not contain a romance in tablet form. Each lias its meaning, from which wo can usually discover cither what the place was like in its early days, or who owned it centuries ago. Who, for example, can imagine Liverpool as a. rustic village nestling on the shores of a clear lake? Yet that is what is was once, for the name means I’ool of Rushes. Manchester, too, was once but a hill fort, since its name signifies Round Hill Camp. Woolwich and Sheffield, now centres of industry, were formerly peaceful sheep farms. Woolwich stands for Wool Village, while Sheffield was one Sheet) Field. Sparkbrook was the Sparkling Brook, Greenwich the Meadow Village, London the Hill by the Fool, the hill being that upon which St. Fatal's Cathedral stands, and tho pool the great river widening which once extended from Westminster to the Tower. Many names have changed with the passing of time, and each change marks a great event in history. About three thousand years ago the Ancient Britons founded 0.0 tho banks of the Yorkshire Ouse, a little settlement which they named Caer Ebrattc. or Camp by the Muddv Water. A dozen centuries later the 'Romans turned Ebraue into Eborncum. Later came Saxon, and Vikimr, who mangled Eboracum into Eofrevviek, and after the Conquest the Normans softened the name to York. In the same way the British Caer Don, or River Camp, became in turn the Roman Daiium, the Viking Danceastro, and, lastly, the Norman Doncaster. One can trace tho course of the great Roman roads which once ran from end to end of tho country from the names of tho towns that stood upon them. The Saxons called the roads streets,” and named many of their settlements after them. Strctlon (Street Town), StreetIcy (Street Meadow), Adwick-le-Stroet (Moor Village on the Street), Choster-lc-Street (Fort on the Street) arc examples. From town and village names we can toll how far the Vikings penetrated into Hid country. They called a village “thorp” or “by,” a camp “caster, and a homo “holme,” whilst the Saxons used “Irop,” “cliesler or cester, and “ham.” “Wick” is a Viking word for village,” tho Saxon being "wicli.” r J bus we know that whilst Norwich (North Village) was Saxon, Thorpe near by was a Viking settlement. Whitby (While Village), Alnwick (Village on tho Alne), Broxholmc (Badger Farm), and Tadcaster (Toad Camp) are Viking; Chesham (Home on the Chess), Sandwich (Beach Village), and Leicester (Legion Camp), arc Saxon. “Beach” in the names of old town names means not shore but brook; “bury” or “burgh” is a fortified place, and “hope” a waste Ynarshland. is a meadow, “by” an island, “how” a mound, “rigg” a ridge, “Jyn” apool, “sted’ ’or “stead” a town, “car a moor, "tliwnilo” an enclosure. To their names many towns have additions which commemorate the building of churches. For instance, Church Fenton (Clmrch Marsh Town), Kirby Moorsido (Church Village the Moor), Preston (Priest Town), Epsoih (originally Abbsham, Abbey Homo), and Nan Monkton (Town with Convent and Monastery). Many towns have sprung from the Saxon “ham,” or homestead, round which other houses wero gradually built. In some cases the names still contain tlioso of the original owners of the land. Thus Tottenham ,is 'Tola's Home; Birmingham, tho’Home of the Birnia Family; Huddersfield, Oder’s Moor; and Barnsley, Bearn’s Meadow.