NAMES AND CALLINGS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20126, 23 February 1937, Page 9

NAMES AND CALLINGS

ODDLY APPROPRIATE. PECULIAR COMBINATIONS. For several weeks there appeared In the London Sunday Times letters under the caption “Oddly Appropriate.” It is surprising how surnames can be associated appropriately. Far different is it when names are in remarkable association actually.

For instance, one of the Sunday Tinges correspondent recalls that 40 years ago he had to introduce a Mr Dedrnan, a schoolmaster In a hamlet on the Wigtonshire moors, to a Mr Coffin, who. then a theological student at Edinburgh, is now a prominent clergyman in New' York.

When a young man, the writer knew a Shropshire ironmonger who was named Coffin. I mentioned the fact to a doctor friend when travelling with him in London. “Oh I” said he,, “in a Somerset town there w'ere at one time in practice doctors named Death, Cofiln. Graves and Ghost.”

Many are the associations of names with occupations, as in the instance

of the Death Brothers, removers. The Sunday Times column included this selection from Essex—

Mr Flowers, nurseryman; Mr Sparks, chimney-sweep; Mrs Cotton, draper; Mr Horsey and Mrs Sheepwash, butchers; Mr Tomes, secondhand bookseller; Mr Waterall, dairyman; Mr Bulhvinckle, fishmonger. All About Birds. In Yorkshire a few years ago, at a church at Goathland, on the Yorkshire moors, there was a service in which there officiated three clerics— Mr Hare, the vicar, who read the prayers; Air Raven, who read the lessons; and Mr Hawke, who preached. One of the sidesmen who collected was named Rooke, and one of the congregation who contributed to the offertory was named Fowle.

Another quotation from the Sunday Times column was: “When my father settled as one' of the early pioneers in western Canada, among the names of his immediate neighbours were Hunter. Catcher, Skinner and Tanner. Somewhat later, my wife grew up in a community in Southern Manitoba, where three of the neighbours were called Foote. Stockin and Boot.” Again: “Thirty years ago the ships of the Eyne-Tees Steamship Company sailing out of Newcastle were named bv a Raine, Storm. Winter, Snow and Gale. Captain Gale still tussles with the elements of the sea.” Mention of the name Rafne reminds me that a visitor to Johannesburg, noticing a house named Pluvia Villa, remarked to a friend who was with him: “An odd name that,” whereupon the friend replied: “Yes, and the strange tiling is that the house is occupied by Air Raine. who is secretary of the Water Board.”

In the Aliillands there is a firm of estate agents named Doolittle and Dailey, and another of lawyers named Messrs Goat and Bullock. The name Doolittle is known also in Canada, where, in Toronto, there were partners named Doolittle and Steel.

Lord Balfour of Burleigh wrote in the Sunday Times that in Stirling, in Scotland, there is a much-respected legal firm known as Alessrs Welsh and Robb. Equally remarkable is the association of ( Alessrs Robb and Wangle, solicitors.

From Canada there comes another odd association of names: Damn, Goode, Appel. Pye. The first three are grocers and the Pye is a tailor.

Passing a church in Bristol a Surrey man read the announcement that on the following Sunday Air Veale would officiate in the morning and a Mr Ham in the evening. The association of the names prompted him to exclaim to a friend: “There’s veal-and-ham pie-ty for you.”

Many years ago the following announcement was to he seen over the window of a shop in a town in Northern Ireland: J. E. Weller, Jeweller. A Further List. Other singlar conjunctions of names and occupations of which I have read are— Mr Tankard, an innkeeper in Bradford. Yorkshire. Maw. dentist. Goudge, dentist. Tantrum, inspector of taxes. Marjoram, gardener. Popham, pawnbroker. Chew, tobacconist. Spittle, tobacconist. Littleales, hotel manager. Restall, furnisher.

White, blacksmith. Black, whitesmith. Arutton. butcher. Lamb, butcher. Ashmore, cigar merchant. Black and Cole, slack and breeze merchants.

Wagstnff, signalman at the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes. Bodaly. and his successor. Gravely, undertakers. Mayburry, doctor. Akins and Akins, dentists. D’Aeth and Coffin, doctors.