WARSHIP NAMES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2262, 23 September 1914, Page 6

WARSHIP NAMES

HOW THEY ARE CHOSEN. The names for the twenty new: deetroyers for the Navy are to be taken from the works of Sir Walter Scott and Shakespeare.. Florizel, lvauhoe, Waveriey, Rob Hoy, Portia, Hotspur, Orlando, "Rosalind., and Viola, are some of the names chosen for the new fighting ships. This is quite a modern innovation, although tho' action of the First Lord of tho Admiralty in, selecting 'literary names for warships is not entirely unprecedented. About the middle or last century there were some revenue vessels called Rob Hoy and the Lady. of tho Lake, while a century ago ono or two Shakespeare names were used, such as Imogen© and Orlando. These, however; seem to be the only occasions when literary names were used for warships. • The naming of the British men-of-war rests with the First Lord of the Admiralty, although the selection lias to be sanctioned and approved by the King. Occasionally the l'irst Lord has indulged in some peculiar, fancies when choosing names for war vessels, and called a number of small craft after his pack of hounds, and the Tickler, and the like have come down to us in consequence, JN'early all names in tho present Navy List have' a long record of past services. There have been eight Dreadnoughts, for -instance, since 1573. This was one of the compound Elizabethan ship names; but the Dreadnought is not the oldest name. The oldest ship name in the Navy List is tho Queen, and there have been five Queens since 1242. This ancient name was revived in 1900 in honour of Queen Victoria, but the battleship destined to bear the nairie was not actually laid down until two months after , the venerable monarcli had passed away. Regarding tho most popular names there have been ten Cygnets, and a similar-number of Drakes. But the name which has been most frequently used is the Swift, For there have been sixteen Swifts since 155'2. There havo also been eleven Eagles, eleven Falcons, twelve i'oxfflj. anil jilie thirteen. Hawks.