"What's in a Name?"

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 June 1910, Page 4

"What's in a Name?"

SOME AI'STRALIAX ICXAMPT/KS

A Sydney paper has unearthed some remarkable instances of the manner in Avhieh children are handicapped in after life by the names given them by their foiltl and foolish _ parents. A case is cited in which thirteen children muster among no Jwer than sixty-five names. The lather's name was plain James, and he came, to New South Wales from County Meath. He Avas an Orangeman of the militant .sort, and loved reformers and fighters Avho .have been .since the world began. His sons had to suffer for this, for he ransacked the Rible and the pages of history to find them great names. The'first was burdened with Hezekiah T:heophilus Erasmus Thomas Stewart. The series .allotted to the second Avas Uriah -Melanetlion AVickliffe Gabriel Wcslev. Then came Tslah Claud Tvndal Luther William, and Amos Coverdale Latimer James Whittier. The first daughter Avas given an exhaustive selection l —Tda Clara Rutb •lane Harriet Ann. The death of Uriah occurred about this time, and perhaps some feelings of compunction came to the parents, for the next born Avas called Mvrtle May Judith. Rut it felt lonely Avithout a Uriah Melanctllion in the family, so the AA'hole of the dead boy's name l\\as transferred to the next son, Uriah Melanothon WicklifFe Gmbrjel Wesley. Ho lived. Four other sons there Avere. and thev Averrt 'lamed respectively, Paul "Coureev Joshua John ITuss, Hill Knox Gordon Havelock proses. Roden Howard Nelson Zwinglius Rlake. and Watt Rootih Wolseley RroAvning Drake. As miglht be expected, the Roer aa jii was responsible for a Aveird crop of now names, battles, generals and transport vessels being mixed up in picturesque confusion. A Geelong boy carries round with him a lasting lemembrancer of tlie Victorian contingents, for his name is "Noble Victoria's Champions." Politics is quaintly personigfied in another young hopeful ia'lio is registered as "Jrthtt Crick Federation Referendum. Weeks before the American fleet reached Australia its comma. aa as heralded by the appearance in the register of such names as "Jonathan" and "Theodore." The very day it arrived a child was registered j Jheodore PoosoA'elt Sperrv. The quniiintest name of all evoh r ed by the ' occasion was probablv "Flee tie rjlizabeth." Lord Dudley arrived about _ the same time as the ship, i an d'his name is found united Avith j names from the fleet -- "Achilles Dudley Sperry Vermont" is a tvpic- j al example. Similarlv the visit of j the Iving and Queen as Duke an.:! Dueheiss of York Avas responsible for a prodigious or on of " "Victoria ' Mays" and "George Ernests." ft seems that it is no part of the Registrar's dutv to reason why. He must simplv enter the names as r«nuested. Lack of education, therefore, is responsible for many ludiononw mistakes. A proud ' counT. dasired_ to call their son Alovsins. J liev did not know how to spell it nor did the Registrar; so lie mad;, it AlTyAvisOies." Another .. ef nV trar was told that a child's name was to V Sophia. <T m t h 0 serlt if phonetically, and little lady'name to-day is "Sofire."