CURIOUS NAMES.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1090, 18 July 1873, Page 3

CURIOUS NAMES.

[Trot Times.]

In the course of my experience I have, met with some singular surnames, as, for instance, Godbelieve, Gotobed, Godbolt, Godson, Brandywine, Portwine, Boer, and Drinkwater. Hell, Heaven, Death—a corruption of the old Norman D' A eth—Coffin, Allbone, Smallbones, and Graves. Wellbeloved, Allgood, Toogood, Goodman. Kind, Love, Dear, Dearlove, amd Dearnian, Oldman, Youngman, Middleman, Blackmail, Whiteman, Ecdman, Stiff, man, Greenman, Hardman, Longman, Footman, Cheeseman, Bridgeman Jack man, andDollman. Dc Foe has been thought to have invented the name of Crusoe, but there are still Crusoes in England. In the city of Ely there is a market gardener called Applegarden, aud at Basult, near London—where Warwick, " the Last of the Barons," fought and fell —there is a nurseryman named Cutbush. In London there are two firms, respectively, llidley and Latimer, and Flint and Steel. The Points of the compass are represented by East, West, North, South, Western, Southeru, and, Easton. A man servant of ours once gave us his name as Germany, by which designation he was generally known, but his real name was far more aristocratic—Jermyn. The pronunciation of names is very arbitrary, thus Cholmondely is Chumleigh ; Leveson-Gowor is Lewson-Gore ; Beauchainp, Bcecham ; Geoghan, Gagan; St John, Singen; Knollys, Ivnowles ; Sandys, Sands ; Wemyss, Wirns ; Cirencester, Cister ; Cicester, Cister ; Derby, Darby ; Maryleboue, Marrybone; Worcester, Wooster, &e. There used to be in London a dissenting minister whose name was Pigg, and who had three deacons named Hogg, Bacon, and Hogsflcsli. Hogsflesh ultimately became Hogflesh, an aspiring Hogg in Biggleswade became first Hoggs and then Archdale. The difficulty of pronouncing the names of towns was once experienced by an Irish friend of ours, whose reverence for Charlotte Bronte Jed him to perform a pilgrimage to the scene of her labors. Arrived at Keighley—pronounce 1 Keithley—in Yorkshire, lie inquired for Ha-worth, but everybody said there was no such place in the neighborhood. At last an old greybeard, after laboriously scratching his head, said, " Dos't meeau Orth ? " After that the way was easily found. In Pall Mall, London, there is a respectable tradesman named Strong-i-the-arm, who, if he be worthy of his cognomen, would be a tough customer to box with. At a meeting we once attended with John No.de, the political writer and orator, he remarked, " Now you will see some fool is sure to make a pun on my name," and sure enough a would-be-wit did refer to the fact that a " Nobleman" was present. Such names as Oldboy, Littleboy, Tallboys, Littlejohn, Greathead, Bedhead, and Whitehead, arc often a nuisance. We once knew a man called Makin Child, who certainly obeyed the Divine command to " increase and multiply." One of the most curious corruptions of names we ever met with was in Ireland, where L'Espinasse is known among the lower orders as Spinach.