CLASS NAMES AND NICKNAMES.
An unmarried female originally received the designation of Spinster from her employment at the distaff or spindle. According to the practical notions of our Anglo-Saxon forefathers, a female was not considered fit to enter the married state until she had made for herself a complete set of body, bed, and table-linen. Hence the significance of the term Wife, derived from the Anglo-Saxon wif, by virtue of the verb wyfan, to weave. The designation Widow is an Indo-European importation, derived from the Sanskrit vid-hava, without husband. Grass Widow, denoting a woman temporarily separated from her husband, is a corruption of “Grace Widow”—in other words, a widow by grace, or courtesy. The word Chaperon is French, derived from the chapeau, or cap, worn by the duennas of Spain. Duenna, signifying a guardian, is Spanish, founded upon the Latin domina, a mistress. The title of Dowager, which distinguishes a widow left with a jointure from the wife of her late husband’s heir, comes from the French douairière, built upon the verb douaire, to dower. The name of Blue Stocking arose from the colour of the stockings worn by the members of the lady clubs in England during the days of Boswell. Gentlemen were not excluded from these assemblies, but the wearing of blue stockings was a sine quâ non of admittance. The last surviving member of the original Blue Stocking Club, founded by Mrs. Montague in 1780, died in 1840. The earliest Blue Stocking assembly came into existence at Venice, under the title of Della Calza in the year 1400. A lady’s-maid is familiarly styled an Abigail, in allusion to the handmaid who introduced herself to David (1 Samuel xxv. 23). This class-name came into particular prominence during the early part of the eighteenth century, in compliment to Abigail Hill, the maiden name of Mrs. Mashem, the waiting-woman of Queen Anne. A Parisian shop or work-girl is known as a Grisette on account of the grey cloth of which her dress is made. In olden times all inferior classes in France were expected to be clad in gris, i.e., grey. Colleen is the native Irish for girl; and Colleen Bawn for a blonde girl. How little the latter expression is understood by actresses is shown by the way in which some of them essay to impersonate (?) the heroine of Dion Boucicault’s well-known drama whilst wearing their own dark hair or a dark wig. Truly, a little knowledge is a useful thing!
As nowadays comprehended, a Milliner is one who retails hats, feathers, bonnets, ribbons, and similar appurtenances to female costume. The name is really a corruption of Milaner, alluding to the city of Milan, which at one time set the fashion to the north of Europe in all matters of taste and elegance. Haberdasher is a modern form of the Old English word Hapertaser, or a retailer of hapertas cloth, the width of which was settled by Magna Charta. Grocer is a contraction and modified spelling of Engrosser, the denomination of a tradesman who, in the Middle Ages, claimed a monopoly for the supply of provisions. A vendor of vegetables is appropriately called a Greengrocer. An innkeeper is facetiously styled a Boniface in honour of a devout and hospitable man whom St. Augustine caused to be canonized, and who subsequently became the patron saint of Germany. Shakespeare, Dante, Bacon, and Lamb never tired of referring to Boniface. Ostler is a corruption of the French hostelier, an innkeeper; hence we sometimes speak of an inn as a Hostelry. The term Carpenter, from the Latin carpentum, a waggon, originally denoted a mechanic who constructed the wooden body of a vehicle of any kind, as distinguished from the Wheelwright; but in process of time the same term came to be applied to artificers in timber generally. The provincial name for such a one is a Joiner, literally a joiner of wooden building materials. In some districts of England a shoemaker still bears the name of Cordwainer. Formerly all shoemakers were styled Cordwainers, because they were workers in Cordwain, a corruption of Cordovan, which was the name of a particular kind of leather brought from Cordova. The designation Tailor is an Anglicized form of the French Tailleur, derived from the verb tailler, to cut. [For Tallyman see Tally, in the article “Money.”] A Pawnbroker is familiarly called Uncle, in perpetuation of an ancient pun on the Latin word uncus, a hook. For, whereas in modern times the spout is employed as a means of communication between the pawnshop and the store-rooms overhead, the Roman pawnbrokers used a large hook; and accordingly, the expression “Gone to the uncus,” was equivalent to our slang phrase “Up the spout.” A Barber derives his class-title from the Latin barba, a beard. Rude and semi-civilized tribes were anciently called Barbarians, because they belonged to no order of society. Between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries the hairdressers of this country combined the practice of surgery, and were accordingly styled Barber-Surgeons. The surviving “Barber’s Pole” attests this fact. The separation of the two professions took place in 1540.
A shepherd or an ideal farmer bears the poetical description of an Arcadian, in allusion to the Arcadians, who were a pastoral people. A friendly adviser is designated a Mentor, in memory of the wise and faithful counsellor of Telemachus so named. The word Usher signifies a doorkeeper, agreeably to the Old French huisher, a door. Bachelor comes from the Welsh bach, small, young. This name originally meant one inexperienced in anything. The title of Bachelor of Arts denotes a degree next below that of Master of Arts.
Beefeaters is a vulgar perversion of Buffetiers, as the Yeoman of the Guard were styled during the reign of Henry VIII., on account of their attendance upon the King’s Buffet, or side-table. The word Buffet is French, derived from the Spanish búfia, a wineskin. The civic guardians of law and order are denominated Police in accordance with the Greek polis, the city. For many years after the establishment of the Police through the measures of Sir Robert Peel (in Ireland, as the national constabulary in 1814; in London as a regular force in 1829), all Policemen were nicknamed Bobbies and Peelers, in allusion to their founder. Bow Street Runners were the original London detective force; so called because their headquarters was Bow Street, whence they were despatched to any part of the country in quest of the perpetrator of a particular crime. The predecessors of the Police were a set of decrepit old watchmen whose regular habit was to fall asleep in their boxes with their lanthorns beside them. These were derisively nicknamed Old Charlies; while their natural enemies, who loved nothing so much as to turn their boxes upon them, to molest defenceless females, mutilate males, and in many other ways to terrorize the peaceable inhabitants of the Metropolis, styled themselves first of all Scourers, and at a later date Mohocks, after the North American Indian tribe of that name. During the years 1859 and 1860 an even more grievous terror haunted the streets of London in the persons of The Garrotters, so called from the Garrotte, the instrument with which condemned malefactors are strangled in Spain. The punishment of the “cat o’ nine tails” for “Garrotting,” which came into operation July 13, 1861, gradually put an end to the practice. The latest terror of the streets which, unhappily, abounds in American cities, are the Sandbaggers, so called because they stun their victims with an ordinary sand-bag, such as is used to keep the draught from penetrating between a pair of window-sashes; after which robbery becomes an easy matter.
Pleasanter it is to turn from the birds of night to the fops and dandies by day. The word Fop comes from the German foppen, to make a fool of; and Dandy from the French dandin, a ninny. Between these two poor specimens of humanity there is no perceptible difference. The Macaronies of the last century derived their designation from the fashionable “Macaroni Clubs” to which they belonged. The modern class-title of Masher finds its origin in the Romany or gipsy word mâsha, signifying “to fascinate the eye.” En passant, the term Gipsy is a corruption of Egyptian, so called because the original family or tribe of low caste Hindoos expelled by Timour about the year 1399 eventually travelled into Europe by way of Egypt. The Gipsies were also in former times known as Bohemians, from the district in which they first attracted popular attention before they scattered themselves over Western Europe. Hence, any individual whose habits are unconventual, and to a certain extent nomadic, is styled a Bohemian. The name of The Upper Ten applied to the aristocracy, is short for “The Upper Ten Thousand,” a term originally applied by N. P. Willis, the American poet (born 1807, died 1867), to the fashionables of New York who, at the time he introduced it, numbered about ten thousand. A distinctly latter-day expression conveying much the same signification is The Four Hundred, by which we are left to conclude that the “select” society of New York must have undergone a considerable weeding-out during the last twenty years.
The temperance terms Teetotal and Teetotaler originated in the stuttering exhortation of one Richard Turner, an artizan of Preston, who, while addressing a meeting of abstainers in September, 1833, observed that “Nothing but t-t-t-total abstinence will do!” Several bodies of total abstainers from alcoholic beverages in England and America style themselves Rechabites, after the descendants of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, who lived in tents and foreswore wine. Others rejoice in the name of Good Templars, after the Templars of old. The Good Templar Movement cannot be accurately described as a crusade against drink; but the League of the Cross, established by the Roman Catholics for the total suppression of drunkenness, is, in title and in fact, one of the most powerful crusades ever distinguished in modern times.
A sailor is called a Jack Tar because he puts on tarpaulin “overalls” in “dirty weather.” Longshoreman is a corruption of alongshoreman, i.e., a wharfinger, &c. Navvy is a contraction of Navigator, which name was first given to the labourers employed in the construction of canals for inland navigation. A cabman is popularly styled a Jehu in allusion to one of the kings of Israel noted for his furious driving. A Jerry Builder is so called after one Jeremiah, a London builder who amassed a fortune by putting up houses with inferior materials in order to sell them at a large profit. A Journeyman is properly one who hires himself out to work by the day, agreeably to the first portion of the word Jour, the French for day. A debt-collector is known as a Dun, and his persistence is styled “Dunning,” in memory of Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of Lincoln, who was so successful in the discharge of his duties that it became quite customary when an individual refused to pay his debts to exclaim, “Why don’t you Dun him for it?” which was tantamount to saying, “Why don’t you send Dun to arrest him?” Whilst on the subject of law, we may here add that the expression A Man of Straw, employed to denote a person without capital or means, originated in the days when a certain class of men, chiefly ruined tradesmen, found it a profitable occupation to hire themselves out as witnesses in the law courts. The recognized mark of these persons was a wisp of straw protruding from their shoes; and as often as a lawyer stood in need of a convenient witness to prove his case, he knew by the presence of “a pair of straw shoes” in court that the owner of the said shoes would recollect and swear to any incident in consideration of a fee.
Costermonger is a corruption of Costardmonger, a seller of the famous costard apple introduced into this country by the Dutch in 1736. Both these terms are used by Shakespeare; nevertheless, they bore a totally different signification in his time. The word Monger comes from the Anglo-Saxon mongere, one who trades. An itinerant salesman in the olden time was styled a Pedlar, in accordance with the Latin pedes, the feet, because he travelled on foot; whereas Hawker comes from the German hoken, to carry on the back, to retail. Hawkers and Pedlars were first licensed in England in 1698. An itinerant salesman of another kind is known as a Cheap Jack on account of the word “cheap” which is Saxon for market, derived from ceapan, to buy. A travelling medicine-vendor originally received the nickname of Quack-doctor, or Quack, from Quacksalber, the German term for quicksilver, because, differing from the regular practitioners, he resorted to mercury and other dangerous ingredients. At times a Quack, or any other individual gifted with humorous colloquial powers, is dubbed a Merry Andrew, in allusion to Andrew Borde, a physician of the time of Henry VIII., noted for his facetious manners and sayings. Juggler is a corruption of jongleur, the French designation of one of the companions of the troubadours, whose business it was to supplement the lyrical accomplishments of the latter with feats of sleight-of-hand and other tricks for the amusement of the company. A Stump Orator is properly one who delivers a speech from the stump of a tree; the literal meaning of a Stump Speech being thus explained.
The now approbrious name of Blackguard was formerly given to the scullions or dirty dependants of the English Court who washed out the saucepans, carried coals up to the kitchens, and performed other menial duties. As the “Guards of Honour” in the Royal Household were distinguished by their fine appearance, so these kitchen-men were equally distinguished by their grimy appearance; consequently the latter were styled “Black Guards.” The origin of the word Scullion was the Norman-French esculle, a porringer or dish. The place where the dishes are cleansed is still called a Scullery, while the domestic who performs such work bears the name of Scullery Maid. A rascal or sharper is designated a Blackleg, because such a one was generally to be found among the lower orders of turf and sporting men at the time these were especially characterized by the wearing of black top-boots. A Plunger is one who bets heavily either on the turf or at the gaming-table, without consideration for the risks he incurs. A Bookmaker is so called because he arranges his book, i.e., his bets, in such a manner that his losses and gains upon each day’s racing must balance themselves. The Bookmaker who absconds after a race in order to avoid paying those who have entered bets with him and won is styled a Welsher, in allusion to the thieving propensities of a certain race of people, as set forth in the old song, which begins, “Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,” &c. The word Burglar is made up of the Old English burgh, a borough, derived from the German burg, a fortified place, and the French lair, a thief; the allusion being that such a one breaks into a private dwelling for purposes of theft. Down to a comparatively recent date the common hangman in this country bore the nickname of Jack Ketch, really a corruption of Richard Jacquett, to whom the manor of Tyburn, where our malefactors were executed prior to the year 1783, belonged.
A native of London is popularly styled a Cockney, pursuant to the Old English cockeney, an effeminate person, or rather one who has been rendered effeminate by the luxuries of the table; this term tracing its origin directly from the Latin verb coquere, to cook, whence we have the Italian cuchina, the French cuisine, the German küche, and the English kitchen. A popular satiric poem of the thirteenth century, entitled “The Land of Cockaygne,”—i.e., Kitchen Land, draws a picture of an imaginary Fool’s Paradise, where there is nothing but eating and drinking, where care, trouble, and toil find no place—a desirable country for those monks of the Church who delight in the pleasures of the table rather than the observance of their spiritual exercises. After this performance the term Cockaigne or Cockaygne gradually came to be applied to our capital city, where cockenies, or kitchen-servants, abounded, and where the luxury of good living was supposed to attain its highest development.
A raw youth, or a countryman new to the ways of the world, is dubbed a Greenhorn, in reference to the undeveloped horns of a young ox; the word “Green” being derived from the Anglo-Saxon grêne, that which is in process of growing. Nincompoop is a corruption of the Latin phrase non compos [mentis], not in sound mind. A person of defective mind is called a Lunatic, from the Latin luna, the moon, in accordance with the Roman idea that the mind was affected by the changes of the moon. A person addicted to making foolish mistakes is styled a Dutchman, in allusion to the dull comprehensions supposed to be possessed by the inhabitants of the Low Countries. The term first came into use as an epithet of derision during the wars with Holland. A Humbug is one whose representations, though sounding plausible enough, are not to be relied upon. The origin of this word is as follows: In olden times there resided in the neighbourhood of the Mearns, in Scotland, a gentleman of landed property whose name was Hume, and whose estate was known as “The Bogue.” Owing to the great falsehoods which this “Hume of the Bogue” was in the habit of relating about himself, his family, and everything connected with his affairs, it became customary, as often as the people of that district heard anything at all remarkable or absurd to exclaim, “That is a Hume of the Bogue.” The word spelt in its present form first appeared on the title-page of “The Universal Jester: a choice collection of bonmots and humbugs,” published by Fernando Killigrew about the year 1736. The assurance that Humbug is of such old date can scarcely tend to our satisfaction.
MALT LIQUORS.
At the present day the terms Ale and Beer are used somewhat confusedly. The former, derived from the Gaelic and Irish ól, drink, is the real name of our national beverage, which, to judge from its intoxicating effects, must, in the days of our forefathers, have been a very strong drink indeed. The latter, on the other hand, is essentially a Saxon word, from the same root as barm, signifying “fermented drink,” and used to denominate the lighter kinds of fermented liquors generally, as well as other drinks obtained from the roots or leaves of plants, such as Ginger-beer, Spruce-beer, &c. We still speak of Old Ales; whereas Small Beer indicates a liquor of very poor quality.
In former times the only varieties of malt liquor in this country were Ale and Beer, the one strong, the other comparatively weak. To these a third, popularly described as Twopenny, was eventually added. However, it was rare that any one of these three was demanded singly; it being the custom, particularly in London, for the working-classes to call either for Half-and-Half or Three Thirds, meaning a tankard filled with equal portions of ale and beer, or of ale, beer, and twopenny. This custom remained in vogue until the year 1730, when it occurred to Mr. Harwood, a brewer of East London, to prepare a liquor analogous to the mixture of ale, beer, and twopenny; and thus save the time of the tavern-keepers, who were compelled to serve each customer from three different casks. Almost immediately, therefore, he introduced the malt liquor known as Entire, because it was drawn entire from one cask. It was first retailed at the sign of “The Blue Last,” in Curtain Road, Shoreditch, where it soon came to be in active demand by the City porters, who made this house their regular resort, whereupon the enterprising publican adroitly called it Porter. The word “Entire” still appears upon the facia-boards of numerous taverns throughout the Metropolis; but who thinks of calling for Entire at the present day? By the term Stout is implied a malt liquor of the stoutest quality, i.e., having the most body in it.
Stingo expresses an old beer of particular sharpness, in allusion to its stinging properties; while Yorkshire Stingo is, of course, peculiar to the county of York. Originally the single X displayed on beer-barrels denoted that the liquor had paid a ten shillings’ duty. The additional X’s are merely brewers’ trade-marks, indicating various degrees of strength over and above that of the single X ale.
Concerning German beers, we need only allude to Mum, or Mumm, which is peculiar to Brunswick, and named after Christoph Mumme, who first brewed it in 1492; Lager-Bier, so called because it is kept in a lager or cellar; and Bock-bier, a liquor which causes the inconsiderate tippler to caper about like a bock, or goat.
DIAMONDS AND PRECIOUS STONES.
The word Diamond is a corruption of, and synonymous with, Adamant, derived from the Greek adamas, untamable, infrangible, not to be subdued, in accordance with the prefix a, without, and damas, to tame, to subdue. As every one must be aware, the diamond is capable of resisting fire.
The great diamonds of the world are the following:—The Kohinoor, or “Mountain of Light,” weighing 106 carats, came into the possession of Queen Victoria on the annexation of the Punjaub in 1849; the Mattan (367 carats) belongs to the Rajah of Mattan; the Orloff (194 carats) preserves the family name of Catherine II. of Russia, who purchased it in 1775; the Shah (86 carats), presented by Chosroes I., Shah of Persia, who died in the year 579, to the Czar of Russia; the Star of the South (254 carats), discovered in Brazil by a poor negress in 1853; the Sauci (106 carats), originally the property of a French gentleman of this name, and bought by the Russian Czar for half a million roubles in 1835; the Regent, also known as the Pitt (137 carats), first acquired by Mr. Pitt, the grandfather of the Earl of Chatham, and subsequently sold to the Duc d’Orleans, Regent of France, for £135,000; the Pigott (82¼ carats), brought from India by Lord Pigott sometime previous to 1818, when it came into the possession of Messrs. Rundell and Bridge; the Dudley (44½ carats), found at the Cape by a black shepherd in 1868, and, after various changes of ownership, bought by the Earl of Dudley for £30,000; and the Twin Diamonds, both found in the bed of the river Vaal at the Cape in 1872.
With regard to precious stones:—the Turquois derived its name from Turkey, where it was first found; the Topaz, from Topazos, an island in the Red Sea; and the Agate, from the Greek Achates, a river in Sicily, in the bed of which it was anciently discovered. The term Amethyst comes from the Greek amethustos, a precious stone, and Opal, through the Latin opalus, from the Sanskrit opula, a precious stone. Emerald traces its origin through the French emerande to the Latin and Greek omaragdus; Garnet, through the French grenat, from the Latin granatus; and Ruby, from the Latin ruber, red. Pearl is an Anglo-Saxon word derived from the Latin pirula, a diminutive of pear.
We may conveniently add that the weight of precious stones, as well as that of gold, is regulated by Carats, because formerly carat seeds, or the seed of the Abyssinian coral flower were employed for this purpose.
NAVAL AND MILITARY SOBRIQUETS.
The Roman Manlius (appointed Consul in the year 224 B.C.) received the name of Torquatus from the incident of having torn the golden torque or collar from the neck of his adversary in the field. Charles, the son of Pepin d’Heristal, was surnamed Martel in recognition of his victory over the Saracens, who attempted the invasion of France in the year 732. According to the chronicler, “he knocked down the foe and crushed them between his axe, as a martel or hammer crushes what it strikes.” Robert, Duke of Normandy, the father of William the Conqueror (died 1035), bore the name of Robert le Diable, or Robert the Devil, on account of his courageous cruelty in war. The Scottish outlaw, Sir William Wallace (born 1270, beheaded 1305), was styled The Hammer and Scourge of England by reason of his patriotism. William Douglas, Lord of Nithsdale (died 1390), was known as Black Douglas because his frame was tall, strong, and well-built, while his hair was dark and his complexion swarthy. Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus (died 1514), merited the sobriquet of Bell the Cat for having put to death the upstart favourites of James III., and so prevented the creation of nobles out of architects and masons whom the king particularly patronized. At a meeting convened in the Church of Lauder by the Scottish nobles for the purpose of taking measures to obtain the removal of these persons, Lord Gray had put the question, “But who will bell the cat?” “That will I!” answered Douglas on the instant; and he kept his word, for in the very presence of the king he slew the obnoxious minions with his own hand.
Richard Nevil, Earl of Warwick (born 1420, died 1471), was surnamed The King Maker for the reason that while he espoused the cause of the Yorkists, Edward IV. succeeded in his efforts to gain the English Crown; and when, subsequently, he transferred his influence to the Lancastrians, Henry VI. was restored and the usurper deposed. Harry Percy (born 1364, died 1403) was styled Hotspur, and Prince Rupert (born 1619, died 1682) The Mad Cavalier because they found it impossible to restrain their rash courage in time of war. The soldiers of Cromwell, after the Battle of Marston Moor, received the popular name of Ironsides on account of their armour and their iron resolution. The sobriquet of The Almighty Nose was bestowed upon Oliver Cromwell (born 1599, died 1658), in allusion to his nasal enormity. Strange, indeed, that he who had attained to the highest position in the land by the sheer force of arms should have been so continually taunted with the length and colour of his nose! Yet so it was. Nevertheless, there have been others whose peace of mind was daily threatened by popular malice in this selfsame respect. Even the great Roman poet Ovid suffered a lifelong martyrdom, and became the recipient of the sobriquet of Naso, owing to the possession of an unusually large nose; just as in modern times Wilson, the painter, and Cervetto, the violincellist of Drury Lane Theatre, never succeeded in putting their heads out of their own doors without being greeted with shouts of “Nosey!” from the mob.
The Duke of Cumberland (born 1721, died 1765) rightly deserved the opprobrious surname of The Bloody Butcher on account of his merciless slaughter of the vanquished adherents of the Young Pretender after the Battle of Culloden. The soldiers of the Duke of Marlborough (born 1650, died 1722) familiarly styled their leader Corporal John because he had risen from the rank of Corporal; while General Bonaparte, afterwards Emperor of the French (born 1769, died 1821), bore the name of The Little Corporal, in allusion to his original rank, his low stature, youthful appearance, and extraordinary courage. As most readers are aware, Wellington (born 1769, died 1852) earned the name of The Iron Duke by his iron will and resolution; and Blucher (born 1742, died 1819) that of Marshal Forward, by his dash and readiness to attack the enemy in the campaign which terminated in the Battle of Waterloo. Prince Bismarck, the late Chancellor of the German Empire (born 1815) owed his surname of The Iron Chancellor to his extraordinary vigour and indomitable will. Helmuth, Count von Moltke, Field-Marshal of the German armies (born 1800, died 1891), was popularly surnamed Helmuth the Taciturn, because though a master of half a dozen languages, he was never known to betray himself in one of them. The sobriquet of Stonewall Jackson, possessed by Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the Confederate General in the American War of 1861 to 1865, originated with General Lee, who, after rallying his troops at the Battle of Bull Run, exclaimed, “There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall!” A less complimentary sobriquet bestowed upon General Andrew Jackson, President of the United States (born 1767, died 1845), by his own soldiers, was that of Old Hickory, in allusion to his tough, unyielding disposition. The circumstance is thus commented upon by Parton, the author of Jackson’s Life:—“The name of Old Hickory was not an instantaneous inspiration, but a growth. First of all, the remark was made by some soldier, who was struck with his commander’s pedestrian powers, that the General was tough. Next, it was observed that he was as tough as hickory. Then he was called Hickory. Lastly, the affectionate adjective ‘old’ was prefixed, and the General thenceforth rejoiced in the completed nickname, usually the first-won honour of a great commander.”
Of naval sobriquets we shall mention only three. Commodore John Byron, the circumnavigator (born 1723, died 1786), was popularly known as Foul Weather Jack because, it was said, he never enjoyed a fine passage throughout the whole of his experience. Admiral Edward Vernon (born 1684, died 1757), to whom reference is made in our article on “Spirits,” was called Old Grog, because he wore a “Grogram” coat in “dirty weather” [see Grogram]. Admiral Sir Henry Digby received his well-known sobriquet of The Silver Captain under the following interesting circumstances:—On the October 14, 1799, when commanding the frigate Alcmene, on a cruise off the Spanish coast, he shaped his course for Cape St. Vincent, and was running to the southward, in the latitude of Cape Finisterre. Twice during the night he rang his bell to summon the officer on the watch, and asked him if any person had been in the cabin. “No, sir; nobody,” was the answer. “Very odd,” rejoined Sir Henry. “Every time I dropped asleep I heard somebody shouting in my ear, ‘Digby! Digby! go to the northward; Digby! Digby! go to the northward!’ I shall certainly do so. Take another reef in your topsails, haul your wind, tack every hour till daybreak, and then call me.” These orders were strictly carried out, and the frigate was tacked at four, at five, at six, and at seven o’clock. She had just come round for the last time when the man at the masthead called out, “Large ship on the weather-bow, sir!” On nearing her a musket was discharged to bring her to. She was quickly boarded, when she proved to be a Spanish vessel laden with dollars, in addition to a large cargo of cochineal and spices. By this capture therefore, the fortunate dreamer secured, as his (Captain’s) share of the prize-money, the sum of £40,730 18s.; the lieutenants each £5,091 7s. 3d.; the warrant officers each £2,468 10s. 9½d.; the midshipmen each £791 17s. 0¼d.; and the seamen and marines each £182 14s. 9½d. The captured treasure was said to have been so weighty that sixty-three artillery tumbrils had to be requisitioned for the purpose of transporting it from the vessel to Plymouth Citadel.
MONEY.
The word Money owes its existence to Moneta, one of the surnames of Juno, in whose temple the first coinage of the Romans took place. Mint claims the same etymology, being a contraction of the Latin moneta, brought about through the Anglo-Saxon mynet. By Sterling Money is meant the standard coin of Great Britain, and for this reason:—During the reign of King John the merchants of the Hansa Towns, of which the inhabitants were commonly described as Esterlings, because they resided in the eastern portions of Germany, having long been noted for the purity of their coinage, the king invited a number of them over to this country for the purpose of reforming and perfecting our coinage. The invitation was accepted; and ever afterwards good English money received the name of Esterling or sterling money.
A Guinea was an English gold piece first struck in 1663 out of gold brought from the coast of Guinea, West Africa. Its value has been subject to fluctuations at different periods. Thus, in 1663 it was worth 20s.; in 1695, 30s.; in 1717, 21s.; in 1810, 22s. 6d.; and in 1816, 26s. The coinage of guineas was discontinued July 1, 1817. A Sovereign is so called because when originally coined, during the reign of Henry VIII., it bore a representation of that sovereign in his royal robes. A Crown-piece when first introduced displayed a crown on its reverse side. The Florin took its name from Florence, in which city it was struck as long ago as the thirteenth century. Its reverse side has always borne a representation of a lily, emblematical of “The City of Flowers.” The term Shilling traces its origin in the Anglo-Saxon scilling, the Icelandic skillinge, and the Gothic skilliggs, in each case denoting the twentieth part of a pound, as at present. A Penny, so called from the Anglo-Saxon penig, and Danish pennig (whence the modern German Pfennig has been derived), originally denoted a copper coin of full value; a Halfpenny, the half of a penny; and a Farthing, a corruption of the Old English fourthling, denotes a penny divided into four parts. We must not omit to mention that in olden times only penny-pieces were struck; and these were deeply indented in the form of a cross—exactly, in fact, after the manner of our Good Friday buns; so that when half-pennies or farthings were required the pennies could be broken into two or four portions without difficulty.
Among coins other than those now current in this country we may mention the Ducat, or Duke’s Money, specially struck for circulation in the Duchy of Apulia in the year 1140, and which bore this beautiful inscription: “Sit tibi Christi, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus” (“May this duchy which You rule be devoted to You, O Christ”); and the Noble, so called on account of the superiority of its gold. During the reign of Henry III. this gold piece found its way into England under the name of Rose-Noble, owing to the impression of a rose on its reverse side; but in the reign of Henry VIII., simultaneous with the substitution of the figure of St. George, it was designated a George-Noble. The value of this coin at both periods was six-and-eightpence. The current value of an Angel, so styled from the angel on its reverse side, was, when introduced in the reign of Henry VI., six-and-eightpence; but at the accession of Elizabeth it had increased to ten shillings.
The Thistle-crown of James VI. of Scotland (James I. of England), value four shillings, was so called because it had a rose on one side and a thistle on the other; both surmounted by a crown. The Scottish sovereign of this period was styled a Jacobus, the Latinized form of the King’s name. After the union of the two countries it became, of course, current in England also; but in the two succeeding reigns it was denominated a Carolus, the Latin for the name of Charles. A French gold coin long current in Scotland was the Dolphin, which derived its name from the fact of its introduction by Charles V., who was also Dauphin of Vienne. The French Louis d’or (a louis of gold) was first struck in the reign of Louis XIII.; this was superseded by the Napoleon, during the consulate of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Franc originally denoted the silver coin of the Franks. The term Dollar is a British modification of the German Thaler, an abbreviation of Joachim’s-Thaler; by which was implied a piece of money struck out of the silver discovered in the Thal, or Valley, of St. Joachim, France, about the year 1518. The silver drawn from this valley being of superior quality, it was coined into ounce pieces, which received the name of Joachims-Thalers; but all other ounce pieces subsequently struck from silver obtained elsewhere were simply called Thalers. The Kreuzer, now superseded, owed its name to the cross on its reverse side.
Wood’s Halfpence was the designation of an inferior copper coinage circulated in Ireland by a certain William Wood, under a patent granted to him by George I. The withdrawal of the patent was eventually procured owing to the denunciations of Dean Swift in the mysterious “Drapier’s Letters.” The legal tender notes of the United States are commonly styled Greenbacks, from the colour of the device imprinted on the back of them. Bank of England notes formerly bore the name of Abraham Newlands from the signature of the chief cashier.
By the term Bullion, remotely derived from the Low Latin bulla, a seal, and, more directly, from the Old French bullione, the Mint, is meant the stock of the precious metals formed into bars and stored in the strong rooms of the Bank of England in readiness for coinage. Money vested in Government securities is known as Stock, or Government Stock, in allusion to the origin of the term, viz., the Anglo-Saxon stocc, a trunk, a stick; because prior to the year 1782, when the practice was abolished, the official acknowledgment of money received on behalf of the Government was written on both sides of a broad piece of wood, which was then cut in two; and the one portion, called the Stock, was delivered to the person lending the money, the Counterstock being retained at the Tally Office. The instrument of reckoning in this manner was styled the Tally, in accordance with the French verb tailler, to cut; while the correspondence of the Stock and Counterstock, or, in other words, the two portions of the Tally, furnished the origin of the modern phrase “to tally,” as well as the designation Tallyman, or a trader who lets out goods, principally clothing, on the system of payment by weekly instalments. The word Consols is a contraction of “Consolidated Annuities,” or the funded portion of the National Debt. The fund which provides for the annual reduction of the latter is styled the Sinking Fund. The French State Loans known as Tontines perpetuate the name of Lawrence Tonti, a Neapolitan protégé of Cardinal Mazarine, who projected the scheme in 1653. The annual statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the finances of this country is called the Budget, agreeably to the French bougetta, a little bag; because formerly the various documents were presented to Parliament in a leathern bag.
SPIRITS.
Rum is a native West Indian term for a spirit distilled from cane-juice; Whisky is an English rendering of the Irish Uisquebaugh, derived from the two Gaelic words uisge, water, and beatha, life; Brandy is a corruption of the Old English brandwine, literally burnt wine; while Gin is short for Geneva, where this spirit was first distilled. Hollands is the popular English name for Dutch gin. Cognac, a French brandy of the best quality, owes its designation to the town of which it forms the staple industry; and Nantes to the port where it is shipped. Old Tom was named after Tom Chamberlain, the senior partner in Messrs. Hodges’ well-known distillery.
The term Punch traces its origin to the Hindoo pantsch, signifying five, because this favourite concoction originally consisted of five ingredients, viz., arrack, sugar, tea, lemons, and water; whereas Toddy is a western corruption of taudi, the native Hindoo name for palm-juice. The word Grog perpetuates the memory of “Old Grog,” the nickname of Admiral Edward Vernon, who first ordered his sailors to dilute their rum with water [see Old Grog].
Scotch whisky is usually styled Mountain Dew, from the fact that in former times it was often distilled in the mountains in order to escape the watchfulness of the excise officers. The superior Scotch whisky known as Glenlivet derives its name from the district in which it is distilled. The popular LL Whisky originated under the following circumstances: When the Duke of Richmond was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, he one day, in the year 1807, sent to various Dublin distilleries for samples of their best whisky; and preferring that furnished by Messrs. Kinahan, his Grace ordered a large vat in which this particular quality of the spirit was kept to be reserved for his own use. Accordingly, the letters “LL,” signifying Lord Lieutenant, were painted on the vat; and ever since Messrs. Kinahan’s whisky of the same quality has borne the name of “LL Whisky.”
LONDON STREETS AND SQUARES.
Fleet Street received its name from the Fleet, once a swift-flowing stream, now converted into a sewer. Mitre Court, Falcon Court, and Red Lion Court were designated after old taverns respectively bearing these signs. Bolt Court was so called from the “Bolt-in-Tun,” an ancient coaching-house, transformed into a railway goods receiving office standing on the opposite side of the way. Johnson’s Court did not receive its title from Dr. Johnson, who lived in it for some time, but from the owner of the property. Wine Office Court originally contained an office where wine licences were issued. Shoe Lane received this designation from the traditional account that when the Devil ran away with Lady Hatton [see Hatton Garden] he dropped one of her shoes in Shoe Lane and her cloak in Cloak Lane, near Cannon Street. St. Bride Street and Bride Lane owe their names to the Church of St. Bride close by. Salisbury Court occupies the site of an ancient palace of the Bishops of Salisbury. Dorset Street and Dorset Buildings carry us back in fancy to the Dorset Gardens Theatre, erected in the grounds attached to the residence of the Earl of Dorset in the early days of the Restoration. Whitefriars Street marks the western boundary of the monastery of the Carmelites, or White Friars, built in 1245. The whole district of Whitefriars formerly comprised a Sanctuary infested by debtors and lawbreakers; on which account it bore the name of Alsatia, in allusion to the French province of Alsace, long notorious for its intestine strife and political disaffection. Bridge Street is a modern thoroughfare leading to Blackfriars Bridge and Blackfriars Road, so called from the monastery of the Dominicans or Black Friars established on the site of Printing House Square and the Times office, about the year 1276. Water Lane was originally a narrow lane winding down to the Thames.
Ludgate Hill derived its name from the old Lud Gate, built by King Lud in the year 66 B.C. on the spot where the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway now crosses this busy thoroughfare. The gate was removed in 1760. La Belle Sauvage Yard was formerly the coachyard of the celebrated Inn of this name. The Old Bailey is a corruption of Bail Hill, which contained the residence and court of the Bail, or Bailiff, from very early times. The Broadway was doubtless considered a fine thoroughfare in the days when London streets generally were so narrow that opposite neighbours could shake hands out of their top-story windows. Friar Street was designated after the Black Friars’ Monastery. Sermon Lane is a corruption of “Shere-moniers’ Lane,” in which stood the office of the money-shearers or clippers at the time when the Mint was in this neighbourhood. Paul’s Chain owed its name to a chain formerly drawn across its northern extremity the while service was held in St. Paul’s. Old Change was originally known as “The King’s Exchange” on account of the building where the bullion was stored convenient to the Money-shearers’ Office and the Mint. Paternoster Row received its name from the stationers who sold religious texts, prayer-books, and rosary beads, formerly called Paternosters in this street. Ave Maria Lane, Creed Lane, and Amen Corner, being of later date, their designation to complete the religious metaphor was perhaps natural. Warwick Lane stands on the site of a magnificent palace owned by the Beauchamps, Earls of Warwick. Ivy Lane contained the ivy-clad houses of the prebendaries attached to St. Paul’s Cathedral. In Panyer Alley may be seen a curious stone let into the wall of the middle house on the east side, upon which are chiselled the rude figure of a boy seated on a pannier or basket, and a distich reminding the pedestrian that this is the highest ground in the City. The alley was a standing-place for bakers with their panniers at the time when a corn market was held at the western extremity of Cheapside.
Cheapside properly denotes that side of the Cheap where the rich goldsmiths had their shops. The term cheap is Saxon for a market, derived from ceapan, to buy. The Old English spelling of the name of this locality was Chepe. Ironmonger Lane was the regular habitation of the artificers in iron in the reign of Edward I.; Bread Street of the bakers; and Friday Street of the fishmongers who supplied the fast-day markets. Milk Street was the ancient milk market. Gutter Lane is a corruption of “Guthurun Lane,” so called after a wealthy Danish burgher. Foster Lane contains the Church of St. Vedast (otherwise St. Foster), Bishop of Arras in the French province of Artois, in the time of Clovis. Wood Street was anciently inhabited by turners and makers of wooden cups and dishes and measures. Lawrence Lane received its name from the Church of St. Lawrence in Gresham Street, which perpetuates the memory of Sir Thomas Gresham, merchant and founder of the Royal Exchange (born 1519, died 1579), because Gresham College, established by him in his own mansion, on the site of the present Gresham House, Old Broad Street, was removed here in 1843. Lad Lane, now absorbed in Gresham Street, was a corruption of “Our Lady Lane,” so called from a statue of the Virgin. Aldermanbury was so called from the original Guildhall that stood on its east side. The approach to the present Guildhall received the name of King Street in honour of Henry IV., in whose reign the edifice was opened. In Basinghall Street stood the mansion of Solomon Basing, Lord Mayor in 1216. Coleman Street preserves the memory of the first builder upon the land. The Old Jewry was the privileged quarter of the Jews, whose first synagogue was erected here in 1262. The Poultry comprised the shops of the scorchers and stuffers, who afterwards settled down in the Stocks Market (so called from the old stocks for public offenders that stood there), displaced by the building of the Mansion House in 1739. Bucklersbury was originally the property of a wealthy grocer named Buckle who owned a manor-house here; the Anglo-Saxon word bury being applicable either to a town or to an inhabited enclosure. King William Street was named soon after William IV. opened the present London Bridge, on August 1, 1831. Queen Victoria Street was cut through in the reign of her present Majesty.
Cannon Street is a corruption of Candlewick Street, colloquially styled “Can’lwick Street,” from the candlemakers who congregated in it. Budge Row received its name from the sellers of budge, or lambskin-fur, which at one time was greatly used as an ornamentation to their attire by scholars and civic dignitaries. London Stone marked the centre of the City during its occupation by the Romans in the year 15 B.C. Watling Street is a mispronunciation of “Vitellina strata,” meaning the street of Vitellius, who at the time it was constructed occupied the Imperial throne. This was the great highway of the Romans, running from Dover, through Canterbury and London, direct to Cardigan in Wales. Walbrook, formerly written “Wall-brook,” reminds us of the pleasant stream of clear water that once ran along the west side of this street and emptied itself into the Thames. Crooked Lane was so called from its winding character. Swan Alley, in Upper Thames Street, derived its title from an ancient mansion of the Beauchamps whose crest was a swan. Boss Alley calls attention to the fact that the executors of Sir Richard Whittington erected a boss, or conduit, hereabouts in the long, long ago. College Hill is all that remains to remind us of the College of St. Spirit and St. Mary founded on its site by the same generous Lord Mayor and benefactor of the public. Fye Foot Lane is properly “five-foot lane,” the actual width of this thoroughfare at one end; while Duck’s Foot Lane is a corruption of “Duke’s Foot Lane,” signifying the private path leading from the manor-house of the Dukes of Suffolk in what is now Suffolk Lane down to the water-side. Queenhithe was so called because the tolls collected at this hithe, or wharf, were claimed as pin-money by Eleanor, queen of Henry II. Dowgate is a modern spelling of “Dwrgate” (dwr being Celtic for water), where, in the absence of bridges, the Romans had a ferry across the river to the continuation of Watling Street towards Dover. The Steelyard was the place where the King’s beam, or Steel yard, for weighing merchandise was set up. Foreigners who landed goods here were, between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, known as The Steelyard Merchants.
Gracechurch Street, formerly corrupted into “Gracious Street,” received its name from an old church standing in a grass market hereabouts. Fenchurch Street recalls the church in the fens, or marshy land, on the north bank of the Thames. Eastcheap was the eastern cheap or market, as distinguished from Chepe or Cheapside. Mincing Lane is a corruption of “Mynchen Lane,” denoting the tenements held by the minichery, a Saxon name for a nunnery, of St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate Street. Mark Lane was originally styled “Mart Lane,” from a fair held here from the earliest times. Blind Chapel Court, situated at the north-east corner of Mark Lane, carries the imagination back to “Blanch Appleton,” the documentary description of a white stone manor belonging to a knight named Appleton, in the reign of Richard II. In Rood Lane stood an ancient rood, or cross, representing the dying Saviour. Seething Lane is a corruption of Sidon Lane; and Billiter Street of Belzetti Street, commemorating the names of the original owners of, and builders upon, the land. The Minories marks the site of the Priory of the Minoresses, or Nuns of St. Clare (the Order founded in Italy, by St. Clare in 1212); corresponding to the Minims, or Lesser Friars, founded by St. Francis de Paula in 1453. Crutched Friars was the Priory of the Crutched, or Crossed, Friars of the Holy Trinity [see Religious Orders]. Aldgate received its name from the Ald Gate, the oldest of the City gates, taken down in 1760. Aldgate Pump, which stood beside the gate, still remains. George Yard was formerly the inn yard of “The George.” Duke’s Place preserves the memory of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, beheaded in 1572, who had inherited the property of the Crutched Friars by marriage.
Leadenhall Street derived its title from the Leadenhall Market, a corruption of “Leather Hall,” the leather-sellers’ market of olden times. St. Mary-Axe owes its name to the Church of St. Mary-Axe which stood in it [see the article “London Churches and Buildings”]. Throgmorton Street and Nicholas Lane were both named after Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, a wealthy London banker, and the head of an ancient Warwickshire family, said to have been poisoned by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1571. Threadneedle Street is a corruption of “Three-Needle-Street,” so called from the arms of the Needle Makers’ Company. Bartholomew Lane was designated after the Church of St. Bartholomew, at the back of the Royal Exchange. Lothbury was originally “Lattenbury,” inhabited by the workers in latten, a fine kind of brass or bronze, which formed an important industry in the Middle Ages. Cornhill was the ancient corn market. St. Michael’s Alley, where the first English coffee-house was opened, took its name from the neighbouring church. Finch Lane is properly “Finke Lane,” in honour of Sir Robert Finke, who built the Church of St. Bennet Finke, pulled down to enlarge Gresham’s Royal Exchange. Change Alley, a contraction of “Exchange Alley,” was in the year 1720 the busy centre of the South Sea Bubble. Birchin Lane is a corruption of “Birchover Lane,” named after the builder.
Lombard Street constituted the colony of the Jews of Lombardy sent over to England by Pope Gregory IX. for the purpose of advancing money to those who were unable to pay the taxes so rigorously demanded throughout the country in 1229. Austin Friars contained the Priory of the Austin, or Augustin Friars. Bishopsgate Street was designated after the strong gate built by the good Bishop Erkenwald, son of Offa, King of the Saxons; and repaired by Bishop William in the reign of William I. Great St. Helen’s comprises the ground anciently held by the Nuns of the Order of St. Helen. Devonshire Square, in this neighbourhood, marks the situation of the mansion of William Cavendish, second Earl of Devonshire, who died under its roof in 1628. Artillery Lane stands upon the old practising ground of the Tower Gunners prior to the seventeenth century. Houndsditch was the old ditch beyond the city wall, anciently considered by the inhabitants to be the proper depository for dead dogs. Bevis Marks is a corruption of “Bury’s Marks,” where stood the mansion and grounds of the Abbots of Bury. Petticoat Lane, also known as Rag Fair, is the central old clothes mart of the Jewish inhabitants of the metropolis. Wormwood Street and Camomile Street were so called on account of the herbs found growing among the Roman stones. London Wall defines the ancient boundary of Roman London. Barbican, a continuation of the old Roman Wall, is an English form of the Saxon burgh kennin, or postern tower. Here it was that the Romans placed sentinels by night and day to give notice of conflagrations in the City or of dangers from outside quarters. In Great Winchester Street stood the original Winchester House, built by the first Marquis of Winchester. Old Broad Street was in Elizabeth’s reign the most fashionable thoroughfare in London, containing the mansions of the wealthiest city merchants. Moorgate Street was so called from the gate that divided the City from the moor, comprising the borough of Finsbury. Beech Lane was designated after Nicholas de la Beech, Lieutenant of the Tower during the reign of Edward III. Cripplegate is the narrow thoroughfare anciently graced (or disgraced) by a stone gate which received its name from the beggars and cripples who congregated around it. This affection for the old gate on the part of the cripples may be explained by the circumstance that the neighbouring church was dedicated to St. Giles, the patron of cripples. Whitecross Street and Red Cross Street were respectively denominated from a white and a red cross of stone, which defined the boundaries of the land belonging to the Knights Templars and the Knights Hospitallers. Playhouse Yard reminds us that the old “Fortune Theatre” stood here. Jewin Street was for centuries the only burying-ground permitted to the Jews of London. Aldersgate Street took its name from the old City gate, distinguished for several alder-trees that grew beside it. In Bridgewater Square stood the mansion, destroyed by fire in 1687, of the Egertons, Earls of Bridgewater. Bartholomew Close marks the situation of the cloisters of St. Bartholomew’s Priory, of which the church still remains. Cloth Fair comprised the ancient rendezvous of the Flemish and Italian merchants for the annual sale of cloths. This was the real Fair, to which “Bartholomew Fair” was merely an adjunct designed for the amusement of the populace who came from all accessible parts of the country. Duke Street and Little Britain were so called because in olden times the Dukes of Brittany resided here. Newgate Street received its name from the latest of the City gates, which also lent its title to the gloomy prison hard by. Bath Street contained one of the Turkish Bagnios, or Baths, introduced in London as early as the year 1679. King Edward Street serves to remind us that the neighbouring Grammar School known as Christ’s Hospital was established by Edward VI. Giltspur Street, formerly styled Knightrider Street, was so called from the Knights, distinguished by their gilt spurs, who passed through it on their way to the tournaments in Smithfield. Pie Corner, where the great Fire of London ceased its ravages in 1666, derived its name from an eating-house that rejoiced in the sign of “The Magpie.” Farringdon Street and Farringdon Road perpetuate the memory of William Farrindon, citizen and goldsmith, who purchased the Aldermanry of the Ward still known by his name for twenty marks in 1279, and became Sheriff two years later. Saffron Hill owes its designation to the rich crops of saffron that grew on its site at the time when it formed the eastern portion of the grounds attached to Ely House, the London residence of the Bishops of Ely, which stood on the spot now marked by Ely Place, and bounded on the west by Hatton Garden; so called because, when the property became demised to the Crown, it was presented by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Christopher Hatton, who literally danced himself into Her Majesty’s favour. Snow Hill was formerly described as “Snore Hill,” from the fact that the stage-coach passengers intended for “The Saracen’s Head” were generally fast asleep when they arrived at their destination.
Holborn is a contraction of “The Hollow Bourne,” indicative of a stream in a hollow. In Domesday Book the name appears as “Holebourne.” Holborn Bars marks the City boundary on its western side. Leather Lane was the recognized colony of the leather-sellers. Fetter Lane is a perversion of “Fewtor’s Lane”—in other words, a lane infested by vagabonds in the days when it led to some pleasure gardens. The term was derived from the Norman-French faitour, signifying an evil-doer. Brooke Street (in which Chatterton, the boy-poet, ended his life by poison), and Greville Street preserve the name of Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke, Councillor to James I., whose house stood in the latter thoroughfare. Gray’s Inn Road forms the eastern boundary of Gray’s Inn. Verulam Buildings, Gray’s Inn, facing Gray’s Inn Road, received this title in honour of Lord Bacon, who was created Baron Verulam and Viscount St. Albans. Furnival Street, on the east side of Holborn Bars, owes its name to Furnival’s Inn, which it faces. Until quite recently this street was designated Castle Street, from the old “Castle Inn,” whose site it covers. The name of Dyers’ Buildings memorializes the one-time existence of some almshouse erected hereabouts by the Dyers’ Company. Cursitor Street received its title from the Cursitors’ Office founded in this vicinity by the father of the great Lord Bacon. The Cursitors were those who issued writs in the name of the Court of Chancery. The word cursitor is a corruption of chorister. Anciently all the officers of the Court of Chancery were divines; and the Lord High Chancellor himself was the Ecclesiastical Keeper of the King’s Conscience. Chancery Lane is a corruption of “Chancellor’s Lane,” originally containing the court and official residence of the Lord High Chancellor. Southampton Buildings occupy the site of Southampton House, which witnessed the death of Thomas, the last Earl of Southampton, Lord Treasurer of Charles II. Those sorry tenements, Chichester Rents supply the place of the old town mansion of the Bishops of Chichester. Lincoln’s Inn Fields are situated on the east side of the Inn, or mansion, of Henry de Lacey, Earl of Lincoln, in the fourteenth century [see Inns of Court]. Sardinia Street takes its name from the Sardinian Chapel, the oldest Roman Catholic chapel in London, dating back to the year 1648, and originally the residence of the Sardinian ambassador. Great Turnstile and Little Turnstile are pleasant-sounding names, eminently suggestive of the rural character of this neighbourhood in bygone days. The turnstiles were set up to prevent sheep and cattle from straying out of Lincoln’s Inn Fields into the public highway. Great Queen Street was so called in compliment to Queen Elizabeth, in whose reign it was first formed into a footway for pedestrians plodding westwards from Lincoln’s Inn towards the narrow path, anciently designated, as the modern street still is, Long Acre. The word Acre, derived from the Greek agros, Latin ager, and Anglo-Saxon acer, means a ploughed or sown field. Drury Lane derived its name from Drury House, the town residence of Sir William Drury, K.G., one of our most able commanders in quelling the wars with Ireland. The house was situated where the Olympic Theatre now stands. Denzil Street and Holles Street were so designated by Gilbert, Earl of Clare, whose house occupied the site of Clare Market, in memory of his uncle Denzil, Lord Holles, one of the five members of the House of Commons whose persons Charles I. made an ineffectual attempt to seize. Hart Street and White Hart Street both owe their titles to “The White Hart” Inn, demolished in the time of George I. Catherine Street, Strand, and Portugal Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, were designated in honour of Catherine of Braganza, queen of Charles II. Serle Street received its name from Henry Serle, a bencher of Lincoln’s Inn, who left considerable property in the parish of St. Clement-Danes when he died in 1690. Wych Street was known in early times as Aldwyche, denoting the road leading directly from the Strand and the church just mentioned to the “Old town,” now known as Broad Street, St. Giles’s parish. Holywell Street took its title from the Holy Well discovered on the eastern side of St. Clement-Danes.
The Strand literally means the strand of the Thames. At one time Somerset House and a few other princely mansions only occupied its southern side. Thanet Place, a secluded cul de sac comprising ten houses, opposite the Law Courts, was named after the Earl of Thanet, to whom, previous to 1780, the property belonged. Palsgrave Place was so called in compliment to the Palsgrave Frederick, King of Bohemia, who married the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of James I., in 1612. Devereaux Court received its title from Essex House, which also gave its name to Essex Street, the residence of Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, the Parliamentary General. Milford Lane was in olden times characterized by a rustic mill; and the lane itself led down to a ford across the river. Arundel Street, Norfolk Street, Surrey Street, and Howard Street, stand upon the site of the town house and grounds of the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk, and Earls of Arundel and Surrey. Savoy Street leads to the Chapel Royal, the only remaining portion of the ancient Savoy Palace [see Savoy Chapel]. Wellington Street, constructed in 1829-30, was named to complete the compliment partially bestowed upon the Duke of Wellington by the designation of Waterloo Bridge, opened June 18, 1817, or two years after the famous victory. Bow Street was so called on account of its bent shape when it was first laid out to connect the Strand with Oxford Street in 1637. Covent Garden is a corruption of Convent Garden, or the garden belonging to St. Paul’s Convent. York Street and James Street were both named in honour of the Duke of York, afterwards James II. King Street, constructed in his reign, was designated after Charles I., and Henrietta Street after his queen, Henrietta Maria. In Tavistock Street, Russell Street, Bedford Street, and Southampton Street, we trace some of the family titles of one of the ancestors of the present ground landlord, viz., Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, Marquis of Tavistock, Duke of Bedford, whose daughter is known in history as the celebrated Rachel, the wife of Lord William Russell, the patriot, beheaded in 1683. Southampton House, in which Lady Russell was born, stood in the street named after it. Bedfordbury originally denoted the enclosed property of the Bedford family. Maiden Lane was so styled on account of a statue of the Virgin that stood at the corner of this thoroughfare at the time when it skirted the south wall of the Convent Garden. Chandos Street received its name from James Bridges, Lord Chandos, the ancestor of the “Princely Duke of Chandos.” Exeter Street marks the situation of Exeter House and its grounds, the property of a lineal descendant of the great Lord Burleigh, after whom Burleigh Street was designated. Cecil Street and Salisbury Street, on the opposite side of the Strand, remind us that here stood Salisbury House, the residence of Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury, one of the sons of Lord Burleigh just alluded to.
Adelphi is the Greek word for brothers. This collective title was chosen for the pleasantly situated little district which comprises Adelphi Terrace, Adam Street, John Street, Robert Street, and James Street, the work of the brothers Adam, after whose Christian names three of the streets were designated. Similarly, George Street, Villiers Street, Duke Street, and Buckingham Street preserve the memory of George Villiers, second Duke of Buckingham, of whose mansion the old gate built by Inigo Jones may still be seen. Charing Cross is a perversion of “Chère Reine Cross,” so named from the memorial cross erected upon the spot where the body of Eleanor, the dear queen of Edward I., was last set down while on its way to Westminster Abbey. The present cross is merely a model of the original demolished by the Puritans in 1647. Craven Street is the property of Lord Craven. Northumberland Street and Northumberland Avenue owe their names to Northumberland House, the town mansion of the Dukes of Northumberland, taken down in 1874.
Trafalgar Square received its title from the Nelson Column, set up in 1843, two years before the Square itself was completed. St. Martin’s Lane was named after the parish church of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields. King William Street was built upon in the reign of William IV. The name of Seven Dials arose from a column set up at the diverging point of seven streets, and displaying as many clock faces. Its object was to mark the limits of St. Giles’s and St. Martin’s parishes. Cranbourne Street marks the course of a long, narrow bourne, or stream, that formerly ran from Tyburn by way of Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, and across Leicester Fields into Long Acre, and thence emptied itself into the Thames at the bottom of Milford Lane. The first portion of the name was in allusion to the long, slender neck and legs of the crane. Leicester Square (formerly denominated Leicester Fields) derived its name from Leicester House, the noble mansion built on its east side by Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester, in 1636. On the site of Coventry Street stood the mansion of Henry Coventry, Secretary of State in the reign of Charles II. Great Windmill Street reminds us of the old windmill that stood hereabouts a couple of centuries ago. It was not until January, 1831, that the hay market, properly so called, was removed from the spacious thoroughfare still known as the Haymarket. Jermyn Street was named after Henry Jermyn, Earl of St. Albans, whose residence, St. Alban’s House, stood on its north side. In Arundel Street we have one of the family titles of the ground landlord, Lord Arundel of Wardour. Orange Street was designated in honour of the Prince of Orange, afterwards William III. Panton Street perpetuates the memory of Colonel Thomas Panton, a notorious gamester, whose daughter married into the Arundel family. Suffolk Street marks the situation of the old town mansion of the Earl of Suffolk.
Spring Gardens, during the days of the Stuarts, contained an ingenious contrivance by which any person stepping upon a hidden spring was suddenly immersed in a shower of water. Pall Mall is a modern spelling of paille maille, the title of a French game at ball, somewhat similar to our croquet, first played in this thoroughfare—then open to St. James’s Park—about the year 1621. Carlton House Terrace stands on the site of Carlton House, the palace of Frederick, Prince of Wales, the father of George III. King Street, St. James’s Street, and St. James’s Square were designated in honour of James I. Bury Street is properly “Berry Street,” after the name of its builder.