A Medium of Intercommunication FOR LITERARY MEN, GENERAL READERS, ETC. Copyrighted 1888, by W. S. and H. C. Walsh. Entered at Post-Office, Philadelphia, as Second-Class matter. $3.00 per year. $1.75, 6 months. Vol. I. No. 22. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1888. $1.00, 3 months. 10 cts per number. The AMERICAN NOTES AND QUERIES is published weekly by WILLIAM S. WALSH, 619 Walnut St., Philadelphia. Single copies sold, and subscriptions taken at the publisher's office. Also, by J. B. Lippincott Co., John Wanamaker, and the principal news-dealers in the city. New York: Brentano Bros. Boston: Damrell Wash Notes. SURNAMES. guished from classical, cannot be traced Surnames, in modern times as distinfarther back than the 10th century. The rationale of their origin is simple enough. So long as persons bore only single names, and these derived from a limited number of sources, as scripture or persons of emi& Upham (Old Corner Book-store). nence, there were fifty persons of the ington: A. S. Witherbee & Co. Chicago: same name in every little communityBrentano Bros. New Orleans: Geo. F. Johns, Roberts, Jameses, Richards, Wharton, 5 Carondelet Street. San Fran- Henrys, Edwards, etc. The device fallen. on to obviate confusion was natural cisco: J. W. Roberts & Co., 10 Post Street. and sanctioned by classical usage. was simply the addition of a distinguishing epithet, commonly noting some personal peculiarity or attribute, place of birth or residence, family cognizance or the like. William Rufus, Robert Curthose, Richard Coeur de Leon, Henry Plantaganet, Henry Beauclerc, Edward Longshanks, John Lackland, John of Gaunt, James Steward, Piers Plowman, Edward Confessor, Robert Butler, Allan o' Dale, Dick o' the Cleuch, Jock o' the Side, William the Fleming, are examples of distinctive titles crystalizing towards becoming surnames. When they descended from father to son and became hereditary independent of personal conditions, they grew into family names or surnames. Queries on all matters of general literary and historical interest-folk-lore, the origin of proverbs, familiar sayings, popular customs, quotations, etc., the authorship of books, pamphlets, poems, essays, or stories, the meaning of recondite allusions, etc., etc.—are invited from all quarters, and will be answered by editors or contributors. Room will be allowed for the discussion of moot questions, and it is hoped that the periodical may thus become a valuable medium for intercommunication between literary men and special ists. Many circumstances render it difficult Communications for the literary depart to trace surnames to their origin. First, ment should be addressed: EDITORS AMERICAN NOTES AND QUERIES, 619 Walnut St., Philadelphia. many were given on account of circumstances lost in oblivion; many were mere accidental nicknames. Second, many of the words on which surnames are based as with all the dialects, Keltic as well as have become less or more obsolete. English, that are or have been spoken in Fletcher and Lorimer, for example, are Britain. To such encyclopedic knowlknown to us only because they appear in edge we lay no claim. We merely atearly Norman literature, otherwise they tempt to refer a few common surnames to would be inexplicable. Similarly Todd classes, and in doing this we may state (fox), Beck (brook), compounds in Thorpe that we have consulted no directory or and Thwaite (both villages), are intelligi- other repertory of names, but simply ble only through dialects. Next, and taken such as suggest themselves as we most important of all, many names have write. become so changed and transmogrified Names derived from color of hair and through abbreviation, phonetie decay and complexion.-Brown, Brownie, Black, corruptions of all kinds, that in very Blackie, Blacklock, White, Whitelock, many cases it is not possible to recognize Whitehead, Reid, Read, Gray, Grey, Graythe original form. Such corruptions or son, Dow (Gæl. dhu, black), Roy (Gæl. contractions are McLaughlan into Claugh- red). rie; MacColumba into MacCallum, Mal- Place of birth or residence.-Wakefield, com; even Gledstane (the stone or rock Morton, Warwick, Galloway, Worcester, of the falcon) into Gladstone. How Fife, Winchester, Tweedale, Twaddell, variations in spelling, as Leigh, Leagh, Cumberland, York, Thornhill, Selkirk, Lea, Lee, have tended to increase the Roxburgh, Berwick, Lancaster, etc., etc. confusion needs only to be referred to. In connection with this it may be stated In old times every one spelled phonetically, that it is seldom large cities that appear and especially considered that he had a as surnames. Such would scarcely parright to spell his own name as he chose. ticularize sufficiently. Hence we have Shakespeare spelt his name forty-three few or no Londons, Manchesters, Liverdifferent ways; his friends gave it two pools, Edinburghs, etc. It is sometimes hundred and seventeen variations. From doubtful whether the personal name gave St. Cuthbert (the Cuddie of Scott), who rise to the place name or vice versa; e. g., gives name to Kirkcudbright,(pronounced Hamilton, Douglas. Connected with this Kircoobri,) we have Cuthbertson, Culber- class are Hill, Dale, Vale, Greene, River, son, Cubbieson, Cubson, Kuddison, Ked- Rivers, Brooke, Mount, Mountain, Beck, dison, Kidson, as well as McCubbin, Mc- Street. Kibbin, and we know not how many other names; from Richard we have Richardson, McRitchie, Ritchie, Dickie, Dickson, Dixon, Pritchard, etc. One other point we would notice before giving our brief list. Story etymologies, that is, stories fabricated to account for names, are as a rule, nonsense. We specify under this class Percy, explained as the sobriquet of an archer, who, on being asked how he killed a man, answered, "I pierced his eye;" Napier, as a Scotchman who had "næ peer;" Gordon, as that of a champion who said that he "gored his enemy down." Of course to be able to form an adequate conception in regard to the origin and meaning of British surnames, one would require to be familiar with ancient usages and modes of thought as well Bodily conformation.-Long, Short, Little, Crinckshank, Stout, Crum (crooked), Cameron (wry-nose), Hand, Head, Foote, Leg, Legge, Armstrong. Manner and disposition.-Smart, Still, Stillie, Swift, Quick, Bold, Derring, Hardy, Hardie, Slowe. Occupation.-Bowman, Archer, Fletcher, Lorimer, Saddler, Taylor, Hunter,Clothier, Carpenter, Joiner, Wright, Wrightson, Mason, Smith, Smithson, Carter, Clerk, Clarke, Clarkson, Falconer, Fowler, Chamberlain, Marshal, Butler, Butcher, Brazier, Brewster, Webster, Weaver, Merchant. Country.-English, Inglis, Scott, Fleming, Holland, French, Mounsey (monsieur), Walsh, Welsh, Wallace, Irish, Ireland. Patronymic.-Thomson, Jackson, Johnson, Johnstone, Johnston, Jonson, Harrison, Jamieson, Lawrence, Lawson, Rich Animals.-Lowrie (epithet of the fox), Lawrie, Laurie, Todd, Lion, Lyon, Bear, Wolf (Guelph), Hawke, Eagle, Lamb, Stag, Roe, Buck, Hare, Doe, Bull, Bird, Cowe, Cowie, Foxe, Fish, Salmon, Trout, Pickerel, Herring. ardson, Ritchie, Dickie, Dickson, William- rises boldly from a glen, called the Ilsenson, Willison, Wilson, Robertson, Robison, thal, in the Hartz Mountains. This deep Robson, Robb, Robbie, Mitchel (Michael), vale is enclosed on both sides by mounMitchelson, Benjamin, Benson. Under tains clad with beech-trees, oaks, and this head fall in the infinite variety of shrubs, from whose shady depths a mulnames beginning with Gaelic Mac, Irish titude of springs leap forth and unite to O, Welsh Ap and P (from map), and Nor- form the Ilse, a brook that, with innuman Fitz; MacDonald, O'Hara, Apjohn, merable little waterfalls, ripples down the Pritchard, Price (from Aprhys, son of the glen and round the base of the great cliff King), Lloyd (Aployd), Powell (Apowel to which it gives name. Owen), Fitzgerald, Fitzroy. Tradition says that on this rock once Station.-Noble, Rich, King, Earl, stood an enchanted castle, in which the Duke, Knight, Baron, Barron, Gentle, Princess Ilse dwelt with her father, a Gentleman, Gillie (servant), Gillies, Gil- giant of supernatural power. On the christ (servant of Christ), Kilpatrick Westenberg, a height opposite the Ilsen(may be servant of Patrick or a place- stein, was also a castle, in which dwelt name from his cell), Abbot, McNabb (son the brave Knight whom she loved deof the abbot), McPherson (son of the votedly. In those days there was priest). chasm between the cliffs, and despite the behests of her tyrannous father, who forbade all intercourse, the lovers met daily. The parent, furious on discovering their meetings, struck the rock a mighty blow and split it in two, thus forming the glen through which a streamlet began to flow and separating the lovers. In despair at this conclusion to her hopes, Ilse cast herself from the rock into the water below, which from that time bore her name. Formerly she might be seen daily deStones and gems.-Diamond, Pearl, scending to a rock close to the second Flint, Stone, Craig, Rock, Roche, Jasper. Ilse-bridge, on which was a hollow conIn conclusion let me say that the clan taining water for her bath, sometimes apsystem, especially in Scotland, has popu- pearing in a long white robe and a broad larized a great number of noble names, black hat in token of her grief for her just as slavery spread the names of the lost love. The stone is unfortunately no leading families in the South. In a dis- longer there, and she is no more seen in trict of Virginia known to us nearly a the vale. Her last appearance is said to third of the negroes are called Carter, have been 300 years ago, on Ascension from the old family of that name. So in Day. In commemoration of this a festiScotland there are Campbells, Camerons, val was wont to be held on every anniMacdonalds, Stewarts, Hamiltons, Scotts, versary of the event, when two bands of etc., innumerable, for the whole clan had music-one on the Ilsenstein and the to take the name of its chief. This was not nearly so much the case in England, so that the names DeVere, Cavendish, Grosvenor, De la Warre, still infer "gentle birth." Flowers.-Rose, Lilly, Lillie, Gowan, Gowans, Marigold, Daisy, Mallow, Heath, Pink, Primrose, Broom (?). Metals.-Gold, Goldie, Silver, Iron, Irons, Ironside, Steele. THE LEGEND OF THE PRINCESS ILSE. This Princess is the spirit of the Ilsenstein, an enormous granite rock which other on the Westenberg (where the enchanted Knight is still confined)—discoursed music to the crowds that assembled to celebrate the day. The general belief is that the Princess will mount to Heaven on an Ascension Day, and it is only a few years since the peasants waited the event from hour to hour. Even yet the day is held so sacred, that it is thought that any one who takes occasion to sew or mend on it runs the a punishment for his avidity and ingratirisk of being struck by lightning. In the meantime Ilse is believed to be shut up in the Ilsenstein, and Gottscholk says that "he who is so fortunate as to hit upon the exact place and time will be led by her into the rock wherein stands her castle and will receive a royal reward." Heine affirms that when he stood on her rock, he heard a sweet voice like a flute singing: "I am the Princess Ilse, And dwell in Ilsenstein; Thou shalt be blest-and mine." near On the tower-like summit of the Ilsenstein stands a great iron cross, which is a space on the edge of the cliff, just large enough to afford a footing. Heine counsels any one who stands there to think neither of the fair Ilse nor of her lover, but-of his own two feet, "for," he says, "overcome by giddiness, I should surely have fallen into this abyss, had I not, in the dire distress of my soul, clung fast to the cross." To appreciate the grim humor of this one must know that Heine was a Jew. tude. Thorpe tells another story of a stable-boy, who, having lost two of his steeds, sat down on the Ilsenstein to weep. The Princess Ilse appeared and, conducting him within the rock, produced the missing animals. Overjoyed at their recovery, the boy was about to lead them away, but she detained him, saying he could not have the horses, but she would pay him their value in gold. She accordingly filled his wallet, cautioning him not to open it until he had crossed the third Ilse-bridge. But his curiosity mastered him at the second bridge, and he opened the wallet and found only dirt. Disgusted, he flung a handful into the stream, but hearing it clink as it touched the bottom, he examined what remained and found a mass of genuine pistoles. Other myths cluster round the mystic rock, but our space and our readers' patience admonish us to stop. THE ENGLISH COURT OF EXCHEQUER. This is a very ancient English lawcourt, known in the days when Late or Low Latin was the language of statutes In discussing the virtues of the divin- and law-treatises as the "Aula Regia ad ing-rod, Kelly tells a tale of the Ilsen- Scaccarium" or "The Royal Court at the stein. A shepherd who was one day driv- Chequer-table," scaccus (Italian scacco) ing his flock over the Ilsenstein, being being the Late-Latin name for the square weary, stopped to rest. While thus stand- of a chequer-board, or for the board ing and leaning on his staff the mountain itself. "This court," says Blackstone, "is suddenly opened (for there was a spring- a very ancient court of record, set up by wort in the crook of his staff which he William the Conqueror as a part of the had not noticed) and the Princess Ilse Aula Regia, though regulated and restood before him. She bade him follow duced to its present order by Edward I. her, and when they were inside the moun- It has its name, Exchequer, from the tain, she led him to her coffers and invited cloth, checked so as to resemble a chesshim to take all the gold he wanted. The board, which covers the table there, and shepherd filled his pockets liberally and on which, when the King's accounts are was about to depart, when the Princess made up, the sums are computed by called after him, "Forget not the best." means of counters, being afterwards scored Thinking he had not taken enough, he on tallies. This court was intended prinreturned and filled his hat also. But what cipally to order the revenues of the crown she referred to was his staff with its and to recover the King's debts and duties. springwort, whose virtues had opened the It consists of two divisions, the 'Receipt' mountain and discovered the hidden of the Exchequer which manages the treasures, and which he had stood against royal revenue, and the Court' or judicial the wall on coming in. And now when part of it which is again subdivided into he tried to go out, the walls suddenly a Court of Equity and a Court of Common slammed together and cut him in two as Law." "The Scaccarium" says a now old authority, "was the table at which shcal, the money taken over and the paythe sheriffs or officers charged with ment marked on the roll, and the sheriffs' the computation and care of the royal responsibility for the year ceased. The revenue sat, and by aid of which they cloth was then swept for fresh calculamade their calculations. It was four-cor- tions. All debts due to the crown were nered, about 10 feet by 5, with a standing settled in a similar way. ledge or rim all round to prevent any- The ground-work of the cloth was, as thing falling off. Upon this board was already said, originally black, but in the laid a cloth (bought in Easter Term) of a old Exchequer Court at Westminster, beblack color, but rowed with streaks about fore the coronation of George IV., the a span apart like a chess-board, the com- table was some 10 feet square, covered putations being made by means of coun- with a white woollen cloth with stripes ters placed on the checks or squares." The of dark blue, making white checks of 4 results were recorded by notches or inches square, and blue of 3. In Dublin scores on sticks called tallies, each such the table of the Exchequer Court is covscore indicating twenty, hence the word ered with a checkered black and white score for twenty. cloth. A remarkable casualty associates itself with these venerable ledgers, the tallysticks. In the year 1834 the accumulation of them was ordered to be burned as useless lumber, and the person entrusted with the duty carelessly set fire to them in the apartment in the Parliament build ings in which they were kept. The consequence was that the fire spread, seized on the building and consumed the whole structure, the new Houses of Parliament being erected on the old site. Before the introduction of Arabic nu- The use of tallies in connection with merals, summing was a difficult process the exchequer, and the mode of computaand the checkered table was an indispen- tion associated with them, was abolished sable assistant. The computation, as the by the statute 23 George III., C. 82. above indicates, was made by counters, the methods, however, differing according to the arrangement of the squares. One method was to use the first line for units, the second for tens, the third for hundreds, the fourth for thousands, the fifth for tens of thousands, the sixth for hundred of thousands. The counters were sometimes struck in monasteries by the monks, and such are still known as "Abbey Pieces." Before counters came into use stones, called by the Romans calculi, were employed for counting, hence our word calculation. In a bas-relief on on the Capitol of Rome is seen an Abacus or counting-table, upon which are placed rows of counters. It is interesting to note that the use of the chequer-table for calculating accounts was by no means confined to government transactions. Borough and other corporations also employed it, as well as larger Every Easter the royal Chamberlain's business houses. Thus in "Journal of the clerk or "tallymaker" gave to each of Proceedings of Corp. of Boston," under the sheriffs a tally, scored with notches date 1556, we find it recorded: "Resolved, representing the sum for which he was That neither any of the 12 (aldermen), or answerable. Every Michaelmass the of the 18 (common councillors) shall sheriffs brought back their tallies and touch the check-table, under a fine of 12d. paid in the money due, the "calculator" for each transgression." counting the cash by ranging it in heaps In reference to the etymology of check, on the divisions of the cloth-pence to cheque-the stem of exchequer-etymolothe extreme right, then shillings, then gists are pretty well agreed in referring pounds, then tens of pounds, hundreds, it to old French eschec, eschac, or check at thousands, and so on. If the sums agreed chess, pl. eschecs, a game at chess, and this with the scores marked on the tally-sticks though Italian scacco, a check, to Persian they were said to tally (hence the word), shah, a king, the powerful piece in the and the tally was accepted by the Mare- game, whence shah-mát, check-mate (from sháh and mát, dead), the King is dead. |
