Origins of English Pub Names , livre ebook

Andrews UK - Anthony Poulton-Smith

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English

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Have you ever wondered how England's pubs got their names? How did some of the more weird and wonderful ones come into being? What is the history behind such names as Blink Bonny, Bucket of Blood, Lamorna Wink and My Father's Moustache?England's pubs have always been at the heart of the community they serve and their names are instantly recognisable, even when taken out of context. Coming almost from a language of their own, these names all have an origin and a meaning, with such diverse beginnings as heraldic imagery, religion, advertising, location, wildlife, humour and persons of note.Origins of English Pub Names features some of the most obscure names, alongside one or two well-known favourites such as the Red Lion and the Dukes Head, and is a must-have for all those interested in learning a little of the history behind their local.This fascinating book will appeal to historians and etymologists everywhere and, indeed, anyone who has enjoyed a lazy afternoon in a pub and, perhaps, contemplated the origin of its name.

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Reino Unido

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United Kingdom

Great Britain

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Publié par	Andrews UK
Date de parution	03 mai 2018
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781911476399
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	8 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Origins of English Pub Names
A fascinating and informative look into their origins and meanings
By Anthony Poulton-Smith

Publisher Information
First published as an eBook in 2018 by Apex Publishing Ltd
12A St. John’s Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 4BP, United Kingdom
www.apexpublishing.co.uk
Please email any queries to: mail@apexpublishing.co.uk
Digital edition converted and published by Andrews UK Limited in 2018
www.andrewsuk.com
Copyright © 2018 Anthony Poulton-Smith
The author has asserted his moral rights
Cover design: Hannah Blamires
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that no part of this book is to be reproduced, in any shape or form. Or by way of trade, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser, without prior permission of the copyright holder.

Introduction
Pub names are derived from the English language but seem to have a dialect all of their own. Cracking the codes and imagery will show a little more of the history of the place and the locality than we could ever imagine.
Although it may seem odd, the inn sign pre-dates the first recognisable inns in this country by a significant period of time. Once upon a time, every family brewed their own ale. It made sense as the water could rarely be trusted to be safe to drink and the boiling part of the brewing process effectively sterilises the liquid. In order to earn a copper or two, some settlements would offer some of the brew to travellers on the road. Such refreshment, perhaps accompanied by a hunk of bread and pottage or similar, brought much-needed revenue to the household. We are not talking about the larger communities where the main road ran straight through the village but more isolated communities.
Yet these services would have to be advertised as any well-worn path was unlikely to run past the front door. Hence, to draw attention to the home brew, a sheaf of barley would be tied to a prominent tree. The bole of a large tree with its lower branches removed would be noticeable enough. With a sheaf of barley tied at, or just above, eye level, they would be guaranteed to receive a thirsty guest or two before long. These marked and still-living trees were known as ale stakes and are easy to see as the forerunner of the modern pub sign. This is how the logical order of pub - name - sign was, in reality, quite the reverse.
In later years, landlords and owners were quick to realise the sign was the advertising hoarding of its day. Just as modern advertisers use humour and eye-catching imagery to give their product any edge over the competition, so early inns employed every trick they could think of to bring in the customers. There was one big difference, however. Today we read the name, yet literacy is a fairly modern development and our forefathers will have had to recognise the image on the sign and be able read the message it contained.
As the centuries passed a central core of pub names developed, instantly recognisable as a reference to an inn - for example the Red Lion would never be taken literally. There are also those rare, even unique, names that have a story to tell. In the following pages these pub names are listed alphabetically, with explanations. These names come from a surprising number of areas, as we shall see as we journey through a selection of pub names - some among the most common, while others are not only unique but have a story to tell.

A Bit on the Side
Humour is never far away when naming public houses and here we see a name most often used for an annex or when an extension has been added to an existing pub. Such are often used to increase the area given over to dining and, once again, the name is suitable as it can also refer to condiments, sauces and other side dishes. Of course, the most common use of the phrase is to refer to a lover of a married man or woman.

Aboard Inn
A Cumbrian pub name defined in several ways, indeed even the name itself is disputed. Normally referred to as the Aboard Inn, the sign appears to show the name as the A Board Inn and the black and white squares on the tabletop clearly show the painter interpreted this as an indication of a board game being played within. Others suggest this should be a’Board, said to be a term for ‘intoxicating liquor’ but this has received little support. Perhaps this points to a place with board and lodgings, yet this seems unlikely. Most promising is the suggestion this invites us to ‘come aboard’, a likely meaning should this have been coined by a man with links to the sea.

Admiral Byng
A naval man who had his home at Wrotham Park, not far from this Potters Bar establishment. Soon after arriving here he was dragged before Royal Navy representatives to account for the failure of the Minorca campaign. He was held to blame for the debacle and shot.

Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis
Opened as the Cork and Bottle, in Southampton’s Eastern Docks, it is today named after the man who was to become Admiral of the Fleet, chosen to lay the foundation stone for the tidal dock in Southampton on 12 October 1838.

Aleppo Merchant
Numerous explanations have been proposed for this pub in Carno, Powys. Among these examples of creative etymology is the idea it refers to a pudding created in the Syrian city of Aleppo. The ship depicted on the sign is the SS Aleppo , a steamer of the Cunard line. This can also be dismissed for that vessel launched in the early 19 th century, more than two centuries after the licence was first granted to sell spirits.
The history of the place is sketchy, a fire in the 19 th century destroyed valuable records which would help to explain this unique name. Yet this seems to refer to the man who worked for the Mercer’s Company, John Matthews, born around the end of the 16 th century. He took wool and linen from Britain and travelled to the Middle East, returning with spices, cotton and silks from his business contacts in the city of Aleppo, Syria.
By the time he came to the village of Carno, making his way to his home town of Llangollen, he was a very wealthy man indeed. It was here he met a young lady, a member of a family of farmers named Wilson. He stayed for a time but, finding farming an unrewarding occupation, turned the farmhouse into the inn, obtaining the licence in 1632. Whatever he planned to do here is not clear, he died just eight years later.
In his will he left the inn and licence to the Wilson family. It remained in their possession for a remarkable 307 years. His will survives, showing what monies and property he bequeathed to his family and includes a charitable trust which is still realising funds. Whilst John Matthews worked for the Mercer’s Company, it seems the Aleppo Merchant must have had dealings outside those of his official channels for he amassed a personal wealth the equivalent of £8 million today.

Alfred Herring
At Palmers Green this takes the name of Second Lieutenant Alfred Herring, awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism in France during the latter months of the First World War. Joining the army in 1916, he lived in the nearby family home.

Alice Lisle
At Rockwood, in Hampshire, is the sole example of a pub, or indeed anything, with the name of Lady Alice Lisle. She is remembered for being the last woman in Britain to be executed publicly.
Her story starts with the Monmouth Rebellion, a plot to overthrow the Roman Catholic James II. The plot ended following their defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor, Somerset, in 1685. More than 1,000 of Monmouth’s supporters were taken prisoner, sent to Winchester and were tried at the infamous Bloody Assizes. Many were transported, the ringleaders drawn and quartered.
Among those on trial was Alice Lisle, husband of Sir John Lisle who had left her a widow the previous year and who was one of the judges at the trial of Charles I. She was charged with harbouring two known supporters of Monmouth: Nonconformist minister John Hickes and leading figure Richard Nelthorpe. They were here just one night and all arrested next morning. Alice was certainly more of a Royalist than her husband, although her religious beliefs were likely to make her sympathetic towards the Catholics.
At her trial there was clearly more than a little concern that this woman of 68 years should stand before them. The charge of treason was levelled at all and, those found guilty, faced the same sentence - death by burning. While the jury were reluctant to find her guilty the bullying of Judge Jeffries left them no real alternative. A week later she learned her sentence of burning had been amended to beheading as befitted her position - the Stewart idea of mercy.

Amber Rooms
Among the most creative of modern pub names, this Loughborough pub occupies the site of the town’s electricity works. The word ‘electricity’ is derived from the Greek ‘elektron’ which did not mean ‘electricity’ but ‘amber’, hence the pub name.

Anchor Made Forever
Not so much one name for this pub in Bristol, this really represents two names with very different origins.
When this pub was first opened, in the middle of the 18 th century, it was named after the local coal mine which had the unofficial name of Made Forever. It is held this term was coined by those who first discovered this seam, generally held to be Me