[39] _Melior_ was a favourite:-- "1675, April 15. Baptized Melior, d. of Thomas and Melior Richardson."--Westminster Abbey. "1664-5, Feb. 22. William Skutt seeks renewal of a wine licence, which he holds in behalf of his mother-in-law, Melior Allen, of Sarum, at L10 a year."--"C. S. P. Dom." "1552, July 11. Baptized Mellior, d. of John James."--St. Columb Major. [40] "1661, Sep. 6. Baptized Faith Dionis, Charity Dionis, Grace Dionis, three foundlings."--St. Dionis, Backchurch. The _Manchester Evening Mail_, March 22, 1878, says, "At Stanton, near Ipswich, three girls, having been born at one birth, were baptized Faith, Hope, and Charity." [41] Constance had been an old English favourite, its nick and pet forms being Cust, or Custance, or Cussot (_vide_ "English Surnames," p. 67, 2nd edition). The Puritan dropped these, but adopted "Constant" and "Constancy." The more worldly, in the mean time, curtailed it to "Con." [42] Sophia did not come into England for a century after this. But, while speaking of Greek names, the most popular was Philadelphia: "1639, May 3. Buried the Lady Philadelphia Carr."--Hillingdon, Middlesex. "1720, Aug. 6. Married William Adams and Philadelphia Saffery."--Cant. Cath. "1776, Jan. 5. Buried Philadelphia, wife of John Read."--Blockley, Glouc. Whether Penn styled the city he founded after the Church mentioned in the Apocalypse, or after a friend or kinswoman, or because, interpreted, it was a Quaker sentiment, I cannot say. But Philadelphia, in James I.'s reign, had become such a favourite that I have before me over a hundred instances, after no very careful research. None was needed; it appears in every register, and lingered on into the present century. [43] "1658. Mr. Charles Beswicke, minister of the parish ch. of Stockport, and Sylance Symonds, d. of Mr. Robert Symonds, of Daubever, co. Derby, published March 28, April 4 and 11, 1658."--Banns, Parish Church, Stockport. This Silence was either mother or grandmother to Silence Thyer, but I am not sure which is the relationship. If grandmother, then there must have been three generations of "Silences." [44] "I myself have known some persons in London, and other parts of this kingdom, who have been christened by the names of Faith, Hope, Charity, Mercy, Grace, Obedience, Endure, Rejoice, etc."--Brome's "Travels in England," p. 279. [45] Repentance lingered longer than I thought. In the churchyard of Mappowder, Dorset, is a tombstone to the memory of "Repentance, wife of," etc. She died within the last twenty years. There is no doubt that these names found their latest home in Devon and Dorset. The names in Mr. Blackmore's novels corroborate this. [46] This is another case of a Puritan name that got into high society. Accepted Frewen died an archbishop; Humble Ward became first Baron Ward. His daughter Theodosia married Sir Thomas Brereton, Bart.