Curiosities of Puritan NomenclatureBardsley, Charles Wareing Endell
History
Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature
Bardsley, Charles Wareing Endell
Names, Personal -- English
The mother of Silence Leigh, who was a widow when she married, was Silence
Beswicke ("Memorials of St. Ann, Manchester," p. 55).[43] The name is
found again in the register of Youlgreave Church, Derbyshire (_Notes and
Queries_, Feb. 17, 1877). Curiously enough, we find Camden omitting
Silence as a female name of his day, but inserting Tace. In his list of
feminine baptismal names, compiled in 1614 ("Remaines," p. 89), he has
"Tace--Be silent--a fit name to admonish that sex of silence."
Here, then, is another instance of a Latin name translated into English. I
have lighted on a case proving the antiquary's veracity:
"Here lieth the body of Tacey, the wife of George Can, of Brockwear,
who departed this life 22 day of Feb., An. Dom. 1715, aged 32
years."--Hewelsfield, Glouc.
Tace must have lasted a century, therefore. Silence may be set down to
some old Puritan stickler for the admonition of Saint Paul: "Let the woman
learn in silence, with all subjection" (1 Tim. ii. 11).
The Epistle to the Romans was a never-failing well-spring to the earnest
Puritan, and one passage was much applied to his present condition:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith unto this
grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And
not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and
experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed."--v. 1-5.
There is scarcely a word in this passage that is not inscribed on our
registers between 1575 and 1595. Faith, Grace, and Hope have already been
mentioned;[44] Camden testified to the existence of Tribulation in 1614;
Rejoice was very familiar; Patience, of course, was common:
"1592, July 7. Buried Patience Birche."--Cant. Cath.
"1596, Oct. 3. Baptized Pacience, daughter of Martin Tome."--St.
Columb Major.
"1599, April 23. Baptized Patience, d. of John Harmer."--Warbleton.
Even _Experience_ is found--a strange title for an infant.
"The Rev. Experience Mayhew, A.M., born Feb. 5, 1673; died of an
apoplexy, Nov. 9, 1758."
So ran the epitaph of a missionary (_vide_ _Pulpit_, Dec. 6, 1827) to the
Vineyard Island. It had been handed on to him, no doubt, from some
grandfather or grandmother of Elizabeth's closing days.
A late instance of _Diligence_ occurs in St. Peter, Cornhill:
"1724, Nov. 1. Buried Diligence Constant."
Obedience had a good run, and began very early:
"1573, Sep. 20. Bapt. Obedience, dather of Thomas Garding.
"1586, Aug. 28. Bapt. Obedyence, dather of Richard Ellis."--Warbleton.
"1697, April 30. Bapt. Robert, son of James and Obedience Clark."--St.
James, Picadilly.
Obedience Robins is the name of a testator in 1709 (Wills: Archdeaconry of
London), while the following epitaph speaks for itself:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account