Curiosities of Puritan NomenclatureBardsley, Charles Wareing Endell
History
Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature
Bardsley, Charles Wareing Endell
Names, Personal -- English
It is from the same register we obtain examples of an exhortatory name
known to have existed at this time, viz. "Be-thankful." A dozen cases
might be cited:
"1586, Feb. 6. Baptized Be-thankfull, the dather of Abell Tyerston.
"1601, Nov. 8. Baptized Be-thankfull, d. of James Gyles.
"1617, Nov. 27. Married Thomas Flatt and Be-thankefull Baker.
"1662, May 9. Buried Be-thankeful Giles."
Thus Miss Giles bore her full name for over sixty years: and, I dare say,
was very proud of it.[48]
Besides Be-thankful, there was "Be-strong:"
"1592, Nov. 26. Baptized Be-strong Philpott."--Cranbrook.
Many of the exhortatory names related to the fallen nature of man. One
great favourite at Warbleton was "Sin-deny." It was coined first by Heley,
the Puritan rector, in 1588, for one of his own daughters. Afterwards the
entries are numerous. Two occur in one week:
"1592, April 23. Baptized Sin-denye, d. of Richard Tebb.
" " 29. Baptized Sin-denye, d. of William Durant.
"1594, March 9. Baptized Sin-denye, d. of Edward Outtered."
This name seems to have been monopolized by the girls. One instance only
to the contrary can I find:
"1588, Feb. 9. Baptized Sin-dynye, sonne of Andrew Champneye."
Still keeping to the same register, we find of this class:
"1669, Jan. 21. Buried Refrayne Benny, a widdow.
"1586, May 15. Baptized Refrayne, dather of John Celeb.
"1586, April 24. Baptized Repent, sonne of William Durant.
"1587, July 16. Baptized Returne, sonne of Rychard Farret.
"1587, Aug. 6. Baptized Obey, sonne of Rychard Larkford.
"1587, Dec. 24. Baptized Depend, sonne of Edward Outtered.
"1588, Ap. 7. Baptized Feare-God, sonne of John Couper.
"1608, Aug. 14. Baptized Repent Champney, a basterd.
"1595. Maye 18. Baptized Refrayne, d. of John Wykes."
Many registers contain "Repent." Cranbrook has an early one:
"1586, Jan. 1. Baptized Repent Boorman."
_Abuse-not_ is quaint:
"1592, Sep. 17. Baptized Abuse-not, d. of Rychard Ellis.
"1592, Dec. 3. Baptized Abus-not, d. of John Collier."--Warbleton.
The last retained her name:
"1603, Maye 20. Buried Abuse-not Collyer."
Here, again, are two curious entries:
"1636, March 19. Baptized Be-steadfast, sonne of Thomas Elliard.
"1589, Nov. 9. Baptized Learn-wysdome, d. of Rychard Ellis."
These also are extracts from the Warbleton registers. None of them,
however, can be more strongly exhortatory than this:
"1660, April 15. Baptized Hate-evill, d. of Antony
Greenhill."--Banbury.
Doubtless she was related to William Greenhill, born 1581, the great
Puritan commentator on Ezekiel. This cannot be the earliest instance of
the name, for one Hate-evill Nutter was a settler in New England twenty
years before her baptism (Bowditch). I suspect its origin can be traced to
the following:--
"1580, June 25. Baptized Hatill (Hate-ill), sonne of Will{m}. Wood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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