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diction of the Mark Courts, until the abolition of feudal 

 services, by the act of Charles II. Mr. Kemble quotes 

 a striking example of the Mark jurisdiction in the Court 

 of Dens, in the County of Kent. On the borders of Kent 

 and Sussex, between Hythe and Maidstone, we find multi- 

 tudes of places ending in den and Imrst, forming a belt 

 of Mark or forest round the cultivated country : Tenter- 

 den, Bethersden, Horsmonden, Hawkhurst, Ticehurst, Pens- 

 hurst, etc. To settle the conflicting claims of parties 

 within the Mark, who had common rights in the dens, 

 and owed suit and service, this court was held, and con- 

 tinued in full vigour, a fine old specimen of our Saxon 

 institutions, down to the time of Charles II. 



But there are other illustrations of the ancient Mark 

 settlements. In the paper on geographical proper names, 

 by Dr. Hume, before referred to, the primary source of 

 topographical names is very properly attributed to the 

 desire to perpetuate the name of an individual or of a race. 

 This exists at the present day, to the fullest extent, in the 

 naming of new settlements, and, doubtless, existed to at 

 least as great an extent in ancient times. The conquests of 

 these tracts of country would be, of necessity, made under 

 a leader. If the tribe were cognate in blood, recognising a 

 common kinsmanship or sibsceafby and bearing one common 

 name, such name would, undoubtedly, be given to the primary 

 settlement of the Mark. If the tribe were not cognate, the 

 name of the successful leader would be the most natural to be 

 given. In many cases where kindred was claimed with Odin 

 and Thor, the warrior gods, their names would be applied to 

 places as they have been to days of the week. The Saxon 

 patronymics usually ended in ingy being the noun in the 

 genitive plural. Now, we find many of the names of the old 

 Saxon warriors thus applied in positions precisely such as 

 would arise under the circumstances alluded to. The Bar- 

 lings, the Woelsings, the Warings, are commemorated in the 



