94 



understood, and mistakes and errors in the very documents 

 from which our information is drawn. 



It is not my intention, this evening, to launch upon the 

 wide ocean of Saxon antiquities. I merely wish to draw 

 your attention to a particular branch of the general subject, 

 which, if properly explored and carried out, would, I think, 

 be attended with very interesting results. It h^ sugges- 

 ted itself to my mind, that the Saxon nomenclature of 

 the townships, villages, and surface of the country generally, 

 would, if thoroughly analysed and studied upon a system, 

 throw much light upon the early settlement of the country 

 by our forefathers. A most interesting paper was read a 

 short time since, in this room, by a talented member of 

 this society (the Eev. Dr. Hume), "On the Philosophy of 

 Geographical Names.^' It was shown that certain names of 

 places, in England especially, are of very frequent occurrence. 

 The Newtons, the Easthams, the Westons, the Nortons, 

 the Suttons, meet us in every county and on every side. 

 This occurs so repeatedly, as to indicate either an ex- 

 tremely barren vocabulary in the first settlers, or that some 

 system is involved which we are not fully acquainted with. 

 I believe that the latter is the true solution, and that, 

 when properly examined, a very significant and interesting 

 illustration of the origin of the various Saxon settlements 

 in England will be afforded from this source. 



Rightly to understand this subject, it will be necessary to 

 inquire a little into the framework of Anglo-Saxon society, 

 and into the tenure by which the land was held. 



All the Teutonic social institutions are based as a first 

 principle on the possession of land. The earliest trustworthy 

 notices of these communities are derived from the laws of the 

 Salic Franks. "A villa amongst them was entirely the pro- 

 perty of the inhabitants, and no stranger could settle within 

 its boundaries, unless with the consent of the whole incorpora- 

 tion."* The chief officer of this little community was called 



* Palgrave, p. 83. 



