On Proper Names, jJSl 



are very usual names, though not so frequent as the others. 

 The arts or trades of later introduction, it may be remarked, 

 are never found amongst sirnames. Thus we never hear of 

 ' Printer, Jeweller j Engraver, Milliner, Engineer. The term Spin- 

 ner, at a time when nearly every family supplied its own garments, 

 would not have furnished a designation sufficiently distinctive, 

 and does not occur, though we find Spinster. It appears some- 

 what unaccountable that we find no sirname expressive of the 

 trade of shoemaker, though that handicraft is found in every 

 village. It may be remarked, however, that the shoe, or cover- 

 *iifgfor the foot, was, some centuries ago, of so rude a form, 

 and of such inartificial construction, especially amongst the 

 lower classes, that it was commonly manufactured at home, and 

 aid not furnish a distinct occupation. It is observable, more- 

 over, that the name of Cordener, visibly from the French Cor^ 

 donniery is found in the south and east of England ; and the 

 *iiame of Sutor, from the Latin, occurs in the north ; but these 

 are probably of recent introduction. It has also been remarked, 

 as a singularity, that though we have Clerk and Leach, to de- 

 isignate two of the three learned professions, we have none to 

 express Lawyer. But the word Clerk was abundantly em- 

 ployed, especially in the north, to express Lawyer as well as 

 Priest, and this may account for the extreme frequency of that 

 ^rname. 



^ The THIRD principal class of English names consists of what 

 may be termed patronymics, or names derived from the parent. 

 The most common of these are taken from the contractions, 

 diminutives, or familiar appellatives of Christian names, with 

 the addition of son : as Jackson, Thomson, Wilson, Dickson, 

 Betson, MoUison, Megson, and a multitude of others. There 

 is also a large class taken from reo;ular or written Christian 

 11^^, as Richardson, Williamson, Robertson, Johnson, Tho" 

 mason, AUanson. To many of the Christian names is sub- 

 joined the Saxon epithet, kin or kins, a diminutive expres- 

 sive of littleness or childhood : thus we have Wilkins, young 

 or little Will; Dickins, or little Dick ; Jenkins, or little John; 

 Hodgkins, or little Hodge: and the appellative was again 

 transmitte4 j^.tfeine^t generation, as Wilkinson, the son of 

 Iktle Will; Dickinson, Watkinsout &c. We have also aeon- 



