12 



hamlet. Hence it was more common in a flat country like Denmark 

 than in Norway or Iceland. And in our own district where as 

 usual in mountainous countries the population was sparse, the 

 word occurs but rarely, and only in the more flat part of the 

 country. I do not know of it in Cumberland, though in West- 

 morland we have Milnthorp, Hackthorpe, and Crackenthorpe. 

 Another word for a dwelling is bol, whence Bowness (formerly 

 Bolness) on the Solway, and Bowness on Windermere, from ness a 

 promontory. Bol is a contraction of boti, as found in A.S., and which 

 we have in the name of the village Bothel, which may be more 

 probably Anglo-Saxon. Such contractions as bol for botl were 

 much in favour among the Northmen, and it may probably be 

 from them that we derive similar contractions in our own dialect. 

 Some of you may perhaps remember the story, which I think 

 ought to be treasured as an example of Westmorland independence; 

 of the Prince of Wales at Grasmere. He happened, in the course 

 of his rambles, to disturb the sheep on one of the islands, upon 

 which the old woman in charge proceeded to give him " a bit of 

 her mind." "Don't you know it's the Prince of Wales?" whispered 

 one of the attendants. "And if it be the Prince of Wales," replied 

 the sturdy old dame, " he has nae business to mell wi' t' sheep," 

 a rebuke which I have no doubt the Prince took with his usual 

 good humour. But what I want to note is that mell for meddle is 

 a contraction of precisely the same kind as bol for botl. I shall 

 have to refer to it again in regard to the name of Keswick. 



There is in Cumberland a curious name, Unthank — and there is 

 another just outside the border near Langholm — which puzzled me 

 until I found it explained by Mr. Bradley. It is one which occurs 

 in various counties, and denotes the abode ot a squatter — from 

 A.S. unthances, "without leave," i.e., of the proprietor. 



An additional proof of the Scandinavian character of the district 

 is to be found in the many names of Northmen which are associated 

 with its place-names. For among the Northmen, as among the 

 Anglo-Saxons, the most common name by which a property could 

 be called was that of its owner. Now as a general rule Anglo- 

 Saxon and Scandinavian names march together, and thus there are 



