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may mention that I once knew in one parish a Major Vidler, General 

 Beaton, and Admiral Parker, where these titles were the bond fide 

 Christian names of the parties. 



Simple historical names are much easier to trace. Such among the 

 Romans were Torquatus, Corvinus, Coriolanus, Africanus, Germanicus, 

 and others taking their rise from the circumstance of some well-known 

 battle or campaign. 



An account of some of these historical names may embalm a good 

 deal of useful history and pleasant anecdote. 



To take for instance, the family names of our kings of England : we 

 all know that the name of Plantagenet took its rise from the ancestors 

 of that family wearing as a badge the " planta genista" or broom plant, 

 though it is perhaps not so well known that some families of Broome 

 in the present day, claim to be direct lineal descendants of the old 

 Plantagenets. The name of Tudor again is merely a contraction of the 

 Christian name Theodore. " The father of Sir Owen Tudor who 

 married the widow of Henry V., was Meredith ap Tydur, Meredith the 

 son of Theodore." — Camden. 



The history of the name of Stewart I have already given. With 

 regard to the origin of the surname of our present royal family, Guelph 

 (the word itself meaning wolf), some very curious myths are related, 

 which however are quite as improbable and far-fetched as that which 

 derives Napier from " na-pier," " none equal." The names Grosvenor 

 and Spenser have akeady been noticed. John of Gaunt was so called 

 from the town of Ghent, while his son Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV.) 

 was named after his father's castle of Bolingbroke, in Lincohishire, in 

 which he was bom. The history of Sir Simon Lee, the companion of 

 the "ood Lord James Douglas, carrying the Bruce 's heart in a casket 

 secm-ed by a padlock, and so giving the name of Lockhart, together 

 with the arms of a heart and a fetterlock to his descendants, is well 

 knomi. One of the most curious histories of a name is given by 

 Camden in his learned " Treatise on Surnames," in reference to the 

 founder of the Grammar School at Newark. A foundling, who was 

 broucfht up by the good people of Newark, received from them the 

 somewhat whimsical name of " Tom among us." In after years, by an 

 easy transition, he converted this familiar appellation into the more 

 euphonius Thomas Magnus. He gradually rose in his profession, 

 which was that of a clergyman, became chaplain to Henry VIII., and 

 archdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire ; was employed as an 

 ambassador by Queen Elizabeth ; grew wealthy ; and in gratitude to 

 his towTismen, employed his riches in erecting and endowing a grammar 

 school for their benefit. 



