The English Place-Name Society volume for Essex, p.182, gives as the source Benton, P. History of Rochford Hundred, (1878-88). An edition dated 1867 p.140 says that “”Biggles Bush” commonly called Beggars-bush, was formerly the property of the late Joseph Smith, who was buried at Hadleigh. He built the present house and premises. His successor was Sir John Jacob Hasler, knight, and his executors sold the estate in 1868”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 8th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Eastwood, Essex | No Comments »
One of three named wells in Goodmanham, the others being Lady Well, and St Helen’s Well. Marked on OS map, beside an old green track, which follows the path of the Wold’s Way. The water issues from the slope and suns over a sandy bed to a nearby stream. No signs of stones or steps. “There is an old and venerable bush on the bank above but why it was called Beggars Bush no-one seems to know”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 8th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Goodmanham, Yorkshire | No Comments »
Terriers of the Manor of Pirton Doddingsales for 1664 and 1693 (HALS DE17 & DE19) both include the description “the way that leadeth to Beggar’s Bush” which ran through the common Windmill Field. The site appears to be in the middle of a large exposed open field, close to the site of a windmill. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 8th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Hertfordshire, Pirton | No Comments »
The 1688 Thomas Hill map of Birchington, drawn for John Bridges when he bought Church Hill Farm in Birchington in 1688 shows Baggers Bush as hedge feature along the south west boundary of a field named Bunum Shott with an area 6 acres 2 rods 14 perches on the west edge of village. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 5th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Birchington, Kent, Minster in Thanet, charity | No Comments »
A deed dated 1566 records, 1a. At Fyldes Court Wood, ½a. At Dunstreet Way, 1 rood “called Begars Busshe lying to the King’s highway towards the South, to the lands of Robert Alcok towards the East and West and to the lands of Robert Spracklyng twoards the North”. The seller is Henry Pettit of Birchington, probably the Henry Pettit, son of John, born before 1523 at Birchington who died in 1568, though possibly the Henry Pettit, son of Valentine, born about 1520 at Dent-de-Lion, Margate. The purchaser is “Galfride Sandwell” of “Mynster”. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 1st, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Acol, Birchington, Kent, Minster in Thanet, early sites | No Comments »
This example is unusual because it contains a naming story that is almost contemporaneous, and very close to first hand. It illustrates how place names may be given through trivial incidents. Although this one did not survive into official records, such naming by landowners or those associated with them could easily transfer into and be perpetuated by paper records. It is also unusual as it occurs during a period when there were few uses of the phrase in literary works. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 25th, 2011 | Filed under: Places | Tags: Coldharbour, Embleton, Izaak Walton, Northumberland, bush, derogatory, naming story | No Comments »
“Like the grave Senators of Beggars-Bush; with Poverty, sole Empresse . . . [and] . . . thou, whose potent Oratory. Makes Beggars-Bush admire thy eloquent story . . . “
A Pleasant Comedie, Entitled Hey For Honesty, Down With Knavery, translated out of Aristophanes his Plautus, was first published in 1651. The text is from Act 3 Scene 1 of this very loose translation. This is the standard literary usage. Beggars Bush is a metaphorical location, the Senators are ironic. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 25th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Ben Jonson, Literary, Thomas Randoplh | No Comments »
The Dialogue of Silvynne and Peregrynne contains the earliest literary reference to an identified contemporaneous location, at Philipstown, (now Daingean), County Offally, Ireland;
“Then they passed aloofe for feare of the greate ordynaunce of the forte, which dismayed them mightely, but yet they burned the moste parte of the subberbs withowt the north gate called beggars bush to the hinderance, and undoinge of many an honest subiect.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 25th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Christopher Marlowe, County Offaly, Henry Chettle, Henry Porter, Ireland, John Day, Martin Marprelate, Philip Henslowe, Philipstown | No Comments »
There is a reference to Beggars Bush in a version of the popular melody “Yellow Stockings” printed in a dubious Irish anthology. It isn’t possible to be certain about the author of the verse, which is almost certainly a literary creation rather than a collected “folk song”, although one reviewer rather cruelly suggested it was “neither Irish nor literature”. All that can be said is that the author and printers assumed that readers would understand the phrase, which is consistent with the standard literary usage. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 25th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Donnybrook, Ireland, Walter Jones, Yellow Stockings, songs | No Comments »
“If ever a grig was spent out of the way he always behaved as if we should all of us go home by beggar’s bush!”
False Colours is set in 1817. The remark is made by the spendthrift dowager mother of the central character, explaining why she did not admit all her borrowing to the family lawyer during her husband’s lifetime. The usage is in the correct historical literary sense. A grig is a farthing.
Author
Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) supported her family by writing on average one crime novel and one historical romance every year from about 1931 until the early 1970s. She is best known for a series of romances set in the Regency period. Although not appreciated, or even reviewed, by critics, for many years she sold more than 100,000 hardbacks annually and her paperbacks were issued in print runs of 500,000.
Her historical novels are sometimes criticised for the amount of incidental detail and colour she included, but not accuracy of it. She had her own reference library and collected period material.
Source
Heyer, G., False Colours, The Bodley Head, London, 1963 (p.21)
Posted: April 25th, 2011 | Filed under: Writers | Tags: Georgette Heyer, Literary | No Comments »
