Page:Essays and studies; by members of the English Association, volume 1.djvu/47

 Sutton Mandeville, Kingston Bagpuze, Stoke D'Abernon, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Sometimes the appended name is that of a river, as Brixton Deverill, Appleton Wiske; or, with the preposition expressed, Kingston-on-Hull (now shortened to Hull), Newcastle-on-Tyne, Bradford-on-Avon. In the last instance the distinctive affix was imposed by the Post Office in the reign of Queen Victoria. Where the preposition under is used, the following word is usually that of a forest, as in Shipton-under-Wychwood, Newcastle-under-Lyme; but there are exceptions, such as Ashton-under-Hill, Wootton-under-Edge. In some instances the appended name is that of a district, with or without a preposition, as Sutton-in-Ashfield, Newton-in-Makerfield, Sutton Coldfield. The form of compound names is sometimes taken from documents in Law Latin or Law French, as in Aston-sub-Edge, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Laughton-en-le-Morthen; in Chester-le-Street, Bolton-le-Moors, Newton-le-Willows, the le is not the article, but the Old French preposition lez, beside. There are also names which contain Latin designations of former ownerships, as Aston Episcopi, Buckland Monachorum, Lyme Regis. Church dedications often appear as distinctive affixes, as in Ottery St. Mary, Middleton St. George. Such indications of situation as Kirby Moorside and Chewton Mendip require no explanation. In general, the various kinds of identifying appendages to place-names, though less interesting to philologists, are much more instructive to the student of local history than the original names themselves, and deserve a larger share of attention than they have hitherto received.

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