Many of these proper names are local, derived from neighbouring places; bestowed, possibly, when the members of the families of settlers in a colony became too numerous to be longer distinguished by their patronymic; but there has been a slight transposition in many cases-not to a more smiling landscape, or a kindlier climate, but to some neighbouring dale, where scenery and climate, and conditions of life and property, are the same. Teesdale no longer dwells in the vale of Tees, nor Ridsdale in that of the Reed, nor Kendal in that of the Kent. Milburn has gone a few miles from Milburne, and Blenkarn from Blencarn, and Dent from Dent. Renwick, and Salkeld, and Lonsdale, and Whitfield, and Sowerby, and Morland, and Bayles are no longer, each and severally, "of that ilk," but the names of both the men and the places are in this book, or within a short distance of each other, and of the spots where the names first were given to the ancestors of these very men. Of these four hundred names, one hundred and thirty, or about one third, are of that class ending in son; a termination held to be indicative of Scandinavian descent, and the testimony of every book, and every traveller in Norway and Denmark, and in Iceland, discloses such similarities as we never meet with elsewhere; besides that of the Sagas, shewing that this was the usual way of distinguishing the men of the north, a thousand years ago. It would be curious if one could find out the links of connection between Mr. Thomsen, the Danish antiquarian, at Copenhagen, and our neighbours, the Archbishop of York, and Jacob Thompson, our artist of mountain scenes; between Hans Christian Andersen and Robert Anderson, our Cumberland Ballad bard; between the Nilsens, and Neilsens, and Nigelsens, and our Neilsons and Nicholsons. The name of our naval hero, Nelson, was claimed by Worsaae as of Danish origin. One single letter is often the only difference between such Danish names as Jonsen, and Hansen, and Pehrsen, and those of the same sound sound and signification here. Arnison and Atkinson, both very common in this district, are very near the Arneson, and Akason, or Hakonson, of the Sagas; and it is observable that we have no such names as Arne, or Atkin. Collinson, into which middle n may have been interpolated, at some late time, as has been done with many similar names in my own recollection, is probably the son of Colli; Tolson of Toli, both Norse names. Rolandson and Rawlinson, might be sons of Rollo—it is here abbreviated to Rawnson. And Gunson, perhaps, a shortening of Gunnar, or Gudmundson. Egilsen is no doubt our Eggleson; and Sveinsen, our Swainson; Eimersen -Emmerson; Rennison, as with us, might be the son of Hrani, or of Rene, after Northmen became Norman. The opposers of these views should, at least, give some other reason why these names are so common here, and so scarce elsewhere. It is of some significance to notice, that in the list of two hundred and fifteen names of the poor sufferers by the Hartley pit catastrophe, there is no such proportion of names of this termination; but with some of the same, there is a mixture of Scottish and Irish names, very different from those of the old agricultural population. The Christian names, too, are mostly of the old plain and scriptural kind, which come down with such persistency in Northern families; there is still a "Simon Elliot of the Hanging Shaw." And while there is in many places, such a fondness for royal and novel names, it is pleasant to meet with what looks like appreciation of worth and genius, in the perpetuation of a good man's name, quaint though it be;-Jeremy Taylor occurs twice in this list, once with a third and final name. Isaac Walton is a very common combination here, but probably without any connexion with the angler. Walton is doubtless the designation of many a family whose ancestor built a tun, or enclosure, along the course of the Roman Wall, which also, gives the names Walton, and Walby, to two villages near Car lisle ; lisle; and furnished sobriquets like "Will by the Wa," and other ballad names. The name, Ralph Emmerson, suggests a query whether Ralph Waldo Emmerson may be a descendant of this old border family. The names of places have a very northern look, and sound; and though Mr. Wright claims, as Anglo-Saxon, the old Norse and Danish termination, "thwaite," a cleared place, "by," a dwelling, "hope," a shelter, there are so many evidences of our peculiarities of speech belonging to the high north, that we still keep our old opinion, and call them Scandinavian, if Southern-English speech is AngloSaxon. Baldershaw, or Baldersdale, and Balderswood, all look like memorials of the white God, Balder, or of some settler who bore his name. And we have the hard consonants in such as Skides, Skelling, Busk, and Marske, which Saxon, or southern influence would surely have softened into Shieling, Bush, and Marsh. There is a hint of the fierce old rangers of these fells in such names as Wolfcleugh, Wild Boar Fell, Wild Boar Nuik; and in Hartshope, and Harehope, Swinehope, and Rookhope, and perhaps Kielhope, (Kiel being Danish for badger), hope being old Norse for shelter, each of these places might have been the haunt or lair of the animal whose name it bears. Stanhope and Rotherhope, (the latter pronounced like a Danish name Rodderup), have local associations. Knaresdale, interpreted by a Danish dictionary, means crabbed, or niggard valley, and the name is appropriate to its elevation, though cultivation may long since have altered its character. And Wanwood may have been some thriveless and stunted plantation, which is no longer so. Such names as Darkdale, Blackcleugh, Windyside, Scurvy Gill, Sievy Gill (Siv. Dan. a rush) Quarry House, Stone Riggs, Foul Lonning, Darth Gill, Marske, Slakes, &c., all speak of the simple honesty of old times, when things received their true names, and disadvantages of climate, soil, and situation were not sought to be compensated, or dignified, by high sounding epithets, And And where the names are complimentary, they may be relied on as appropriate; for we know that all along the skirts of these fells, are fertile valleys, and smiling villages, with meadows of the most vivid green, or cornfields of golden hue: gardens and orchards with abundance of hardy fruits, and sweet sequestered homes, are nestling in the hollows of the hills, or bordering the lively streams. And the thought is suggested-how wonderfully all this resembles a peaceful chapter in the Nial Saga, as translated by Mr. Dasent. The names, the fells, the occupations, the neighbours combining to find the sheep, here as in Iceland, eight hundred years ago, when, perhaps the climate was better than now. But in that old time the peaceful episodes were few-or they were not chronicled; while the clash of war seems to have resounded long after its actual cessation. "Once on a time when autumn was come, it happened that men had hard work to gather their flocks home, and many of Glum's wethers were missing. Then Glum said. to Thristiolf, 'Go thou up on the fell, with my housecarles, and see if ye cannot find anything out about the sheep.'" "So they went up South Rekiardale, and up along by Bangnagil, and so south to Cross Fell, but some of the band he sent to Sulafells, and they all found very many sheep." 66 They went south of Cross Fell, and found there a flock of wild sheep, and they went south of the fell and tried to drive them down but still the sheep got away from them on the fell."* Such is the story I read in this book; and such are its associations. It, and all the wide pastures and fells "They speak of customs long retained, Of simple, plain, primæval life; They mark the little we have gained, With all our study, toil and strife, Such England was in Shakespere's time."— * History of Burnt Nial.-Translated from the Icelandic by Mr. Dasent. Only Only in regard to pastoral affairs, however. Changes there have been great, and beneficial, in many things. But looking at the character of this scattered population, at their peaceful, useful, and honourable lives, we may believe that there is an elevating influence in these lofty and solemn scenes, in which, as it were, they are overshadowed with the presence of the Almighty; and certainly are preserved from many debasing influences. Since the above was written, twelve years ago, several of the commons belonging to the parishes here alluded to, have been enclosed, and the Association has been proportionably reduced in extent, and in numbers. It is as useful as ever, as active in spirit as before, and I see other places of meeting are appointed, for the convenience of its members. ART. XIX.-The Parrs, of Kendal Castle. By SIR GEORGE DUCKETT, Bart. Read at Appleby, July 28th, 1875. TABULAR descent of the Parrs from the Lancasters, Barons of Kendal, is given herewith. The following are further notices of this family. The inquisition p. m. on Sir William de Parr, the husband of Elizabeth de Ros, recites : West'ml. Willielmus de Parr ch'r tenuit, die quo obiit, ad terminum vite sue per legem Anglie, ut de jure Elizabethe nuper uxoris sue, consang' et her' Thome de Roos ch'r, et fil' Joh'is de Roos, filii d'c'i Thome, quartam partem manerii de Kirkby in Kendal de Rege in capite, per servicium militare, vizt, per servicium quarte partis unius feodi militis, et quod Joh'es de Parr est filius et heres ipsorum Will'i et Elizabethe. (Dods. MSS. 70, f. 136b; 11, fo. 66; Bibl. Bodl.) On this inquisition, Richard Duket of Grayrigg, was one of the jurors. The |