Human Life And Activities Reflected In English Field-Names

Three or four categories of English field-names refer closely to human beings and their activities. Some allude to ownership and include a personal name (e.g., Forman's Close or Old Mary's Field), a description (e.g., Heiress's Land or Grammum's Croft) or a rank or profession (e.g., Lord's Acre, Bishop's Close, or Bakerland). Others honor national heroes (e.g., Wellington or Nelson) or commemorate great men who favored the name-giver's political or religious persuasion. These names are drawn from a wide repertoire and throw light on social and agricultural life in former times and on the complexity of name-giving motivation.