Kentishness

[desperance]

The inspired papersky has been handing out Kentish village names to those of her friends who ask nicely. This gives me double glee, because as it happens I already have one; Brenchley is a village in the High Weald.

Today, though, I am also Painter's Forstal. Which is a title to conjure with, tho' probably less practical as a surname.

Comments

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

Ever since I saw a signpost for Brenchley-the-village when travelling to Hastings for last year's 1066 celebration, I've wondered if that's where your name came from. Ye Olde Manne's name (which I now share) is from a village near Newmarket. Three separate families (including a non-related family of Travellers) come from the same village, which was - erm - interesting when we were burgled two years ago and the (very young) policemen admitted that they were surprised that we turned out to be middle-class folks and not slightly shady. It's quite peculiar to have a village name-connection like that: it makes me think of Anglo-Saxon ancestry and Ivanhoe and suchlike. Perhaps that's because my family's names are Anderson and Robinson, which aren't place-specific but are basically rather dull.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Ever since I saw a signpost for Brenchley-the-village when travelling to Hastings for last year's 1066 celebration, I've wondered if that's where your name came from.

But yes! In, um, about 1066 - we really are came-over-with-the-Conqueror types. At some point, I guess we owned the village; in comparatively recent history, we still had a big house there. Then a Victorian idiot ancestor went and died intestate, and lawyers gobbled up the whole estate. So now we're poor but honest. *sobs*

[gauroth.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so sorry, that's so very Jarndyce vs Jarndyce! But I now have a mental picture of Sir Chaz Brenchley, bart, in full 15th century armour, jousting before the King and defeating all comers. Yay!

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

...not to mention visions of Messire Charles de Brencheley, taking notes on the beach at Hastings for this chronicle he plans to write, just after he finishes his cooking treaty, Des moult joieuses & gousteuses manierres d'aprester les legumes du fief! ^______^

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Now be a sweetie, and translate that...?

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

What, and spoil the fun? O_____o

Oh, all right. Something like Ye ryght merrie & tastie wayes of cookeyng ye fiefdoms croppes.

Old English pseudo idiom not contractual.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

And now I have given rivka Brenchley, but I told her it was yours really.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Yay! I was hoping you'd pass it on to someone nice...

*wanders off to welcome rivka to the family*