Local Nomenclature Of Northamptonshire.

tributary of the Ouse , was one of these . It was found in Hminster and Yeovil , and was derived like " Ouse" itself from , the ancient British word for water . It was the same word as Gwash , or "Wash . " In thc Highlands it appeared in whis kej ' , and also in Wis bech . " Nen " was no doubt an ancient word , but he could find no other explanation than that it was a form of "nine , " from the number of

sources of the river , to which explanation he did not give credit . The first syllable of "Guyhirn" was , no doubt , ancient British , and the same as Wye , Wey , or Gioy in Welch . With regard to Roman names , there were hardly one on the map with the exception of the common form seen in " Caster . " The Roman work , however , had lefD its mark on the language ; for the Saxons , finding the great

roads , had called one " Ermine-street , " which was " strange work , " or similarly " Devil ' s dyke . " At Erith they had the " Bulwarks " —that was " an obstacle " TO block , to keep out . Cardyke had also a Roman connection . One of the most ancient names in the locality was tho old name of Peterborough , " Meding hampstede . " Another name of high antiquity was Croylandwhich had been explained as

, " Crow-land ; " but to this he did not commit himself . Danish names were almost unknown in the Fens , which had curious names of their own . Among them were "Droves , " being drives for cattle ; "Dykes , " meaning a mound , and seldom a ditch , as elsewhere . The ancient formative for water , ca , was seen in Mantua , Eastrea . In some cases it was altered into thc French form saw , which

was attributed to the influence ofthe French refugees , who came into these parts after St . Bartholomew , and the persecutions of the Duke D Alma . He was told that at Thorney there was a large proportion of French words among the family names . Corruptions of French words were possibly seen in "Powder Blue Farm , " and " Whip-chicken Farm . " He did not dispute that Ely came from eels , but "island "

seen in Eye , Thorney , and Ramsey . Eye was here identical with the word signifying water , and the eye of the head doubtless got its name from its insular position . Thc orthography of island was objectionable , as the s was not wanted , and it ought to be written "Eyeland . " Emneth , the name of a place near Wisbech , was a most interesting word . He should like to know the date of the introduction

ofthe word "level , " as applied to districts , for it probably ousted emneth , which is old English for level , derived from even—evenetli . " Fleet , " in Gorman " ilnth , " from the verb "tofiow , " was identical with our "flood . " It was seen in Wainfleet , and shortened in " Fletton , " which was " the town on the fleet . " The Saxons settled the country in scattered laces or farmsand wherever we found this word

p ; we might rest satisfied that the settlement was by squatters . There were compounds of this word with "ing , " "ton , " and " stead , " as . Falkiiigham , Berkhampstead , Northampton , Southampton ; and in Medinghamstede , the very ancient name of Peterborough , signifying the little capital , village , or town in thc centre of a patch of hams or settlements . Just as Longfellow sang : —•

" There , in the midst of its farms , reposed the Arcadian village . " Ham and stead showed a village , ham and ton a larger place . " l ' ngs" signified a moist meadow . There was a touch of " eye" iu it as there was in "innis , " island , "inch " and " Ince . " Connington was a town on the " ing . " He could offer no explanation of "learn" as in " Morton's learn , " unless it was imported from Holland . "Lode" came from the to lead

Saxon " , " a conduit . On . the Continent "see " was used to signify an inland lake , and it was found in Whittlesea , Soham—S ' eeham . "Set , " a settlement , as Farcet . " Toft" or "tuft , " a little hill , seen in Langtoft , Tout Hill . Names from trees were here rare , but there were a few , as in Sawfcry and Barnack—Barnoa / .. A false classical taste had changed "dolf" from "delve , " into It

delph . was a question whether thc ph ought to remain in the language ; but _ if it did it should be confined to words of pure Greek origin . Curious local terms , such as "Boatsgate , " "soe , " "Severalls , " " outrages ( outrace ) of water , " ivere rofeired to , and it was remarked that a permanent occupation was required to give names ; and that , tried by this test , the locality appeared to have been primarily occupied by tho Britons , and afterwards by the race which re-drained the land and gave it names .

General Architectural Intelligence.

GENERAL ARCHITECTURAL INTELLIGENCE .

The chui-ch of St . John the Evangelist , in the " parish of Shenston , Market Bosworth , Leicestershire , was opened on the 4 th inst ., having been entirely rebuilt . The old church , of which it has taken the place , was a low structure , presenting no architectural feature whatever , and so much put of repair as to be incapable of any satisfactory restoration . It was therefore decided to have a . new church , and seldom

has a work been entered upon , and carried on to its completion , in | a better and more harmonious spirit . The main expense has been defrayed by members of the Wollaston family . The sum required was thus raised without any appeal for public aid , and a beautiful cruciform church , composed of Sydnop stode ( of a warm sienna tint ) with Bath stone dressingsand affording accommodation for the whole

, of the population , has been erected , which is quite an ornament to tho village and the neighbourhood . Its style is the Decorated . A handsome stone reredos and two painted windows—the eastern having a beautifully executed design , representing " The Man of Sorrows ; " the western composed of ecclesiastical emblems ( Chance ' s , Birmingham ) , were gifts from the Rev . H . J . Wollaston . The reredos and the

stone pulpit ( the latter the gift of the rector ) are much admired . This is the second church which has been erected in the parish of Bosworth during the last six years ; that of Barlestone having been rebuilt ( with the exception of the chancel ) , which was restored ) in 1855 . The north window in the chancel of St . John's Church , Leicesterhas recentlbeen filled with stained glassthe

, y , gift of Mr . E . Lawton . The window forms the first of a series of five , which light the apsidal end of the chancel , and contain representations of some of the principal acts of our Saviour . Each window has two lights , and each light contains two subjects—the type and its antitype . The window recently inserted completes the series , and the effect of

the whole is beautiful . In the right-hand light is the Last Supper , with its type , the Jewish Passover , and in that on the left hand , the Agony in the Garden , with Moses after descending from Mount Sinai , as its type . In the background of the picture of Moses , is the . Golden Calf , and a scroll with the words " If not , blot me , I pray Thee out of Thy book . " The groundwork is en grisaille , and in a triangle

at the apex of the arch is an angel bearing a scroll inscribed with the legend , " Perfect though suffering . " The fine church of Threekingham , Lincolnshire has lately been restored at a cost of more than £ 500 ; yet , through somo unexplained cause , the rain is allowed to run down the fresh restored walls , and even upon the officiating minister at the reading desk ! The belfry window , blown out during

one of the storms of last year , has not yet been replaced . The bells are ineffective for want of repairs to frames . All these defects are not for want of means . It is therefore hoped the usual authorities will take advantage of such unanimity , and no longer allow this recently restored building to be left to premature decay . The little church of West Hatch , Somerset , was opened on Saturday the 10 th , after having been thoroughly restored ,

mainly at the cost of Mr . Gore Langton , who was unable , however , to be present , owing to the death of his father-inlaw , the Duke of Buckingham . The Bishop of Bath and Wells , who was to have preached , was also prevented from attending by reason of indisposition . The village church of Cheddar Fitzpaine , Somerset , was re-opened on Tuesday the 13 th , after general restoration and

enlargement . The outlay has been about £ 1000 . The sermon on the occasion was preached by the Bishop of Bath and Wells . On Tuesday the 13 th inst ., the interesting ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of a new church for the united parishes of Chitterne All Saints with St . Mary , Bath , was performed by the venerable Archdeacon Macdonald , vicar ,

in the presence of all the respectable inhabitants of the two parishes . Last week thc foundation-stone was laid of a new Methodist chapel at West Hartlepool . The building , which is to be a plain stone one , will be 59 ft . long by 47 ft . broad , will be fitted with gallery round three sides , and is intended to accommodate about 800 persons . Ground has also been secured for erecting a Sabbath school adjoining the chapel .