Donovan's Laurel Text

 I've been SO BAD about updating.  I continue to write texts, but they've been largely "run of the mill" for me, so I haven't been posting them.  However, I should post the ones that I've been doing that aren't in modern English or using modern English, spellings.  

This one is adapted, at Donovan's request, from the Sloane Manuscript exemplar of the letter sent to someone who joined the London Masters of Defense.  Since Donovan Shinnock was getting a Laurel for his research into historical rapier combat, the source was incredibly fitting.  The spellings are circa 1580s Early Modern English.

Ryouko'jin and Indrakshi, Kynge and Queene of the Easterners, to Our bailies and heralds and officers and Peers of the Reaulm, greetinges. Know that, for the advauntage and pease of the people, We have considered certaine things should be decreed and sent to you and Our other officers through the kingdom, commanding and firmlie charging that you and they proclaym them in your and theyr jurisdictions:

In so much as, having plaied his prize and demonstrated his prouwess in the Arte of Defense, our subject Donovan Shinnock was acclaymed by our blessed auncestors as one of the three auncient Maisters of Defence of the  East;  and In so much as the sayde Donovan has continued to studie the mooste venerable Arte of Defence and has becume learned in various Weapons and the divers manualls and treatises for the practise thereoff; and We are well pleased with the learning, erudition and scholarschip of the said Donovan, and willing and wishing that such erudition be commended in a fittinge and righteous manner, therefore, We do herebye, of our especiall grace, certayn science, and merest motion, give and grant and by these presents conuey unto the saide Donovan the following ryghts and obligations:

Item: The saide Donovan schall be and herebye is invested and endowed with the rank, status and reknowen of a Companione of the Order of the Laurell, to have and hold hereafter all ryghts, priuileges, prerogatives, commodities, jurisdictions, royalties, franchises, and preeminenses attending thereupon.

Item:  As token and signall of his maisterie, the said Donovan schall wear upon his person at all tymes the badge of the Ordere of the Laurell aforenamed.

Item: The saide Donovan shall have license to teache and instructe in anny place within the  dominions of the Knowne Worlde as an hable well-tryed and suffissient man with sich divers weapons as the longsword, sword and buckler, Morris pyke, and rapier and dagger &cetera.

Item: We desyre, charge and command all our subjects to ayde the saide Donovan against all straungers and soch forsworn men as would deceave our true subjects or teach without authoritie or license.

We command and charge alle and sundrie Our subjects whomsoever to readilie aunswer, intende and obeye this our Royall Charter under the paine of treasoun.  Whatsoeuer persons that doe in the contrarie schall be reputed and held as plain opposers of Our authoritie, and shall be punished for that with alle rigour in examplle of others.  So done and caused to be done upon 16 July in the 56th year of the Society.

A Small Sample of Eastern Algonquian Names (1609-1650)

(last updated 12/8/2021)

            I recently found a number of pre-1650 contracts between Dutch settlers and Native Americans living in the areas of present-day New Jersey and New York.  These contracts contain Dutch phonetic renderings of Native American personal names.  

        Variant spellings of what appears to be the same name are included on the same line.  From context, all of the names appear to be masculine.

            The land contracts at issue were primarily with the Lenape and Mahican peoples.  However, the Dutch were also in trading relationships with the Mohawk/Iroquois and Susquehannock peoples, and it is not always clear from the contracts themselves to what tribe or nation the Indigenous parties belonged.  Based on the lands involved, the names are almost certainly from the Algonquian language family, specifically one of the Eastern Algonquian languages.  I do not have the expertise to identify the  language more narrowly than that.

            The contracts do not give enough data to establish any naming patterns.  They record single names.  For SCA purposes, a person wishing to portray a Native American persona could register one of these given names combined with a neutral byname, such as a branch name like of the East or the name of the person’s local group, or possibly with a Dutch element.  It might also be possible to use one of the recorded place names to create a locative byname, although more research is needed to establish the pattern such a name would use.

            This article is intended as a starting place, rather than a final word.  There is much more research to be done in this area.

Male Names

Abantsene / Abantzeene

Aepjen

Afarouw

Anehoopoen

Ararijkan / Ararykan

Arommeauw 

Asvachkou

Awachkouw / Awaghkou

Cacapeteyno / Kakappetteno / Kakapeteyno / Kakapetteyno / Kakapoteyno

Cottamack

Eesanques

Ehetyn / Ehetin

Janqueno

Kachpohor

Kanamoack

Kemptas

Ketachkwawars

Ketamau

Kikitoauw

Kottamack

Krahorat

Mathamen

Mechowodt / Mechowot

Mekowetick

Menqueuw

Nancoutamhat / Nanaucontamhat

Nawanemit

Neumers

Oratany

Packamieus

Paepechkene

Papsickene

Pennawys / Penhawis / Pewihas / Pewichaas

Pemhake

Piscamoc

Pokahake

Ponitaranachgyne

Quesquaeskous / Quesquakoos

Rechgawac

Sackwewew

Sackwomeck

Sacoock

Sagiskzva / Sagiskwa

Saheinsios

Sawowouwe

Sepinto

Seyseys / Seysey

Sickenosen / Sickeposem

Siconesius

Siearewach

Suarinkehink / Suarinkehinck

Suwirau

Tamekap

Tattoepan

Techepewoya / Techepeuwya

Tekwappo

Tenkirauw

Tequemet / Tequemeck

Tetemakwemama

Tirkirauw

Wappinttawachkenis / Wappittawackenis / Wappettawackenis

Wapyquart

Warinckehinck / Warinkehinck

Wattewochkouw

Wieromies

Wissipoack / Wissipoock

Wiwyt

Wuoyt

 

Place Names

Aressick

Castetuen / Castuteeuw / Keskateuw

Gouwanes

Hobocanhackingh

Keshaechquereren

Kekeskick / Kekeskich

Klaverrack

Merechkawikingh

Minnahanonck

Pagganck

Papenakick

Renegakonck / Rinnegaconck / Rinnegachonck

Rumegaconck

Sannahhagag

Saphorakan

Semesseeck

Sewanhacky / Suan Hacky / Suwanhackingh

Sickajoock

Sintsinck

Tenkenas

Wierpos

 

 

Bibliography:

Bassi, Daniella Franccesca, Dutch-Indian Land Transactions, 1630-1664: A Legal Middle Ground of Land Tenures, University of Vermont (2017)  (https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1713&context=graddis)

Gehring, C. trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vols. GG, HH & II, Land Papers, 1630-1664 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1980).

A Silver Wheel text

 Riffing on some of the Sawyer Charters for something with an Old English look and feel:

We, Tindal and Alberic, Consuls of the Eastern Empire, took care to commit to writing this our gift and endowment to Thomas of Mountain Freehold, our most faithful and diligent servant, so that our words and deeds should not be negated with the passage of time, either through the lack of care of our successors or through some kind of envy or dishonesty. With the agreement and authorization of our many nobles, We do hereby endow and invest the said Thomas with the Order of the Silver Wheel; and so that no man puffed up by the swellings of pride might attack this gift, neither a king nor a duke nor a princeps nor a prepositus nor persons of any station, We do hereby command, ordain and instruct the said Thomas to wear upon his person the sigil of the Order aforenamed: (Fieldless) A cartwheel argent.  So done and caused to be done in the fifty-sixth year of the Society, first of our reign.

And this is what my clever collaborator, Aurelia Colleoni a'Buccafurno, did with it:

Yehuda's OGR Scroll

I'm back to writing texts after a lot of time off.  Most of them have been small and quick, to help out scribes with writers' block, but this is one of the cool and interesting ones.  The calligrapher/illuminator, Keziah Planchet, asked me the catnip question: "I need a lot of words to fit this design.  How long a text can you give me?"   

The starting point for the text was not a legal charter this time, but rather, one of the introductory prefaces to Ridolfo Capo Ferro's Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (1610), one of the foundational treatises of the Italian rapier style; a fine starting place for a rapier award.

Tindal and Alberic, Consules of the republic of the East, give greeting to each and every person to whose notice the present letter comes.

Great men of wisdom write that the sword is the noblest weapon above all others.  Yet the carrying of arms alone is not what makes a completely valorous man.  No one truly can bear a sword with honour if he has not first humbled himself, and placed himself under the law and rules of the discipline of fencing, which, in the manner of sharpened flint, and honing valour, reduces a man to the apex of his true perfection.  The value and the excellence of this discipline is such that everyone should give as much care thereunto, as they love their own life, and the security of their native land, being obligated to spend that lovingly and valorously in the service thereof.  Indeed, the discipline of fencing is so laudable and so necessary that mere mortal men have labored greatly under the weight of recounting all of its excellence.  It is extolled in the due order of its merit, for which it is greatly prized and honoured, and always praised, and the greatness and valour are commended of those who practice the art and thus worthily carry the sword at their side.

Among those who practice the art of fencing there shines gloriously the most illustrious Yehuda ben Moshe, because not only is he endowed with full and marvellous advantage of the sword, honed by practice of the discipline of fencing, but also of every other noble art, as his heroic actions by the same, to the wonder of all, clearly make manifest.  Therefore, We do by these present letters confer, bestow and endow unto the said Yehuda our Order of the Golden Rapier, to have, hold, occupy, enjoy and exercise the company thereof, along with all rights, profits, commodities and emoluments whatsoever deemed now and from ancient times to be owed or pertaining to the companions of the said order, for the term of his life.  So done and caused to be done in the fifty-fifth year of the Society, first of our Consulship, before witnesses in our Court.

And this is what Keziah, my wonderful collaborator, did with it:

Names from 13th Century Scottish Parliamentary Records

 

                                                                                     by Alys Mackyntoich, OP, OL, OD
                                                                                          Updated and Revised Dec. 2020

 

I.                Introduction

            The name data presented in this article were extracted from The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 (RPS), a fully searchable database containing the proceedings of the Scottish parliament from 1235 to 1707.  The RPS database provides both transcriptions of the original documents with the original language and spelling intact and translations of the texts into modern English.

            This article presents extracted name data from Latin parliament records during the reigns of the Scots monarchs Alexander II (1235-1249), Alexander III (1249-1286), Margaret (1286-1290), and John Balliol (1292-1296), as well as the Scottish parliaments conducted under Edward I of England (1291-1305).  The name data extracted from these records include personal names, several sorts of bynames and place names. 

A.        Using the Data

            People using the data to construct SCA names should bear in mind that the original language of the documents is in Latin, a language that changes the spelling of a name depending on where and how it appears in a sentence.  The tables below give the likely vernacular form of the name, the likely nominative form of the name, and the forms appearing in the text.  The spellings found in the text are not just variant spellings; not every form can be used to create an SCA name.  SCA given names must use the nominative form (which is why that spelling is listed in a separate column). 

            The other Latin spelling that is important for SCA name construction is the genitive or possesive form.  The genitive form of a given name is used to construct bynames in the following forms:

[given name] + filius + [genitive form of the father’s name]

[given name] + filia + [genitive form of the father’s name]

[given name] + uxor + [genitive form of the husband’s name]

The marker filius means “son;” the marker filia means “daughter.”  The marker uxor means “wife.” 

            For guidance on how to create the correct genitive form of a Latin name, I recommend the following article: 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/latin/reference/how-to-decline-personal-names/

            B.        Naming Patterns

            The records the following name patterns:

[given name] + de + [place name]

[given name] + [family name or inherited surname]

[given name] + filius + [genitive form of the father’s]

[given name] + filia + [genitive form of the father’s name]

[given name] + uxor + [genitive form of the husband’s name]

[given name] + [family name or inherited surname] + de + [place name]

Bishops are often identified by the Latinized form of the seat of their bishopric.  For example, Robert, Bishop of Glasgow, is identified as Roberti Glasguensis.  However, this form is not unique to bishops or clergy and can be used to create an alternative form of locative byname.

A small number of names found in the data are clearly Gaelic in origin, rendered into Latin.  The names that are clearly Gaelic in origin show the following patterns:

Lawemundum McGreghere = [given name] + [surname or patronymic]

Angusium filium Douenaldi = [given name] + [patronymic]

Anneesium filium Duncani McGregere = [given name] + [father’s full name]

Dunkani Comitis de Fife, idem McDuf = [given name] + [title] + also known as [name]

 

The few women who appear in the data generally do not have independent bynames, but are defined by reference to their husbands or fathers, whose names appear in the same document.  For example:

Margar’ que fuit uxor Hugon’ de Peresby = [given name] + wife of + [full name]

Margar’ filie predicti comitis = [given name] + daughter of the aforesaid count

Mariam uxorem eius = [given name] his wife

 

One woman is identified by her title:  Marger’ quondam comitisse de Carrik (Margeret, former Countess of Carrick).

 

 

II.        Tables of Name Elements

 

Masculine Given Names

Likely Vernacular Form	Latin Nominative Form (use for given names)	Forms Found in the Records (spellings vary by case)	Years Found
Absalom	Absalom (?)	Absalone	1248
Alan	Alanus	Alanus, Alani	1235, 1255
Alexander	Alexander, Alexandrus	Alexander, Alexandri, Alexandro, Alexandrum	1235, 1255, 1256, 1285, 1293, 1296
Angus	Angus, Annees	Angusium, Anneesium	1293
Aymer/Eymer	Aymerius, Aymery, Eymery	Aymerum, Eymery	1248, 1255
Bernard	Bernardus	Bern’	1293
Brian	Brianus	Briano	1285
Colban	Colbanus	Colbani	1293
David	David, Davidus	David, Dauid	1235, 1248, 1255, 1256
Douenald (Donald)	Douenaldus	Douenald’, Douenaldi	1293, 1296
Dunkan/Duncan	Dunkanus	Dunkani	1293
Edward	Edwardus	Eduardum	1296
Gamelin	Gamelinus	Gamelini, Gamelinum	1255
Gaufrid	Gaufridus	Gaufridi, Gaufrido	1235, 1296
Gilbert	Gilbertus	Gilebertus, Gilberto, Gilbertum, Gilbertus, Gileberti,	1248, 1255, 1256, 1285, 1293
Henry	Henricus	Henrico	1235
Herbert	Herbertus	Herberti	1296
Hugh	Hugo	Hugo, Hugone, Hugonem, Hugonis	1255, 1285, 1293
Ingelram	Ingelramius	Ingeramium	1296
James/Jacob	Jacobus	Jacobus, Jacobi, Jacobum	1293, 1296
John	Iohannes, Johannes, Johnannis, Iohannis	Iohannis, Johanne, Johannem, Johannes, Johanni, Johannis, Johnannis	1248, 1255, 1285, 1293, 1296
Lawemund (Lamond)	Lawemundus	Lawemundum	1293
Luke	Lucas	Luca	1248
MacDuf	MacDuf	MacDuf, McDuf	1293
Malcolm	Malcolumus	Malcolmus, Malcolmi	1248, 1255, 1293
Maldouen	Maldouen (?)	Maldoueni, Maldoueny	1248
Malise	Malisius	Malisius, Malisio, Malisii	1255, 1285, 1296
Mathew	Matheus	Mathei, Matheum	1296
Miles	Milo	Milonis	1285
Nicholas	Nicholas	Nicholai, Nicholaum	1255, 1296
Nigell	Nigellus	Nigellus, Nigelli	1255
Patric(k)	Patricius	Patricius, Patricii, Patricio	1255, 1285, 1296
Peter	Petrus	Petrus, Petro	1248, 1285
Radulph	Radulphus	Radulpho	1285
Ranulph	Ranulphus	Ranulphi	1255
Raso	Raso	Raso	1293
Ricard	Ricardus	Ricardus, Ricardi, Ricardum, Rycardi	1255, 1296
Robert	Robertus	Robertus, Roberti, Robertum, Roberto	1255, 1293, 1296
Roger	Rogerus	Rogerus, Rogeri, Rogero	1235, 1255, 1285
Stephan	Stephan	Stephano	1248
Symon	Symon	Symon, Symone	1248, 1285
Thomas	Thomas	Thome, Thomam	1248, 1255
Walter	Walterus	Walterus, Walteri, Waltero, Waltero, Walterum	1255, 1293
Willelm (William)	Willelmus, Guillermus, Williamus	Willelmus, Guillermi, Guillermum, Willeli, Willelmi, Willelmo, Willelmum, Williame (French)	1248, 1255, 1285, 1293, 1296

  

Feminine Given Names

Likely Vernacular Form	Latin Nominative Form (use for given names)	Forms Found in the Records (spellings vary by case)	Years Found
Margaret	Margareta, Margereta	Margaretae, Margar’, Marger’	1293
Mary	Maria	Mariam	1255

  

Family Names

Form Found in the Records	Years Found
Auenel	1235
Comyn, Comyn’, Cumi[n]	1255, 1256, 1285, 1296
Corbet	1296
Cornet	1285
Crock	1248
Giffard	1255
Gurle	1255
Marmeduci	1296
Olifard	1235
Syward	1296
Uviet	1255
Wake	1296
Wyscard, Wyschard	1255

 

Gaelic-Origin Family Names

Form Found in the Records	Years Found
MacDuf, McDuf	1293
Mackenedi	1248
McGreghere, McGregere	1293

 

 

Occupational or Descriptive Bynames

Form Found in the Records	Definition	Years Found
Hostarius (nom.), hostiarii (gen.)	Officer – warder of the King’s door	1255
le Blund	Blond	1255
clerico  (nom. = clericus)	Priest or clerk	1248
decano (nom. =decanus)	Deacon	1248
le Despenser	Officer - steward	1296
Dunkeldensis	From/of Dunkeld
Edynburgen’, Edinburgensis	From/of Edinburgh
elemosinarium	Officer – almoner, church officer in charge of distributing money to the poor	1255
Glasguensis	From/of Glasgow
Mariscallo (nom. = Mariscallus, Mariscal)	Officer - marshal	1235
persona	Parson	1248
senescallus	Seneschal	1255, 1293, 1296

  

Place Names

Modern Form	Form Found in the Records	Years Found
Aberdeen	Abbirden’, Abyrden’	1255, 1296
Angus	Anegos	1296
Ardrossan	Ardrossan	1293
Argyll	Ergadia	1293
Atholl	Athol’	1296
Balliol	Balliolo, Baylloll’, Baylol	1235, 1255, 1293, 1296
Bendochy	Bendhautin’	1256
Berwick	Berewik, Bereuuic’, Berewyk	1293, 1296
Berwick upon Tweed	Berewik super Twede, Berewyk super Twed’	1293, 1296
Blantyre	Blantir	1248
Blund	Blundi	1248
	Bonekill	1296
Brechin	Brechyn, Brehyne	1248, 1255
Bruce	Brus	1255, 1293
Buchan	Buchan’, Bouchan’, Bochan, Buhhan	1255, 1285, 1296
Cadzow	Cadyhou, Kadiou	1255, 1296
Carrick	Carric, Carrik, Karrik	1255, 1293
Clement	Clementem	1255
Creich	Crey	1293
Cunningham	Cuningham	1296
Couttie	Cup[ar]macultin	1256
Drymen	Drumyn	1248
Dummernech	Du[m]m[er]nech	1255
Douglas	Dufglas, Duveglas	1255, 1293
Dunbar	Dunbar, Dumbar	1255, 1296
Dunblane	Dunblain, Dumblan’	1235, 1255
Dundee	Dunde	1293, 1296
Dundemor	Dundemor	1255
Dunfermline	Dunfermelyn, Dunfermel’, Dunfermlin	1255, 1256, 1296
Dunkeld	Dunkeld’	1255, 1296
Durham	Dunelmensem	1293
Edinburgh	Edynburg	1285, 1296
Eskdale	Eskedal’	1235
Fife	Fife, Fyf, Fyfe	1255, 1293
Flanders	Flaundr’	1293
Fordie	Fordoui’	1256
Galloway	Gaweye	1293
Gaur?	Gaur’	1293
Glasgow	Glasg’	1255, 1296
Graham	Graham, Graham’, Grahame	1248, 1255, 1296
Gueldres	Geler’	1293
Haddington	Hadigthon’	1296
Hastings	Hastinges	1296
Hay	Haya	1255, 1256, 1296
Hilton	Hilton’	1296
Huntercomb	Huntrecombe	1296
Inchturfin	Incheturfin	1256
Jedburgh	Geddeworth	1255
Little Keithock	Ketherkerbeg’	1256
Kelso	Kalkou, Kelchou	1255, 1296
Kirkintilloch	Kirkintolah	1285
Kirkliston	Listun’	1235
Lanark	Lanark, Lanarke	1293, 1296
Lennox	Leuenax	1248, 1293
Letarchore	Letarchore	1248
Lindsay	Lindes’	1255
Linlithgow	Linliskeu	1293
Lochawe	Lochaue	1293
Lochore	Louchor, Louchor’	1255, 1256
Lothian	Laodonie, Laudonensi	1235, 1285
Mar	Mar, Marr’	1255, 1293, 1296
March	Marchia	1296
Mauldslie	Maldislei	1296
Maxwell	Makisvell, Makyswell	1248, 1255, 1296
May	May	1293
Melrose	Melros	1235
Menteith	Menethet, Menetyef	1235, 1255
Meyners	Meyners	1255
Moray	Moravia, Moreuia, Morevia	1235, 1255
Mowbray	Mubray, Munbray	1255, 1296
Mylis	Mylis	1285
Nenthorn	Nainstanthirl	1293
Newbattle	Newebolt	1255
Norfolk	Northfolchie	1296
Normanville	Normanvill	1255
Perisby	Perisby	1285
Perth	Perth, Perth’	1256, 1296
Pinkeney	Pinkeney	1293
Preston	Preston	1285
Ramsay	Ramesheye	1255
Reading	Redinges, Reding’	1293
Restalrig	Lastalrigg’	1293
Rires	Reres	1293
Roxburgh	Rokysburg’	1296
Ross	Ros	1255
Saint Andrews	Sancti Andree, Saint Andreu (French)	1255, 1293, 1296
Soules	Soule, Soules, Sules	1255, 1293
Staunford	Staunford	1293
Stanforth	Staunforth’	1293
Strathblane	Stratblathan	1248
Strathearn	Stradherin, Strathern, Stratheryn	1255, 1285, 1296
Stirling	Strivelin, Strivelyn, Striuelin, Striuelyne	1248, 1285, 1293
Sutton	Sotton’, Sutton’	1293
Umfraville	Umfranuille, Vmfranuillle, Vnfrauille	1296
Vaux	Vallibus	1255
Warenne	Warenn’	1296
Warwick	Warewyk’,	1296