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How often when boating, walking or cycling do people notice the names of bridges, junctions or other items along the waterway.

Following the reasons for the name can be somewhat of a challenge. For England if one has the the odd £50 to spare (£46 plus £3.50 pp), the purchase of a volume on a local area from the English Place Name Society might find the answer to the derivation, but then it may not. Christine Richardson, and others, several years ago came up with a plausible explanation as to why Whitsunday Pie Lock on the Chesterfield was so named. That explanation was based on field naming and that at one time there was, it was believed, a field called Whitsunday Pightie, where Pightie was a small enclosure or croft and the relevance of Whitsunday may have been the time when the plot was purchased.

In the Midlands we have at Titford, the "Jim Crow", which has often led to discussions as to derivation and this quest has led down many paths and has stretched to include an American Minstrel. The naming does go back to the early years of the Titford Locks, but whether it again has its origins in a place name has yet to be determined. It was also a term for a crow bar and again it is possible the naming came about during construction.

It is a facet of society to add tags to places, so that it becomes an entity for local purposes. Some terms can be vague and refer to some effect of nature. In Birmingham when the skies become dark, it is said that it is Black Over Bill's Mothers- though where Bill's Mothers was- is never confirmed. If you ever boat down Farmers Bridge Locks one of the bridges that pass over head is Livery Street. It is a long road and in local parlance to have a face as long as Livery Street means, generally sadness.  

Naming places in what became the Black Country had often colourful descriptions. There was a place near Darlaston called Bug Hole where the there were many, perhaps too many, invertebrates. Hell Lane at Ettingshall acquired its title through the type of people who lived there including highwaymen and footpads. Nearby there is another place called Sodom!

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1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:

Probably in Yorkshire, where the expression originated!

Did it?

Over the last 45 years I've been told it originated in Mansfield ..... Derby ...... Nottingham ..... N. Leicestershire ...... perhaps Bill's Mater possessed a pedal cycle?

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20 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

Did it?

Over the last 45 years I've been told it originated in Mansfield ..... Derby ...... Nottingham ..... N. Leicestershire ...... perhaps Bill's Mater possessed a pedal cycle?

Certainly my (Derbyshire) parents used it - but with a slight variation, "black over OUR Bill's mother's".

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We have big moths here!

But coming back to the reason for the post, the origins of the name

Here is a few to ponder on

Bank Dole Lock- River Aire

Burton Ings Bridge, Sheffield Canal

Five Mile Footbridge, River Witham

Hunting Bridge- Shropshire Union Canal (Birmingham & Liverpool Junction)

Planet Lock- Caldon Canal

Ynysmeudwy Ganol Farm Bridge- Neath Canal

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Ings are water meadows, so presumably these were owned by Mr (or Mrs) Burton at some stage?

20 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

Probably in Yorkshire, where the expression originated!

 

18 hours ago, zenataomm said:

Did it?

Yes, according to the Memsahib. You can always tell a Yorkshire girl, but you can't tell her much.

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2 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

Yes, according to the Memsahib. You can always tell a Yorkshire girl, but you can't tell her much.

Really? Again I challenge the origin of that opinion.

I believe it applies to all girls.

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In recent investigations into the old North Oxford loops, discovered that in the 1851 census, the farm near Tuckey's Bridge was owned or run by a Martha Tuckey. Similarly, the farm near Walton Bridge was then known as Walton's Farm and there was a Walton family there, again in the same census. I guess in the days when the canal was the only thoroughfare, the families and afrms would all be known by the boaters. 

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Yes, Tushes Bridge (now Tusses) on the OC relates to a farmer or landowner at the time of construction. Perkin's and Green's Bridges at Newbold likewise. In the case of acommodation they were almost literally their bridges anyway, being put in by the canal company as compensation for splitting their land with some muddy ditch.

As for Nimrod Bridge I've got it in my head there's a Nimrod Farm round there..

Given that the bridge names on the Oxford are in the Length Book I'm not so sure they were christened by boaters in the way (for example) lock flights on the Grand Junction were. The OC's orginal numbering system was unusual, with masonry, lift and swing bridges all numbered in separate sequences, hence I suspect the use of names.

My favourites on the OC are 70, 82 and 104, for reasons apparent only to a very few people.

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