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Archiver > WARWICK > 2009-02 > 1234892844


From: "David Franks" <>
Subject: Re: [WAR] St Edith(a) ? in Monks Kirby
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:47:24 -0000
References: <32599669.32761.1234882132724.JavaMail.www@wwinf2230><f418b47297bbc3ec77ae99f72a6b8516@vfast.co.uk><3309CDF3CBD24444AEA1F3F8150106C7@Laptop><56FC02F07F614411A569D148F4E821EA@MAIN>
In-Reply-To: <56FC02F07F614411A569D148F4E821EA@MAIN>


Where are the Anglo-Saxon experts when we need them? I disclaim any such expertise!

I'm not sure that there is going to be a 'right' answer to this. The first church in Monks Kirby
pre-dates the Norman Conquest, and the dedication would have been to an Anglo-Saxon saint, possibly
St Aedgyth. The Norman French clerks did not usually speak or understand Anglo-Saxon, and found it
difficult to pronounce Anglo-Saxon names, and so rendered a name like Aedgyth as Editha, adding the
final a to indicate that the Saint was female (the A-Ss did not use this form). At a later time
Editha became Edith, but Aedgyth, Editha and Edith are the same name (see Anglo-Saxon England by
Clemoes, Keynes and Lapidge for more about this, if you really feel the need!).

The VCH, the church notice-board, or any other source may use either Edith or Editha, but I doubt if
any of them will have proof of the original dedication. In fact there are very few dedications of
ancient churches that are supported by reliable evidence. What documentary evidence exists was
usually written long after the building and dedication of the original church, often with some
political or PR aim. The VCH certainly doesn't tell us why they prefer one form of the name. And I
don't personally think it matters. Names change over the years. And I also don't think that this
kind of issue is ever going to be decided: the various sources quoted will go on using their own
preference.

David Franks

Researching Castle & Tallis in Warwickshire & Oxfordshire, and Thomas Castle, convict transported to
van Diemen's Land 1841 Warwickshire Online Parish Clerks http://www.hunimex.com/warwick/opc/opc.html

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:] On Behalf Of Jacqui Simkins
Sent: 17 February 2009 16:30
To:
Subject: Re: [WAR] St Edith(a) ? in Monks Kirby

Hear, hear. Diocese and parish do show different names for several - surely they each should know
the correct name and spelling? The Warwick RO shows others (not even a variant of the name) in some
cases. A definitive, beyond doubt, listing of original dedications + modern interpretation as used
by each parish would be useful.

Anyone game to try doing it...is there to be a stampede of offers?

In the interim, I shall be using the dedication found in the majority of instances [Arnold-Forster +
directories + diocese + parish + census + VCH] <g>

Jacqui
----- Original Message -----
From: Gus Tysoe
To:
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: [WAR] St Edith(a) ? in Monks Kirby


Hi Angela,

That is, indeed, one method that looks as if it should give The Answer - but
I know of 2 other CofE chuches in WAR where the 'Church' - presumably the
Parochial Church Council - has different ideas from the Diocese as to the
'true' spelling of the dedication!

It's the apparent lack of any Official Listing - or, if there is such a
thing, its whereabouts - that is the underlying reason behind the difficulty
of determining Dedications :-(

Gus

List archives are at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/WARWICK
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