History of street names

Hi, just wondered if anyone know the history behind where streets in SE1 got there names, Nebraska st, wild rents, morocco st? I've tried to search on line but can't find anything!
Can anyone shed any light??

X

Hi Sarahhm

Morocco St is named after Morocco leather from goat skin and originally imported from Morocco. This leather was soft and used to make gloves, uppers of shoes and for bookbinding. Morocco St was previously known as Upper Russell Street, but renamed in 1897.

Tanner Street was originally called Five Foot Lane and then Russell Street, before being renamed Tanner Street, also in 1897.

Flat Iron Square used to be the shape of a flat iron.

That's really interesting, thank she both

I'm glad sarahhm asked the question that's been on my mind!

Would anyone here know the meaning of "rents"? Wilds, Gibson and others if I recall...

Could be wrong but the "rents" bit relates to properties originally there that were just that: rents (or properties for rent). If I owned them, they might be called Smith's Rents.

bluefish wrote:

I'm glad sarahhm asked the question that's been on my mind!
Would anyone here know the meaning of "rents"? Wilds, Gibson and others if I recall...

Since the first element is a name, I've always assumed it meant a row or street of tenements belonging to a particular landlord.

Looking at the Oxford English Dictionary confirms this: 'rent: a piece of property for which rent is charged or paid; an apartment for rent; (in pl.) rents: a number of tenements or houses let out to others, frequently named after the proprietor'..

It gives an example from the 15th century.

From 16th C: 'Whole allyes, whole rentes, whole rowes, yea whole streats.'

From 1732 'Another workhouse..belonging to the liberty of Hatton-Garden, Saffron-hill, and Ely-Rents' - ie the area that's now Ely Place in Holborn, belonging to the Bishop of Ely.

19th C: 'You used not to wear such waistcoats as that when you lived in Fuller's Rents.'

'A rag and bottle merchant in Birdsey's Rents.'

Does anybody know how Druid Street got its name?

That's great feedback John C, thank you. The context makes a lot of sense.

It seems that the concept was used consistently for over 500 years. Absolutely fascinating!

I'd be curious in attending lectures which describe more of the etymology of such street names. Anyone know if there's anything going in Southwark? It seems that the names here have a much richer and varied heritage than throughout the rest of London. Or am I just biased? :-)

Chris

bluefish wrote:

That's great feedback John C, thank you. The context makes a lot of sense.
It seems that the concept was used consistently for over 500 years. Absolutely fascinating!

I'd be curious in attending lectures which describe more of the etymology of such street names. Anyone know if there's anything going in Southwark? It seems that the names here have a much richer and varied heritage than throughout the rest of London. Or am I just biased? :-)

Chris

Keep it SE1 bluefish, or we might have to look into the Balls Pond rd, and no one deserves that! :0.

I have known the Elephant and Castle derivation, and forgotten it, it has nothing to do with a well bred Spanish lady called Infante de Castille, more's the pity.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ele1.htm