Streets - old and new

[Compo 10,328]

Cliff Ton #12 If you think "Severals" is a weird name for a street what about this one in Lybster, Caithness:

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Named after a battle Compo.

[Compo 10,328]

When streets are named after battles or other historical events there are usually several together. For example: Isandula, Chard, Chelmsford and Zulu in Basford and in Selston there was/is? a group of streets named after Crimean war places. So, you would imagine that Waterloo places and battles would be in groups but In this case Quatre Bras stands alone.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Just had a look at Lybster on Google maps there ain't that many streets there are there ?

Lybster untill 1944 was the furtherest you could get from London by rail (847 Miles)

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Quatre Bras ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quatre_Bras

[The Engineer 614]

If I recall the name properly (and I do like it) there is a street in W Brigford called Little Bounds, leads to the tennis club, is this an old name or a clever bit of a joke (and breaking the regulations)? An old name - Good - breaking the regs - Better.

Little Bounds was a playing field off Wilford Lane used by the old Becket Grammar School (recently demolished). They also used a playing field called Big Bounds (adjacent or fairly close).

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

There's a bus stop there too.

It's the stop before Loughborough Road.

[Guest]

Spot on Engineer played rugby for Becket on little bounds- gravel path beside the hotel,for me circa: '75-'78.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Compo

It also means a cross roads in French. Could it be that some Sweaties decided to be a bit posh?

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Compo

Just a thought - Inverness is associated with the Black Watch* and they were certainly at Quatre Bras. The allied troops were routed. Maybe a local commander of a company in the Black Watch was at Quatre Bras and decided to rename part of his home town. It may have not been acceptable to rename a part of a town after a notorious defeat. (Although after Tennyson, Balaclava as popular!) It is unusual and does seem to reflect a personal element.

I know a military historian of the Scottish Regiments (ex Royal Scots Guards but has a London accent and works as a copper in Kent! ) who might shed some light.

*Black Watch. Known infamously in the army as Broken Square. Still guaranteed to start a fight. Infantry Squares were largely impregnable against cavalry if the infanteers kept their nerve and didnt bolt. If they bolted, all would be slaughtered. Black Watch had the only infantry square to break.

[annswabey 599]

My 3x GG father was in the Black Watch (42nd Foot) in the 19th century

[Cliff Ton 10,484]

It also means a cross roads in French.

And looking at it on Streeview, that's obviously what it is. I reckon somebody in Caithness decided to be a bit pretentious when roads were being named. https://goo.gl/maps/DURB9

And if you just do a simple translation, it's French for "four arms".

[mercurydancer 1,104]

I thought the name was significant. Google Fu is strong with me!

Gen Patrick Sinclair was a very old man at the time of the Napoleonic wars, and laid out Lybster as we can see it today. His son, Temple Sinclair was a Lt in 44 Foot (oddly the Essex Regiment and nothing to do with Black Watch at all) commissioned 20 Feb 1812 (source - London Gazette) and as I thought, got a pasting at Quatre Bras. He did go on to Waterloo a few days later, and served meritoriously, but the Quatre Bras battle must have had an impression on him. His father named the cross roads after this battle. Temple returned to Lybster and er, well, er, named other streets after Tory politicians.

[Blondie 1,392]

In a book about Nottingham that I have it states that the City Council issue guidelines for new streets and buildings including

Names of living persons are not normally permitted

Names should not sound like existing ones within the Nottm city area

They should not be difficult to pronounce or spell

If possible names should reflect the past history of the area

Names that could be considered advertising will not be accepted

Names that could be considered offensive will not be accepted

But Torville and Dean are living and have streets named after them in Wollaton Nottm...... Torvilll Drive, Jayne Close, Bolero Close, Dean Close......

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Dean Street is in the Lace Market IIRCC

[DaveN 1,118]

Blondie it does say "Names of living persons are not normally permitted". It doesn't say not allowed at all and presumably because of the achievements they have attained the council gave an exception.

[Compo 10,328]

Many thanks for the 'Quatre Bras' gen gang. i was going to see the local heritage people but didn't get around to it.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Compo

It was the 200th anniversary of Quatre Bras yesterday.

[The Engineer 614]

I was musing on the fact there are no thoroughfares called "... Street" in West Bridgford and started looking at Clifton - can't see any there either (open to correction).

If it came to pass at some point in history that newly created thoroughfares would no longer be called 'Street' (perhaps due to connotations of Victorian over-crowding), when do you suppose the last (i.e. newest) Street was created in Nottingham?

[catfan 14,793]

It's a "snob" thing TE, only "snobs" drop their door number & replace it with a stupid name as well.. What is wrong with a "street" ?

I live on one so they must be OK !

[hippo girl 1,995]

Interesting point Engineer,

My first home was a back to back Victorian terrace in a road, I then lived in avenues, drives , closes , lanes and courts .........

I presume the word street comes from the Latin strata ( paved road ) .....and we don't have many roman roads left now, certainly not round here !!!!!!

Think of some of the best streets in London ......Oxford, Regents, Bond and Fenchurch

[MelissaJKelly 2,124]

I live on a 'road'... on the same level as street I suppose

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[hippo girl 1,995]

I hope they are on the same level Melissa, unless you live on a hill, an edge or a bank !!!LOL

[The Pianoman 1,535]

I think I am right in saying that there are no number 13's in West Bridgford either. I live on a road and its a cul-de-sac!

[Beefsteak 305]

A lot of thoroughfares throughout the country don't have a number 13 as it was hard to sell properties with an 'unlucky' number.