General Chat

I have am listening to Radio Four, talking about street names. The question was why are there so few streets named after women. In Walsall where I went to school I can think of Dora Street, named after a local nurse in the first world war, also Patterson Street ( her surname) The local hospital was also named after her, and a statue still stands in the centre of town. There is also a Mary Street, but I am not sure of it's origin. I am sure there may be more, I will think about it as I clear out the wardrobes.
Do you have any streets named after women ?
:-D :-D

We have Mary Ann Street, Flora, Florentia, Mavis, St Mary, Diana, Janet, Nora, Pearl, Rose, Angelina, Violet,

Ann do you know their origins?

Here in West Yorkshire we have lots of Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Jane, Victoria Streets and even a Janet Street in Haworth but one name that is popular in many of the towns and might not be in the rest of the country is Bronte. Admittedly it is the surname but nevertheless named after women.

I think the name Victoria was used because of all the housing in the industrial areas in that era , we have four Victoria Streets in one town. We have at least 3 Victoria Courts .

Perhaps the people discussing it might have lived in a more salubrious place where a girl's name wasn't appropriate. -jl

forgot Daisy Street!! and there are probably more

Only know the origin of Mavis - Mavis Grove - the man who built the houses had a daughter called Mavis

another - Charlotte - i.e. Charlotte Square

I have just remembered , we also have a Charlotte Street and one called Florence Street, I think it relates to Florence Nightingale. I agree it will be interesting finding how the rest of the country comes up with.

Ethel and Fanny!! and Harriet

@ AnnC :-D :-D :-D you do make me laugh, bless you.

Just had a look at the Gloucester area and a few I found were. Alexandra road
Anne Hathaway Drive
Anne Goodriche Close
Hannah Place
Katherine Close
margaret Road
Victoria Street
St Ann's Way.

Some of them are obvious but I don't know who Hannah or Margaret were. :-)

I couldn't think of any in our local town so got the street map out and had a look. I found one - Alexandra Road.

Whoops, just thought of another one; Betty Cocker Grove. This is a fairly new road and Betty Cocker was a local personality who died a few years ago but I am ashamed to say I can't remember why she was well known. Perhaps she was local councillor or something like that . I do remember from stories in the paper that she was quite down to earth and spoke her mind.

Most of our streets seem to have rather obvious names like Station Road, Church Street etc. or to be named after bigger towns e.g. York Road, Gloucester Road etc.

well the survey is wrong in respect of Cardiff - the one's already posted are the ones I recalled - just looked in Kelly's

Hazel
Helen
Hilary
Ivy
Lily
Theodora
Ruby
Janet
Marion
Maureen
May
Moira
Mona
Myrtle
Nesta
Gladys
Flora
Florentia
Gilian
Arabella
Augusta
Beatrice
Caroline
Catherine
Christina
Evelyn
Clare
Elaine

Charlotte Street Walsall is named after Princess Charlotte of Wales only child of George IV, died giving birth to stillborn child. Nation went into mourning, due to her death we had Victoria as Queen.

Sister Dora died in 1878 Paula.


Dorothy Wyndlow Pattison was one of the few to buck the trend. In Walsall she is revered but nationally - who else knows of her. There was a hospital named after her, which has now closed, so now the Manor Hospital's has a new section called the Dorothy Pattison Hospital.There was a TV series staring Dorothy Tutin about Sister Dors'a life in the late 1970s.

Elizabeth Fry another prominent woman comes to mind but she at least she's managed to be on the five pound note.

Many streets have only surnames so it's possible some were named after women. :-)

It's the dominance of men, both national and local history adjusted to their views.

edit :- the dominance of men in previous eras (now a little better)

:-)

Hello Pat. Thank you for your respone, I agree with all you have said. I had forgotten you were a "local" girl :-D :-D

It may be possible that Besant road is named after the author Sir Walter Besant. I am reading one of his excellent books at the moment. The History of London.

We have Elizabeth and Victoria. I can't think of any others. a very male chauvinistic area :-)

Hi Paula,

Hope you're well and keeping warm.

Left Walsall when I was 18 but mum and dad lived all their lives there and my sister is still there.

Last there 3 years ago for 1 day, didn't see much of it as it was November!!!!!!! In UK for daughter's graduation and only for 3 days. :-)

Remember Sister Dora's fame in Walsall well. Also Jerome K Jerome was born half way up a wall in Walsall.

In Thurcroft near Rotherham, there are 3 wide streets of terraces - John, Charles and Peter St. Names of builder's sons, I believe.

And probably the same in Aberdare. On hill up towards Maerdy, there are Mary, Catherine and Rachel St. :-)

Walsall in November is not at it's best, but I should imagine you have seen many changes over the years. I have been to Cyprus a few times always to Paphos, I love Coral Bay. We were in in Protaras June last year in and will be going back May this year,. Guess you could say we like it. :-D :-D

Been to Cyprus six times - five times Ayia Nap - love the place, and once Limassol

Coral Bay lost all it's sand last winter in the bad weather, it all went into the sea. They spent last summer dredging it up again and replacing it just in time for this winter!

I'm just outside Limassol, away from the tourist areas and tourist prices.

Walsall is much cleaner now, that's the main difference. Mum could only wash the net curtains a few times before they started to fall apart with the acidic air. Remember the black buildings.

I lived near the Manor Hospital and my senior school was in the Pleck. I had to walk down Pleck Rd past all the foundries every school day. In winter the foundries next to the canal helped form smog. Healthy place for the hospital - not.
Some of Walsall has improved greatly, other parts - well enough said.

Now I remember why I left.

Walsall or Cyprus, Cyprus or Walsall having difficulty making a descision.;-)

Glad you like out here Paula and in May it's beautiful.

John my father's family name Lloyd, based in Dudley in 1800s, gt gt gt grandfather born in Dudley 1788 haven't got any further back. Family oral history, they were Welsh miners from the Rhondda Valley came to the Midlands for work. Sorry everyone fed up with the Welsh but can't deny my father's family can I? :-)