Monday, October 13, 2008

Sir Norton Knatchbull

I am more than a little swamped at the moment, so it will be a few days before I get back into the "Ways to Say 'Died'" series.

At the moment, I am juggling two papers and a heavy load of reading that includes an unintentionally hilarious monograph called The Community of Kent and the Great Rebellion 1640-60 (1966) by Alan Everitt. Most of this book is about the intricacies of petitioning parliament in the run-up to the English Civil War and how the county of Kent responded to the war once it came (answer: fighting anyone who wanted to infringe on local autonomy, regardless of ideology).

What makes Kent a surprisingly interesting read is the hobbitishness of it all. Seriously, the first chapters are all about how the Honywoods and Twistletons raise hops on their estates at Nizels Hoath and Challock on the Downs and Boughton-under-Blean. Then, war comes and nothing is ever the same.

Onomastic Honors go to:
Sir Norton Knatchbull of Mersham-le-Hatch
and
Prebendary Blechynden of Canterbury
and
Barnabas Knell, vicar of Reculver-cum-Hoath

If I ever go to England, I'll make an effort to visit Knatchbull's tomb.

1 comment:

Lori Stokes said...

Caitlin, this is so hilarious. Very clever of you to make the Hobbit connection!