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It's all in a name
HOW are the names for new roads and streets decided? Features editor Joni Ager looks at the origins of some old and new street names.
Ever wondered where the name of your street came from?
The responsibility for naming streets falls to borough and district councils.
It may seem as though street names are chosen at random, but there is a strict process that takes place before a new road is put on the map.
Street names have to be approved by a council's planning committee, which is made up of elected councillors.
Housebuilders can suggest names for new streets or developments, and committee members or planning officers can also suggest street names, but they must be approved by the committee.
They must consider whether there is already a street in the area with the same name or whether there is any possibility of confusion with similar sounding street names.
Often all roads on a new estate are given linked names. For example, the streets on Kettering's Grange estate are all named after the wives of local councillors.
People can suggest names for new roads by contacting their local council.
Madelyn McAlpine, of Corby Council, said: "The council has a pool of names for street naming which are used. Most areas are themed, such as artists, scientists, racecourses and castles or stately homes.
"Kane Walk was named after Jimmy Kane – this was suggested many years ago by the Development Corporation. Hattersley Court was named after one of Corby's first NHS doctors, George Hattersley. This was suggested a few years ago and approved by councillors, but only for an appropriate area – it has recently been used for the street leading to the head injury rehabilitation unit on Occupation Road. Our next development control committee on December 4 will be deciding names for two infill developments in Corby."
Many street names have their origins in local history, such as Winstanley Road in Wellingborough.
The street was named after Gerrard Winstanley, leader of the Digger Movement of the 1600s.
He was a political activist who, with his supporters, took over public land and planted crops. They did this in several locations, including Wellingborough in 1650.
Their declaration said: "We the Poor Inhabitants of the Town of Wellingborrow, in the County of Northampton, have begun and give consent to dig up, manure and sow Corn upon the Common, and waste ground, called Bareshanke belonging to the Inhabitants of Wellinborrow, by those that have Subscribed and hundreds more that give Consent."
The Council of State ordered Mr Pentlow, a justice of the peace for Northamptonshire, to invade the colony and seize the Diggers, and have them tried at the next Quarter Session.
Nine of the Wellingborough Diggers were arrested and imprisoned in Northampton jail and although no charges could be proved against them, the justice refused to release them.
The Digger colonies, which only involved up to 200 people across England, were finished by 1651, largely due to the efforts of landowners to crush them whenever they arose.
There is information about the Diggers at Wellingborough Museum, in Castle Way.
Local landowner and businessman John Clark provided the name for a major new road in Rushden which opened in 2005.
The long-awaited Rushden link road was named John Clark Way and his granddaughter Lesley Lee was a special guest for the road's official opening.
Mrs Lee, of Higham Ferrers, said: "I was very proud to have the road named after my grandfather. He was very well known in Rushden and though I never knew him – he died when my father was 21 – I have seen pictures of him.
"He started as an apprentice for a shoe company and he ended up with his own company.
"He became a bit of an entrepreneur and he did quite a lot with the Methodist Chapel in Higham Ferrers and helped to build the one in Rushden."
John Clark was born in Higham Ferrers in 1863 and was educated at local schools before starting work at a shoe-making firm called William Coulson in Wellingborough Road, Rushden, as a clicker.
But he was ambitious and wanted his own business so in 1886 he entered into a partnership with James Jakes who was starting a factory in Victoria Road. They built a second factory in Wellingborough Road and then in 1887 they moved into a new factory in Fitzwilliam Street.
They finished up in the Austin Bond factory on the corner of Station Road and Midland Road where they moved in 1901 and had further extensions to the factory.
Jakes retired in 1910 owing to ill health but John Clark continued running the business.
Historian Eric Fowell said: "He was a considerable land owner in Rushden, including farms and allotment ground.
"He was the driving force to bring electricity to Rushden and he also assisted in getting the telephone to Rushden.
"He was very active in the Independent Wesleyan Church in Rushden High Street and in about 1892 he decided to start a Sunday School in Moor Road to which about 20 children came along.
"He was aided by a local preacher and about six years later they built the Mission Room in Mill Road which cost about 500.
"By 1900 the church was so popular they had to build a new chapel in Wellingborough Road.
"He accepted a nomination for Rushden District Town Council and was elected in 1913.
"He also loved cricket and he gave some land in Irchester Road for use for cricket and tennis for the town."
After John Clark's death in 1924 JE Clark and Tom Thacker became the directors of the business but it was among the many shoe-making firms that closed when the trade started to die.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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