This story originally appeared in Discover Downtown Brunswick, a publication of The Brunswick News, in the September 2023 edition.
In the first part of our local names series, we started at
the beginning of European occupation in the Golden Isles and found some of the
icons of history who gave their names to our local places. Grab last month’s copy of Discover Downtown Brunswick if you missed it! This month, we’re tackling the streets of Old
Town Brunwick. The city plan was
originally laid out by General James Edward Oglethorpe in 1771. By 1789, Brunswick was recognized by
President George Washington as one of the 5 original ports of entry for the
American colonies. Let’s first journey from North to South through Old Town and
touch on each of the named streets along the way.
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William Henry
Duke of Gloucester
by Sir William Beechey
|
Gloucester Street was named for Prince William Henry, Duke
of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1743-1805).
The Duke was a brother of King George III and member of the King’s
Cabinet. It is at this point, dear reader, where I pull rank as the author and confirm
to you how this word is pronounced. British places and names that contain
“chester” in the names almost always omit the “chess” and include only the
“ster”. For example, the London area
known as Leicester Square is pronounced like the name “Lester.” Worchester,
Mass. is pronounced “Wooster.” Now I
come to the war of names for Gloucester. It is not “Glow-Chester” or “Glow-Sesster”
as I often hear people say it. The word is a proper British place, and it
is pronounced GLAH-ster. This is a hard
fact and a hill I will die on. Please make the appropriate adjustments if
necessary.
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George Monck
1st Duke of Albemarle |
Next we arrive at Monck Street, named for George Monck, 1st
Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670), a famous commander under Oliver Cromwell. Monck has the distinction of having 2 old
town streets named after him, lending his title to Albemarle Street to the
south. Monck was sometimes called “The
King Maker” due to his crucial support in the restoration of Charles II as king
in 1660.
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William Murray
1st Earl of Mansfield |
Traveling south from Monck we find Mansfield Street, which
takes its name from William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
(1705-1793). Lord Mansfield became the
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales in 1754 and held the title at the time
of Oglethorpe’s Brunswick plan. Mansfield is considered the founder of
commercial law. He’s regarded as the
most powerful British jurist of the 18th century, with decisions
reflecting the Age of Enlightenment and votes which set Britain on a path
toward abolishing slavery in the country.
The next street on our journey is Howe, named for Sir William
Howe, 5th Viscount Howe (1729-1814).
Howe served alongside George Washington in the French and Indian
War. Howe later disapproved of the
American push for independence and fought against the patriots at Bunker
Hill. Washington forced Howe and the
British troops out of Boston, after which he transferred his army to New York
and Philadelphia. In 1778, Howe resigned
his command and returned to England.
Our next 3 streets – George, London, and Prince – are
closely intertwined. King George III (1738-1820) was king at the time of
Oglethorpe’s map and London was the seat of the British Empire. George III’s eldest son was Prince George
Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales (1762-1830). Later crowned George IV, this Prince of Wales
gave his name to Prince Street. George
IV was the first king to come to power after the American Revolution, which
occurred under the reign of his father.
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William Legge
2nd Earl of Dartmouth |
We’ve already discussed Albemarle, so we come finally on the
south end of Oglethorpe’s plan to Dartmouth Street. It was named for William Legge, 2nd
Earl of Dartmouth (1731-1801). He served as Secretary of State for the Colonies
from 1772-1775. Lord Dartmouth is also
the namesake of Dartmouth College. The college was founded by Eleazar Wheelock
and named for Dartmouth in hopes that he would financially support the school,
but Lord Dartmouth refused. In London,
he supported the Foundling Hospital, a charitable institution for the care of
London’s abandoned children.
Next month, we’ll travel East from Bay Street to discover
more famous echoes of the past in Brunswick’s old streets. Don’t miss it!
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