Surnames: Origins, Occupations, Oddities

Julie Smalley


Region:
North West
Notice Period:
Regular (more than one month's notice)
Type:
Professional
Fee:
Paid: Usually from £80 excluding travel
Category:
History
Updated:
7th December 2021
Tagged:

Like them or dislike them, inherited names are something we all possess… but how did our surnames come about? Whether medieval jobs and skills, foreign forebears, frank descriptions, or surprising nicknames, these precious words are filled with backstories and hint at our past cultural interactions. This talk explores how different types of name developed and in particular will also delve into a selection of members’ own surnames. Prepare to be surprised.

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About Julie Smalley

Landscapes, history, travel, art and language – now that’s a set of themes to think about. If you’re curious, join me as we share insights and intrigues with some fascinating ‘explores’ of the stories behind everyday life. Always I aim to weave landscape, local and social histories with visible heritage in the present day. My talks aim to be fun, light-hearted and as interactive as possible. Often they come with added Antipodean perspectives as I’m Cheshire-born but Australian-bred.

I love speaking to all kinds of audiences. So far these have included history and heritage societies, cultural tours, garden clubs, community groups, WI, PROBUS, and U3A. A post-graduate degree and twenty years in the heritage sector have been stuffed with stimulus - excavating and interpreting archaeological sites, leading guided walks, putting on museum exhibitions. I’ve performed poetry at a convention in a Normandy village, and guested on regional radio. Further enjoyable encounters, this time with language and culture, came from teaching English to students from Spain to Siberia. Along with all that I’m a published writer with well over a hundred articles in periodicals from local to international. I live near mid-Cheshire’s scenic waterways.


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