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Notes and Queries, Number 204, September 24, 1853

Note (return) — Replies to Minor Queries.

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Land of Green Ginger (Vol. viii., pp. 34. 160. 227.).—Mr. Frost, in his History, p. 71., &c., has shown many instances of alteration in the names of streets in Hull from the names of persons, as from Aldegate to Scale Lane, from Schayl, a Dutchman; and Mr. Richardson has made it most probable that the designation "Land of Green Ginger" took place betwixt 1640 and 1735. It has occurred to me, that a family of the Dutch name of Lindegreen (green lime-trees) resided at Hull within the last fifty years or more. Now the "junior" of this name would be called in Dutch "Lindegroen jonger," which may have originated the corruption "Land o' green ginger." This conjecture would amount to solution of the question, if the Lindegreens had about 150 years ago any property or occupation in this lane. The Dutch had necessarily much intercourse with Hull: one of their imports was the lamprey, chiefly as bait for turbot, cod, &c. obtained in the Ouse near the mouth of the Derwent; which fish was conveyed in boats in Ouse Water, and was kept alive and lively by means of poles made to revolve in these floating fish-ponds, as I was informed by an alderman prior to the reform of that ancient borough. But lamprey has now either migrated, or been exterminated by clearing the Ouse of stones[5], or by the excessive cupidity of the fisherman or gastronomer.

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