The Eddy family
In 1890 Henry Broughan Guppy published his 'Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. He had studied the names of farmers, whom he described as "the most stay-at-home class of the country". The name Eddy was among the surnames he listed for Cornwall and which was in use almost exclusively in Cornwall at the time. In Guppy's own words, "they are peculiar to Cornwall". Source: Dunkling, L. (1993) The Guiness Book of Names, Guiness Publishing, Enfield, Middlesex, England, p118 - information obtained from http://members.xoom.com/Suecrawford/home/genealogy.html, but website now non-functioning.
Cornwall is in the extreme south west of England and is said to have the warmest climate in Britain, being right on the warming "Gulf Stream" that crosses the Atlantic Ocean. Until the end of the eighteenth century the ancient Celtic language of Cornish was spoken and some of our unknown ancestors would have spoken this Celtic tongue. The population of Cornwall was 192,281 in 1801 rising to 369,390 in 1861 (data from www.cfhs.demon.co.uk/, webiste now removed) and this dramatic population increase in the first half of the 19th century was probably related to industrialisation and the boom in mining. It probably made life a little difficult and contributed to the urge to migrate to a better life elsewhere.
Cornwall is a place of interesting coastline, stories of pirates, of historic features, Celtic culture, and sometimes linked with the legendary King Arthur. A map showing the locaton of Cornwall in England may be viewed at www.camelotintl.com/heritage/counties/england/cornwall.html.
Link to information about some people named Eddy.
