Verschoyle P. Cronyn...

[Hauksbee]

While watching, yet again, the History Channel's version of Voss's last fight, I saw Cronyn's name on the screen. Because it's such an unusual name I wondered if, first, is it pronounced as it's spelled? I know some English names carry archaic spellings like Cadwallader; pronounced 'Calder'. (or so I'm told. Never actually met one) And second, where might the name have come from? Is it a family name? I did a Yahoo search, but everything that came up was about his son, the actor Hume Cronyn.

[+Olham]

Here is a site, where you can see, how many Cronyns are spread where.

They seem to have settled mostly near their arrival point in the new world.

The name might have Polish roots, from Kronyn?

 

http://names.whitepages.com/last/Cronyn

[+Dej]

While watching, yet again, the History Channel's version of Voss's last fight, I saw Cronyn's name on the screen. Because it's such an unusual name I wondered if, first, is it pronounced as it's spelled? I know some English names carry archaic spellings like Cadwallader; pronounced 'Calder'. (or so I'm told. Never actually met one) And second, where might the name have come from? Is it a family name? I did a Yahoo search, but everything that came up was about his son, the actor Hume Cronyn.

 

This interested me so had a quick search myself. According to the Canadian Who's Who 2001 Hume Cronyn was Verscholye Cronyn's GRANDson. Hume's father Hume Blake Cronyn married into the Labatt brewing family.

 

The name Verschoyle is Dutch in origin (as 'Verschuijl' or 'van der Scuyle'). A branch of the Verschoyles went to Ireland in the 17th Century and 'Cronyn' is definitely an Irish surname, plus V. P. Cronyn's nickname was "Shanachie", so I think the pronounciation therefore is very probably 'ver-shoil'.

 

However, V. P. wrote his autobiography called 'Other Days' and the definitive answer is probably in there... there's a copy in the Canadian Aviation Museum, but you might find one for sale, look for Other Days Cronyn, Verschoyle Phillip "Shanachie"

[Hauksbee]

Hume Cronyn was Verscholye Cronyn's GRANDson.

The name Verschoyle is Dutch in origin (as 'Verschuijl' or 'van der Scuyle').

Nice work, Dej. AND THANK YOU! That one's been on my mind for a while. Verschoyle a family name? Now I know. And Hume was his grandson? Makes sense when you think about it. I was overwhelmed by the number of very detailed entries for Hume. (and virtually none for Verschoyle) I was just skimming the text when I saw any reference to V.P. Did your source offer anything on the nickname? It has a Gaelic look to it. Might be a derivitive of 'Sassanach'. [saxon=Englishman]

[+Dej]

Good guess Hauksbee, but it's not to do with being English in a Celtic land. 'Shanachie' is an anglisized spelling of the Irish seanchaí (or seanchaidhe as it would have been in 1914-18) which means 'Storyteller'. The seanchaithe are the inheritors of the pre-christian Bardic tradition, sort of 'secular bards' if you like... which isn't to demean their craft but merely to say that their oral tradition is folkloric or modern not spiritual.

 

Why V. P. had that nickname you'd have to read his autobiography to find out... perhaps he span a good yarn.

[Hauksbee]

Better and better! Thanks again, Dej.