> Greetings.
>
> I'm working on an analysis of artifacts recovered from a late
> 18th- early 19th century tavern midden on the NJ coast. The tavern
> was known as "The Blue Ball". Apparently, there is at least one
> other "Blue Ball Tavern" down Delaware way; also, Adelphia, NJ used > to
be known as "Blue Ball". The question is: Does anyone know if
> there is any significance to the name of these places? Is it simply > a
carry-over from a favorite English locale?
>
> Any help (and even wild speculations) appreciated.
>
> Megan Springate
> [log in to unmask]
Megan,
I've been dealing with the same issue of names as a result of our
investigations at the
King of Prussia Inn located north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Like your inn,
the King of Prussia was not unique. There appear to have been at least
three other
King of Prussia Inns in the greater Philadelphia area during the same
period. I would
imagine that there were others farther afield. "King of Prussia" is a
reference to
Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia (1712 - 1786). Prussia was an ally of
the British
during the Seven Years War. Frederick's victories during the 1750s made
him a hero
of the British people.
Local lore, first written down in the 1860s, suggests that the inn was
named during
the American War of Independence. American troops and their allies had
wintered
at nearby Valley Forge (1777-1778). Local lore has it that the inn was
named "out
of respect to the large number of Prussian Soldiers in the Army." This
legend
supports the local tradition that the inn played an important role in the
Valley Forge
encampment, although evidence of this fact is limited. I've had to dismiss
this story
since we have a document which dates to well before the war, calling the
inn the
"King of Prussia."
Since the traditional explanation is contra-indicated, I'm forced to
speculate.
The tavern keepers who named the hotel were Welsh Baptist, who don't seem
to
have a well defined connection with Prussia. I speculate that since we see
the same
inn names over and over again, that these names are chosen because they
have a
reputation for quality, or at least public recognition These names weren't
protected by trademarks (at least in the Americas), so tavern owners were
free to
glom onto the names popularity.
Megan, to answer your question, our work at the King of Prussia Inn leads
me to think
that it is that the names of inns were often copied from other successful
inns. I speculate
that the innkeepers did this in an effort to borrow the fame and name
recognition of the
more famous original.
By the way there is a Blue Ball Pennsylvania, I heard somewhere that the
name
was applied to the town because dolomite (a bluish marble) was mined there
(???).
The "buboe" interpretation is a heck of a lot funnier.
I've wondered if there were King of Prussia Inns or pubs in Britain?,
particularly Wales?
Any one know of any?
Michael Scholl
URS Greiner Woodward Clyde
Raleigh, NC
[log in to unmask]
|