“1517, Jan. 28. Wedding of William Stiche and Bennet Bennet, widow.”—St. Peter, Cornhill.
“1653, Sep. 29. Married Richard Moone to Benedicta Rolfe.”—Cant. Cath.
“1575, Jan. 25. Baptized Bennett, son of John Langdon.”—St. Columb Major.
These feminines are sometimes bothering. Look, for instance, at this:
“1596, Feb. 6. Wedding of William Bromley and Mathew Barnet, maiden, of this parish.”—St. Peter, Cornhill.
“1655, Sep. 24. Married Thomas Budd, miller, and Mathew Larkin, spinster.”—Ditto.
The true spelling should have been Mathea, which, previous to the Reformation, had been given to girls born on St. Matthew’s Day.[23] The nick form Mat changed sexes. In “Englishmen for my Money” Walgrave says—
“Nay, stare not, look you here: no monster I, But even plain Ned, and here stands Mat my wife.”
Appoline, all of whose teeth were extracted at her martyrdom with pincers, was a favourite saint for appeal against toothache. In the Homily “Against the Perils of Idolatry,” it is said—
“All diseases have their special saints, as gods, the curers of them: the toothache, St. Appoline.”[24]