In the sense which Dr. W. gives to Rode, or Royd, as "a participial substantive of the provincial verb rid, to clear or grub up," that word will be found singly, or in combination, near forests and chases from the Lancashire Pendle to the Devonshire Dartmoor. It occurs also in Rodmore, Rodleys, &c., in the forest district of Gloucestershire over Severn; and Murray's Handbook may be referred to for Wernigerode, Elbingerode, &c., in the Hartz forest of Germany.
In Lancashire and Yorkshire the adjunct sometimes refers to the early proprietor, as in Monkroyd, Martinrode, &c.; sometimes to the trees ridded, as in Oakenrode, Acroyd, Hollinrode, Holroyd, &c.; sometimes to other characteristics. Instances of all kinds will be found in the Whalley Coucher Book, printed by the Chetham Society.
Lancastriensis.
Binnacle (Vol. v., p. 499.).—This word, which signifies the case or covering of the compass, was until the last thirty years spelled and pronounced "bittacle," and is derived, I should imagine, from the French word habitacle, a little habitation, a hut, a covering. It is almost the only one of our nautical terms which can be traced to a French origin.
C. K.
Plague Stones (Vol. v., p. 500.).—I have not observed that any of your correspondents have noticed the stones near the romantic village of Eyam, about four and a half miles E. N. E. of Tideswell in Derbyshire.
It is well known that this village suffered most severely from the plague; and the inhabitants still revere the memory of their pastor Mr. Nompesson, who nobly refused to desert his flock in the hour of danger, and fell a sacrifice to his devotion. I became acquainted with these stones some years
ago, when on tour through Derbyshire, and, if I remember rightly, they are about two and a half feet high, one foot and a half in diameter, with a hollow place on the top like a dish, in which we were told the money of the "plague village" people was placed for the food, &c. that was brought to this boundary line by the people of the neighbourhood. The cavity in the stone was of course full of water.
J. G. C.
Ramasshed (Vol. iii., p. 347.).—The Fr. ramas (as also ramon) is "boughs formed into a besom or broom," Fr. rameau, from the Lat. ramus. To ramass or ramash is "to put or sweep together, as with a broom." Thus, Hackluyt, in his Preface to the Reader, speaks of volumes "most untruly and unprofitablie ramassed or hurled to." To ramassh is also "to use a ramas or a construction of ramasses" (in the case of Syr R. Guyldford) as a vehicle for conveyance. The sleds first used for carrying travellers safely down steep hills were probably composed of bough-hurdles, afterwards transformed into barrows and other more convenient carriages.