🚀 go-pugleaf

Greetings from Arval!  I had written:

>E. G. Withycombe, "The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names", says
>that "Felicity" did not come into use as a name until the 17th century,
>when similar "abstract attribute names" became fashionable among the
>Puritans; the earliest citation she gives is "Phelisstie" in 1641. 

Hossein wrote:

> Withycombe is best used to prove a period provenance rather than to
> disprove one.  The Exchequer Rolls of Edward III show an amercement paid
> by one "Felicitye Bowyer" of Lincoln in 1342.  

Wonderful!  

Out of curiosity: Did you just happen to reading the exchequer rolls of
Edward III of an evening and happen across the name? :)  Seriously, do you
ahve access to an index of names from those rolls, or was it something you
just recalled?

It is of course virtually impossible to prove a negative assertion like
"Felicity was not used in period England;" we rely on the best research
available to us.  Withycombe's negative statements have been borne out by
further research more often than not, so we tend to trust them.  Given
additional information, as here, we are delighted to accept a name.  I'll
make a note in my copy of Withycombe, for future reference.

===========================================================================
Arval Benicoeur                                       mittle@watson.ibm.com