Monday 20 March 2017

Clearing Up This Cockney Confusion

Many London people call themselves Cockneys, but you only get the real stamp of approval if you were born within the sound of Bow Bells. 


Figure1 .Cheapside_and_Bow_Church_engraved_by_W.Albutt_after_T.H.Shepherd_publ_1837_edited

I can do that.  I was born at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital well within the sound of those bells. Neither my mother or father or my three siblings can do so. That’s not surprising since the bells are located in a built-up non-residential area of London and Barts (as it is affectionately called) no longer provides neo-natal services.  In 1993 it was recommended that hospital service should be delivered closer to where people lived. Barts was identified as a hospital with a catchment area that had a low population and the hospital was threatened with closure

This would have been tragic for a hospital that was founded in 1123 and is the oldest hospital in Britain.  Its long and colourful history deserves more space than I can allot to it here.


Figure 2 The King Henry VIII Gate at Barts was completed in 1702

So, I’ll exercise my legitimate right to call this blog “A Covey of Cockneys”, because the person telling the tales is me and the people I’ll be “Telling Tales” on (mostly my family) who all consider themselves Cockneys.

So, I might as well start out by filling in a little background on what it means to be or think oneself to be a Cockney. As I’ve had to explain to many a person over the years the term has nothing whatsoever to do with roosters or genitalia.  Like so many other words in the English language it is ascribed to many different sources. Not surprising when it’s said to have been around for hundreds of years.  It’s probably derived from the word “Cockayne” or a similar French word which was applied to the city dwellers, mainly Londoners I guess, and its meaning was not exactly flattering.  So, let’s leave that and move on to map out Bow Bells.

Because of its name, the district of Bow is often labelled as being the Cockney designator, but it can’t be because it sits 4.6 miles east of London’s centre.  Whereas, the church of St. Mary-le-Bow is in the city centre and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital where I was born is considered to be within the sound of the church’s bells.

Here's a link if you would like to hear the Sound of Bow Bells.  Not sure if this counts as a Cockney designator if played as a baby is born?

So now that we’ve got that settled, the question arises: Why am I doing this?  This telling tales out of school, this public airing of the family linen?   The answer is very simple: I’m getting old.  Soon it will be time to relinquish my space on this marvellous planet to make room for someone yet unborn.  But, before I go I’d like to leave a little record to show that I did pass through. Although these tales will mainly be of interest to my immediate family, if you’ve strayed this way by accident or design – please come in – you’re welcome to read about our lives, perhaps you’ve had similar experiences.

10 comments:

  1. I also was born in barts hospital many moons ago and my dad always made a point of telling me I was a proper cockney because I was born within the bells of bow. He also used to say I could also claim the freedom of the city when I was 21. How true this was and what that meant I have no idea.

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  2. Welcome, fellow Bart's baby. I've probably seen more moons than you, but I can't recall getting the keys to the city at 21 years. Although there used to be tradition of getting a birthday card with a key on it signifying that you could now have a key to the house.

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  3. Thanks for clearing this up. I always said I was a cockney because I was also born in barts hospital but someone said I wasn't. I'm glad I was right.

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  4. I was born in St Thomas's old part 1959, that works out at at just over 2.7 miles away from St Mary le Bow Church. But at that time we'll within the sound, pre noise pollution. I always said I was a Londoner until a football supporting pal of mine from Fulham (both of us Chelsea), said no you're a Cockney. My Dad hadn't brought it up and he was born in Pimlico.

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  5. I was born in the Royal London Hospital and so was my granddaughter so we’re true Cockneys.

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  6. Dick Whittington heard bow bells on Highgate Hill and turned back and went back to the city to become the Lord mayor of London

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  7. I too was born at St Bart's. I should think very few are born within the sound nowadays. An interesting fact (I read online 🤔) that although Guy's Hospital is close to the bells the neo natal unit is on the wrong side of the hospital where the sound could not be heard.

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  8. It's only just dawned on me in my 65th year that I might qualify as a Cockney! I was born at St. Barts in March 1959 but my parents never once made reference to me being able to call myself Cockney! I think they were ashamed of it as my dad worked for the Inland Revenue and when a promotional move to Norwich was offered, he jumped at it like a shot! I think my parents wanted to 'better' themselves which was fair enough but the consequnce of which deprived me of the self knowledge that I could proudly claim to be a Cockney which I shall now correct. I am James Stephen Driscoll, a Cockney and proud of it!!

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  9. I was also a Barts baby (born 1968). The amount of arguments I've had with people born close to the church in Bow, East London. It's now reckoned, with noise pollution and high rise towers blocking out the noise, you'd be lucky to hear the bells of St Mary le Bow Church Cheapside, from any more than two miles away. Anyhow, I'm immensely proud to consider and call myself a cockney.

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  10. HI . I was born at Barts on the 4th Jan 1953. I have always known I was a cockney. I lived in Kent until was 18 but can't be a Maid of Kent because I was born at Barts. You can't have it both ways!
    I went to college in York and stayed in Yorkshire in the county since. I have lived in Halifax, West Yorkshire for 52 years. I have another conundrum. My husband, sons and grandkids are all Yorkshire men and women- you can tell so by their accents. I am not. My mother came from Manchester, which doesn't go down well in this WHITE ROSE county. I was really pleased on disccvering that my great great grandmother came from near Wakefield in what was them the West Riding of Yorkshire. My family all rib me for my southern accent- especially Ba(r)the and Pa(r)th!
    Ann Biscoe in Halifax

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