WARD'S BOOK OF EPONYMS Who gave their names to what
If you have ever wondered who gave their names to things and places, you will find the answer here. You can read about John Sandwich, George Dallas, Gustave Eiffel, James of York (New York), Clarence Birds-Eye, Charles Baltimore and many many others.
This is Ward's Book of Eponyms where you will find a large list of people who had things named after them. This page is devoted to things named after people whose name begins with the letter:
J
Jack Daniel This famous American blend honours Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel (1846–1911) born in Lynchburg, Tennessee to a colonial family of Scottish and Welsh origin. Jack started working in a distillery at the age of 12. When he was 16, the proprietor of the works took to religion and decided to dispose of the ungodly distillery. He sold the business to Jack taking a debenture and then lived off the interest. Jack made the business thrive and soon increased production by buying new land with a pond to source production. Jack died from blood poisoning in his toe after he angrily kicked his safe when he forgot the combination. Ironically the infection would have been cured if he had bathed the toe in his own whiskey.
January Janus was the Roman god of gates and doors because he had two faces, one forward, one backward. He could see the past and the future. His doors of his temple in the Forum were closed in peacetime but open when Rome was war, so that the god could go out and help the warriors. January was dedicated to Janus as he kept the gates of the years and ushered in the New Year. It was customary to offer him sacrifices of sweets and money on 1st January. Janus also gives his name to janitor, a doorkeeper.
Jezebel. A woman of loose morals can be called a Jezebel. Jezebel was a Phoenician princess, mentioned in the Bible, who married Ahab, king of Israel, and tried to convert him to the worship of Baal, a false god. She was the first woman recorded as using makeup. She ‘painted her face’ (Kings II, ix, 30) She was killed by the rebel general Jehu who cast her down from a high tower where she was trampled by horses and eaten by dogs.
jingo A jingo is a British patriot. The expression came about at the time of The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The Russians were seen as enemies and many people wanted to join in the war not for any particular reason. A popular song went round the music halls:
We don’t want to fight,
But by jingo! if we do
We’ve got the ships, we’ve got the men
And got the money, too.
Britain did not join in the war but a jingo became a name for a patriot. The term ‘by jingo’ is a minced oath, used to avoid saying "by Jesus".
john: a toilet Some people think that the flushing toilet was invented by Thomas Crapper. Actually the creator of the john was Sir John Harington (1561–1612) a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I and one of her many godson’s. Harington was trained in the law but soon received a Royal appointment at court. He became one of the queen’s secretaries dealt with administration of the palace. His chief claim to fame was the installation of the first ever flushing toilet in the queen’s chambers, but the queen refused to use it as she said it was too noisy. Harington was soon dismissed from the court and returned home to Somerset. He married Mary Rogers with whom he had nine children. He died in 1612 and is buried in the family tomb in Kelston church. (St Nicholas Church, Kelston, Near Bath, Somerset, BA1 9AG)Other letters