Q What is the origin of the Wear Valley village name Daddry Shield? - W Sewell, Bishop Auckland.

A The second part of the name is relatively easy to identify. A shield or shiel or scheale is an Old English word for a shelter and often occurs in upland areas, where it usually signifies the site of a shepherd's hut. In areas settled by the Vikings, the word scale is often used and this is particularly apparent in Cumbrian place names.

According to the recently-published Dictionary of County Durham Place Names, by V E Watts, the earliest recorded spelling of Daddry Shield is 'datherie sheale' in 1685. This is found in post-Dissolution papers in Durham University Library. I suggest the name derives from an old dialect word 'dather' which is recorded in Wright's Dialect Dictionary in 1900. It means to tremble, shake and vibrate. The dialect dictionary does not record the word's use in Durham but records it in Cumberland in the forms Dadder and Dadther and in North Yorkshire as Datther. Upper Weardale dialect and place names are closely related to those in Cumbria. So Daddry Shields could possibly mean shaky shelter.

Q My mother recently sent me a cutting from Burning Questions about the Piercebridge Grandfather Clock. I have an identical clock. It is a copy by J Wells of Darlington, and belonged to my late husband's family. Like the clock in the song, ours stopped when my husband died, but only because he was the only one who knew how to wind it. I would be interested to know if there are any members of the Wells family still in Darlington. - Dorothy Stairman, address supplied.

A The song that you mention is of course My Grandfather's Clock, written by the American composer Henry Clay Work in 1878. It is believed that a long case clock in Piercebridge's George Hotel inspired him to write the lyrics. This clock stopped when the owner of the clock died. It is still in the George. Unfortunately, my research has drawn a blank on the Darlington clock manufacturer J Wells. Perhaps some of our readers know descendants of the Wells family?

Published: 13/05/2002

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