1 AUGUST 1931, Page 18

THE BATTLE OF BRITNANBURIL In reviewing Mr. Cockburn ' s book on

the Battle of Brunan- burh, I said that Anston meant " the one or lonely stone," and I said so on the high authority of the English Place-Name Survey, than which I know no better. Mr. Cockburn calls this explanation trivial. The great majority of English place-names are either trivial or extraordinarily commonplace. I repeat that his theoryof citing Brunanburh is a dangerous one, if it depends on seeing the personal name of Athelstan in dissimilar place-names like Anston and Stainsborough.--

YOUR REVIEWER.