Mr. Blackguard

A “blackguard”: a rude or dishonest man; a man who deserves to be disliked.

However, a blackguard has not always had a specific gender attached to it, especially not in its earliest use - when it referred to the kitchen servants in the households of royalty or nobility. As the word wended its way from one meaning to the next (including “servants and hangers-on of an army” and “street urchins”) it gradually took on increasing connotations of maleness. The most commonly used sense (which is still fairly obsolete) is in general reference to a contemptible scoundrel, and in this use is primarily applied to men.

Some of the more interesting surnames in use in the Georgian Era were often contradictory and expressed the reverse of a person’s actual character or qualities. One writer decided contradictory surnames were interesting enough that he published a short piece on the subject. Here it is verbatim:

Mr. Short who was not much under six feet in height; and the friends of two families swear that Mr. Goodchild broke the hearts of his father and mother, and drove another of his nearest relations to distraction, by his wicked and undutiful behaviour; while Mr. Thoroughgood turned out a complete rogue and a vagabond, and was transported at the expence of the government at five and twenty. Mr. Gotobed is never so happy as when he can sit up all night smoking and drinking. Mr. Hogg is so particularly cleanly and neat in his person as to be the admiration of all his acquaintance. Mr. Armstrong has scarcely physical power in either of his arms to dance his own baby for five minutes; and Mr. Playfair is a notorious sharper.

John Henry, A Critical and Analytical Dissertation on the Names of Persons, 1833

Is our Mr Blackguard contradictory ….?

Batch of 12

Release date : 20/3/20