How do you pronounce Cheseman?!

chocoholic · Post by **chocoholic** » 16 Oct 2009 14:38

Hi all!

We're soon to be moving to SE26. Cheseman St to be exact. How do you pronounce Cheseman???

Our agent says Cheeseman but solicitor says Ches-(as in Chesney)-man.

Or is it Ches-e-man.

Would be good to know so we don't make eejits of ourselves.

Thanks,

bigbadwolf · Post by **bigbadwolf** » 16 Oct 2009 16:40

Ha ha.

Sorry for not being able to help you but I've lived in the area all my life and I've always wondered how to pronounce it and have been meaning to post it on the forum or indeed, ask someone.

Thanks for beating me to it and I look forward to a genuine reply.

Steve Grindley should be along shortly.

marianne · Post by **marianne** » 16 Oct 2009 19:02

I have lived in Cheseman Street for many years and always pronounced it Cheeseman Street. Always confusing though when you have to spell it over the phone for deliveries etc.

Hope you will enjoy living here!

ALIB · Post by **ALIB** » 16 Oct 2009 21:08

I had an idea for thumbnail histories and this wasa to be one of the first. I shall proceed.

Cheeseman Street , as it is pronounced by people in the locale, is so named beause of the following historical incident.
In 1836 a small dairy was operated in te vicinity, run by mssers Kirk and Dale. They produced many dairy products. However, one of their employees had a furious row with his wife and she promptly 'ran away to her parents'. A subsequent police investigtion found the dead wife entombed in a huge piece of Brie. Hence the 'Cheeseman' was born, which was subsequently cropped to produce 'Cheseman St'.

CHEESEMAN STREET

Hope this helps

marianne · Post by **marianne** » 16 Oct 2009 22:03

Ha ha Adlib - very funny!

Found this in the archives:

Posted: 21 Jan 2005 01:09 Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't think there is likely to be a link, Keith. Robert Cheseman owned an area of Sydenham near what is now called Elm Lane, Catford when he died in 1498. The present Cheseman Street was developed in the early 1830s, It was first called Skeet's Lane, then Russell Street. It didn't become Cheseman Street until the 1930s, when the name was probably plucked at random from local records when the local authority decided that Russell Street needed to be renamed.

chocoholic · Post by **chocoholic** » 17 Oct 2009 07:12

Thanks for the replies!

My friends who don't know the area all say Ches-e-man but I'll go with what the locals say!

See you around

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 17 Oct 2009 08:37

Alib, are you sure it wasn't named by Alan Partidge after a friend of his called Gareth, but they fell out so at the last minute Alan dropped the e?

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 17 Oct 2009 21:05

Cheesy-man? Chess-Man?
Sounds good to me...

What's in a name? What does it matter...in the end? So long as people agree as to what they are actually referring to...

I lived in a Glamis Road when I was a kid. All the locals pronounced it Glamis as in Glam-IS... Outside 'toffs' called it 'Glarms' ...So...there you go!

Some twits call Clapham..Klarm...!!! [So I have heard ...herd?]

Chazza · Post by **Chazza** » 18 Oct 2009 00:38

Trawlerman wrote:Some twits call Clapham..Klarm...!!! [So I have heard ...herd?]

They're taking the proverbial. See also the salubrious areas of Saint Reatham, Saint Ockwell, Saint Ratford etc.

Rebelmc · Post by **Rebelmc** » 18 Oct 2009 01:01

Trawlerman wrote:Cheesy-man? Chess-Man?
Sounds good to me...

What's in a name? What does it matter...in the end? So long as people agree as to what they are actually referring to...

I lived in a Glamis Road when I was a kid. All the locals pronounced it Glamis as in Glam-IS... Outside 'toffs' called it 'Glarms' ...So...there you go!

Some twits call Clapham..Klarm...!!! [So I have heard ...herd?]

Strictly speaking (pardon the pun) the 'toffs' were right; almost certainly, your childhood home was named after the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Glamis Castle, which the locals pronounce 'Glarms'.

Having said that, this is the same ilk that pronounce Menzies as 'Mengiz', and I don't ever remember shopping in John Mengiz

As for Cheseman, 'chese' is the Middle English spelling (late 11th to late 15th century) of the modern word 'cheese', so that's how it should be pronounced; at least, that's how an aquaintance of mine, called Cheseman, pronounces his name, so I guess he must be right.

I don't believe anyone has ever pronounced Clapham as 'Klarm', except as a direct result of hearing 80's yuppie bashing comedy sketches, same as 'St Reatham'.

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 18 Oct 2009 10:55

Points received and understood. Pronunciation is an evolving thing ... [or devolving! ] Do yo recall the old American song [from a musical?]
that contrasted English and American pronunciation ...' EETHER / EYETHER' ...'NEETHER / NEYETHER'...'TOMATO / TOMAYTO' etc...And finished with 'Let's call the whole thing off'... Sound sentiment.

Marathon · Post by **Marathon** » 19 Oct 2009 11:00

In the same way as Crouch End is pronounced Crew-Shon (a-la francais) by many people due to its perceived poshness (pretentiousness?)

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 19 Oct 2009 11:34

Chazza wrote:
Trawlerman wrote:Some twits call Clapham..Klarm...!!! [So I have heard ...herd?]
They're taking the proverbial. See also the salubrious areas of Saint Reatham, Saint Ockwell, Saint Ratford etc.

I'm not entirley sure they are with Klarm. It's always been a fairly well-heeled area (Clapham North notwithstanding). I'd agree with you on the other areas though. I once heard some jeunesse dorée on the train pronounce an area as Bat-terse-eh rather than Bat-er-sea. I had to think where they meant.

michael · Post by **michael** » 19 Oct 2009 12:27

I've always prounced Sydenham as Syd'nam - is it just me?

mummycat · Post by **mummycat** » 19 Oct 2009 12:49

Our friends from Bromley, (cheese-l-hurst actually) call Sydenham, 'Nam. As in Vietnam!

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 19 Oct 2009 12:58

michael wrote:I've always prounced Sydenham as Syd'nam - is it just me?

I've never been entirely sure michael. I fluctuate between Sid-in-ham and Sid-in-am (assuming the h is silent as in Clapham). The train announcements have us pegged as the latter.

It doesn't matter how I pronounce it. Most of the people I meet have never heard of the place. Nor Forest Hill, for that matter. I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 19 Oct 2009 15:40

This is all very silly...But fun...In a mildly obsessive manner...
So...How about Side-en-ham? Or Sid-nerm?

By the way...How does one 'prounce'? Sounds interesting...Is it healthy?
Is it 'proonce' or 'prownce'?
Anyway...apologies for pick-nicking [as in nick-picking] .

Has anybody tried 'Clafam' ? Maybe we'll even one day have 'Blarm' [for Balham!]...

michael · Post by **michael** » 19 Oct 2009 16:36

Trawlerman,
Perhaps we should get the views of others from Pen-gee, Brockoli, or Dull-Itch?

And which is right:
Onor Oak or Honor Hoak?

MartinH · Post by **MartinH** » 19 Oct 2009 18:14

The best one of all ? Blackheath Approach = DEPTFORD !!

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 19 Oct 2009 18:37

MartinH wrote:The best one of all ? Blackheath Approach = DEPTFORD !!

Greenwich/Blackheath Borders = Charlton...

These estate agents, eh?

Sydenham Town Forum

The Community Voice for London SE26 since 2004

How do you pronounce Cheseman?!

How do you pronounce Cheseman?!