What's in a Name?
My name, 'Blakesley', is a very old English surname, one that extends back beyond the Norman Conquest of 1066, into Anglo Saxon times. Thought to derive from a combination of an Old English personal name and the word ‘ leah,' it indicates either the ownership of, or association with, a woodland clearing or glade- a 'ley'- by a man named Blaecwulf.
When William the Conqueror took stock of all his kingdom's assets in 1086, his Domesday Book noted that a tiny village stood in 'Blaculveslei' - Blaecwulf's woodland clearing - where the still tiny Northamptonshire village of Blakesley stands today.
We’ll likely never know who Blaecwulf, or 'Black Wolf' was or why, exactly, we remember him. Whether the forester who managed this wooded area for a nobleman, or the nobleman himself; whether the woodsman who cleared trees to establish and extend fields for grazing or farming; the woodsman who harvested the trees, the sawyer who cut the lumber, or a husbandman behind a plow, Black Wolf made a name for himself, and left a lasting impression.
Now, nearly one thousand years later, I like to think of myself as Blaecwulf's descendant, and one who will, similarly, make and leave a lasting impression. As the proud owner and operator of 'Black Wolf Building and Design', I commit to ensuring that everything we do honors the tradition of honest work and craftsmanship that I associate with Blaecwulf, and to ensuring that our work, like the name itself, stands the test of time.
Now, nearly one thousand years later, I like to think of myself as Blaecwulf's descendant, and one who will, similarly, make and leave a lasting impression. As the proud owner and operator of 'Black Wolf Building and Design', I commit to ensuring that everything we do honors the tradition of honest work and craftsmanship that I associate with Blaecwulf, and to ensuring that our work, like the name itself, stands the test of time.
