_Lambert Simnel--Was this his real Name?_--It occurs to me that we are not
in possession of the real name of Lambert Simnel, the famous claimant of
the crown of England. We are told that he was the son of a baker; and we
learn from Johnson's _Dictionary_ that the word "simnel" signified a kind
of sweet-bread or cake. Now, considering the uncertainty and mutability of
surnames in former times, I am led to suspect that "Simnel" may have been a
nickname first applied to his father, in allusion to his trade; and I am
strengthened in my suspicion by not finding any such name as "Simnel" in
any index of ancient names. Could any of your correspondents throw light on
this question, or tell whether Lambert left any posterity?