Lancashire Nicknames

[Sendgridover]

Whilst researching my Lancashire heritage circa late 1800's particularly around the Farnworth / Kearsley / Ringley area I have come across a nickname used to describe a family member, 'Owd Peff'. The 'Owd' I get but 'Peff' is something I am familiar with. His name was David if that helps? Has anyone come across this before and could shed any light?

[Barbara.H]

I think it might come from 'puff' so maybe he was a heavy smoker or coughed/wheezed a lot?

[BumbleB]

I'd agree with Barbara.H - in my book "The Yorkshire Dictionary of Dialect, Tradition and Folklore" -

peff = to cough, usually slightly, as with a tickly cough;  to breathe in short gasps, etc. (?variation of puff)

[Hollander]

I live only a short distance from the Bolton/Farnworth/Kearsley area, and was brought up speaking dialect, and in the years since my childhood, have made a study of the dialect and folk speech of South Lancashire.
I have to admit I have never come across the word 'Peff' in dialect usage. The fact it is prefaced with 'Owd' indicates it was most likely a name given to a family, rather than an individual, and its origins may be lost.
An example: Sixty years ago, in my home village there were two families. One was known by the nickname 'Parse', and the other by the nickname 'Chegg', these names having no resemblance to their actual surnames or christian names, and not being dialect terms.
Any enquiry as to how they came by these names was always met with a shrug of the shoulders, and the words "they've allus bin co'd (called) that".

[Viktoria]

Owd also has a slightly affectionate connotation.
It means old.
So usually of an older person , well known in the community.

I have not met with it meaning a family .
I lived in Manchester but now in Ramsbottom ,which had forty plus years ago a rich dialect of its own,sadly fast disappearing.
Juxtapositioning of letters so bird becomes brid,as in Samuel Laycock’s poem about the famine years — “ Thart welcome little bonny brid
                                        ,But shouldn’t ha. Come just when tha did,
                                          Toimes are bad.
                                          We’re short pobbies fir eawr Joe
                                            But that o course tha didn’t know,
                                         Did ta lad?

Double t as in butter becomes buther ,water becomes wather,oh lots , and much changed with the influx of people not local .
I love it,living history.
Viktoria.

[Hollander]

Owd also has a slightly affectionate connotation.
It means old.
So usually of an older person , well known in the community.

I have not met with it meaning a family .

Viktoria - I meant using the term 'Owd' to distinguish  between generations in a family.
In the case of Sendgridover's ancestor there might have been 'Owd Peff', his son 'Young Peff', and his son, 'Young Peff's lad'.

[Viktoria]

Ah! Thankyou ,I see your meaning now,
I don’t hear anymore the distinguishing of two people with the same first names there used to be ie, Jack o Tom o Bill’s.
In other words Jack,son of Tom who is the son of Bill ,  a different person to Jack o Harry o Bob’s.
That only worked in a close knit community where several generations were still living in close proximity.
Thanks, an interesting topic.
Viktoria o Alice o Margaret Ann.

[Gillg]

Is the pub Owd Betts on Ashworth Moor above Norden/Rochdale still going? It fascinated me as a child, but haven't been back to Norden for many years now.

[BumbleB]

Mr Google appears to thing that Owd Betts is still in business from 1796!  It has it's own website, and appears on various others.