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There are no fewer than 19 towns or cities outside England called Leeds and they are variously spread across three continents.
Like many other British place names, the name 'Leeds' was exported far and wide by travellers too numerous to mention, mainly during the glory days of Britain's maritime prowess, when, to paraphrase the famous quote: 'the sun did not set upon the British Empire.'
Over the years, the name Leeds has been adopted by various settlements in numerous climes, from the snow-capped mountains of America to the tropical forrests of Jamaica.
David Mumford, a cartographer from HarperCollins, which has just published The Times Universal Atlas of the World, compiled the lists of namesakes.
He said: "We found 19 other places names Leeds that are not in the UK. It gives us an idea of how it spread. I would think that most of the places called Leeds are related to the one in West Yorkshire, although we cannot be sure, some may have been named after something else.
"The spread of UK place names happened during the Industrial Revolution, when enterprising individuals went out into the world, settled in some areas and changed the place names accordingly, perhaps to remind themselves of their home."
Mr Mumford worked with a team of cartographers to compile the list of namesakes for the UK's ten largest cities, of which Leeds is the sixth.
Jethro Lennox, senior publishing editor for Collins World Atlases, said: "Place names were emotive and used to provide some sort of continuity for people facing uncertain challenges in new and hostile places. These days, the importance varies – in some places, few people in the town may be aware of the connection; in others, they remain a source of pride.
"Naming newly-founded settlements after home towns was a common practice by British settlers arriving in far-off continents and has proved to be one of the most enduring geographical legacies of Britain's former overseas presence."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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