The Origin of Abbey Dawn!
When I first heard that Avril Lavigne was coming out with her own clothing line named Abbey Dawn, I wondered where she found that name and later read it was a childhood nickname...But the only reference I could find about it was in a 2004 Blender.com interview where Avril was asked by a fan:
"What was your nickname when you were in school?"
And she answered:
"I didn’t have a nickname. Oh, yeah, I did — Abbey. Abbey Dawn. I think it’s a place. That’s what my dad called me, so all my friends did, too."
So it didn't sound like Avril may have known where exactly "Abbey Dawn"... but the name sounded familiar to me...
Then I remembered it was the name of a road I'd driven by just outside of Kingston (which is near Napanee) - and since roads are often named after people or places, I searched around to see where Abbey Dawn Road got it's name...
(click here to see a Google map showing the spot where Abbey Dawn was located)
After searching around Google for a while, I discovered "Abbey Dawn" was a real place created by a famous Canadian poet, Wallace Havelock Robb, who was born in Belleville (the same birth place as Avril) in 1888. And as a poet, he held to the ancient tradition of the role of Abbé - more or less like a priest of ancient times - and became known as the Abbé of Abbey Dawn.
Wallace Havelock Robb
-- Photo by Klaas Tuinman --
Abbey Dawn was not only a 500 acre sanctuary for birds (a bluebird sanctuary and maybe the very first sanctuary for "birds of prey" in North America), but also someplace Avril would fit right in since it was a gathering place for artists, poets, writers & all types of creative and spiritual people.
And in another coincidence that makes Avril's nickname even more appropriate, Abbey Dawn was also well known for its large bronze bell (the Poet's Bell) that was rung for important occasions like weddings and christenings... and the bell's Ojibway Indian name was "Gitchi Nagamo", which in English means "Beautiful Song"! :)
Here's a photo showing the south side of Abbey Dawn, where you can see part of the large marsh that was part of the sanctuary and where an astrolabe (navigation device) was discovered that may have belonged to one of our most famous explorers, Samuel de Champlain.
Unfortunately Wallace Robb passed away in 1976 and although the property had been kept in the family for many years, it appears by the end of the 1980s his homestead had been torn down and all evidence of Abbey Dawn has since disappeared. :(
So it seems appropriate that Avril's dad nicknamed her "Abbey Dawn" as a child, since it was a place for creative people - which no doubt included singers and musicians, along with writers and poets - and featured a famous bell that was named "Beautiful Song".
UPDATE: CONFIRMED!
About two and a half weeks after posting this, a celebrity website called "Just Jared" interviewed Avril and asked her:
"Your clothing line, Abbey Dawn, was a nickname from your dad? How did he get that" nickname?
And Avril answered:
"He worked in Kingston, and it was like a street name or something. It was this area called Abbey Dawn and I don’t know. He just called me Abbey and Abbey Dawn. All my friends in high school called me Abbey, and when I first started out, my alias name was always Abbey Dawn in my hotel rooms, so it was something that stuck with me my entire life."
So it sounds like Avril still isn't completely sure what or where Abbey Dawn is or was - but knows it was an area called Abbey Dawn (the sanctuary I talk about above) and it is a street or (more accurately) a road called Abbey Dawn.
Hopefully she'll see my post here soon and know all the history behind the source of her nickname... but until then, YOU know more about it than SHE does! :)
BTW - you can read Just Jared's interview online her: part 1 | part 2
NOTE: My research included not just Google searching but also getting a 1970 publication from the Kingston Historic Society that included an article called "The Abbé of Abbey Dawn".
And I got valuable first-hand information by exchanging email with Klaas Tuinman who was a friend of Wallace Robb. And not only was a friend, but he had his own son christened at Abbey Dawn where "Gitchi Nagamo" was rung and Wallace Robb wrote the entire ceremony out with a quill on parchment paper! :)
You can read more about Abbey Dawn and Wallace Robb at Klaas Tuinman's own website called Dawn Cove Abbey. And also information on this webpage.
Thanks also to Melissa who let me use the top Avril picture, and you can see more of her pics at avril-images.net .
And below is a news report about new Avril's fragrance line that's also coming soon!
Original Post written: Sunday, April 06, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008 4:24:00 AMHi Courtney,
Although your theory about the origin of the name "Abbey Dawn" may
indeed be correct, I think that Avril's father, probably
started calling her 'Avvy", which is a nickname for Avril; and because
the 'baby Avril' would have pronounced it as "Abby", that's what it became.
Then, over time, it became: "Abbey Dawn", which, as you revealed in your excellent article, is a well-known and attractive place name in the Kingston area.
Having two grown-up daughters myself, I know all about childhood nicknames.
What a nice article, Courtney! Congrats! SFA Web Admin
Tom
Web Admin
Seniors For Avril
http://avril.rules.it/
Monday, April 14, 2008 1:15:00 PM
Hi!
Thanks for writing Tom. I have seen you (or another member of Seniors for Avril) defending Avril on many websites where they try to spread lies about her, and it's nice to have another dedicated Avril fan to help me keep them honest! :)
And you could be correct about the details of how Avril got this nickname from her dad...
I was concerned about that, and considered maybe he just saw the name of the road and thought it was a cute nickname for her (perhaps adding "Dawn" after the original nickname "Abbey", like you're thinking, after seeing that street name), but without actually knowing HOW that road got its name...
But I figure even if her dad DIDN'T know how that road got its name, the Abbey Dawn sanctuary is still the source for the name "Abbey Dawn Road", so technically I'd still be right... I think. :)
Thanks again for commenting on my blog and for continuing to put all those Avril haters in their place!
~ Courtney
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 4:32:00 AM
Hi Courtney,
Your kind words re: SFA are much appreciated. :-)
I think that it's highly likely that we are both correct, concerning the origin of Avril's childhood pet name.
The family, having lived in the area for a number of years, must have been familiar with the Abbey Dawn Sanctuary, so it is easy to assume that there is some connection.
After reading your well-researched material on the subject, I cannot help but feel, that you will have a great career in investigative journalism someday.
I have taken the liberty of creating a small banner and link to your excellent blog, which will be found on our site @ URL:
http://avril.rules.it/
This banner & Link will be found
right between the Avril Bandaids Banner & The Napanee Chamber of Commerce Banner on the above mentioned page.
Trusting that this will be satisfactory, and wishing you
every success in your endeavours.
Sincerely,
Tom
SFA Web Admin
http://avril.rules.it/
========================
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 6:42:00 PM
Thanks for the interesting article about Avril's nickname, 'Abbey Dawn'. Somehow it seems that name suits her well. I'm glad to see that Avril is doing so well; her third album is awesome, she's doing her own clothing line with Kohls, her own fragrance will soon follow, and she is applying her talents now to movies. I look forward to seeing more great things from Avril in the years to come. She's a super cool person with a very bright future.
-Gentz
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