usage - Which expression is older: "London Royal Parks" or "London's Royal Parks" ? And why is it Hyde Park and not Hyde's Park?



London Royal Parks



and



London's Royal Parks



Both phrases are used, and I understand that "London" in the first example is acting as an adjective. Whereas in the second, "London", is used as a proper noun and therefore has an apostrophe.


However, which form is the older? I suspect that it is the second and if that is the case, why do only two Royal Parks: St. James's and The Regent's Park, have an apostrophe while four Royal Parks do not? In other words: Why not Hyde's Park, Richmond's Park, Greenwich's Park and Kensington's Gardens?


Please, no answers with:



"The Royal Parks in London"



or



"The Royal Parks of London."



and claiming the above are "correct" because inanimate nouns and geographic names do not take the apostrophe. That's false. On dates I found this on Wikipedia:



Place names in the United States do not use the possessive apostrophe on federal maps and signs. The United States Board on Geographic Names, which has responsibility for formal naming of municipalities and geographic features, has deprecated the use of possessive apostrophes since 1890 so as not to show ownership of the place. Only five names of natural features in the U.S. are officially spelled with a genitive apostrophe (one example being Martha's Vineyard).



I'd also be interested to know which form is considered "preferable" by linguists, grammarians etc... London Royal Parks or London's Royal Parks and which is more common in everyday speech.



Answer



To a large extent, this is a matter of idiom.


In Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Greenwich Park and Kensington Gardens, the first words are all place-names.


Hyde Park was enclosed by Henry VIII when he obtained the manor of Hyde from the canons of Westminster Abbey in 1536. Wikipedia


The names of the Parks are their proper names, and it would be almost completely alien to use a possessive. A rather contrived example might be



Greenwich's Park has unrivalled architecture



...but that would only happen if it were to be written by Greenwich Borough Council extolling a local virtue over other Parks. It just isn't done.


With regard to London or London's, it's only used if it's necessary to distinguish the Parks in London from others, in much the same way as the Greenwich example. Either form might be used; it's a stylistic choice.



London's Royal Parks receive more visitors than those outside the capital.
The London Royal Parks ensure that it is the greenest city of its size in the world1.



There are English place names which include an apostrophe (for example Pratt's Bottom) but the Royal Parks are not among them.



1 London Councils


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