Hackney

The whole of this district originally belonged to a Danish Chief named Hacon. The suffix ey expre es an island-- i.e. land intersected by rivulets (in this case of the Lea)--or low, marshy ground. The suggestion that coaches were first let out for hire in this neighbourhood is not correct. See “ Hackney Coach .” Hackney Coach. One let out for hire. In France a coche-a-haquenée expre es a coach drawn by a hired horse. Originally the word haquenée meant any kind of horse but a thoroughbred. The Dutch hakkenei means hack horse, an ambling nag. From the French haquenée we have derived the term hack author, or literary hack, one whose services are hired for poor pay by a bookseller.