Forms of Address

[Jonathon Green]

I'm not sure if all of these fit the bill, but herewith a few citations of
'Miss --' and 'Master ---'. Like the old South, old, i.e. 19C Britain used
the formula, usually where parents (or a sibling) are speaking to servants
about the family's children, or servants are speaking about or to the same
children. Chapter and verse have I not, but a trawl through Dickens might
well come up with something (I stole this one from the OED).

c.1790 'Creoles of Jamaica' (in Holloway & Black, vol. ii, 1979) 172: We
should chance to fall sick, / There's Miss Nancy and Quacks to attend us.
1842 Egan, 'Miss Dolly Trull' (in Farmer, 1896) 143: Just twig Miss Dolly at
a hop - / She tries to come the graces!
1849 Dickens David Copperpeield. iii, Wait a bit, Master Davy, and I'll-I'll
tell you something.
1858 A. Mayhew, Paved with Gold 269:  Master Billy, who was
commissariat-general company, ordered a jug of what he termed 'hot flannel'
for three - a mixture of gin, beer, and eggs - which he declared wrapped
round a fellow like wool, and made him sleep like opium.
1889 John Strange Winter, That Imp 10:  'Miss Aurora,' he said suddenly, one
evening after dinner, 'It's awfully dull at Drive now; does it never strike
you so?' 'Very often, my dear,' answered Miss Aurora promptly. 'It's as dull
as - ' 'Ditch-water,' supplied the Driver, finding she paused for a word
that would express dulness enough. 'I wonder you and Betty don't die of the
blues.'
1900 The Marvel 12 Dec. 11: Now, slippy, Master Jack.
1900 Boys Of The Empire 23 Oct. 34: And I'll help 'ee, Master Jack, I'm
blamed if I don't.
1922 James Joyce, Ulysses 503:  You will dance attendance or I'll lecture
you on your misdeeds, Miss Ruby, and spank your bare bot right well, miss,
with the hairbrush.
1922 James Joyce, Ulysses 340:  The twins were now playing in the most
approved brotherly fashion, till at last Master Jacky who was really as bold
as brass [...] deliberately kicked the ball as hard as ever he could down
towards the seaweedy rocks.

The Southern use has been reversed in 20C by Black use, in which Miss Ann
(and during the Carter presidency, Miss Amy and Miss Lillian) used the old
style in a generic and derogatory way.

1926 Van Vechten, Nigger Heaven 280: Look at Buddie wid Miss Annie ... Dat
ain' Miss Annie, dat's kinkout.
1977 Smitherman, Talkin and Testifyin n.p.: While Miss Ann, also just plain
Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied
to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann
1980 Folb, Runnin' Down Some Lines 209: Miss Lillian and Amy have taken
their place alongside Miss Ann as expressions for a white female.

Finally the homophobic use, which dates to early 19C.
1989 Rawson, Dict. of Invective (1991) 252: Nancy, a rhyme on fancy, and
usually reserved for effeminate men or outright catamites, as in Miss Nancy
or nancy-boy.

Jonathon Green