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Cambridge Antiquarian Society. Octavo Publications. No. XLII.
J
THE PLACE-NAMES
1
BEDFORDSHIRE
{
REV. WALTER W. SKEAT, LITT.D., D.C.L., LL.D. PH.D., F.B.A.,
ELRINGTON AND BOSWORTH PROFESSOR OF ANGLO-SAXON
AND FELLOW OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE.
***
OF
C
BY THE
SOCIETY
11
+
929
546
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$25
Cambridge:
PRINTED FOR THE CAMBRIDGE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.
SOLD BY DEIGHTON, BELL & CO.; AND MACMILLAN & BOWES
LONDON, GEORGE BELL AND SONS.
SEAL OF
1906
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18.07
700
ARTES
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PAPULENTI
VERITAS
PLURIOUS UNUM
TUEBOR
SCIENTIAM
CIRCUMSPICE
OF THE
SI-QUÆRIS PENINSULAM-AMŒNAM.
KURTKIKIRIKUKIJONACALOUUUUURRO
THE PLACE-NAMES
OF
BEDFORDSHIRE
546
PUBLICATIONS: OCTAVO SERIES
No. XLII.
THE PLACE-NAMES
BEDFORDSHIRE
OF
BY THE
REV. WALTER W. SKEAT, LITT.D., D.C.L., LL.D., PH.D., F.B.A.,
ELRINGTON AND BOSWORTH PROFESSOR OF ANGLO-SAXON
AND FELLOW OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE.

الفتا
SOCELY
વીસ્કી
SEAL OF
VOLLEY DAY
दुह
Cambridge:
PRINTED FOR THE CAMBRIDGE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.
SOLD BY DEIGHTON, BELL & CO.; AND MACMILLAN & BOWES.
LONDON, GEORGE BELL AND SONS.
1906
MA!!
DA
670
33
56
Cambridge:
PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
↓
Batel
A
#
CONTENTS.
PREFATORY REMARKS
1. THE SUFFIX -BOROUGH :-Eddlesborough
2.
THE SUFFIX -BOURNE, -BURN :-Husborne Crawley, Melch-
bourne, Redbournestoke, Woburn
3. THE SUFFIX -BRIDGE:-Stanbridge .
4. THE SUFFIX -BROOK :-Millbrook, Sharnbrook, Tilbrook
5. THE SUFFIX -BURY :-Howbury, Limbury, Millowbury .
6.
THE SUFFIX -CLIFF:-Hockliffe
7. THE SUFFIX -COTE, -COT:-Biscott, Caldecote, Caulcott, East-
cotts, Holcut, Thorncote
8.
•
THE SUFFIX -DEN, -DEAN:-Dean, Ravensden, Stagsden,
Stodden, Wilden, Yielden
9. THE SUFFIX -DISH :-Farndish
10. THE SUFFIX -DOWN, -DON :-Battlesden, Caddington, Har-
lington, Harrowden, Honeydon, Maulden, Pegsdon, Roxton,
(Ruxox), Shillington, Stondon, Sundon, Old Warden.
11. THE SUFFIX -EY:-Arlesey, Sandy, Turvey
12. THE SUFFIX -FIELD :-Cranfield, Froxfield, Wingfield
13. THE SUFFIX -FOLD :-Stotfold
14. THE SUFFIX -FORD-Barford, Bedford, Girtford, Langford,
Salford, Shefford, Stanford, Tempsford
•
15. THE SUFFIX -GRAVE :—Chalgrave, Leagrave, Potsgrove.
16. THE SUFFIX -HALE :-Meppershall, Pertenhall, Renhold
17. THE SUFFIX -HAM: -Biddenham, Blunham, Bromham, Clap-
ham, Felmersham, Higham, Pavenham, Studham
18. THE SUFFIX -HANGER :-Moggerhanger, Polehanger
19. THE SUFFIX -HATCH :-Hatch .
PAGE
1
LO
5
77
8
8
9
10
12
13
17
17
18
19
22
23
24
27
27
ai
SH
vi
CONTENTS.
20. THE SUFFIX -HEAD :-Manshead, Swineshead.
21. THE SUFFIX -HEATH:-Heath.
22.
THE SUFFIX -HILL :-Ampthill, Clophill, Odell, Puddlehill,
Pulloxhill, Wroxhill
23.
THE SUFFIX -HOE: -Bletsoe, Budna, Cainhoe, Keysoe, Millow,
Putnoe, Salpho, Segenhoe, Sharpenhoe, Silsoe, Staploe,
Totternho
24. THE SUFFIX -HOLT:-Eversholt
THE SUFFIX -HURST :-Bolnhurst, Gravenhurst
25.
26. THE SUFFIX -ILL :-Northill, Southill
27. THE SUFFIX -ING :-Knotting, Marston Pillinge, Weston Ing
28. THE SUFFIX -LAKE:-Fenlake.
29.
THE SUFFIX -LEY :--Aspley Guise, Crawley, Cockayne Hatley,
Nares Gladly, Oakley, Prestley, Riseley, Steppingley, Stopsley,
Streatley, Thurleigh, Willey
30.
THE SUFFIX -LOW :---Henlow
31. THE SUFFIX -MEAD :-Bushmead
32. THE SUFFIX -MOUNT:-Ridgmount .
33. THE SUFFIX -POOL :-Cople
34. THE SUFFIX -SAND :-Chicksand
35. THE SUFFIX -SNADE :-Whipsnade
36. THE SUFFIX -STAPLE :-Dunstable
37. THE SUFFIX -STEAD :-Wilshamstead
38. THE SUFFIX -STOKE :-Redbournestoke
-
•
•
•
•
.
•
39. THE SUFFIX -STOW :—
-Elstow
40. THE SUFFIX THORPE :-Thrup End, Souldrop
41. THE SUFFIX -TOWN, -TON:-Barton in the Clay, Beeston,
Campton, Carlton, Chalton, Charlton, Clifton, Clipstone,
Dunton, Eaton Socon, Eaton Bray, Everton, Flitton,
Houghton Conquest, Houghton Regis, Kempston, Leighton
Buzzard, Luton, Marston Morteyne, Marston Pillinge,
Milton, Potton, Shelton, Staughton, Stratton, Sutton,
Weston Ing, Wootton, Wyboston, Chawston
•
42. THE SUFFIX -INGTON :-(a) Billington, Cardington, Goldington,
Lidlington, Podington, Toddington; (b) Chellington, Egging-
ton, Stevington, Willington, Wymington
43. THE SUFFIX -TREE :-Wixamtree
PAGE
27
28
28
29
32
33
33
34
36
36
39
40
41
41
42
42
43
44
44
44
46
47
57
60
CONTENTS.
vii
44. THE SUFFIX -WADE :-Biggleswade .
45. THE SUFFIX WELL-Holwell, Ickwell, Radwell, Sewell
46. THE SUFFIX -WICK:-Astwick, Flitwick, Hardwick, Hinwick
47. THE SUFFIX -WOLD:-Harrold .
-
CONCLUSION
INDEX
·
48. THE SUFFIX -WORTH :-Colmworth, Edworth, Eyworth, Teb
worth, Tilsworth, Wrestlingworth
49. THE SUFFIX -YATE :-Markyate
50. MISCELLANEOUS NAMES:-Beadlow, Brogborow, Broom, Chil-
tern, End, Haynes, Holme, Hyde, Kensworth, Pickshill,
Reach, Rowney, Sextons, Someries Farm, Sudbury, Thick-
thorn, Thorn, Tingrith, Upbury, Wrest Park
51. REMARKS
❤
PAGE
61
61
62
63
63
65
65
68
70
71
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
PREFATORY REMARKS.
IN 1901 my essay on "The Place-names of Cambridgeshire "
was published for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, and a
little later the same Society published my second essay of the
same character on "The Place-names of Huntingdonshire."
In 1904 the East Herts. Archæological Society accepted from
me and published a somewhat larger pamphlet on "The Place-
names of Hertfordshire," nearly all of which had previously
appeared from time to time in the columns of the Hertfordshire
Mercury.
The Editor of the Bedfordshire Standard kindly granted
me permission to send him, from time to time, during the year
1905, portions of a similar essay on "The Place-names of
Bedfordshire," which now appears in a revised form; on which
account I am indebted, for the third time, to the Cambridge
Antiquarian Society.
A few preliminary considerations, of wide application, may
conveniently be here given.
1. The place-names of Bedfordshire are nearly all of native
English origin; and are always formed according to the strict
rules of Anglo-Saxon grammar.
2.
Nearly all these names are of one or two types. Either
they are significant of possession, like Eversholt; or they are
descriptive of position, like Millbrook. The former name refers
to a holt, i.e. a plantation or wooded hill, which was first
permanently taken possession of by a squatter whose name, in
modern spelling, would be Ever; whilst the latter refers to a
1
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLII.
2
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
brook on which some one built a useful and conspicuous mill.
The name Ever occurs again in Evers-den (Cambs.) and in
Evers-ley (Hants.). It is spelt euer in Middle English (where
the u is sounded as v), Eofor in Anglo-Saxon, Eber in German,
and Aper in Latin. The literal sense is a boar,' but it was
freely used as a personal name. The English name Eofor occurs
in the famous old poem entitled Beowulf, and the Roman name
Aper is mentioned by Tacitus. The German Eber-hart (hard
or strong boar) was spelt Euerard by the Normans; whence our
modern Everard.
A place-name like Millbrook is formed, like cart-horse, by
simple juxtaposition; but in possessive names the former part
of the word occurs in the genitive case.
Evers- answers to the
A.S. (Anglo-Saxon) eofor-es, gen. of eofor. The genitive form
depends, in Anglo-Saxon, partly on gender; but if we confine
our attention to the names of men, which are masculine, the
rules are not difficult. In fact, these two will suffice.
1. If the nominative ends in -i (in very early times) or in
-e (as is more usual) or in a consonant, then the genitive ends
in -es. Examples: Ini, later form Ine, gen. Ines; Eofor, gen.
Eofores. Ini or Ine was a famous king of Wessex, only known
(I fear) to most of us in the Latinised form Ina; which was
certainly not his real name.
2. Nearly all other nominatives end in -a, and take a
genitive in -an. Thus the genitive of Offa is Offan.
Conversely, the genitive form Ines assures us at once that
the nominative could not have been Ina in true English. But
it may be said, once for all, that our old Latin historians made
a sad hash of all native names.
The only book that seems to have been occasionally consulted
by former investigators is the celebrated Domesday Book; but
it must be remembered that in many cases this famous record
only gives Norman spellings, and that such spellings not un-
frequently misrepresent such English sounds as the Norman
scribes could not easily pronounce. It is usually the case that
a somewhat later spelling by a native scribe gives a far better
idea of the true sound of the name.
PREFATORY REMARKS.
3
The most authentic sources of information are the Anglo-
Saxon Charters. I refer to the well-known editions by Kemble
and Birch, and to the select charters edited by Earle and Thorpe.
We find also a few names in the Crawford Charters, edited by
Napier and Stevenson. There is no good county history. The
account of Bedfordshire in Camden's Britannia is very brief and
poor, and the few remarks upon place-names are worthless.
His statement that Bedford "implies beds and inns at a ford"
is ludicrous, and cannot be reconciled with his other (correct)
statement, that one A.S. form of the name was Bedan-ford.
For the A.S. bed is neuter, with a gen. singular beddes and a
genitive plural bedda; and not one of its cases ends in -an.
Moreover, it doubles its d in the course of declension.
Besides the Charters, it is also necessary to consult the A.S.
Chronicle, and any other early writings in which place-names
are mentioned. Some of the Charters only exist in late copies,
and some of these exhibit Norman spellings, the peculiarities
of which must be allowed for.
I append the names of some other useful records; with the
abbreviations which denote them.
A.M.-Annales Monastici, ed. H. R. Luard (Rolls Series); vol. iii.
1866. This volume contains the Annales Prioratus de Dun-
staplia.
Cat.—A Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient Deeds (Record Series).
C.R.-Charter Rolls; Calendar of the Charter Rolls in the Public
Record Office; vol. i. A.D. 1226-1257. Ed. 1903.
Cl. R.—Close Rolls; Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum in Turri Londin-
ensi asservati. Ed. T. D. Hardy (1833). Vol. i. (1204—1224).
Cl. R. 2.—The same (1844); vol. ii. (1224—1227).
D.B.-Domesday Book.
E.T.-Ecclesiastica Taxatio (1291). Ed. 1802.
Ex. R.-Exchequer Rolls; Rotulorum Originalium in Curia Scaccarii
Abbreviatio; vol. i. Ed. 1805.
F.A.-Feudal Aids (Record Series); vol. i.
H.R.-Hundred Rolls (Rotuli Hundredorum); vol. i.
H.R., vol. ii.—The same; vol. ii.
I.p.m.-Inquisitiones post Mortem, sive Escaetarum; ed. J. Caley;
vol. i. (Record Series).
R.B.-Red Book of the Exchequer; ed. W. D. Selby (Rolls Series).
See the index in vol. iii.
1-2
4
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
R.C.-Ramsey Chartulary; ed. W. H. Hart. See the index in
vol. iii.
T.N.-Testa de Nevill (Hen. III.-Edw. I.).
T.R.-Tower Rolls; Rotuli Chartarum in Turri Londinensi asservati;
ed. T. D. Hardy (1837).
Many of these contain an index of personal names as well
as of place-names. Both should be consulted, because many
of the former refer to the latter.
When I cite an Anglo-Saxon personal name as being on
record, I mean that it is duly inserted in Searle's Onomasticon
Anglo-Saxonicum, which contains a fairly complete list of all
such A.S. names as are found in printed documents.
In explaining the meanings of place-names, it is best and
clearest to arrange them according to the suffixes which they
contain. Thus Melchbourne and Woburn will be considered
together, because both contain the suffix -bourne or -burn.
The number of suffixes found in Bedfordshire is upwards of
forty, and they are all of native English origin; a fact which is
of great significance. There is scarcely a trace of Norse or
Danish, and if there be any Celtic, it only occurs in river-names,
which I do not pretend to explain. A good deal of worthless
talk has been spent in the past in trying to find Celtic origins
for many words that are not Celtic at all. There has never
been much Welsh in Bedfordshire since the time of Ecgberht,
at the latest.
The English suffixes found in Bedfordshire are, most of
them, readily intelligible, and may conveniently be here
enumerated. The chief ones are: -borough, -bourne, -bridge,
-brook, -bury, -cliff, -cote or -cot, -den, -dish, -don, -ey, -field,
-ford, -grave, -hale (-hall), -ham, -hanger, -head, -hill, -hoe, -holt,
-hurst, -ing, -lake, -ley, -low, -mead, -mount (-mont), -pool, -sand,
-snade, -stead, -stoke, -stow, -thorpe (-drop), -ton, -tree, -wade,
-well, -wick, -wold, -worth, and -yate. Some of these require
some elucidation, but they are not difficult. It is further con-
venient to consider at the same time such names as Hatch and
Heath, because they are used as suffixes in other counties,
though they here occur alone. A few other names are noted
afterwards.
THE SUFFIXES -BOROUGH, -BOURNE.
5
10
As to the names selected, they include all (I believe) that
are recorded in Kelly's Post Office Directory of Bedfordshire
(1903); not excepting small hamlets that are included under
the heading of the parish in which they are situate. The
smallest appears to be Budna, included in Northill, and repre-
sented in the Directory by a single house.
The various suffixes above noted will now be discussed in
their alphabetical order. Nearly all the names are to be found
in Bacon's County Atlas, though they are not all in the index.
The index to Philips' County Atlas is, on the whole, a better
one. Pigot's Atlas (1831) has some older spellings.
1. BOROUGH.
Borough is from the A.S. burh, of which the oldest sense
was a small fort. The dative case byrig is the source of the
modern E. bury. See further under BURY (p. 8).
،
EDDLESBOROUGH.-Bacon's Atlas marks Eddlesborough
Green, near Eaton Bray, as being in Beds., though Eddles-
borough itself is in Bucks. However, as the sense is certain,
it may as well be here considered. We find these spellings:
Edolvesbur', Cat.; Edulvesburwe, F.A.; Eadulfes-, as a prefix
in Kemble's Index to his Codex Diplomaticus. Eadulf is a
late spelling of Eadwulf; and the meaning is ' Eadwulf's
borough.' Elstree in Herts. means Eadwulf's tree.' Of the
common name Eadwulf, no less than eighty examples have
been recorded.
2. BOURNE, BURN.
The A.S. burn meant a brook or a small stream. Examples
occur in Husborne Crawley, Melchbourne, Redbornestoke, and
Woburn,
HUSBORNE CRAWLEY.-Called in Philips' Atlas by the
name of Crawley Husborne. In Pigot, Husborn and Crawley
are marked as separate, Husborn being the more northerly.
Bacon marks a Crawley Heath. When double names of this
6
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
•
kind occur, one of them (usually the latter) is often the name
of the chief family resident in (or once owners of) the place in
question. But in this case both names are place-names in
origin, though Crawley became a family name also. We find
the following old spellings:-Crawelai, D.B.; Craulee, T.N.;
Husseburn, E.T.; Husseburne, R.B., I.p.m., A.M.; Husseburne
Crauele, F.A.; Husseburne Crawel, H.R.
Crawel, H.R. In a great many
instances, the suffix -e, as found in D.B. and other Middle
English spellings, represents the A.S. suffix -an, a genitive
form from a nominative in -a; and so, in this case likewise,
Husse represents Hussan, genitive of the A.S. name Hussa, of
which four examples are known. Hence Husborne means
'Hussa's stream.' The stream is also known as Crawley Brook.
The meaning of Crawley is given under -LEY (p. 37).
MELCHBOURNE.-Spelt Melceburne, D.B.; Melcheburne, R.C.;
Melcheburn, H.R., E.T., T.R.; Melchbourne, F.A. The prefix
answers in form to the Middle English melche, milche, modern
E. milch, full of milk; but this epithet seems only to be applied
to cows. Another melch, in the English Dialect Dictionary,
means 'mellow' or 'soft,' but seems to be only applied to fruit
or eatables. There is another melske in a Danish dialect, given
by Molbech, answering to A.S. milisc, which meant 'sweet,' as
applied to mead or to a honeyed drink. It is possible that the
last of these is here referred to.
REDBOURNESTOKE. Here Redbourne seems to mean 'red
stream'; see further under -STOKE (p. 44).
WOBURN.-Spelt Woburne, Woberne, D.B.; Woburne, R.B.;
Woburn, H.R.; Wouburne, F.A.; Wuburn, Cat. In an A.S.
Charter dated 969, mention is made of the Woburningas
or men of Woburn; see Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 517. From
A.S. wõh burn; literally, 'crooked stream.' I find it impossible
to trace streams on the new Ordnance map; what with
'contour-lines' and boundary lines, the task is hopeless. Any
other map is often clearer; the crooked stream appears in
Pigot's Atlas (1831).
THE SUFFIXES -BRIDGE, -BROOK.
7
3. BRIDGE.
STANBRIDGE.--Spelt Stanbrigge, F.A.; Stanbrugge, A.M.;
Stanbruge, I.p.m. The A.S. brycg, a bridge, is spelt both
brigge and brugge in Middle English. The whole name appears
in the A.S. Stanbrycg, i.e. 'stone bridge.' The A.S. long a is
shortened before nb, instead of becoming the long o in stone.
The bridge is at Stanbridge Ford, near the station, at some
distance from the village. Stone bridges were once rare, and
therefore notable.
4. BROOK.
Examples occur in Millbrook, Sharnbrook, and Tilbrook.
MILLBROOK.-Spelt Melebroc, D.B.; Milebrok, H.R.; Mule-
brok, Melebroc, F.A. The vowels, e, i, u, are various ways of
representing the A.S. y, which was sounded like the German
modified short ü, and had no invariable equivalent in the
French alphabet used by Norman scribes. The A.S. form is
mylen-broc; from mylen, a mill, and broc, a brook. Mylen is
not a native word, but borrowed from Lat. molina, a mill.
SHARNBROOK.-Spelt Scernebroc, Sernebvoc, D.B.; Scharne-
broke, Schernebroke, F.A.; Scharnbrok, E.T. The Normans
wrote both sc and s to denote sh, when an e followed. The
A.S. prefix is scearn, meaning 'filth'; showing that the brook,
at one time, was in a bad condition. A dung-beetle is still
called a sharn-beetle in Hampshire.
(
TILBROOK.-Spelt Tilebroc, D.B.; Tylebrok, F.A. Here the
-e, as usual, represents an A.S. genitive suffix -an; and Tilebroc
answers to A.S. Tilan brōc, i.e. Tila's brook.' Many names
ending in -a were really pet-names, or shortened names, and
Tila may very well have been a pet-name for Tilbeorht, a name
which occurs six times. Bacon's Atlas calls the brook the river
Til, but this is doubtless a name made out of Tilbrook; the
very same stream, after passing Kimbolton, is called the Kym,
in spite of the fact that Kimbolton means 'Cynebald's town'!
8
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
5. BURY.
The form bury represents the A.S. byrig, really the dative
case of burh, a fort, modern E. borough. The sense is 'fort,'
and it is common in many counties. Place-names, in Anglo-
Saxon, were often in the dative case, the preposition cet
(modern E. at) being understood.
Examples occur in Howbury, Limbury, and Millowbury.
Also in Ickwell Bury, and in other cases where it is written
separately.
HOWBURY lies to the North of the Ouse, between Bedford
and Barford. The prefix How is the same as the Hough in
Houghton, and means a spur of a hill.' See further under
HOUGHTON (p. 50). The sense is 'hill-fort.'
LIMBURY.-Called in Kelly's Directory Limbury-cum-Biscot;
and near Leagrave. These places lie to the N.W. of Luton.
A certain John de Lymberi is mentioned in F.A., p. 145, who
at p. 155 of the same is called John de Lyndberi. We thus
learn that Limbury stands for an older form Lindbury, which
is easily understood; since the A.S. lind means a linden-tree
or lime-tree. The sense is 'lime-tree-fort.'
MILLOWBURY.Named from Millow, to the N. of Edworth;
which is spelt Melehou, D.B.; Melho, C.R.; mulnho, F.A. Here
mele, mel, muln are all from the A.S. mylen, a mill; see
MILLBROOK (p. 7). Ho represents the A.S. hōh, a spur of a hill;
which is further explained under the heading HOE (p. 29). Thus
Millowbury is 'the fort on the mill-hill,' or 'mill-hill-fort.'
6. CLIFF.
CLIFF is here used in the sense of declivity or steep hill. It
occurs in HOCKLIFFE, whence the name of the poet Hoccleve.
Spelt Hocheleia (in a Latinised form), D.B. Better spelt
Hocclive, E.T., H.R., T.N.; Hocclyve, I.p.m., F.A.
In the will of Æthelstan Etheling, one of the six sons of
Æthelred II., king of England, by his first wife, dated 1015,
there is mention of land at Hocganclife; where clife is the
dative of clif, a cliff. This is identified with Hockliffe by
THE SUFFIX -COTE.
9
Thorpe, in his Diplomatarium, p. 561. The sense is 'Hocga's
cliff.' The A.S. cg was pronounced as gg. The A.S. Hocga is
allied to hocg, a hog; which occurs also as a proper name in
Hocges-tun, i.e. Hog's town, noted in Kemble's Index, vol. vi.
p. 300.
The A.S. hocg, a hog, is not given in any dictionary, and its
existence was not known, until it was discovered by myself in
some fragments of a charter, written on two strips of parchment
lately found inside a book-cover in the library of Queens'
College, Cambridge. See Proceedings of the Camb. Phil.
Society, Michaelmas Term, 1902; p. 15.
7. COTE, or COT.
Cote or Cot is the old word for a cottage or small detached
house. The double form is due to the double form in Anglo-
Saxon, viz. cote, dative, and cot, nom.; or else cotan, dat., from
the fem. nom. cote. It occurs in Biscott, Caldecote, Caulcott,
Eastcotts, Holcut or Hulcote, and Thorncote.
BISCOTT, or BISCOT; N.W. of Luton.-Short for Bishop's
Cote. We have this on the evidence of Domesday Book, where
it is spelt Bissopescote. The sound of sh was often denoted by
ss by Norman scribes.
CALDECOTE; E. of Northill.-Spelt Caldecote, I.p.m.; found
also in other counties, as Cambs., Northamptonshire, Rutland
and Warwickshire. It represents the A.S. dative cealdan cote,
or rather the Old Mercian caldan cote, meaning 'at the cold
cot'; as explained in my Place-names of Cambs., p. 28. By
'cold' was meant that it was in a bleak situation; or, possibly,
that it was a mere shelter, unprovided with a fire-place.
CAULCOTT; in Lower Shelton, near Marston Moretaine.-
The same name, but occurring in the nom. case. Old Mercian
cald cot, i.e. cold cot.' Spelt Calcote, I.p.m. But of course it
may
have been shortened from the form above.
EASTCOTTS; near Cardington.-Spelt Estcote, R.B. The
prefix means east, formerly spelt est.
10
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
HOLCUT, or HULCOTE; near Salford.--Both spellings are in
Kelly's Directory. The former should be Holcot, as cut is
unmeaning. Spelt Holcot, F.A.; Holcote, E.T.; Holecote, D.B.
The last spelling represents the A.S. Holacotan, which occurs
in King Eadgar's grant of land at Aspley, A.D. 969; printed in
Birch, Cartularium Saxonicum, iii. 517. This evidently refers
to this very place. Cotan is the dat. case of the weak fem. sb.
cote, a cot. Hola is the A.S. hola, a hole, or hollow place,
closely allied to the adj. hol, hollow. The sense is 'cot in the
hollow.'
THORNCOTE; in Northill.-I.e. 'cot by the thorn-tree.'
8. DEN, DEAN.
From the A.S. denu, a valley. Much confused with -don
in modern names; but they can usually be separated by the
old spellings. Still, the separation requires great care.
It occurs in Dean, Ravensden, Stagsden, Stodden, Wilden,
and Yielden or Yelden. But in Battlesden, Harrowden,
Maulden, Warden, the suffix should rather be -don; and they
arc treated accordingly under that heading. It is quite possible
that both suffixes, den and -don, may have been used in some
instances; -den would then refer to the valley itself, and -don
to the hill above it.
DEAN.—A common name in many counties; from the A.S.
denu, dat. case dene, a valley. Spelt Dene, D.B., T.N., I.p.m.;
Deen, R.C. Dean, in Hants., is represented by A.S. æt dene,
where dene is the dat. case; see Earle, Land Charters, p. 487.
RAVENSDEN.-Kelly remarks that it was formerly Ramesden,
a spelling I have not found. But it makes no difference to the
sense, because the A.S. hræfn, a raven, was also spelt hræmn or
hræm. The sense is 'Raven's valley.' Raven was a personal
name, as well as the name of a bird. It is remarkable that
Ramsey, in Hunts., does not mean 'Ram's island,' but 'Raven's
island.'
As to the old spellings, we find Ravenisden, H.R.; Ravenys-
dene, F.A.; but also Ravenesdon, E.T.; Ravensdon, I.p.m.
THE SUFFIX -DEN.
11
STAGSDEN.—Evidently so named by popular etymology;
as if from stag, with which it has nothing whatever to do. Kelly
says, "formerly Stachedene and Staggisdene." The latter I have
not found; it can only be quite a late and worthless spelling.
The forms are: Stachdene, Stachedene, D.B.; Stachedene, F.A.,
H.R., vol. ii.; Stacheden, H.R. Also Stachesdene, F.A.; Stachis-
dene, H.R., vol. ii. In I.p.m. we also find mention of a place
named Stache (Somersets.), and of a Stachewelle.
Stachis or Staches appears to be not A.S., but rather the gen.
case of a Norman form Stache, which I take to be short for
Eustache, the Norman or Northern French equivalent of the
French Eustace. Similarly, in the Close Rolls, we find Magister
Stachius, short for Eustachius; and Stace, as a proper name, is
short for Eustace, which was formerly accented on the a. As
a matter of fact, D.B. records that Earl Eustace had land in
Stagsden, so that the place may easily have been named after
him, as he was a person of great consequence at that date.
The land had originally been granted to his father, who is
known to history as Count Eustace II., of Boulogne. This
Eustace II. married no less a person than the sister of Edward
the Confessor, and had caused no small trouble by his out-
rageous conduct at Dover, as is duly narrated in the Anglo-
Saxon Chronicle, under the year 1048. He was wounded in the
battle of Hastings, and was rewarded by William with grants
of land in no less than ten counties. See the Digest of the
Domesday of Bedfordshire, by W. Airy, 1881; p. 30. It is a
pity that Mr Airy should refer, at p. viii, to the "evident"
derivation from "the two A.S. words stag and den"; for stag
is not an A.S. word at all, but Norse. It occurs once, in the
Laws of Cnut, where it has to be explained; but did not really
find its way into English till long afterwards. I doubt if it
can be found earlier than the fifteenth century.
STODDEN. The name of a hundred. Spelt Stodene, Stodden,
D.B.; Stodden, H.R. Froni A.S. stōd, a stud of horses. The
sense is 'stud-valley.'
WILDEN.-Spelt Wildene, D.B.; Wylden, E.T.; Weledene,
F.A. We have here to do with a descriptive name, as the
12
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
forms suggest. In the present case, wil may be short for the
A.S. wilig (in which the final g was hardly heard), an occasional
form of welig, a willow tree, which will account for the spelling
Wele. A willow is still called a willy in many provincial
dialects. We have clear evidence that Willbury Hill (Herts.)
is from the same source ; as shown in my Place-names of
Herts., p. 71. The hundred of Willey is similarly named; see
it discussed below, under the suffix -LEY (p. 39). Thus Wilden
means 'willow-valley.'
YIELDEN, or YELDEN.-The old spellings are curious, viz.
Giveldene, D.B.; Givelden, Cl. R.; Gyuelden, E.T.; Gyvelden,
Yeveldene, F.A. The A.S. g (before i) was sounded as y; and
all the prefixes may be reduced to an A.S. form Gifel, in which
the intervocalic ƒ was sounded as v. This A.S. Gifel is a river-
name, the same as the modern Ivel. There is another and
larger Ivel, which flows through Biggleswade, and a third Ivel
in Somersetshire, which flows through Ivelchester or Ilchester.
And it is much to be suspected that the river Isle, in Somerset-
shire, which flows past Ilminster, is only another form of the
same name. See it further discussed under NORTHILL (p. 34),
which is considered under the suffix -ILL, since it is wholly
unconnected with the more common suffix -HILL.
We may
explain Yelden as Iveldene, or 'Ivel valley.'
9. DISH.
The English dish (A.S. disc) is sometimes used in the sense
of cup or hollow; the Oxford Dictionary explains it as some-
times meaning a concave surface, or a depression in a field.
FARNDISH; near Poddington.-Spelt Fernadis, D.B.; Farnes-
disch, T.N.; Furendis, E.T.; Farnedis, H.R., vol. ii., F.A.;
Farndisch, I.p.m. Also Farnadich, Farnediche, F.A. These
forms strongly support the view that the suffix is really dish,
and not diche. The Norman scribes usually write s for sh, but
dice or diche for ditch. Compare the D.B. spellings Sernebroc
for Sharnbrook, Eseltone for Shelton, and Sethlindone for Shil-
lington. Neither does Farndish stand alone; for there is a
Brookdish on the N. bank of the river Waveney, a little below
THE SUFFIX -DOWN, -DON.
13
Scole, in Norfolk; and there may be others. In spite of the
varying spellings of the former element, the word meant is
clearly the A.S. fearn, fern, which is very common in place-
names. Kemble's Index (p. 286) has a whole column of
instances. It is possible that Ferna- may represent the gen.
pl. fearna, ‘of ferns.'
The sense, viz. 'fern-hollow,' is precisely the same as that of
Farncombe in Surrey, where combe is of Celtic origin, and
equivalent to the Welsh cwm, a hollow, a dingle.
10. Down, or DON.
A down, A.S. dūn, of Celtic origin, meant a hill-fort, or often
simply a hill, especially one with a more or less flat top. When
it occurs as an unaccented suffix, it is reduced to the form -don,
and is then often confused, in modern times, with the suffix
-den, a valley, with an almost opposite sense; and sometimes
with -ton. We can often distinguish them by the old spellings ;
but there may be instances in which the name was really
double, -den being applied to the valley, and -don to the hill
above it.
Examples occur in Battlesden, Caddington, Harlington,
Harrowden, Honeydon, Maulden, Pegsdon, Roxton, Shillington,
Stondon, Sundon, and Warden.
BATTLESDEN.-Spelt Badelesdone, Badelestone, D.B.; Ba-
delesdone, F.A.; Badelesdon, E.T.; Badeleston, I.p.m. These
forms answer to an A.S. Badeles dun, i.e. ' Badel's down'; where
Badel is a personal name. This name is not otherwise known;
but the closely related weak form Badela occurs in Badelan
broc, i.e. Badela's brook'; in Kemble, Cod. Dipl. iii. 343,
1. 19. As d is sometimes altered to th by confusion with the
A.S. crossed d (with the sound of th) it is probable that the
name Batheles mere (in R.C.) is an error for Badeles mere.
CADDINGTON; near Luton.-Spelt Cadendone, D.B., F.A.;
Cadendon, Cat.; Cadindon, E.T., H.R.; Kadindon, T.N. From
A.S. Cadan-dun, lit. Cada's down.' Cada is a known name.
C
In this case, the original suffix -an has first become -en and
then -in; both of which changes are very common. And finally
14
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
-ing has been substituted for -in, and -don turned into -ton by
confusion with the numerous names that end in -ington.
HARLINGTON, to the N.E. of Toddington, on the Midland
Railway. Spelt Herlingdone, D.B., A.M.; Herlingdon, E.T.,
F.A., H.R. It thus appears that the original suffix was -don,
for down. Herling answers to the A.S. Herlinga, gen. pl.; as
seen in Herlingaham, cited in Kemble's Index. Herlinga is the
genitive of the pl. Herlingas, i.e. sons or tribe of Herl. But
Herl is obviously a much contracted form, and due to some
A.S. name beginning with the very common prefix Here-.
Almost certainly, Herl here represents Herulf, a common
contraction of Herewulf, a well authenticated name.
We may
conclude that Harlington means the Herewulfings' down,' or
the down occupied by the family of Herewulf. The A.S. -ing,
meaning 'son of,' and the pl. -ingas, meaning 'sons of,' or 'family
of,' are extremely common. Neither is there any difficulty in
the reduction of wulf, often called ulf, to a simple ; for it
occurs again in Eddlesborough and Elstree, as has been already
explained under BOROUGH (p. 5). There is another Harlington
in Middlesex, and an East and West Harling in Norfolk. I
explained Harlton in Cambs. as meaning 'Herela's town,' where
"Herela is a pet-name formed from a name beginning with
Here-such as Herebeald or Herefrith." Of course I should
rather have said "such as Herewulf," which would have
accounted for the l at once.
HARROWDEN; near Cardington.-This is a clear case of a
double sense in the suffix. Harrowden is marked in the
Ordnance Map as being in a valley; but it must have taken its
name from the hill above, marked as Tinker's Hill, and rising
to the height of 135 feet above the sea. For the old spellings
clearly show this. It is spelt Herghetone, Hergentone in D.B.;
but -tone is an error for -don. We find elsewhere Harwedone,
R.B.; Harewedon, I.p.m.; and John de Harwedone, R.C. The
D.B. form herghe represents the A.S. hearge, dat. of hearh, a
heathen temple. This is clearly shown in Birch, Cart. Saxon. i.
530, where œt hearge (lit. at Harrow) is employed to denote
Harrow-on-the-Hill, in Middlesex. The sense is 'temple-down.'
THE SUFFIX -DOWN, -DON.
15
We obtain, from the very names, the interesting information
that there were once heathen temples both at Harrowden and
on the hill at Harrow. Hearh was only applied to an old
heathen place of worship, which was often on a hill-top. As
the English usually destroyed these, after their conversion to
Christianity, we can hardly expect to find relics of them now.
Yet it is highly probable that the conspicuous church at Harrow-
on-the-Hill occupies the very site once selected for the worship
of idols.
HONEYDON, to the west of Eaton Socon.-The hill is con-
spicuously marked in Bacon's Atlas. I find no early notice of
it; but it doubtless means 'honey down.' The A.S. hunig,
honey, appears in several place-names; notably in Honey-
bourne, co. Worcester, spelt hunig-burnan (in the dative) in
Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 2.
MAULDEN, near Ampthill.--The road from Clophill to
Maulden rises to 278 feet above the sea. The name is pro-
bably of double significance, Maulden having been suggested
by an older Maldon. Spellings are Meldone, D.B.; Maldon
(Beds.), E.T.; Maldone, Maldene, F.A.; Meldone, Maudone,
R.B. There is another Maldon in Essex, mentioned in the
A.S. Chronicle as early as A.D. 913. It is there spelt Mældun;
and in the Parker MS. the œ is marked as long. This accounts
for the spelling Meldone, with e. The A.S. mal (with long a)
meant a cross, mark, crucifix; Cristes mal meant the sign of the
cross. Maldon means 'cross-down,' and it is probable enough
that crosses were erected at both places in some conspicuous
position.
PEGSDON, or PEGSDEN; to the east of Hexton (Herts.).—
Spelt Pechesdone, D.B.; Pekesdone, F.A. Also Pekesdene,
Pekysdene, Pekesden (in Shillington), R.C.; Pecchesdene, A.M.
As che in D.B. means ke, usually written ce in A.S., the equivalent
form to Pekesdone in A.S. is Pēces dūn or Peaces dūn; which
may be associated with Peaces del in the will of Æthelstan
Ætheling (A.D. 1015) in Earle, Land Charters, p. 226, 1. 1. If
this be right, the sense was 'Peac's down'; or, in modern spell-
ing 'Peak's down.' The name may be connected with the Peak
16
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
in Derbyshire, called Peac-lond in A.S. We find the name of
Miles de Pek, who was a tenant in Shillington, and Richardus
de Pecco; both in R.C.
ROXTON, N.W. of Tempsford.-Originally from a form which
should have given Roxdon. Spelt Rochesdon, Rochestone, D.B.;
Rokesdone, Rokesdon, F.A.; Rokisdun, Cl.R.; Rokesdon, E.T.
The prefix answers to A.S. Hroces, gen. of Hrōc, a rook, also
used as a personal name. The sense is 'Rook's down.'
There is a RUXOX FARM to the W. of Flitton. The spellings
Rokesac, Rokeshoc, in A.M., explain it. Both ac and hoc repre-
sent the A.S. ac, an oak; so that Ruxox simply means 'Rook's
oaks,' originally 'Rook's oak,' in the singular.
་
SHILLINGTON.—Beyond all doubt a more correct form is
Shitlington, or rather Shitlingdon. It is spelt Shitlington in
Pigot's Atlas (1831) and in Magna Britannia (1720). Still
earlier, the suffix is -don. The old spellings are Sethlindone
(for Shetlindone), D.B.; Scitlingdune, Scutlingdon, Scytlingedune,
Schitlingedune, R.C.; Shutlyngdon, Cat. In Thorpe's Diploma-
tarium, p. 383, a late copy of a charter has the false form
Sucklingdon, but the footnote gives Scytlingedune (for Scytlinga
dūne), from a much better MS. It may be noted that the e in
the D.B. form, and the i and u in the other forms, all alike
represent an A.S. y. Hence the name means 'the down of the
Scytlings,' or sons of Scytel (or Scytela), a diminutive form
connected with the known name Scytta, which means
archer': from sceotan, to shoot.
an
STONDON, near Henlow railway-station.-Spelt Standone,
D.B., R.C.; Stondone, R.C.; Staundone, R.C.; Staundon, H.R.,
E.T. All from A.S. Standun (Kemble), i.e. stone-down.'
SUNDON.-Spelt Sonedone, D.B.; Sonendon, E.T.; Sunondone,
Sunendune, A.M.; Souendone, Souyndone (with u misprinted
for n), F.A. All from A.S. Sunnan-dūn, i.e. 'down of the Sun';
see Thorpe, Diplomatarium, p. 580. The peculiar gen. form
s'innar, in place of the usual sunn- in composition, suggests
that the goddess Sunne (the Sun) was once worshipped here in
heathen times.
THE SUFFIXES -EY, -FIELD.
17
WARDEN, or OLD WARDEN.-Spelt Wardone, D.B., F.A.;
Wardon, H.R., E.T.; Wardune, R.C., R.B. From the A.S.
weard-dun, lit. 'ward-down,' i.e. a look-out hill, a hill used for
watching the approach of strangers.
11. Ey.
The suffix -ey (sometimes -y) represents the Old Mercian
ég, A.S. ieg, ig, an island. The term was freely applied to sites
that were not real islands, but had water partly surrounding
them. Examples are seen in Arlesey, Sandy and Turvey.
ARLESEY.—Also spelt Arsley (as in Philips' Atlas), but
incorrectly. Spelt Alricesei, Alriceseie, D.B.; Alrichesey, I.p.m.;
Alricheseye, Aylrichesheye, F.A. The spelling heye for eye by
Norman scribes is not uncommon. The fullest form is the last,
neglecting the second h. Aylriches is the regular representative
of A.S. Egelrīces, a late form of Ethelrīces; and the sense is
Æthelric's island.' The name Ethelric (also spelt Ægelrīc,
Ailric) is extremely common; more than sixty examples of it
are known.
،
SANDY.-D.B. has in Sandeia, in the ablative case; Sandeye,
F.A.; Saundeye, E.T.; Sondheye, H.R. Eye is the usual M.E.
spelling; heye is very characteristic of a Norman scribe. They
seldom understood the true use of h before the fourteenth
century. The sense is certainly 'sand-island'; not the adj.
sandy (A.S. sandig), which was spelt sandy in Middle English,
just as it is now.
TURVEY.-Spelt Toruei, Torueie, D.B. (with u for v); Turf-
eye, Turveye, Exchequer Rolls; Torfeye, Tourveye, F.A.; Turveye,
Turfeye, H.R., vol. ii.; Tureueya, E.T. We often find o written
for u by Norman scribes. The prefix is the A.S. turf, turf;
and the sense is 'turf-island.'
12. FIELD.
As in Cranfield, Froxfield, Wingfield. CRANFIELD.—Spelt
Cranfelle (for Cranfelde), D.B.; Cranefeud, T.N.; Crangfelde,
Cranefelde, R.C.; Craunfeld, E.T., F.A. Lit. ‘crane-field.' In
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLII.
2
#
18
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
the Aspley Charter, dated 969, printed in Birch, Cart. Saxon.
iii. 517, there is a reference to the Cranfeldinga dic, or 'dike of
the people of Cranfield'; and again, to the spot where three
boundaries met, viz. 'Crancfeldinga and Merstuninga and
Holacotan,' i.e. of the people of Cranfield and the people of
Marston and of Holcote.
The spelling Cranc in this passage and the spelling Crang
in R.C. are not necessarily wrong. The German Kranich, a
crane, has a final guttural; so that there may very well have
been an A.S. form cranc (for *cranoc) with the sense of 'crane,'
though the form in common use was cran. Compare the
entries 'grus, gruis, cornoch,' and 'grauis [error for grus or
gruis?], cornuc,' in the Corpus Glossary, 995, 996.
FROXFIELD; marked in the Ordnance Map at the entrance
of Woburn Park on the road from Eversholt. The prefix is
the same as in Froxwell, cited in the I.p.m. In fact, we find
Froxa-felda, dative, in a charter of 965–975, in Thorpe, Diplo-
matarium, p. 527. The nom. is Froxa-feld, lit. 'field of frogs';
from A.S. froxa, gen. plural of frox, a frog.
WINGFIELD; to the S.W. of Chalgrave.-Spelt Winefelde,
R.B.; Winefeld, A.M.; so that ng has been substituted for n,
and the true name is Winfield. For A.S. Winan feld, i.e.
'Wina's field.'
13. FOLD.
From the A.S. falod, fald, a sheep-pen, a fold for cattle.
STOTFOLD. Spelt Stotfalt, D.B.; Stotfold, F.A.; Stotefold,
E.T. Compare also Stotfoldeslade, R.C. It can hardly be a
mistake for stöd-fald, an enclosure for a stud of horses
(Bosworth-Toller). The former element is, rather, the equi-
valent of the Middle English stot, meaning (1) a horse, (2) a
bullock; see Stratmann's Dictionary and the English Dialect
Dictionary. The form stotta (though not in the A.S. Dict.)
occurs in stottan-wille, i.e. 'stot-well'; Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii.
184; in a charter dated 957. We may explain the name as
meaning 'stot-fold'; and understand stot to mean either a
young horse or a bullock. Cf. Stottesdon, co. Salop.
THE SUFFIX -FORD.
19
14. FORD.
It occurs in Barford, Bedford, Girtford, Langford, Salford,
Shefford, Stanford, Tempsford.
BARFORD.-Spelt Bereforde, D.B., R.C., R.B., E.T.; Bere-
ford, F.A., T.N., I.p.m. The A.S. form is Beranford, better
Baran-ford, as in Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 301. The sense is
'Bæra's ford.'
BEDFORD.-Spelt Bedeford, D.B., H.R., T.N. The A.S.
form is Bedan-ford, A.S. Chron. (Parker MS.), A.D. 918; but we
also find the forms Bedcan-ford, in the same, A.D. 571; and
Biedcan-ford, also under the latter date, in MSS. Cotton,
Tib. A. vi. and Tib. B. i., and in the Laud MS.; see Thorpe's
edition, p. 32. The dat. case Bedan-forda occurs in the
Chronicle several times.
It is usual to cite the form Bedican-ford, which it is not
easy to find. No such form is given in Plummer's edition of
the A.S. Chronicle, nor by Earle. It occurs in Bosworth's
Dict., with a reference to the year 571 in the Chronicle
(Ingram's edition). But Bedican-ford does not occur there in
the MSS. themselves; we find only the dat. Bedan-forda in
one MS., and Biedcan-forda in three others, as said above.
Out of this dubious form, wholly misunderstood, and mis-
pronounced with a long i instead of a short one, some ignorant
person constructed an impossible etymology from the verb
be-dician, to be-dike' or protect by a dike; so that we are
gravely informed (as in Kelly's Directory) that Bedford means
'the protected ford.' Almost as absurd as this is the deriva-
tion quoted from Camden in Bosworth's A.S. Dictionary, viz.
'bedan, i.e. bedum, lectis, ford, vadum; lectos et diversoria ad
vadum sonans.' Here there are two obvious blunders, viz. the
misspelling of the A.S. beddum as bedum; and next, the
ridiculous statement that the word means lectis vadum, a ford
with beds. It may confidently be said that fords were never
thus provided, either in the river or beside it.
There is absolutely no mystery at all about it; Bedan is
the regular genitive of Beda, so that the sense is 'Beda's ford.'
Seeing that Beda (in the eighth century, Bada) is the usual
2-2
20
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
Old English spelling of the famous author more commonly
known as 'the venerable Bede,' the name ought to be more
familiar to us than it usually seems to be. It does not follow
that Bedford was named after that particular Beda, but rather
after some one of the same name; for, according to the
Chronicle, it was already in existence in 571, almost exactly a
century before the venerable' Beda was born. Nevertheless,
he has made the name honourable. It is tolerably clear that
the fable about the 'be-diking' arose from misunderstanding
the alternative form that is spelt Bedca in the best MS. and
Biedca in others. To which I would add that there is a third.
form Bedeca, which appears in Bedecan lea, Bedeca's lea,' in a
charter dated 973-4; see Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 632, 1. 17.
But the explanation is simple enough; all that is meant is
that Bedeca (otherwise Bedca or Biedca) is a diminutive form
of Beda, or a pet-name; just as Johnny is another form of
John. In other words, the person referred to is the same as
before.
(
This may be illustrated by a difficulty that occurs in the
Early English poem by Layamon entitled the Brut. No one
has explained how it is that, in the one MS., Layamon is called
the son of Leovenath, and in the other, the son of Leuca. Yet
it is simple enough. Leovenath represents the A.S. Leofnōth,
of which the pet-name was Leofa; and an alternative pet-name
could be formed by using the diminutive Leofeca. The form
Leuca, in the MS. of a later date, is contracted from, and
equivalent to, Leofeca; just as Stukeley (Hunts.) represents
A.S. Styfecanleah. And no more need be said, unless it be
necessary to remind the reader that the ƒ between two vowels
represented the sound of v.
GIRTFORD, in Sandy.-I find no old spelling; but it pro-
bably means 'great ford.' Gert for great is as old as the
fourteenth century; see the quotation dated 1387, in the
Oxford New Eng. Dict., section 6 c. The modern Deptford,
near Greenwich, is spelt Depeford in Chaucer, and means
deep ford'; with a like sense.
LANGFORD. To the S. of Biggleswade. There is another
THE SUFFIX -FORD.
21
Langford across the Ouse, just below its junction with the Ivel;
marked as Ford on the Ordnance Map, but Langford End is not
far off. Spelt Langeford, D.B., F.A., T.N. The e marks the
dative case; the A.S. form would be at tham langan forda, i.e.
' at the long ford.'
SALFORD, on Crawley Brook.-The Ordnance Map marks
Salford Ford. Spelt Saleford, D.B., E.T., H.R., T.N., R.C., F.A.
There is another Salford in Oxon., and a third in Lancs. Sale
represents the A.S. salig, otherwise sealh, a sally or willow-tree;
not derived from the Lat. salix, but the native English name
cognate with it. Thus the sense is willow-ford.'
SHEFFORD.-Spelt Sepford (with reference to Shefford in
Beds.), H.R. Sepford is a Norman spelling of Shepford. The
sense is sheep ford.' Compare Shipmeadow, Suffolk, and the
numerous Shiptons.
STANFORD, to the S. of Southill.-To the E. of Stanford
something is left of the old river, but the Ivel navigation canal
has cut a straight course across its windings. In Pigot's map
of 1831 the canal is absent. Spelt Stanford, D.B.; Staunford,
F.A. For A.S. Stān-ford, i.e. 'stone ford.'
TEMPSFORD.-Near the junction of the Ouse and Ivel; but
Tempsford is on the Ivel, above the junction. Spelt Tamise-
ford, D.B.; Temeseford, E.T.; Temesford, Temseford, F.A. In
the A.S. Chronicle, under the year 921, we find Tamese-forda,
in the dative case, and Tæmesan-ford under the year 1010 (in
the Laud MS. only). The mouth of the river Thames is called
in the same Tamesemuth, under the year 892, in the Laud MS.
Only one conclusion seems possible, viz. that the river Ivel was
also, at a very early date, called Tamese, or the Thames.'
Perhaps that was the Celtic name, afterwards changed by the
English to the Gifel or Ivel. Hence Tempsford is really
'Thamesford.' Of course Thames is a silly pseudo-learned
spelling of Tames or Tems, with a Norman th in place of an
A.S. t. We do not write 'Thamworth on the Thame,' or
'Thenbury on the Theme'!
22
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
15. GRAVE.
Grave represents the A.S. graf or graf, dat. græfe, a
trench. It occurs in Chalgrave, Leagrave, and Potsgrove,
formerly Potsgrave.
CHALGRAVE; to the S. of Toddington.-Spelt Celgrave,
D.B.; Chalgrave, H.R.; Chaugraue, T.N.; Chalgraue, E.T.;
I.p.m. The spelling Cel- in D.B. answers to an English spelling
Chel- or Chal-.
There is a Charter dated 926 concerning land at Chalgrave
and Tebworth; printed in Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 334. A note
at p. 334 suggests that perhaps Chalgrove in Oxfordshire is
meant, but that is quite out of the question; seeing that
Chalgrave and Tebworth are not two miles apart. In this
charter we find terram que nuncupatur Cealhgræfan et
Teobbanwyrthe.' We have here the dat. case græfan, from a
weak nominative græfa or græfe, with the same sense as the
strong neuter græf, which has the dat. græfe. Such double
forms are not uncommon. The actual form Cealcgrafan occurs
in Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 304; with respect to a place in
Hants.
Cealh can hardly be other than the A.S. cealc, chalk; with
h for c before the g. Hence the probable sense is chalk-
trench.'
LEAGRAVE; to the N.W. of Luton. I find no old spelling;
but it is on the river Lea. Hence the sense is 'trench beside
the Lea.' The spelling Ligrave in Magna Britannia (1720) is
explained under LUTON (p. 52).
POTSGROVE, or POTTESGROVE.-The spelling with grove is
modern; it is Potsgrave in Pigot's map (1831). Spelt Potes-
graua (in the ablative case), D.B.; Potesgrave, E.T., H.R.,
F.A. Also Portesgrave, F.A., T.N. I think Portes is a
mistake, because the appears neither in the modern form
nor in that in Domesday Book. Potes is the gen. of Pot;
and that Pot was a real name seems to be sufficiently proved
by the occurrence in two A.S. charters of the place-name
Potting-tun, i.e. the town of the sons of Pot.' Hence the
probable sense is Pot's trench.' Compare POTTON (p. 54).
THE SUFFIX -HALE.
23
16. HALE.
The suffix -hale has long been obsolete as an independent
word. It means a nook, corner, secret place,' hence 'a
retreat'; and is fully explained in the New English Dictionary.
It represents heale, hale, dative of A.S. healh, O. Mercian
halch. The nominative itself appears in modern English as
haugh, in some place-names; see Haugh in the same Dictionary.
Owing to its not being understood, it is usually turned into
hall in modern English, in order to find a meaning for it. It
occurs in Meppershall, Pertenhall, and Renhold.
MEPPERSHALL.-Spelt Malpertesselle, D.B.; Meiperteshale,
R.C.; Meperteshale, R.B., F.A., H.R., E.T., Cat.; Mapertishale,
Cat.; Meparteshale, Ex.R.; Maperteshale, Tower Rolls; Meper-
deshale, I.p.m. The spelling in D.B. seems to be mistaken, as
all other authorities are against it. The suffix is clearly hale,
a nook; as in some other counties. The -es is the genitive
suffix. The name of the first inhabitant appears in the variant
forms: Meipert, Mapert, Mepert; Malpert, Meperd may be
neglected. We have no older record of the name, so that all
that can be said is that the sense is Meipert's nook'; where
Meipert is a name of Norman origin, as the suffix -pert sug-
gests. It well represents the Old High German Megipert
(older form Magipert); for which see E. Förstemann's Alt-
deutsches Namenbuch.
I may add that Mapert has no connection with the name
of Mapperton in Dorsetshire. The latter presents no difficulty,
as the A.S. form is mapuldurtun; the sense being 'mapletree-
town.'
PERTENHALL; or, according to Kelly, 'formerly Partenhale.'
-Spelt Pertenhall, Partenhale, D.B.; Pertenhale, H.R., F.A.,
E.T., I.p.m. It lies to the N. of Keysoe.
We have a record of the same name (though not of the
same place) in a charter dated 972, containing a grant made
by King Eadgar to Pershore Abbey, co. Worcester. In the
boundaries mentioned we find the following: Of than hamme
on Pyrt-broc; andlang broces to Pyrtan-heale; of Peartan-heal
to hagan geate.' I.e. from the enclosure to Pyrt-brook; along
C
24
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
the brook to Pyrtan-healh (nom.); from Peartan-healh to
haw-gate.' See Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 587. The true form of
the dat. case is Peartan-heale; the sense is 'Pearta's nook.'
We need not be concerned with the form Pyrta, because y is
a secondary vowel, ea (Mercian a) being more original. More-
over, the form of the name is completely established by the
occurrence in Kemble's Index of a place-name, Peartinga-
wyrth, i.e. 'the property (or homestead) of the sons of Pearta.'
RENHOLD; to the N.E. of Bedford.-In this instance hale
was turned into hall, and afterwards into hold; and further,
Ren- has been substituted for Ron-. Spelt Ronhale, F.A.;
E.T.; Ronhal, T.N.; Ronale, H.R.; Ronhall, I.p.m. (1286).
In a charter of Cnut, A.D. 1018, one of the witnesses is named.
Ranig; see Kemble, Cod. Dipl. iv. 3. This furnishes a possible
clue. An allied weak form Raniga (not found) would give a
genitive Ranigan; and we might then explain the place-name
as meaning 'Raniga's nook.' As the g in this form was pro-
nounced as a y, and easily dropped, whilst at the same time an
was often sounded as on, we find that Florence of Worcester
turns the name Ranig into Roni (A.S. Chron., ed. Plummer, ii.
219); and such a form as Ronian-heale would easily pass into
Ronhale. And on the other hand, Ranhale might be turned
into Renhale. This is the best guess which I am able to make.
It would be difficult to form the place-name from Ranig or
Roni directly, because the genitive case would then be Raniges
or Ronies, and there is no trace of an s. I may add that Ranig
is also found as Hranig, which is a more original form.
17. HAM.
This suffix is extremely common. In fact, there are two
words that produce it. Of these the more usual is the A.S.
hām, a home, which becomes ham (with short a) in an unaccented
(final) syllable; and the other is the A.S. hamm, an enclosure.
The former is usually employed in 'possessive' names; the
latter in 'descriptive' ones. They are here taken together, as
they cannot always be distinguished. However, Clapham,
Higham, and Studham seem to be the only examples of the
THE SUFFIX -HAM.
25
latter class. Examples occur in Biddenham, Blunham, Brom-
ham (or Brumham), Clapham, Felmersham, Higham, Pavenham,
and Studham.
BIDDENHAM.-Spelt Bidenham, D.B., E.T.; Bideham, H.R.;
Bydenham, Ex. Rolls; Bedenham, I.p.m.; Bedynham, F.A. In
a charter relating to Chieveley, Berks., dated 951, we find a
mention of 'Byden-hæma gemæres,' i.e. the boundary of the
men of Byden-ham. The sense of hama, a genitive plural form,
is explained in the Crawford Charters, ed. Napier and Stevenson,
p. 116. The c was long, and derived from long a; so that the
reference is to ham, a home. Byden should rather be Bydan,
Thus the sense of
of Byda (with long y), a known name.
gen.
Biddenham is Byda's home.' The vowel in the first syllable
has been shortened. It may be added that the original vowel
of the name, viz. long y, accounts for the spelling Bedenham,
as long y was sometimes expressed by long e in later English.
C
BLUNHAM.-Spelt Bluneham, D.B., Cl.R., H.R., vol. ii.;
Blounham, F.A. Thus the u was long, ou denoting u; and -e
is for -an, from nom. -ɑ. The sense is 'Bluna's home.' Of the
name Blūna there is no other record.
BROMHAM, or BRUMHAM (Kelly).-Spelt Bruneham, D.B.;
and (wrongly) Brimeham, D.B. In the latter case un was mis-
read as im. Also Brumham, R.C. The sense is Brūna's
home.' Brūna is a known name, and is a weak form allied to
the strong form Brün, which is the modern English Brown.
Brunham became Brunham, with short u; and afterwards.
Brumham, by confusion with names like Bromley and
Brompton.
CLAPHAM; near Bedford.-Spelt Clopeham, D.B.; Clopham,
H.R., F.A., T.N.; Cloppham, R.C. In a genuine charter of
the time of Ælfred, Clapham in Surrey appears as Cloppa-ham ;
see Sweet, Early English Texts, p. 451. Cloppa must be a
genitive plural of a form clop, which occurs in clop-acer (clop-
acre), and clop-hyrst (clop-hurst) in Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 589,
590. The name is probably descriptive, and ham may mean
'enclosure.' The meaning of clop is not certainly known; but
26
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
Kalkar's Middle Danish Dictionary has klop in the sense of
'stub' or 'stump,' which would suit all three forms. The
modern E. clump may be related. If we explain cloppa from
this source, it will be best to give to ham the sense of ‘en-
closure.' It would then mean 'enclosure of stubby ground,'
lit. 'of stubs.'
C
FELMERSHAM.-Spelt Falmeresham, Flammeresham, D.B.;
Felmeresham, T.N.; Felmersham, I.p.m.; Fulmeresham, E.T.
In a charter dated 963, we find a notice of Fiolo-meres ford;
and in another, dated 709, we find Feala-mares broc (brook);
see Birch, Cart. Saxon. i. 182, iii. 344. The correct spelling
is Feolu-măr (with long œ), a man's name. The sense is
'Feolumær's home.'
HIGHAM; also called Higham Gobion.-Spelt Echam, D.B. ;
Hecham, Hegham, Heyham, F.A.; Higham, E.C.; Heyham
Gobioun, I.p.m. (A.D. 1301); Heyham, E.T. Here hec, ec, heg,
hey, are all variant spellings of the A.S. heah, Mid. Eng. hēh,
mod. Eng. high. The sense is high enclosure.' The Ordnance
Map marks an elevation of 247 feet above the sea. Gobion or
Gubiun was the name of a family who had land there.
'Ricardus Gubyun tenet in villa de Hecham,' etc.; F.A. i. 7
(1284-6). Named Ricardus Gobion in 1289; A.M.
PAVENHAM.-Spelt Pabeneham, D.B.; Pabenham, F.A.,
T.N., I.p.m.; Pabeham, R.B., T.N. For A.S. Paban ham,
'Paba's home.' The name of Paba is not otherwise known;
but it is closely related to the Peb- in Pebworth, Gloucester-
shire, and in Pebmarsh, Essex.
STUDHAM; on the borders of Herts., due S. of Dunstable.-
Already explained in my Place-names of Herts. Spelt Estod-
ham, D.B.; Stodham, E.T., H.R. A.S. Stōdham; Thorpe,
Diplomatarium, p. 374. The o was long, giving later oo, which
has been shortened before d, like the oo in blood. And the a
was short, ham here meaning 'enclosure.' The A.S. stōd is now
spelt stud. The sense is 'stud-enclosure,' or an enclosure for a
stud of horses. So also A.S. stödfald meant a stud-fold,' a
paddock for a stud of horses. Compare STODDEN (p. 11).
THE SUFFIXES -HANGER, -HATCH, -HEAD.
27
18. HANGER.
A hanger is a well known dialect word, especially in Dorsets.,
Hants., Sussex, and Kent. It means a hanging wood on the
side or slope of a hill; from the verb to hang. The A.S. form
is hangra. It occurs in Moggerhanger and Polehanger.
MOGGERHANGER, or MORHANGER (Kelly); near Blunham.—
Here Morhanger is a mere contraction. Spelt Mogerhanger,
F.A.; I.p.m.; Mogarhangre, Cl. Rolls. In Magna Britannia, it
is spelt Maugerhanger. The name is probably later than the
Conquest; and the former part of the name may be Norman,
viz. from the family name of Mauger or Maugar; see examples
in F.A. Bardsley, in his English Surnames, notes that Mauger
occurs in the Hundred Rolls, with an earlier spelling Malger.
It is distinct from A.S. Moga, in Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 18.
POLEHANGER.-Polehanger Farm lies to the S. of Shefford.
The prefix is probably the same as in Polstead, in Suffolk; of
which the A.S. form occurs as Polstyde, in Birch, Cart. Saxon.
iii. 602. From the A.S. pōl, a pool; dat. põle. The A.S. põl
was pronounced like the modern E. pole, a pronunciation which
lasted for many centuries. The word pool is now ascertained
to be Germanic, and the Welsh pull to be merely borrowed
from it.
19. HATCH.
HATCH occurs alone; viz. in Hatch, in Northill (Kelly).
Spelt Hatche, I.p.m.; Hache, Hacche, F.A. From A.S. hæcce,
dat. of hæc, fem., a hatch, half-door; in E. dialects, any small
gate or wicket.
20. HEAD.
Head occurs in MANSHEAD, the name of a hundred. Spelt
Manesheve in D.B., an error for Manesheved, or rather Mannes-
heved, as in H.R. The sense is certainly 'man's head,' whatever
circumstance may have given rise to it. In my Place-names of
Hunts., I have shown that Farcet means 'bull's head'; and we
have two Swinesheads, one being in Lincs.
28
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
SWINESHEAD.—Formerly in Hunts. Spelt Swineshefet, D.B.;
Swinesheved, R.C.; from the A.S. swīnes hēafod, lit. 'swine's
head.' Perhaps a fanciful name of some natural object.
21. HEATH.
HEATH occurs alone; it lies to the N. of Leighton Buzzard.
No explanation is needed.
22. HILL.
Hill occurs in Ampthill, Clophill, Odell, Puddlehill, Pullox-
hill, Wroxhill. For Northill and Southill see below, under the
heading ILL (p. 33).
AMPTHILL.-Spelt Ametelle, D.B.; Amethulle, E.T.; Amet-
ulle, F.A.; Amethull, I.p.m.; Amithulle, A.M.; Amthull, H.R.;
Aunthull, I.p.m. (A.D. 1264). The A.S. hyll, both masc. and
fem., meaning a hill, is frequently hulle in Middle English,
and occasionally helle; so that the above spellings are regular.
The prefix is the A.S. cemete, an emmet or ant; so that the
sense is 'ant-hill'; apparently a somewhat jocular appellation.
As for the spelling ampt, it occurs in the earlier version of
Wyclif's Bible, Prov. xxx. 25; the later version has amt.
CLOPHILL.-Spelt Clopelle, D.B.; Clophulle, F.A., E.T.;
Clophull, T.N., I.p.m. The corresponding A.S. form is clop-
hyll; see the note upon clop under CLAPHAM; at p. 25.
The sense is uncertain; perhaps it means 'stubby-hill.'
ODELL.-Spelt Wadehelle, Wadelle, D.B.; Wadhulle, Wod-
hulle, H.R., vol. ii.; Wodhull, I.p.m.; Wahulle, F.A., R.B.
Kelly remarks that Odell Castle is on an eminence; also that
Odell is corrupted from Woodhill. The latter statement is
doubly impossible; for firstly, place-names are not corrupted,'
but gradually altered in accordance with phonetic laws; and
secondly, no one ever called a wood an ode. Those who do not
sound the w call it 'ood.
The spellings Wad-, Wod-, show that the first element is
the A.S. wad, meaning 'woad'; and the sense is 'woad-hill.'
The Normans, who disliked the sound of w before o and u, and
THE SUFFIX -HOE.
29
sadly neglected the initial h, originated a form which regularly
became 'oad'ill, from which Odell is hardly distinguishable.
There is no difficulty.
PUDDLEHILL, or CHALK HILL; "in Houghton Regis; on
the rise of a hill, surrounded by chalk hills"; Kelly. The
prefix is the ordinary E. puddle.
PULLOX HILL.-Spelt Polochessele, D.B.; Pullokeshulle, F.A.,
E.T.; Pullokeshull, T.N.; Pullukeshulle, Pollokeshille, A.M.
The modern spelling is ingenious, as it suggests the idea of a
hill where an ox has to pull; but the old spellings show that
Pullokes is the genitive of Pullok, a man's name.
The spelling in D.B. can be explained. The former o is
due to the fact that Norman scribes usually wrote o to denote
the sound of u in full or in pull. They also used ches to denote
the sound of kes. And lastly, the scribe has substituted ele for
elle or helle, the Norman form of Mid. E. hulle, a hill; and he
has needlessly doubled the s. Pullok is not otherwise known;
but it is of a like character with the A.S. personal name
Puttoc; and also with the modern E. Pollock. It is probably
a diminutive, like Bullock.
<
WROXHILL; in the parish of Marston Morteyne (Kelly).—
Spelt Wroxhulle, F.A., A.M. In F.A. we find the name of
John de Wrockeshale, answering to Wroccesheal in Kemble's
Index. Wrocces is the gen. of the personal name Wroc; and
the sense is Wroc's hill.'
The form Wroccesheal, i.e. Wroc's nook,' explains Wroxall
in Warw. and in the Isle of Wight. There is a Wroxham in
Norfolk, and a Wroxton in Oxfordshire; all from Wroc.
23. HOE.
The suffix hoe or ho is rather common. It represents the
A.S. hōh, a spur of a hill, lit. 'heel'; and is not to be confused
with the Northern how, which is of Scandinavian origin, from
Icel. haugr, a height.
It occurs in Bletsoe, Cainhoe, Keysoe, Millow, Putnoe,
Salpho, Segenhoe, Sharpenhoe, Silsoe, Staploe, and Toternhoe.
Also, in Budna (p. 30).
30
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
BLETSOE, to the N. of Milton Ernest.-Spelt Blacheshou,
Blecheshou, D.B.; Blechesho, T.N., E.T., F.A.; Bletesho, I.p.m.,
vol. ii. Also Bletnesho, F.A. (A.D. 1316), Cat., I.p.m. In
D.B. ch before e means k, so that, in the eleventh century, the
form was Blakesho or Blekesho. The equivalent A.S. spelling is
probably Blaces-hōh, where Blæces is the gen. of Blæc. But
whether the œ was long or short, it is hard to say; the forms
corresponding to the modern E. black and bleak involve much
difficulty, as is pointed out very clearly in the New English
Dictionary. Still the e in Bletsoe favours the derivation from
blāc, ‘bleak' or 'pale.' In later times the name became Blekso,
and then Bletso or Bletsoe, by the substitution of t for k. The
occasional form Bletnesho I do not understand. The original
sense appears to have been 'Blac's hill-spur'; where Blæc is a
name originally meaning 'pale one.'
BUDNA, in Northill.-Short for Budenho; spelt Bodenho,
F.A. For A.S. Budan-hōh, i.e. 'Buda's hill-spur' or slope.
Magna Britannia has Budnahoe, which really means Budenho-ho,
and repeats the suffix. Buda is a known name.
CAINHOE.—The manor of Cainhoe was near Clophill, in the
hundred of Flitt; D.B. It appears to be the modern Cain
Hill, in Wrest Park; there is a Cainhoe Farm just outside the
park, on the north. Spelt Cainou, Chainehou, D.B.; Caynho,
F.A., H.R., I.p.m. This, in A.S. spelling, might be represented
by Caganhōh, i.e., Cega's hill-spur.' Cæga is not otherwise
known, but would be the weak form corresponding to the
strong form Cag, which is preserved in Keysoe (below).
KEYSOE.-Spelt Caissot, Chaisot, D.B., with a needless
final t. Better Kaysho, T.N., I.p.m.; Caysho, E.T., F.A.
Found in A.S. in the form Caegesho, in a charter dated 793,
but not an original one. It there refers to Cassiobury or
Cashiobury in Herts., but this makes no real difference; for
Cashiobury is merely another form of Keysoe-bury. A better
spelling would be Cages-hōh. Cag is the A.S. form of the
modern E. key. The sense is 'Key's hill-spur'; taking Key as
being a personal name.
MILLOW.-Millow and Millowbury Farm lie to the S. of
THE SUFFIX -HOE.
31
Dunton. Spelt Melehou, D.B.; Melho, C.R.; Mulnho, F.A.
Also spelt Milnho in modern times, as in Airy's Bedfordshire
Domesday. All from A.S. mylen-hōh, meaning 'mill-hillspur,'
or hill-slope with a mill on it.
PUTNOE.—Near Goldington. Putnoe Farm and Putnoe
Wood lie between Bedford and Ravensden. Spelt Putenehou,
D.B.; Putenho, T.N.; Poutenhou, Puttenho, F.A. Also Puttanho
in a late A.S. will; in Thorpe, Diplomatarium, p. 589. All
from A.S. Puttan hōh; the sense being 'Putta's hill-spur.'
Putta is a known name.
SALPHO.-Airy (p. 49) notes that "at the S.W. extremity
of the parish of Ravensden is a hamlet called Salpho, forming
part of the manor of Salphobury "; also that "the name of the
manor, spelt in books and documents Salpho, has become
curiously corrupted in the mouths of the country-people, who
call the hamlet Saft End." In the Ordnance map it is Salph
End. Spelt Salchou, D.B.; Saleho, Salvho, F.A. For A.S.
sealh-hōh, Old Mercian salh-hoh; where A.S. sealh is the native
E. word cognate with Lat. salix, with the same sense of
'willow.' The form in Chaucer is salwe, and in the sixteenth
century we find salowe. Salow-ho became Salvo, Salfo, and
was then spelt Salpho, with ph for f. Safe is from Salf, by
dropping 7; and Saft from Safe, by adding t. The sense is
'hill-spur near willows.' The Eng. Dialect Dict. notices the
north-country forms saugh, saf, saff, sauf, sauve; all meaning
sallow or willow.
SEGENHOE, near Ridgmount.-Segenhoe Manor is marked
on the Ordnance map. Spelt Segenehou, D.B.; Segenho, F.A.,
A.M.; Seggeho, A.M.; Sedgynho, Cat. For A.S. Secgan-hōh, i.e.
'Secga's hill-spur.' The A.S. secga meant a speaker, one who
says a thing, an informant, from secgan, to say. The Mid.
Eng. segge was freely used in the simple sense of man, or
person. But the A.S. Secga was also used as a personal name,
as in the present case.
SHARPENHOE; due E. of Harlington.-The hoe or hill-slope
attains the height of 524 feet above the sea. Spelt Scharpenhoo,
F.A.; Sharpenho, Cat. For A.S. Scearpan hōh, i.e. 'Scearpa's
CA
32
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
hill-spur.' Kemble's Index has Scearpan-nces and Scearpen-
ham, both of which contain the same name. Scearpa is the
weak form of scearp, adj., i.e. sharp; and Sharpe is still in use
as a proper name. We may therefore equally well explain it
as 'Sharpe's hill-spur.'
SILSOE; near Wrest Park.-Spelt Sewilessou, D.B.; also
(apparently) Suuulessou, D.B.; Sivelesho, R.C.; Sivelesho, I.p.m.;
Sivelesho, Sevelesho, Sowenesho, F.A.; Shivelesho, T.N. The
form Suuulessou (in D.B.) is indistinct. Perhaps it should be
Siuuilessou, and it is printed by Airy as Siwilessou. The forms,
as is so frequently the case, have been much contracted;
and, if we may trust to those in D.B., it is most likely that
Sewil or Siwil (the latter giving the true vowel) is short for
Siwulf, itself a later form of the A.S. Sigewulf, a very common
name of which we have more than twenty instances. I would
explain Silsoe as shortened from 'Sigewulf's hoe.'
STAPLOE, to the W. of St Neots.-Spelt Stapleho in Magna
Britannia; Stapelho, R.C. The A.S. stapol means a post or
pillar, such as must once have stood upon a neighbouring
slope. The sense is 'pillar-hillspur.'
TOTTERNHO, or TOTERNHOE.-Spelt Totenehou, D.B.; To-
ternho, H.R., F.A.; Toterho, E.T. The r seems to have been
needlessly introduced in the unaccented syllable. The D.B.
form may
be more correct, as it answers to the A.S. Totan in
Totancumb, in Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 557; compare Toten-berg
(a late spelling) in the same, iii. 159. Totan is the gen. of
Tota, a known name, so that it may mean 'Tota's hoe,' or
'Tota's hill-spur.' It is probable that tōta meant a spy, or
look-out man; and that Toternhoe, like Tothill, was a look-
out hill. The hoe rises to more than 500 feet above the sea-
level. Perhaps Totene = A.S. tōtena, gen. pl., ‘of the spies.'
24. HOLT.
Holt is an interesting word, which is now little used except
in place-names, though it occurs in Tennyson and Bulwer
Lytton; see the New Eng. Dictionary. It represents the A.S.
holt, a small wood, a copse, a small plantation. It occurs in
Eversholt.
THE SUFFIXES -HURST, -ILL.
33
EVERSHOLT; near Woburn Park.-Spelt Eureshot, D.B.;
Eversolt, H.R.; Everesholt, T.N., E.T., I.p.m. The last form
is the best spelt. For A.S. Eofores holt, i.e. 'Eofor's holt.'
As already explained at p. 2, Eofor was a personal name, with
the literal sense of 'boar.'
25. HURST.
Hurst represents the A.S. hyrst, a thicket or copse, a place
overgrown with brushwood. It occurs in Bolnhurst and Graven-
hurst.
BOLNHURST.-Spelt Bolehestre, Bulehestre, D.B.; Bolehurst,
T.N., F.A., E.T.; Bolnehurst, Bollehurste, Cat.; Bolnherst, F.A.
Boln represents the A.S. Bulan, gen. of Bula, or Bolan, gen. of
Bola. Bula, Bola are probably variant forms; and perhaps
related to Icel. boli, a bull. The E. bull itself seems to be of
Norse origin. The sense is 'Bula's hurst' or 'Bola's hurst';
possibly equivalent to a modern E. 'Bull's hurst,' taking Bull
as a personal name.
GRAVENHURST.-Misspelt Crauenhest, D.B.; but Graven-
hurst, R.B., R.C.; Gravenhirst, R.C.; Gravenhurste, I.p.m. Here
Graven resembles A.S. græfan, known from its occurrence in
the Laud MS. of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, under the date
852. But this word should rather be grafan (with long ),
giving a later form Greven; see Crawford Charters, ed. Napier,
pp. 61, 62. We may rather compare it with Graveney in
Kent, spelt Grafon-aea in 811 (Sweet, O. E. Texts, p. 456), lit.
'Grafon-stream.' Grafon suggests 'gravel,' which is of Celtic
origin. Cf. Bret. grouan, gravel; O. French grave, gravel.
26. ILL.
This suffix occurs only in Northill and Southill, which, as
the old forms prove, should rather be North Ill and South Ill;
for they have no connexion with the word hill. Ill must have
been the old name for the stream which, after leaving Southill
Park, flows past Ickwell and Northill to join the Ivel at
Girtford. And as the old spellings show, Ill is merely another
form of Ivel itself. The Ill joins the Ivel before the combined
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLII.
3
34
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
stream joins the Ouse. It is even more remarkable that there
was yet another stream in Bedfordshire once named the Ivel,
which gave its name to Yielden or Yelden; which can only
mean Ivelden; see p. 12. And there is yet another Ivel in
Somersets. which flows by Ilchester, formerly called Ivelchester ;
and another Ill or Ile, absurdly spelt Isle, which flows by
Ilminster. The Isle and the Ivel likewise become one stream,
near Langport.
NORTHILL.-Spelt Nortgiue (error for Northgiuel), Nortgible,
Nortgiuele, D.B.; Northgiuele, E.T.; Northyevele, F.A.; North-
givell (1236), I.p.m.; Northgeuell (1257), I.p.m.; Nortgylle, T.N.
Observe that Ilchester is spelt Yeuelchestre, A.M.
None of these spellings will be understood unless it is
remembered that the Norman scribes often used g to represent
the A.S. g, which was pronounced like E. y before an e or an i.
Thus the above spellings really represent yivel, yevel, and yill.
Another point is that Middle English dropped the sound of
initial y altogether before an i. Thus the A.S. giccian, Mid.
E. yicchen, is the modern English itch; the A.S. Gipeswic is
the modern Ipswich; and the A.S. gif, Mid. Eng. yif, is now
spelt if. Similarly, the Early Eng. Vivel became the modern
Ivel; and the Early Eng. Vill became the Ill. There can be
no doubt as to the result. As Prof. Earle points out, the A.S.
Gifle in Alfred's Will does not mean Gidley (as Kemble
guessed), but the Ivel Valley in Somersetshire. The Will only
exists in a late copy, but the spelling of that name is correct.
Gifle is a dative case, from a nom. Gifel, in which the g was a
y, the ƒ was a v, and the i was short. The sense is 'northern
place upon the Ivel.'
SOUTHILL-Spelt Sudgiuele, Sudgible, D.B.; Southyevele,
F.A.; South Giuele, E.T.; Sutgyle, T.N. The spellings have
been explained above. It means 'southern place upon the
Ivel.'
27. ING.
Ing is well known as 'a tribal suffix,' the meaning of which
will be explained presently (p. 35). It occurs in Knotting and
THE SUFFIX -ING.
35
Marston Pillinge. Also in Harling-ton, Shilling-ton, formerly
Harling-don, Shilling-don, explained under -DON; in Stepping-
ley, explained under -LEY; in Billing-ton, Carding-ton, Golding-
ton, Lidling-ton, Pudding-ton, Todding-ton, explained under
-INGTON; and in Wrestling-worth, explained under -WORTH.
But it also sometimes appears erroneously in modern forms,
as in Caddin(g)ton (p. 13); Chellin(g)ton, Eggin(g)ton, Stev-
in(g)ton, Willin(g)ton, Wymin(g)ton (pp. 59, 60).
KNOTTING. The A.S. -ing was a patronymic, meaning
'son of. There is a remarkable example in the old North-
umbrian version of the third chapter of St Luke, where the
son of Heli' is rendered by Heling; and the like. Seth is
called Adaming, ie., 'son of Adam.' These names in ing
were declined as strong substantives, with the nom. plural
-ingas and the gen. pl. -inga. Thus the son of Golda would be
called Golding, and the family or tribe descended from Golda
would be called the Goldingas, i.e. the Goldings. There is a
large number of names of this description.
C
Knotting lies to the N. of Sharnbrook. The spellings are:
Chenotinga, D.B.; Cnottinge, T.N.; Cnottynge, F.A.; Cnottyng,
E.T. The Che in D.B. means no more than K (or C) in this
instance. It signifies that the Norman had much ado to
pronounce K before an n, and inserted a short vowel-sound to
assist him in the process. In the modern E. knot the k is
simply neglected; but it was sounded at least as late as 1400.
But the final -a in the D.B. form is correct. It represents
Cnotinga, gen. pl. of Cnotingas, i.e. the Cnotings or 'sons of
Cnot.' The gen. pl. refers to their possession of the holding;
it was a place 'belonging to the sons of Cnot.'
The name of Cnot appears again in the place-name Cnot-
tinga-hamm or Cnotinga-hamm; Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 56.
This corresponds to a Knottingham near Barkham, in Berks. ;
which no longer exists. There is a Knotting-ley in Yorkshire.
MARSTON PILLINGE; near Millbrook station; not far from
Marston Morteyne. It means the Marston where once the
Pillings resided; just as the other Marston was named from
the Morteynes. Pilling is still a somewhat common name, and
3-2
36
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
may be found in the Clergy List. It means 'a son of Pil,' or
Pill. There is a Pils-ley in Derbyshire, and there are three
Piltons.
Some of the Pillings occupied WOOTTON PILLINGE, about
a mile to the N.E. of Marston Pillinge.
The name Marston is explained under -TON (p. 54); it is
merely 'marsh-town.'
WESTON ING. This is the most convenient place for dis-
cussing the apparent suffix in Westoning, more correctly
written Weston Ing. It lies to the N. of Harlington, and is
written as Westoning in Bacon's map and in the Ordnance
map. But it appears as Weston in E.T. and H.R.; and as
Weston Ing in the Catalogue of Ancient Deeds. It means
'west town,' once occupied by a tenant named William Ing.
In Feudal Aids, i. 21 (1316), it is called Weston Tregoz
(probably from a former tenant), but it is noted that there was
a 'villa' there, tenanted by Willelmus Inge. In the same, i. 7
(1284), we are told that Willelmus la Souche and Willelmus
Inge were tenants in Toternhoe.
It may be added that the provincial E. ing, a meadow, is
not of English origin, but Norse. There is no example of its
use in Beds., unless William Ing took his name from it.
28. LAKE.
FENLAKE; in Eastcotts.-Not far from Bedford. Spelt
Fenlake, Cl. R., vol. ii. Lake has not its usual meaning here,
nor is it connected with Lat. lacus. It is a native English
word meaning a small stream of running water. The stream
is marked on the Ordnance map, and flows into the Ouse.
See Lake, sb. (3) in the New Eng. Dict., and Lake (2), a stream,
in the Eng. Dial. Dict. The prefix is the A.S. fenn, a fen; and
the sense is 'fen-stream.'
29. LEY.
Ley is the usual spelling in place-names of the word which
we usually spell lea; from A.S. leah, 'a tract of open ground,
either meadow, pasture, or arable land'; New E. Dict. The
THE SUFFIX -LEY.
37
form ley is really due to the very frequent use of the dative
case, A.S. leage, lege, in which g had the sound of y.
It occurs in Aspley, Crawley, Gladly, Hatley, Oakley,
Prestley, Riseley, Steppingley, Stopsley, Streatley, Thurleigh.
But not in Willey, though it will be convenient to consider
this with the rest.
ASPLEY GUISE.-Spelt Aspeleia (ablative), D.B.; Aspele,
R.C., F.A., E.T.; Aspeley, I.p.m. A.S. Esplēa, in the Aspley
Charter dated 969, in Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 517. The A.S.
æsp (also æps) means an aspen tree. The sense is 'aspen-lea.'
GUISE is a family name. In Feudal Aids, i. 1, we read:
'Anselmus de Gyse tenet Aspele.'
CRAWLEY; as in Husborne Crawley.-Husborne has been
explained under BOURNE (p. 5). Spelt Crawelai, D.B.; Craweleye,
Craulai, R.C.; Crauley, I.p.m. A.S. Crāwanlea, with reference
to Crawley in Hants. From A.S. crawan, gen. of crawe, fem. a
crow, also a known female name. The sense is 'Crow's lea';
and the genitive case suggests that the Crow was a woman.
HATLEY, or COCKAYNE HATLEY; due E. of Potton.—Spelt
Hatelai, D.B.; Hattelega, R.B.; Hattele, E.T., F.A. We find
'æt Hættanlēa and æt Pottune,' in the will of Elfhelm of
Wratting, Cambs.; Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 630. Hættan is
the gen. of Hætta, and the sense is 'Hætta's lea.'
COCKAYNE is a family name. The church contains four
sixteenth-century brasses to the Bryan and Cockayne families.
'Joh. Cockayn tenet di.f.m. in Hattele'; F.A. i. 37 (1428).
NARES
Nares Gladly. The name of an old manor. Airy says
of Gledelai in D.B.:-"This manor, situate in the modern
parish of Heath-and-Reach, taken from that of Leighton
Buzzard, may still be recognised in the names of Nares Gladly;
and though only marked by a small farmhouse, remains a
manor of itself, distinct from that of Leighton. The modern
prefix is probably the name of some former proprietor."
Spelt Gledelai, D.B.; Gledele, A.M. As gled is an earlier
variant of Mid. Eng. glad, A.S. glæd (Mod. E. glad), the modern
name is a fair guide. The A.S. glæd meant bright or cheerful
38
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
as well as glad. The sense may very well have been 'bright
lea.' In the Flower and the Leaf, a poem written by a lady in
the fifteenth century, we find it used as an epithet of leaves :
'a glad light grene.' Compare the name Fairleigh.
OAKLEY.-There are six or seven places so called. The
sense is 'oak-lea,' which is quite consistent with the old
spellings. Spelt Achelei, Achelaice, D.B.; Acelea, Acleia, Acle,
Occle, R.C.; Ocleie, A.M.; Acle, Ocle, Okele, F.A.; Ocle, T.N.;
Acle, R.B. A.S. Aclea, Acleah; with long a, from ac, oak;
see Kemble's Index.
PRESTLEY; a manor in Flitwick.-The Ordnance map has
Priestley Farm, to the N.W. of Westoning. Spelt Prestelai,
D.B.; Prestele, F.A.; feodum de Presteleia, R.B. It corresponds
to A.S. Preostaleage, dative, lit. 'lea of the priests' or 'priests'
lea'; Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 201. The gen. pl. preosta accounts
for the final e in Preste, in the old spellings.
,
RISELEY; to the South of Melchbourne.-Spelt Riselai,
D.B.; Risele, R.B.; Rysele, E.T.; Riseleg, Risleg, T.N.; Rysle,
F.A. I take the name to be descriptive, meaning brushwood
lea'; from A.S. hrīs, a twig, branch, prov. E. rise, brushwood,
undergrowth.
STEPPINGLEY; to the N.W. of Flitwick Wood.—Formerly
Stepingley, as in Pigot's Atlas (1831). Spelt Stepigelai (for
Stepingelai), D.B.; Stepyngle, F.A.; Stepingele, Steppinggele,
A.M. These represent A.S. Steapinga leah, i.e. ‘lea of the
Steapings or Steepings'; where Steapinga is the gen. pl. of
Steaping, a son of Steapa. Steapa is a known name, allied to
A.S. steap, steep, high, lofty. Steapan-leah, i.e. Steapa's lea,'
also occurs; see Kemble's Index.
STOPSLEY; N. of Luton.-Spelt Stopesle, F.A., lit. 'Stopp's
lea.' The name Stopp occurs in Stoppingas, i.e. ' sons of Stopp';
in Kemble's Index.
STREATLEY; to the E.N.E. of Sundon.-Spelt Stradlei, D.B.;
Stratle, F.A.; Strateleye, E.T. A.S. Strætlea; Thorpe, Diploma-
tarium, p. 589, with reference to this very place. The sense is
'Street-lea'; with reference to a very old high-road. Streatley
THE SUFFIX -LOW.
39
lies close to the high-road from Luton to Bedford, and the four
miles of it from Luton to Streatley are so nearly straight that
it may well have been on the line of an old Roman road. The
Icenhild Way is not far off.
THURLEIGH; to the E. of Bletsoe.—Here leigh answers to
the A.S. nom. lēah, a lea, just as ley does to the dat. leage.
I find a mention of Willelmus de Thorlege; Cl. R. As there is
here no sign of the gen. case, the former element is the A.S.
Thur, Thor, familiar to us in the gen. case in the word
Thurs-day. The sense is 'Thur-lea,' a true compound. This
probably means that the lea was once dedicated, in heathen
times, to the worship of Thur or Thōr, the god of thunder.
Thur is the A.S. name, and Thōr the Norse name of this once
renowned divinity.
WILLEY, the name of a hundred.-As this has the appear-
ance of a compound ending in -ley, it will be considered here.
But it is really a simple word, once spelt with but one l. The
doubling of the means that the i was short, as in will. Spelt
Wilge, or (in Latinised spelling) Wilga, D.B.; Wylye, H.R.,
F.A.; Wile, R.B. The hundred was no doubt named from a
lost hamlet. The forms answer to the A.S. welige, dat. of
welig, a willow; and the place-name originally meant 'at the
willow.' The i appears in the Mid. Eng. wilwe, and in the
modern willow; also in the A.S. adj. wiliht, abounding in
willows. So also Willian (Herts.) means 'the willows,' nom.
pl.; and Welwyn (Herts.) means 'at the willows,' dat. pl.
30. Low.
As in Henlow.
The A.S. hlāw, mod. E. low, means a burial-mound. Some
contend that some at least of the lows are older than Anglo-
Saxon times. That may well be the case, so that the prefix
may have been used in two senses.
If I am right, we may
explain Triplow in Cambs. as 'Trippa's low'; but it is obviously
impossible to know in which sense it was Trippa's. He may
have been buried there, or he may have occupied land in the
40
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
immediate neighbourhood of a low that had been there for
some hundreds of years.
HENLOW.-Henlow railway-station is between Hitchin and
Shefford. Spelt Haneslau, Haneslauue, D.B.; Hanelawe, Hene-
laue, T.R.; Henlawe, E.T., T.N., I.p.m.; Henlow, F.A. The
forms in D.B. (which do not really differ) are here the only
important ones; they preserve an s which is dropped even
in Hanelawe, which is the next oldest form. The sense must
have been 'Hann's low.' The name Hann is preserved in
Hannington, Hants., which means 'the town of the sons of
Hann'; also in two other Hanningtons, in Northamptonshire.
and Wilts. respectively, as well as in three Hanningfields, all
in Essex. Also in the A.S. Hanninge (for Hanninga), i.e.
'place of the Hannings'; in Hann-ige, now Hanney or 'Hann-
island' in Berks. ; and perhaps in Hansfleot (for Hannesfleot);
see Kemble's Index. In other places, Han- may have a different
sense; thus Hanbury (Worc.) means 'at the high borough,'
A.S. heanbyrig, and Hanwell (Midd.) means 'Hana's well.' The
D.B. form omits the double n, just as it omits the double n in
the old form of Manshead (p. 27).
31. MEAD.
BUSHMEAD; in Eaton Socon (Kelly); but much nearer to
Colmworth. From bush and mead. The old spellings are
Bysmede, A.M.; Bissemede, F.A.; which are remarkable not
only for the use of s or ss to denote the sound of sh (not
uncommon with Norman scribes), but also for the use of i or
y
for the modern u. Bushey (Herts.) also appears in H.R. as
Bissey; and the A.S. for 'bush' must have been bysc.
In Mr Duignan's Place names of Worcestershire, he hesi-
tates to derive Bushley from bush ley (or lea) because the old
spellings are Biselega (D.B.), Bisseley (Subsidy Rolls), and
Bushley (in later documents). He adds-"we have no authority
for accepting the D.B. Bise or the later Bisse- as forms of
bush." But the examples of Bushmead and Bushey make it
quite clear that we have such authority; which solves his
difficulty.
THE SUFFIXES -MOUNT, -POOL.
41
32. MOUNT.
Mount or Mont is a suffix of French origin; from the Old
French mont, a hill.
RIDGMOUNT, or RIDGMONT.-Mr Airy says:-"The name of
this place, formerly spelt Rougemont-the red hill-is com-
paratively modern, being compounded of two Norman words,
and therefore subsequent to the Conquest. At that period the
whole place was comprised in the manor of Segenhoe."
I have not found the spelling Rougemont in early times.
I suspect it to be a mere creation of some guessing antiquary,
haunted, as usual, by the belief that all names are sure to be
'corruptions.'
It is spelt Rugemond in F.A.; and Ridgmond as late as in
Magna Britannia (1720—31). In Pigot's Atlas (1831) it is
Ridgemont. I have no means for deciding the question.
I think the explanation given above to be very doubtful. The
spelling Rugemond is indecisive; for ruge might be a less
correct form of rugge, the usual Middle English form of the
modern word ridge; and even mond might represent the A.S.
mund, or the modern English mound. So that the native
phrase 'ridge-mound' is far more likely than the alleged
French form. The question awaits further early evidence.
Surely the word rouge was uncommon in Early English; and
it could only have given rise to some such form as Rudgemont,
certainly not to a syllable containing an i
33. POOL.
COPLE; to the E. of Cardington.-The old spellings are
curious; viz. Cochepol, Chochepol, D.B.; Coupol, Coupulle, F.A.;
Coupul, E.T.; Couphulle (error for Coupulle), Cat.; Coupulk,
Cat. As o is often written for short u in D.B., the suffix is pul
or pulle, answering to the A.S. pul, pull, nom., pulle, dative,
meaning a pool.' The A.S. form exactly answering to the
modern E. pool is pōl, with long o, to which pull appears to be
related. English dialects also employ the form pull, with the
same sense as pool. It will be observed that, in one instance,
42
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
the suffix is pulk, which represents the Mid. Eng. polk, prov.
E. pulk, meaning 'a small pool,' as it is merely a diminutive
form of pull, a pool. This variation is a fortunate one, as it
puts the sense of pul or pulle beyond all doubt. The prefix
presents some difficulty; it was evidently changed from the
earliest form into something different. The later form Cou- is
the usual later spelling of the A.S. Cu, a cow; so that the
sense, in the thirteenth century, seems to have been 'cow-pool.'
But as the vowel u in the form Cow-pull was short, it was
easily altered to Couple, and (the meaning being lost) to Cople.
But the earliest form was different. Both the spellings in
D.B. refer to the same sound, which would better be expressed
by the spelling Coke-pull or Cuke-pull. Of these it is neces-
sary to select the latter, in which Cuke- became Cuk-, and then
Cu-, by the loss of k before p. (The form Coke- would have
given Cok-, and M.E. Co-.) Cuke represents Cucan, the geni-
tive of Cuca, which appears in Cucan-healas and Cucan-dene;
Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 113, 140. Cuca is the weak form of
cuc, a variant of cwic, lit. 'lively.' The sense is 'Cuca's pool.'
34. SAND.
CHICKSANDS PRIORY; to the W. of Shefford.-Formerly
Chicksand. Spelt Chicesane, D.B.; Chikesand, R.B., T.R. ;
Chikesaund, F.A., H.R.; Chikesond, E.T., T.N.; Chiksond, I.p.m.
Sond is a common old variant of sand; the spelling sane in
D.B. is erroneous. The s should probably be repeated; in
which case, the form Chikes answers to an A.S. form Cicces,
gen. of Cic or Cicc, a name which is not otherwise known; the
sense being 'Cicc's sand.' This form has nothing in common
with the Mid. Eng. chike, shortened form of chiken, a chicken;
for this chike was unknown till after 1300.
35. SNADE.
Snade represents the A.S. sneed (with long c), a slice,
morsel, bit, portion, formed (with mutation of long a to long )
from snād, the second grade of the root-verb snīthan, to cut.
It meant a separated piece, a strip of land.
THE SUFFIX -STAPLE.
43
WHIPSNADE; to the S. of Dunstable.-More correctly
Wipsnade; the insertion of the h is late and unauthorised.
Spelt Wybesnade, F.A., E.T.; Wibesnade, I.p.m.; Whipsnade,
I.p.m., vol. ii. (later). The s should probably be repeated; in
which case Wibes corresponds to an A.S. form Wibes, from a
nom. Wibi; this form is not otherwise known, except as
appearing again in Wibs-ey, near Bradford, Yorks. Other-
wise, Wibe must represent Wibban, gen. of Wibba, which is a
known name; according to Florence of Worcester, Wibba was
the father of Penda, king of Mercia. It also occurs in the
A.S. Wibban-dun, i.e. Wibba's down, perhaps Wimbledon in
Surrey; and in the A.S. Wibbe-toft, in Warwickshire (Thorpe).
The right sense is probably 'Wibi's portion'; or else' Wibba's
portion.' It hardly matters, as Wibi and Wibba are related
'strong' and 'weak' forms. The A.S. Hwipstede, in Thorpe,
Diplomatarium, p. 596, is thought to be Whepstead in Suffolk.
Certainly, the prefix in it seems to be different.
36. STAPLE.
Staple. There are two words thus spelt in English. One
of them denotes the chief commodity of a place; this is of
French origin, and has nothing to do with place-names, as is
usually but erroneously assumed. The other staple, now chiefly
used of a hoop of iron, is the true English word, though greatly
changed in sense. The A.S. stapol meant a post or pillar;
also, something that supports or holds a thing firmly. It
occurs in Stapleford in Cambs., that is 'a ford marked by a
fixed pole or post'; and also in Dunstable.
DUNSTABLE.-Spelt Donestaple, F.A.; Dunstaplia (a Latin-
ised form), A.M.; Dunestaple, E.T. Also Dunestapel in the
A.S. Chronicle, under the year 1125. The Anglo-French
Dunestapel and Donestaple are to be divided as Dun-estapel,
Don-estaple; answering to an A.S. form Dun-stapel, lit. 'down-
staple,' i.e. 'hill-pillar.' Probably named from some conspicuous
pillar on one of the neighbouring downs.
44
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
37. STEAD.
Hence the compound home-stead, a home station, a settle-
ment, farm; A.S. ham-sted.
WILSHAMSTEAD, or WILSTEAD (Kelly); near Bedford.—
Spelt Winessamestede, D.B.; Wyleshamstede, E.T.; Wilshamp-
sted, F.A. The D.B. spelling solves the name. It is from
A.S. Wines-hamstede, where Wines is the gen. of Wini, later
form Wine, a rather common name. Indeed, the A.S. wine
simply means 'friend,' though also employed as a personal
The name should rather have been Winshamstead;
but I was substituted for n not long after the Conquest. The
sense is 'Wine's homestead.' The A.S. wine was pronounced
winny. It occurs again in Wins-low (Bucks.), Wins-hill (Derb.).
name.
38. STOKE.
Stoke is closely related to stock, A.S. stoc, a stock, trunk of
a tree, perhaps also sometimes the stump of a stone cross. It
occurs in REDBOURNESTOKE, once a place-name, but now only
surviving as the name of a hundred. Spelt Radburnestoch,
Radeburnesoca, D.B.; Radeburnestoke, A.M.; Redbournestoke,
F.A.; Radburnestok, H.R.; Radeborne, Radeburne, R.C.; Red-
burne, R.B.
I have shown, in my Place-names of Herts., that the names
Radwell and Radnor may fairly be interpreted as meaning,
respectively, 'red well' and 'red bank'; from the A.S. read,
red. So here, I suppose the sense of Redbourne or Radbourne
to be simply 'red bourne,' i.e. red stream. We find to readan
burnan, to the red bourne, in Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 587.
Then Redbournestoke will refer to 'a stump near the red bourn.'
The comparative redder is spelt raddere in Political Songs, ed.
Wright (Camden Society), p. 330.
39. STOW.
Stow means a place'; whence the verb to bestow or stow
away, to put into its place. It occurs in Elstow.
ELSTOW.-Spelt Elnestou, D.B.; Elnestow, E.T.; Elnestowe,
THE SUFFIX -STOW.
45
(C
T.N., I.p.m., F.A., H.R., vol. ii.; Alnestowe, H.R., and Close
Rolls (1224); Alnestow, Aunestow, A.M.; Elnystow, F.A. Kelly
remarks that it was formerly Helenstow,' of which there
is no evidence. It is clearly a guess, in order to explain the
spelling in D.B.; the alternative spellings not having been
observed. Judith, Countess of Huntingdon, niece of William
the Conqueror, founded a nunnery at Elstow in 1078, which,
according to Lysons (Magna Britannia, p. 81), was dedicated
to the Holy Trinity, St Mary, and St Helen." This is the
piece of evidence on which the fable was founded, that the
D.B. Elnes meant 'Helen's.' But in D.B. itself, under Elnestou,
the nuns are called the nuns of St Mary; and, under Wilsham-
stead, we are told that "the Countess Judith gave the manor
in alms to the Church of S. Mary at Elstow"; see Airy's
Digest. So that, at that date, the church was not called the
church of St Helen, but of St Mary. Further, the form Elena,
the A.S. form of Helen, or any French form of the same, would
not have been cut down to Eln between 1078 and 1086, when
the Domesday Survey was completed. Thirdly, it is impossible
that any form of the gen. case of Helen could have appeared
as Alnes or Aunes, or Alne or Aune, at any early date; and
it
may be noted that Alnestow is a common form of Elstow.
I find, moreover, that there was another Alnestowe, the name
of a hundred in Rutlandshire; see Rotulorum Originalium
Abbreviatio, i. 241. This hundred-name is spelt Alsto in
Pigot's Atlas, and Alstoe elsewhere.
It is clear to any one at all accustomed to these old spellings
that, in the forms Eln-, Aln-, Aun-, we have to deal with a
much abbreviated form; and the use of the equivalent prefixes
El-, Al-, points to the usual abbreviation of Æthel-, or of Ælf-,
both very common prefixes. The use of A or E indicates the
A.S. Æ, which had the sound of a in apple, intermediate to the
Latin and A.S. a and e. The -n- is a much reduced remnant
of some usual suffix, the only three available being -nōth, -hūn
and wine. Practically, the only likely A.S. representatives
of Eln-, Aln- are Ethelnōth, Elfnoth, Ethelhun, Elfhun,
Æthelwine, and Ælfwine; all fairly common. But Æthelwine
and Elfwine do not part with the w; their shortened forms
46
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
are Alwin or Elwin. I think the choice lies between Æthelnōth
and Elfnōth; of which the latter is the easier, and occurs
both as Alnōth and Elnöth. The abbreviation of Elfnothes
to Alnes or Elnes is certainly possible; so that all points to
the probability that Elstow originally meant Ælfnōth's stow.'
It is not more remarkable than the proved reduction of
Eadwulf's tree' to Elstree.
t
By way of further illustration of the difficulty of deciphering
these contracted forms, I may state that Alston in Worc. means
Elfsige's town'; Alston in Staffordshire means 'Elfweard's
town'; Alstone in Glouc. means 'Ælfred's town'; and Alston
in Somersets. means 'Elfnoth's town.' See Duignan's Worc.
Place-names, p. 3. The presence of the -n- helps us in the
case that we are now discussing.
I had arrived at this probability as to the origin of Elstow
when it occurred to me to consult the Domesday Book for
Rutlandshire as to the old spelling of the other place-name
which likewise appears as Alnestowe. On opening the record,
the first name that meets the eye, twice over, is Alfnodestov,
in large characters. This settles the question, and enables us
to conclude, past all doubt, that the true old name of Elstow
was 'Elfnōthes stōw.'
،
40. THORPE.
-
The A.S. thorp, a village, appears sometimes as an in-
dependent name. There are Thorpes in Lincs., Essex, Norfolk,
and elsewhere. It is also spelt throp or thrup; hence we have
THRUP END, near Lidlington.
It also appears as a suffix, as in Milnthorpe, i.e. ' mill-village,'
in Westmoreland. It is noted in the E. Dial. Dict., s.v. Thorpe,
that Ravensthorpe in Northants. is pronounced Ranstrup. It
is not doubted that this form -trup or -trop is sometimes
further altered to -drup or drop. It appears, accordingly, in
Soul-drop, which lies to the S.E. of Knotting.
SOULDROP.-Not in D.B.; spelt Soldrope, Suldrope, F.A.;
Sulthrop, E.T.; Suldrope, H.R., vol. ii. The form Sulthrop is
evidently the oldest, and proves that drop resulted from throp.
THE SUFFIX -TOWN, -TON.
47
We might explain the spelling Soldrope by help of the
prov. E. sole, a pool of stagnant water, which is still in use
in Kent. Several place-names are formed from it; see the
E. Dial. Dict. It represents the A.S. sol, a miry pond; and
gives the sense as being 'pond-village.'
But the better spelling of the old prefix is obviously Sul-.
This represents the A.S. sylu, a miry place, and gives the sense
of 'mire-village.' It comes to the same thing.
41. TOWN, -TON.
A large number of place-names end in -ton, the unstressed
form of town, of A.S. tūn. The old sense of town was often a
farm, a home-stead, a farm-house with all its belongings; it
was from such a beginning that towns often took their rise.
Some names end in -ing-ton or -in-ton; these will be
considered separately from the rest, in § 42 (p. 57).
In the first set we have Barton, Beeston, Campton, Carlton,
Chalton, Charlton, Clifton, Clipstone, Dunton, Eaton, Everton,
Flitton, Houghton, Kempston, Leighton, Luton, Marston,
Milton, Potton, Shelton, Staughton, Stratton, Sutton, Weston-
ing, Wootton, and Wyboston.
We
e may also consider Chawston at the same time, though
it did not end in -ton originally.
In the second set we have Billington, Cardington, Chelling-
ton, Eggington, Goldington, Lidlington, Podington, Stevington,
Toddington, Willington, and Wymington.
Harlington was formerly Harlingdon, and has already been
noticed under -DON (p. 14). The same remark applies to
Caddington, Roxton, and Shillington (pp. 13, 16).
BARTON IN THE CLAY.-There are a large number of
Bartons, and the word has been explained in the New Eng.
Dict. Spelt Bertone, D.B.; Bertune, R.C.; Berton, I.p.m. It
meant a demesne farm, or the demesne lands of a manor, not
let out to tenants, but reserved for the lord's own use. Its
simpler meaning was merely a 'farm-yard.' From the A.S.
bere-tūn, a barley-enclosure, courtyard, farm-yard. From bere,
barley; and tun, an enclosure.
48
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
BEESTON; near Sandy.-Spelt Bistone, D.B.; Beston, E.T.,
H.R., R.C.; Beistune, Besetone, R.B.; Beestone, F.A. The
corresponding A.S. form would be Bēos tūn, where Beos is the
gen. of Bēo, used as a personal name.
In the usual sense of
'bee,' the A.S. beo is indeclinable in the singular, the pl. being
beon, Chaucer's been. Thus the sense is 'Bee's farm.' The
name of John Bee occurs in 1428 in F.A.
(
CAMPTON.-Spelt Chambeltone (with Ch for C), D.B.;
Cameltune, Kameltuue, R.C.; Cameltone, F.A., A.M. The A.S.
camel is only known in the sense of camel,' borrowed from
Latin. If this had been adopted as a name, which is unlikely,
we should have expected the gen. form Cameles. I cannot
explain this place-name. There is a river named Camel in
Cornwall; so perhaps there was once a stream so named in
Beds. River-names are sometimes of Celtic origin.
CARLTON; near Chellington. - Spelt Carlentone, D.B.;
Carletone, R.C.; Karleton, T.N.; Carlton, F.A. There are
many Carltons. Carl is the Norse equivalent of the A.S. ceorl,
whence Charlton (below). The Old Norse karl, a husbandman,
was also a proper name. Its combining form is Karla-; which
seems to have been treated as an A.S. weak sb., with a gen. in
-an, thus producing a form Carlantun instead of the more
nearly correct Karlatun. It is remarkable that Carlton in
Cambs. is likewise spelt Carlentone in D.B. The sense is
'Karl's farm.'
CHALTON; near Sundon.-It seems to be the same place
as the Cealhtun mentioned in Ethelstan Etheling's will,
which also mentions Hocganclif, apparently Hockliffe. The
form Cealhtun stands for Cealctun, according to the rule that ct
becomes ht in Anglo-Saxon; see the explanation of LEIGHTON
(p. 52). Thus the sense is 'chalk farm.'
CHARLTON; to the S.W. of Blunham.-Misspelt Chalton on
the Ordnance map; but D.B. mentions Cerlentone as a manor
near Blunham.-Spelt Cherletone, R.B., F.A.; answering to
A.S. Ceorla tūn, 'farm of the churls' or husbandmen; ceorla
being the gen. pl. There are many Charltons.
THE SUFFIX -TON.
49
CLIFTON, to the E. of Shefford. It is also the name of a
hundred. Spelt Cliftone, D.B.; Clifton, E.T., H.R., F.A., T.N.
From A.S. clif, a cliff, steep slope. The sense is 'cliff farm.'
CLIPSTONE, in Eggington (Kelly).—Spelt Clipestun, Clippes-
tun, C.R.; Clipston, R.C. The spelling with final -tun shows
that the word is Clips-ton, and not Clip-stone, as no doubt it
is often thought to be. The prefix is Clipes, gen. of Clip, a
personal name, of which we have one clear example; see
Searle, Onomasticon, p. 137. The sense is Clip's farm.'
DUNTON, near Eyworth.-Spelt Daintone, Domtone, D.B.;
Duninton, T.N.; Dountone, F.A. The spellings in D.B. cannot
be right; they are probably meant for Danitone, Donitone; the
latter being the better. The spelling Duninton explains that
the name is not compounded of dun, a down, and tun; but
that the former element represents the A.S. Dunan, gen.
of Dūna; as in Dunan heafde, Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 603
(A.D. 947). The long u explains the form Dountone. The
sense is Dūna's farm.'
EATON. There are two Eatons; and it is curious that they
have different origins, as is apparent from the different early
spellings.
g
EATON SOCON.-Spelt Etone, D.B., F.A., R.C., R.B., H.R.;
Eton, T.N. Here E- represents the Mid. Eng. e, ee, A.S. ēa, a
stream, a river; and the sense is 'farm on the stream.'
As to
Socon, I suppose it is the same as the word usually spelt Soken,
A.S. sōcn, and has here the sense of 'a district within which
certain legal privileges could be exercised.' It occurs in a like
sense in Piers the Plowman, where there is a reference to
'Rutland soken'; B. ii. 110.
EATON BRAY.-Spelt Eitone, D.B.; Eytone, F.A.; Eytone,
Eitone, R.B.; Eyton, E.T., H.R. So that the modern spelling
should rather have been Eyton. The prefix is the Mid. Eng.
ey, O. Mercian eg, A.S. ieg, an island; a term loosely applied
to any piece of land wholly or even partially surrounded by a
stream or streams. The sense is 'island farm.' Bray is a
family name. The church contains the arms of Edmund, Lord
Braye (Kelly).
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLII.
4
50
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
EVERTON, N. W. of Potton.-Spelt Euretone, D.B.; Everton,
I.p.m., T.N. From A.S. eofor, a boar. Literally, 'boar farm.'
There is an Everdon in Northants., and an Everley in Wilts.,
in which Ever thus appears without the gen. suffix.
FLITTON; in the hundred of Flitt.-Flitton is "bounded on
the north by the Flitt, a tributary of the Ouse"; Kelly. There
is a reference in R.C. to the hundred of Fleytene (error for
Fleytone) or Flitte. In D.B., both the hundred and the town
are called Flictham, probably an error for Flittham. We also
find the spellings Flitte, T.N., E.T., F.A., I.p.m.; Flitt, H.R. ;
Flitton hundred, I.p.m. Flitt may suitably denote a stream, as
being a slightly contracted form of A.S. fleot, a stream, prov. E.
fleet, a shallow channel. We may explain Flitton as 'the farm
by the Flitt.' Fletton in Hunts. is from the same A.S. fleot.
HOUGHTON CONQUEST.-Spelt Houstone, D.B.; Houctone,
Hougtone, A.M.; Hoctune, Houcton, Hohtune, Hochtone, Hough-
tone, R.C.; Houton, H.R. The s in D.B., and the c, g, ch, gh,
all represent the final guttural (like the German ch) in the
A.S. hōh, a spur or slope of a hill. The sense is 'farm on a
hill-slope.' The same A.S. hōh is the origin of the termination
-HOE, already discussed (p. 29).
Kelly notes that the church has two brasses to members of
the Conquest family, dated 1493 and 1500 respectively. I find
a mention of John Conquest, of Clopham, i.e. Clapham, in
1316; F.A. In Magna Britannia, it is noted that the patrons
of the living were then (1720) the Earl of Aylesbury and
Sh. Conquest, Esq. It is now in the gift of St John's College,
Cambridge.
HOUGHTON REGIS.-That is, King's Houghton; with refer-
ence to William I. In D.B. it is said to be 'the royal demesne
manor, rated as to ten hides.'
R.C.; Kemmeston,
KEMPSTON.-Spelt Camestone, D.B.; Kemeston, Ex. R.,
F.A.; Coembestune, Kemestone, Kembestone,
Cl. R.; Kemyston, Kemston, Kempston, T.N.
e in D.B. tends to show that the original
could not have been e, as the A.S. Ce becomes Che in modern
The use of a for
vowel was œ. It
THE SUFFIX -TON.
51
names. In a charter printed in Kemble, iv. 143, and in
Thorpe, Diplomat. p. 381, there is a mention of 'Crangfeldæ et
Kemestan.' Thorpe says that Kemestan refers to Kempston
in Norfolk, but it rather means Kempston in Beds., which is
only six miles from Cranfield in a direct line. In footnote 14
on p. 383, Thorpe gives a much older spelling, viz. Cæmbestunæ,
from another MS. Here Cambes is the gen. of Comb, so that
the sense is 'Cæmb's farm.' No other example of the name
Comb is known, but the A.S. camb means a comb, a crest of a
cock, or a crest on a helmet, and the last sense. might easily
serve as a distinguishing name for a man. There is a Kempsey
in Worcestershire, but the D.B. spelling is different, viz.
Chemesige, and the A.S. form is Cymesige, probably a con-
traction for Cymenesige, 'Cymen's isle,' as Mr W. H. Duignan
suggests in his book on Worcestershire Place-names. The c
before y remains hard.
K
LEIGHTON BUZZARD.-Spelt Lestone (with s for A.S. h, as
often), D.B.; Leyton, H.R.; Leyhton, T.N.; Leytune, A.M.;
Leython Busard, E.T. (1291); Leythone Busard, F.A. (1316);
and Leghton Busard, temp. Henry III., I.p.m. Spelt Leighton
Beaudesert, Magna Britannia (1720), without any authority;
but the name was probably given to it to enable some anti-
quary to discover one more absurd 'corruption' in place-names.
Kelly says: "thought to be a corruption of Beaudesert, though
some have derived it from Bossard, one of whom was Knight
of the shire in the time of Edw. III." However, the name was
already spelt Busard even in the time of Henry III.; and it is
obviously derived from the name of a family called Busard
(with one s). No doubt the family name was taken from the
Mid. Eng. busard, O.F. busart, a buzzard; such nick-names
were common at that date, especially if uncomplimentary. A
buzzard was an inferior kind of a hawk, useless for falconry,
and so
came to be an epithet for a stupid man. The old
proverb, 'one cannot make a sparrow-hawk of a buzzard,' is
quoted in the Romaunt of the Rose, 1. 4033, and occurs in the
French original, which is of early date. It follows that the
modern spelling Buzzard is absolutely correct.
4—2
52
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
As to Leighton, there is no difficulty. There are plenty of
Leightons, because the word simply meant 'garden.' It is
from the A.S. leah-tūn, lit. ‘leek-town,' i.e. place for cultivating
leeks, which was once a general word for vegetables. The
A.S. for leek is leac; but this became leah on account of the
phonetic law whereby almost every A.S. ct passed into ht.
Exceptions are not common; however, Acton is one. I have
already explained this in my Place-names of Hunts., a county
which contains two Leightons and a Leightonstone; and
Herts. possesses a Layton.
LUTON. This interesting place-name has never been
properly explained. It occurs as Lygtūnes, in the gen. case,
in the Parker MS. of the A.S. Chronicle, under the year 917;
and as Lygetun in a late copy of a charter, in Thorpe, Diploma-
tarium, p. 403. This has often been said to refer to Leighton
Buzzard, of which the A.S. form was Leahtun; but it can
hardly be contended that yge and eah are the same thing!
Yet the matter is extremely simple. The river now called
the Lea was called in A.S. Lyge; see the A.S. Chronicle, under
the year 895, where it occurs as Lygan, in the dative case. It
is clear that Lyge-tūn means 'Lea-town'; and it is a fact that
Luton is on the river Lea, whilst Leighton Buzzard is not.
The phonology of the river-name is a little difficult. It
resembles the A.S. lyge, a falsehood, mod. E. lie, which in many
Northern dialects became lee, a form used even in Harding's
Chronicle. Perhaps this helps to explain it. It also remains
as Lea in the place-name Leagrave. We should rather have
expected the modern name to have been the Lye; and it is
interesting to find that in Magna Britannia (1720) the name
of Leagrave is spelt Ligrave.
But it can also be shown, independently of phonology, that
the A.S. Lygetun must be Luton. In Collections towards the
History and Antiquities of Beds. (1783), p. 29, it is rightly said
that Luton, formerly Lygetun, was given by King Offa to
St Albans in 795. The Charter is extant in Birch, Cart.
Saxon. i. 367; clearly assigning to St Albans some land at
Lygetun.
. . . .
THE SUFFIX -TON.
53
But in the Collectanea for Bedfordshire, p. 52*, we read:
"Vicar' in eccl' de Luton, que est Abbat' et Convent' Sti.
Albani, auctoritate concilii ordinata est hoc modo, A.D. 1209";
Reg. in the Bp of Lincoln's Registers; and there is a note that
"the abbey held the rectory in their own hands only from 1166
to 1199; after which they appointed a vicar." This shows,
beyond a doubt, that Lygetun was Luton.
At the last reference the name of the place is given as
Luton, Luyton, or Lee Lauton, and is there explained as
signifying the town by the water,' i.e. by the river 'Lee.'
It is somewhat surprising that the river Lyge should now
be spelt Lea, even though we remember that the A.S. g denoted
a y-sound, or a mere glide; no doubt it became Lie in Mid.
Eng., with i as in E. machine, just as the adj. drīge (now dry)
became drië, with the same i. But there its development was
arrested; the final e fell away, and a sound was left which we
should now denote by Lee. This Lee, which would be the
correct spelling, has been altered to Lea in comparatively
modern times by the influence upon the eye of the written
word lea in the sense of meadow, and is quite unmeaning. It
does not mean that it would have rhymed with sea in the days
when sea was pronounced as say.
But in composition with -ton, the result was different.
The old spellings are: Loitone, D.B.; Luitone, F.A.; Luiton,
Cl. R.; Luitona, R.C.; Luyton, R.C., I.p.m.; Luton, H.R. Here
the ior y may represent the glide denoted by the g in Lyge-,
the final e being suppressed; the Norman long u being used
to denote the very sound which in A.S. was written as long ÿ;
i.e. the sound of the modified u in the German grün, green.
After this, the glide-sound was soon entirely lost, so that we
already find the modern spelling in H.R.; whilst the u was
developed precisely as if it had been of French origin, so that
it is now sounded like the u in lunar or lucid or lucre; or like
the ui in fruit.
Another explanation of the spelling ui is afforded by the
fact that it was sometimes employed in place of the A.S. y;
and perhaps this supposition is the easier of the two, the -ge
being ignored.
54
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
MARSTON MORTEYNE.-Spelt Merstone, D.B.; Merston, E.T.,
H.R., T.N.; Mershton, F.A. There are many Marstons. They
all mean 'marsh town' or 'marsh farm.' In F.A. i. 2, I find:
"Constantinus de Morteyn tenet manerium de Merston cum
villa de Merston "; A.D. 1284-6.
In the same parish is MARSTON PILLINGE. For the ex-
planation of Pillinge, see under -ING (p. 35).
MILTON. It would be an easy guess to derive Milton from
mill; and it would be wrong.
It is a remarkable fact that a large number of our Miltons
were once called Middleton, i.e. 'middle farm.' The number
of Middletons that still remain is surprising; there are more
than twenty.
Spelt Mildentone, D.B. (wrongly); but also Middeltone,
D.B. (rightly); Middelton, H.R., T.N. In the A.S. Chronicle,
both Milton Abbas (Dors.) and Milton (Kent) are spelt Middle-
tun. Both Milton Bryant and Milton Ernest were once called
Middleton. Bryant refers to the family of Brian, and Ernest
to the family of Ernys. "Rogerus Extraneus tenet. . . un. f.m.
in Middelton per heredem Roberti Brian, qui est tanquam in
custodia sua, de heredibus de Bello Campo (Beauchamp), et
idem heredes de rege"; F.A. i. 1 (1284-6). "Johannes Erny's
et alii quondam tenuerunt di.f.m. in Midyltone"; F.A. i. 38
(1428).
POTTON.-Spelt Potone, D.B.; Potton, H.R., T.N., R.C.,
F.A., E.T. Spelt Pottune, dat., in the will of Elfhelm of
Wratting, Cambs.; Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 630. It doubtless
stands for Pottantun, i.e. 'Potta's farm.' The name of Pot or
Potta may also be inferred from the tribal name Potting,
which occurs both in Potting-dun and in Potting-tun; both
are in Kemble's Index.
SHELTON; in the N. end of the county.-Spelt Eseltone,
Esseltone, D.B.; Sceltone, F.A.; Shelton, T.N. In D.B. the s
or ss is a makeshift for the sound of sh, which did not exist in
Norman. The A.S. symbol was sc. The prefixed E in the
D.B. forms is very characteristic; as the Normans could not
easily pronounce the E. sh without a preparatory vowel-sound.
THE SUFFIX -TON.
55
Fi
Hence such forms as establish, especial, as parallel to stablish,
special. The A.S. form with the same prefix is Scelfdune,
dative; Earle, Land Charters, p. 396. Scelf-dun is a com-
pound, meaning 'shelf-down,' or 'down with shelving slopes,'
applied to the neighbouring hill. And Shelton, for Shelf-ton,
means 'the sloping-hill farm.' There is a Shelton in Stafford-
shire with the same origin (see Duignan's Staffs. Place-names);
and there are Sheltons in Norfolk and Notts.
STAUGHTON; called Little Staughton or Staughton Parva.-
Great Staughton is in Hunts., and is explained in my Place-
names of Hunts. as equivalent to Stockton. The spellings
Stoctone, Stokton, Stoutone, all in F.A., corroborate this. For
the explanation of stock see Redbournestoke, explained under
STOKE (p. 44). The sense is 'stock farm,' or 'farm near a
stump.' The ct in A.S. stoctūn became ght precisely as the
ct in A.S. leac-tun became ght in Leighton. See the expla-
nation of LEIGHTON (p. 52).
STRATTON. Stratton Park lies to the S.E. of Biggleswade.
Spelt Stratone, D.B.; Stratton, F.A. Lit. 'street town,' or the
farm beside the street. The street is the Old Roman Way
which extends, almost in a straight line, from Biggleswade to
Baldock.
SUTTON; to the S. of Potton.-Spelt Sudtone, Suttone, D.B.;
Suttone, R.C.; Sutton, E.T., F.A. The spelling Sudtone is
intermediate between Sutton and the original A.S. Sūthtūn.
The sense is merely 'south farm.' There are more than forty
Suttons.
WESTONING. Not in D.B.; spelt Weston, E.T., H.R.;
Weston Ing, Cat. The suffixed Ing has already been explained
under -ING (p. 36). The sense is 'west farm,' lit. west-town;
and it was once tenanted by Wm. Ing. There are nearly
thirty Westons.
WOOTTON; to the S.W. of Bedford.-Spelt Otone, D.B.;
Wodetone, R.B.; Wotton, F.A., E.T.; Witon, H.R. The spelling
Otone, for Wotone, is due to the loss of w before o or u in
Norman; they called a wood, a 'ood. The spelling Witon
56
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
points back to a very old time, when the early A.S. form widu,
a wood, was still in use, and is in this case dialectally pre-
served; the more usual form is wudu, whence E. wood. The
literal sense is wood-town, i.e. wood farm.' There is still a
wood at Wootton, called Wootton Wood. There are a dozen
Woottons and three Wottons.
WYBOSTON; in Eaton Socon.-It lies to the W. of Little
Barford. Spelt Wiboldestone, D.B.; Wyboldiston, H.R. The
sense is obviously 'Wigbald's farm.' Wigbald is the Mercian
spelling of the A.S. Wigbeald, a known name of which there
are six examples. Wig means 'war,' and beald means 'bold.'
There is another Wyboston in Hunts., which I have already
thus explained in my Place-names of Hunts., on less clear
evidence. Wobaston in Staffordshire is only another form of
the same word, and is explained from the same source in
Duignan's Place-names of Staffs.
CHAWSTON.—This is the most convenient place for con-
sidering Chawston, though this name did not originally end
in -ton. It lies to the N. of Roxton. Spelt Chauelestorne,
Calnestorne (for Caluestorne), D.B.; Calvesterne, R.B.; Chalm-
stern (probably an error for Chaluistern), H.R.; Chalvesterne,
R.C., F.A., I.p.m.; Chalsterne, F.A. As to this difficult form,
of which neither element is at all certain, I can only guess.
Perhaps some one else may hereafter interpret it better. As
to the former element, we can best reconcile the two forms in
D.B. by supposing them to represent Chalves and Calves.
I think these answer, respectively, to the A.S. Cealfes and O.
Mercian Calfes, genitives of A.S. Cealf and O. Merc. Calf,
modern E. calf, respectively. This requires that chalf should
be a dialectal form for calf, but there is evidence for this form
only in the Kentish dialect. For Kentish, it is quite certain;
for in the A.S. versions of the Gospels, in Luke xv. 27, the two
Kentish MSS. have the readings chealf and chalf. The develop-
ment of the sound of cea- is difficult; for while the A.S. cealf
answers to the modern E. calf, the A.S. cealc answers to the
modern E. chalk; a fact of which I do not remember to have
seen an explanation. My theory is that, whilst the A.S. cealf
THE SUFFIX -INGTON.
57
was superseded by the O. Merc. calf (whence the modern E.
calf), the A.S. Cealf, considered as a proper name, produced a
Middle English form Chalf, whence a later Chauf; the genitive
of which would be Chalves, later Chauves, and finally Chaws.
We have no evidence that the A.S. Cealf was used as a
personal name, but the use of the names of animals as personal
names has always been common in English; and in Bardsley's
work on English Surnames, we are told, with reference to the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, that "Richard le Calf, Godwin
le Bulloc, Roger le Colt are all of common occurrence, and still
abide with us."
The second half of the word is also very difficult. I suppose
the D.B. suffix -torn to represent the A.S. thorn, a thorn. The
change from the difficult sth to the simple st would be natural
enough, especially for a Norman. That this is right, is rendered
probable by the alternate form -tern, which would equally well
represent the A.S. thyrne, a thornbush. I have shown, in my
Place-names of Hunts., that the place-name Bythorn (by the
thorn) was originally called Bytherne (by the thornbush); and
the name was naturally altered when the old word therne
became obsolete.
I would explain in a like manner the name Woodmansterne,
in Surrey. A very likely sense is 'woodman's thornbush.'
The result of my guesses as to Chawston is that it originally
meant 'Cealf's thorn' or 'Cealf's thornbush.' All that is
certain is that the modern ending -ton is delusive, and that it
cannot have formerly meant' town' or 'farm.'
،
42. THE SUFFIX -INGTON.
I now come to consider the names that end in -ington.
They can (with some trouble) be divided into two sets. In
the former, the ending is correctly used and refers to tribal or
family settlements. But in the latter it is used erroneously,
and has been substituted for something else.
In the former class are included the following: Billington,
Cardington, Goldington, Lidlington, Podington, and Toddington.
In the doubtful class are included the following: Chelling-
ton, Eggington, Stevington, Willington, and Wymington.
58
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
BILLINGTON, to the S. of Leighton Buzzard.-Billinges,
R.C.; Billing, Billingbure, R.B. Literally 'farm of the Billings,'
or of the sons of Billa. Billa is a known name. The Billings
are further commemorated in Billingborough (Lincs.), Billing-
ford (Norf.), Billingham (Durham), Billinghay (Lincs.), Billings-
hurst (Sussex), and in the famous Billingsgate.
CARDINGTON.—Ill-spelt Chernetone, D.B.; Kerdingtone, R.C.;
Kerdington, H.R., F.A., E.T.; Kerdyngton, I.p.m. Apparently,
'the farm of the Cærdings,' or of the sons of Cærda. The
name Cærda occurs in Cærdan-hlaw, i.e. Carda's low or burial
mound; see Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 147. There is another
Cardington in Shropshire.
GOLDINGTON.-Spelt Goldentone, D.B.; Goldington, T.N.,
E.T.; Goldingthone, F.A. It is the 'farm of the Goldings or
sons of Golda'; which is a known name.
LIDLINGTON.—The d is incorrect; it should certainly be
Litlington. Spelt Litincleton, D.B. (incorrectly); Litlington,
T.N.; Litlingtune, A.M. The same as Litlington in Cambs.,
which is also spelt Lutlington. As i and u both result from an
A.S. y, the A.S. form would be Lytlinga-tun, i.e. farm of the
Lytlings'; from A.S. lytel, modern E. little. The name of
Eadric Lytle (spelt litle) occurs in Birch, Cart. Saxon. iii. 369;
and the name Lytelman (little man) occurs in Searle's Ono-
masticon. I think this explanation better than the one given
in my Place-names of Cambs., where I wrongly supposed that
Lidlington (Beds.) is correctly spelt with a d; whereas the d is
modern.
<
PODINGTON, or PUDDINGTON; in the N.W. corner of the
county. Spelt Podintone, D.B.; Podingtone, F.A.; Podington,
T.N., E.T. The Normans used o to denote both the o in pod
and the u in pudding; so that the old spellings tell us nothing.
If we are guided by the spelling Puddington, we may take the
name to mean 'farm of the Pudings' or sons of Puda: which
is a known name. The alternative is to take Poddings as
meaning 'sons of Podda'; which is also a known name.
TODDINGTON.—Spelt Dodindone (for Todindone), Dodintone
THE SUFFIX -INGTON.
59
(for Todintone), D.B.; Todingedon, H.R.; Todingduna, A.M.;
Todingdon, F.A., E.T.; Todingtone, R.B.; Tudingdone, A.M.
The suffix thus seems doubtful, but the name may have been
two-fold; in which case Todingedon would refer to a hill, and
Todingeton to a farm near it.
As the Norman o often signifies an A.S. u, we may pay
especial attention to the spelling Tudingdone, and to the much
later spelling Tuddington, given in Magna Britannia (1720).
The tribe or family referred to must be, I think, the Tudings,
or sons of Tuda (originally, according to Sweet, pronounced
with long u). Tuda is a well-authenticated name, and occurs
in the A.S. Chronicle. We even find Tudincgatun, probably
Toddington, in Thorpe, Diplom. p. 527.
I now proceed to consider the second class of names ending
in -ington, which do not really refer to names of tribes or
families.
CHELLINGTON; near Harrold.-Not in D.B. Spelt Chelwin-
tone, Chelwentone, Chelvyntone, F.A.; Chelwinton, I.p.m.; Chel-
vynton, I.p.m., vol. ii.; Chelinton, T.N.; Cheleton, A.M. The
prefix represents Ceolwynne, gen. of Ceolwynn, a female personal
name. Female names are not common, but a few clear examples
occur, probably from the occupation of a farm by a widow.
The genitive of a fem. strong sb. ends in -e instead of -es, and
regularly disappears in later forms. The sense is 'Ceolwynn's
farm.'
،
EGGINGTON; E. of Leighton Buzzard.-Spelt Egginton in
Magna Britannia (1720); so that the intrusion of the g is
quite modern. There is another Eggington in Derbyshire,
which is spelt Ekynton, Egindon in F.A.; Eginton, I.p.m.;
Egentona, A.M. Perhaps the prefix answers to A.S. Ecgwynne,
gen. of Ecgwynn, a known female name. The A.S. cg regularly
denoted gg. The sense is 'Ecgwynn's farm.' It can hardly
mean 'Ecga's farm,' as that would have become Egton. There
is an Egton in Yorkshire.
STEVINGTON, or STEVENTON (Kelly); to the E. of Turvey.—
Spelt Stiuentone, D.B.; Stiventon, Styventon, R.C.; Stivintone,
Steventone, R.B.; Steventone, Stevintone, F.A. Stiven represents
60
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
an A.S. form Styfan, gen. of Styfa, in which the ƒ was pro-
nounced as v. This name is not recorded, but occurs in the
diminutive form Styfec at least thrice. From the genitive
Styfeces was formed the name of Stetchworth, Cambs.; see my
Place-names of Cambs., p. 27; and also Stechford in Worcester-
shire. And from the weak form Styfeca is derived the name
of Stukeley in Hunts. The sense is 'Styfa's farm.' The
change from Stiventon to Steventon was doubtless owing to
the influence of the Norman name of Stephen. There is
another Steventon in Hants., and another in Berks.
WILLINGTON; to the E. of Bedford.-Spelt Welitone, D.B.;
Wyliton, E.T.; Willinton, F.A., p. 50 (1316). The D.B. form
is the oldest and the best; Weli answers to A.S. welig, a
willow-tree. The sense was probably willow farm.' See the
explanation, under -LEY, of Willey, as the name of a hundred
(p. 39).
WYMINGTON, in the N.E. corner, near Puddington.—Spelt
Wimentone, D.B.; Wimetone, A.M.; Wimenton, Wymenton, Cl.R.;
Wemyngtone, F.A.; Wyminton, Cl.R., vol. ii.; Wyminton, Wym-
ington, H.R., vol. ii. The evidence plainly suggests an A.S.
form Wiman, gen. of Wima. But no such name as Wima is
known. It may stand for Wilma, or we may suppose that the
name is old, and has been much contracted; perhaps from
Wigmund. There is no old authority for the alternative spell-
ing Wynnington, as in Kelly.
43. TREE.
Only in WIXAMTREE, the name of a hundred. The place
itself is now lost; but the sense is certain. Spelt Wichestane-
stou, D.B., where the suffix is E. stow, a place; Wixtonestre,
Wyxtonestre, F.A.; Wyxconestre, H.R.; with the very common
clerical error of c for t. The D.B. spelling Wichestan evidently
represents Wikestan, a Norman form of the common A.S. name
Wigstan or Wihstan, compounded of wig, war, and stān, stone.
The A.S. hs is often replaced by x, so that the later form
Wixton accurately represents Wihstan. In the A.S. Chronicle,
THE SUFFIXES -WADE, -WELL.
61
under the date 800, Wihstan is also spelt Weohstan and
Weoxtan. The name Wixamtree means 'Wīgstān's tree.'
44. WADE.
Wade is the A.S. wæd, a ford, a place where a stream can
be waded through, cognate with (but not borrowed from) the
Latin uudum, a ford.
BIGGLESWADE, a town, and the name of a hundred.—Spelt
Bichelesuuade, D.B.; also, erroneously, Picheleswade, and even
Bichelesuuorde, D.B.; Bikeleswad, H.R.; Bikeleswade, E.T.,
A.M., I.p.m.; Bicleswade, T.N. The prefix answers to an A.S.
form Bicles, gen. of Bicel, diminutive of the known name Bica,
which, according to Sweet, had a long . The nom. Bicel
would become Bichel in later English, but the k-sound would
be preserved in the gen. form Bicles, in which the e before the
I would be dropped in A.S., though it would readily be rein-
serted by a Norman scribe. The old name must at first have
been pronounced as Bickleswade, and the 'voicing' of ck to gg
took place later. The sense is 'Bicel's ford.'
45. WELL.
As in Holwell, Ickwell, Radwell, Sewell.
HOLWELL; near Shillington, to the E.-Misspelt Holywell
in Philips' Atlas. Spelt Holewelle, D.B., R.B., R.C.; Holewell,
T.N.; Holwelle, R.C. We find at Holewelle in a late charter,
in Kemble, vi. 211; and an earlier form to Holan wylle, with
reference perhaps to Holwell in Oxfordshire, in Birch, Cart.
Saxon. ii. 568. Here holan is the dat. of hol, adj., hollow, and
wylle is the dat. of wyll, a well. The sense is at the hollow
well'; in the dative case.
ICKWELL; in Northill (Kelly).—Spelt Iekewelle (for Yeke-
welle), F.A. (1346); Gikewelle, Gykewella (with G for Y), A.M.
The Mid. Eng. yek, yeke, means a cuckoo, and is derived from
the A.S. geac, a cuckoo. The form yek was shortened to yik,
and then the initial y was dropped; see this illustrated under
NORTHILL (p. 34). The sense is 'cuckoo-well.'
62
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
RADWELL; to the N.W. of Milton Ernest.-Spelt Radeuuelle,
D.B.; Radewelle, F.A.; Radevell, T.N. I have discussed this
name with reference to Radwell in Herts., where I give two
solutions. It either means 'Ræda's well,' or else simply 'red
well.' I believe the latter is right; see the notice of Red-
bournestoke, under the heading STOKE (p. 44).
SEWELL; in Houghton Regis (Kelly); near Toternhoe.—
Kelly notes that Houghton Regis church contains an effigy of
Sir John Sewell, knight. But Sewell was at first a place-
name, and is spelt Sewelle in D.B.; compare 'Joh. de Sewelle,'
F.A. And we find it as Seuewella in A.M. I suppose it to be
the same as the A.S. Syfan wylle, i.e. 'Syfa's well,' mentioned
in a Hants, charter dated 938; see Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 444.
The A.S. Syfan would become Seue (Seve) in Norman; and
the passage from Sevewell to Sewell is easy. The A.S. Syfan
is the gen. of Syfa, a personal name that is not otherwise
known, though it may possibly be related to Seofeca.
46. WICK.
As in Astwick, Flitwick, Hardwick, and Hinwick.
Wick represents the A.S. wic, a village; not a native word,
but borrowed from Lat. uicus.
ASTWICK.-Spelt Estuuiche, D.B.; Estwike, F.A. It means
'east village.'
FLITWICK; bounded on the S. by the river Flitt.-Spelt
Flicteuuiche (with ct for tt), D.B.; Flettewyk, T.N.; Flettewyc,
E.T.; Flittewike, A.M.; Fletewyk, I.p.m. It means 'village by
the Flitt.' The spelling Flete represents the A.S. fleot, a
stream. See the remarks on FLITTON (p. 50).
HARDWICK, to the S.W. of Felmersham.-Spelt Herdwic,
H.R., vol. ii.; Herdwik, F.A. Hardwick in Cambs. is from A.S.
heorde, a herd or flock. The sense is 'herd-village.' There are
several Hardwicks.
HINWICK, near Puddington.-Haneuuic, Heneuuic, Hune-
uuich, Heneuuich, D.B.; Henewike, F.A.; Henewic, Cl.R., vol. ii.;
THE SUFFIXES -WOLD, -WORTH.
63
Hynewik, H.R., vol. ii.; Hinewik, H.R., vol. ii. The prefix
answers to A.S. Hanan, gen. of Hana, a personal name. The
sense is 'Hana's village.' The literal meaning of hana is a
cock; the feminine is the modern E. hen.
47. WOLD.
Wold is a late form of the O. Mercian wald, A.S. weald, a
wood. It now often means a tract of open country.
HARROLD.-Spelt Hareuuelle, D.B.; Harewold, F.A., T.N.;
Hareuuald, Harewaud, C.R.; Harewolde, I.p.m. The D.B.
form means 'hare-well,' and will not account for the modern
form; the latter means 'hare-wold,' the w being dropped.
Shakespeare has old for wold; King Lear, iii. 4. 125.
48. WORTH.
As in Colmworth, Edworth, Eyworth, Tebworth, Tilsworth,
Wrestlingworth.
The A.S. worth was applied to an enclosed homestead or
farm. It is closely allied to worth in the sense of 'value'; and
may be taken to mean 'property' or 'holding,' or 'farm.'
COLMWORTH, to the E. of Bolnhurst.-Spelt Colmeworde,
Culmeuuorde, D.B.; Colmwyrthe, E.T.; Colmeworthe, F.A.;
Colmworth, H.R. The prefix answers to A.S. Culman, gen. of
Culma; and the sense is 'Culma's farm.' We do not find the
exact form Culma elsewhere, but we find the related strong
form Culm; and (with mutation of u to y) we also find both
Cylma and Cylm. See Searle's Onomasticon.
EDWORTH.-Spelt Edeuuorde, D.B.; Edesworthe, Edeworth,
F.A.; Edeworth, E.T.; Eddewurth, T.N.; Eddeworthe, I.p.m.
The prefix answers to Eadan, gen. of Eada (with long Ea), a
pet-name for any of the numerous names beginning with Ead-,
as Eadwine, Eadweald, &c. The prefix Edes- in F.A. intimates
that the name may once have been used in full; and if the
name Edwoldeshowe in H.R. refers to Edworth, the full name.
was Eadweald. The sense is ' Eada's farm,' possibly 'Eadweald's
farm.'
64
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
EYWORTH.-Spelt Aieuuorde, D.B.; also Aisseuuorde, D.B.;
Eyworthe, H.R.; Eyworth, T.N., E.T., I.p.m., F.A. We may
compare the prefix Ey- with the prefix in the old forms of
EATON BRAY (p. 49); and so explain it as 'island-farm.'
Eyworth is on a promontory between two rivers, and has
streams both on the north and south-east. The form Aisse-
uuorde, if correct, is hard to explain; so that, in that case, the
name remains unsolved. But it is probably a mistake.
TEBWORTH; between Hockliffe and Chalgrave. — Spelt
Thebworth (with Th for T), A.M.; also Thebbeworthe, Teburthe,
A.M. Fortunately, the A.S. form of the name occurs as Teobban-
wyrthe, in the dat. case, in a charter relating to Chalgrave and
Tebworth, dated 926; see Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 335. Thus
the sense is 'Teobba's farm.'
TILSWORTH; to the N. W. of Dunstable.-Misspelt Pileworde,
D.B.; Tulesworthe, H.R.; Tulesworth, Tullesworth, F.A.; Toles-
worthe, R.B. The only A.S. known name that suits the prefix
is the A.S. Tugel, occurring in Tugeles mōr, 'Tugel's moor,' in
a charter dated 1044; see Kemble, Cod. Dipl. iv. 90, 1. 8. As
the A.S. g in such a word was a mere glide, and disappeared in
the thirteenth century (so that, e.g. the A.S. tigel became tile
in 1. 1533 of the Cursor Mundi), the A.S. Tugeles would
necessarily become Tules in H.R. The o in Tolesworthe is due
to the frequent use of o for u by Norman scribes. A likely
sense of Tilsworth is 'Tugel's farm.' But this is only a guess.
If we could find such an A.S. form as Tull, it would fit better.
We find the weak form Tulla.
WRESTLINGWORTH.-Spelt Werateuuorde, Warateuuorde,
D.B.; Wraslingwrthe, E.T.; Wrastlingworth, F.A., Cl.R., vol. ii.;
Wrestlingworth, H.R. The spellings in D.B. are valueless,
owing to the inability of the Norman scribe to deal with the
sound; but the use of war, wer, to denote wr is striking. The
true A.S. spelling is Wrestlingaworth, meaning 'farm of the
Wrestlings' or of the sons of Wræstel. Wræstel is a scarce
name, but the gen. Wræstles occurs in the place-name Wrestles
hyll, i.e. Wræstel's hill; Birch, Cart. Saxon. ii. 535. The
literal sense of wræstel is 'one who wrests' or twists, but it
THE SUFFIX -YATE.
65
very likely had the sense of wrestler, of which the usual form
is wræstlere. There is a real connexion with the modern verbs
to wrestle and to wrest.
49. YATE.
Yate is the A.S. geat, a gate. It occurs in Markyate.
MARKYATE; transferred to Herts. in 1897.-Spelt Mark-
yate, E.T., I.p.m. Formerly called Markyate Street, often
contracted to Market Street, because it lies on the famous old
road called Watling Street. The word mark means 'boundary';
and the sense is 'boundary gate.' It is just on the boundary
between Beds. and Herts.
50. MISCELLANEOUS NAMES.
All the principal names that involve distinct suffixes or
epithets have been discussed. A few more may be noted;
most of the places are of little consequence.
BEADLOW; near Clophill.-I find no early mention of it;
but it probably represents A.S. Bedan hlaw, i.e. ‘Beda's burial-
mound.' See Bedford (under FORD, p. 19); and -Low (p. 39).
BROGBOROW, or BROGBOROUGH.-Brogborough Middle Farm
lies to the N. of Ridgmont. In F.A., vol. ii., the spellings
Brocbury and Brogbury occur, with reference to a place in
Herefordshire. So no doubt Brogborough stands for an older
Brokborough, where Brok- is a shortened form of Brook, as in
other cases. In fact, Brogborough is probably the Brockeberge
mentioned in A.M. iii. 171. The sense is 'brook-fort.'
BROOM; in Southill.-Spelt Brom, R.B. The reference is
simply to the plant so called.
CHILTERN.-Chiltern Green lies to the S.E. of Luton. Spelt
Ciltern in the A.S. Chronicle, under the date 1009. In Birch,
Cart. Saxon. iii. 52, there is a reference to Cilte wudu, i.e.
'Cilte wood'; and again, at p. 415, to Cilte cumbe, i.e. 'Cilte
combe,' now Chilcombe (Hants.). Ciltern is compounded of
Cilt- or Cilte and ærn, ern, a small house, habitation, cottage.
C. 4. S. Octavo Series. No. XLII.
10
5
66
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
The meaning of Cilte is not known. Cilt looks like a feminine
personal name, with a genitive in -e.
END.-There are a large number of places of which end
forms a part. The signification is that of limit or boundary,
the beginning or end of a piece of property, and the like. In
most cases, local knowledge will supply the sense. There is a
good example of its use in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in the
Parson's Prologue, 1. 12: As we were entringe at a thropes
ende,' i.e. as we were arriving at the first beginning of a village.
Most of the examples need no explanation; I may instance
Box End, Brook End, Bridge End, Hatch End, Kitchen End,
Wood End, etc.
HAYNES, or HAWNES.-The latter is the older form. Spelt
Hagenes, D.B.; Haunes, E.T.; Hawenes, F.A.; Hawnes, I.p.m.
It appears to be the genitive sing. from a nom. Hagen, a
personal name; the word hām, home, or something equivalent,
being omitted. We do not find the exact form Hagen, but the
allied weak form Hagena occurs thrice, with variant forms
Hagana, Hagona, and Haguna; all personal names. Also, the
Latin gen. Hagani, as if from Hagan, which may be right.
The change from A.S. ag to modern E. aw is regular and
common.
HOLME.-Holme Farm and Holme Green lie to the S. of
Biggleswade. They take their name from a holm beside the
river Ivel. The original meaning of holm is an island, but it is
also applied to a piece of flat low-lying ground by a river or
stream, submerged or surrounded in time of flood (New Eng.
Dict.). From the Norse holmr, a meadow on a shore. Spelt
Holme, F.A.; Holm, H.R., vol. ii.
HYDE.-West Hyde lies to the S. of Luton Hoo Park.
The name Hyde is the same word as when we speak of a hide,
or measure of land. From A.S. hīgid, a hide of land.
KENSWORTH.—Originally in Herts., but transferred to Beds.
in 1897. The prefix represents the A.S. cenes, gen. of cen,
which is the modern E. keen. But Cen was used as a personal
C
Keen's farm'; as Keen is a
name. We may explain it by
personal name still.
MISCELLANEOUS NAMES.
67
PICKSHILL; near Turvey.-Spelt Pixhill in Magna Britannia
(1720); absurdly spelt Pictshill (!) in the Ordnance map. Spelt
Pikeshulle, F.A., R.B. The prefix is the A.S. Pīces, gen. of
Pīc, answering to the modern E. Pike as a surname. Pices
occurs in Thorpe, Diplomatarium, p. 617. Thus the sense is
'Pike's hill.'
REACH.—Heath and Reach form a parish. They lie to the
N. of Leighton Buzzard. Reach in Cambs. was spelt Reche in
1279, H.R. It is the same word as the modern E. reach, in
the sense of extension, extent, range, or stretch of country.
ROWNEY.-Rowney Warren is to the S. W. of Southill
Park. Though the immediate district is not quite an island,
it is much surrounded by water, having streams on both the
north and south sides. It is spelt Runheye in C.R.; where
heye is a frequent Norman spelling of the Mid. Eng. eye, an
island, or a piece of land partially surrounded by water. The
spelling Rown- shows that the u in Run- was long; and it
probably represents the A.S. ruwan or rūgan, dat. of ruh,
rough; an epithet that is remarkably common in place-names.
Kemble's Index shows rūwan cnol, rough knoll, rūwan hammas,
rough enclosures, rūgan dīc, rough dike, rūgan hege, rough
hedge, rūgan hlinc, rough linch, ruwan leah or ruan leah,
rough lea, etc. The usual sense of ruh, as regards land, is
'uncultivated.' Thus the sense of Rowney is 'uncultivated
tract, nearly surrounded by water.' As is usual, it is in the
dative case, which accounts for the n. A very striking instance
of a similar use of n occurs in Newnham, where Newn is the
dative of New.
SEXTONS; near Wilden.—Mr Airy rightly identifies it with
Segresdone in D.B. This Segresdone represents an English
perversion of the O. French and Norman secrestein, now spelt
sexton, which was also used as a personal name.
It means
that it was once owned by a Norman named Secrestein.
SOMERIES FARM; to the S.E. of Luton.-From the personal
name Somery, spelt Somery and Sumery in F.A.; where we
find mention of the surname de Somery, showing that Somery
had previously been a place-name. Somery represents an A.S.
68
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
sumer ig, 'summer island.' Compare the place-names Somer-
cotes, Somerford, and Somerton.
SUDBURY; a manor of Eaton Socon.-Spelt Subberie, D.B.;
Suthbur', T.N. Literally, 'south bury.' Compare Sutton, i.e.
'south town.'
THICKTHORN.-Mentioned in Magna Britannia (1720).
Thickthorn Farm is to the N. of Houghton Conquest. The
sense is obvious.
THORN; in Houghton Regis (Kelly). The sense is obvious.
TINGRITH; near Westoning and Harlington.-Spelt Tingrei,
D.B.; Tingrie, F.A.; Tingrye, C.R., F.A.; Tingri, F.A., A.M.;
Tingrithe, A.M.; Tingeriz, I.p.m. Here the Norman scribes
usually dropped the final th, which they could not at first
pronounce; one of them ingeniously substitutes the Norman z,
which was sounded as ts. But the English spelling Tingrithe
is right. The name presents difficulties. Ting is not an
English word, but the Danish equivalent of A.S. thing, a place
of meeting, a court. Rithe is the prov. E. rithe, A.S. rīth,
masc., rīthe, fem., a small stream. The sense is 'stream where
a meeting was (once) held.' Ting occurs again in Ting-ley
Junction, in Yorkshire (Bradshaw), and in Ting-wall Kirk,
near Lerwick, in the Shetland Isles. The traces of Danish in
Beds. are very slight, but this is one of them.
UPBURY, between Pulloxhill and Wrest Park.-Spelt Up-
berry in Magna Britannia (1720). Up means 'high up' or
'high.' And see BURY (p. 8).
WREST PARK.--Formerly Wrast; Wraste hamlet (1308),
H.R.; Wrast (1307), Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edw. I. From
Wrast as a personal name; A.S. wræst, noble, excellent.
51. REMARKS.
I add a few notes on some of the Norman spellings found
in D.B. and in some of the other early records.
The vowel e has two or three values. It sometimes repre-
sents the A.S. e, as in Dene, Dean, for A.S. denu; sometimes
the A.S. y, as in Melebroc for mylenbroc; and sometimes even
CONCLUDING REMARKS.
69
the A.S. ea, as in Celgrave from A.S. cealc. In one instance it
represents the A.S. long ce, as in Meldone for Maldun, Maldon.
The vowel o is frequently used for the A.S. u, especially
before n; as in the numerous names in -tone, for A.S. tūn.
The chief peculiarities of Anglo-French spelling are enume-
rated at the end of my Notes on English Etymology, p. 471.
I here notice some examples, numbering the cases as they
are numbered there :-
1. Norman scribes sometimes dropped initial h; hence
Ametelle in D.B. for Amet-helle, Ampthill; Clopelle in D.B. for
Clop-helle, Clophill; Wadelle in D.B. for Wad-helle, Odell.
2. They wrote s for sh; as in Sernebroc, Sharnbrook;
Sepford, Shefford; sometimes even prefixing E, as in Eseltone,
Shelton. In the middle of a word they wrote ss, as in Bissopes-
cot for Bishopscot or Biscot.
5. They often dropped w before o; hence Wootton ap-
pears in D.B. as Otone.
9. Ght was a difficult sound for them, as it represented
the A.S. ht. They sometimes wrote st for it; as in Lestone in
D.B. for Leighton.
10. Final ld was difficult. Hence Cranfelle in D.B. for
A.S. Cranfeld, Cranfield.
12. Final nd sometimes became n. Hence Chicesane in
D.B. for Chicksand.
13. They substituted n for ng. Hence Goldentone in D.B.
for Goldington.
14. For final t they sometimes wrote th, which did not
represent the E. th (as in heath) but a strongly pronounced t
followed by an aspirate or slight splutter. Hence Sethlindone
in D.B. for Shitlington. This remarkable form has S for Sh
(see 2); e for A.S. y (see above); th for t; n for ng (see 13);
and o for A.S. u (see above).
We may also note the use of che for ke, and ce for che, as in
modern Italian. Hence D.B. has Pechesdone for Pekesdone,
Pegsdon; Rochestone for Rokesdone, Roxton; Achelei for
5-3
70
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE,
Akelei, Oakley; and conversely, Celgrave for Chelgrave, Chal-
grave.
CONCLUSION.
The chief point to be noted as to the place-names of
Bedfordshire is their thoroughly English character. Traces of
foreign influence are indeed slight.
The only traces of Latin influence occur in Streatley,
Stratton, and Market Street as another name for Markyate.
The words mill and wick are also ultimately of Latin origin;
and the word bishop (in Biscott) is Greek. Of Celtic (exclusive
of names applied to rivers) the only traces occur in Tempsford
(from the river-name Thames); in Campton (if from the river-
name Camel); in Luton, if the name of the Lea is of Celtic
origin; and perhaps in the prefix of Gravenhurst. The word
down, whence the suffix -don, was originally Celtic.
Of Scandinavian, the traces are likewise extremely slight.
The most noticeable are the prefixes in Boln-hurst, Carl-ton,
and Ting-rith; and the name Holme.
Of the times when the Saxons were still heathens, there
seem to be traces in Sundon and Thurleigh; and certainly in
Harrowden.
To the Normans we probably owe the original form of the
prefixes in Meppershall, Moggerhanger and Stagsden; and the
name of Sextons. Of Norman families there are several
traces, as in the names of Eaton Bray, Houghton Conquest,
Higham Gobion, Leighton Buzzard, Marston Morteyne, Milton
Bryant, Milton Ernest, and Cockayne Hatley.
But nearly all the rest of the names are wholly English
in regard of speech; and the speech, like that of Hunts.,
was that of the early Mercian Angles. And Bedfordshire is
likewise certainly to be included among the counties which
have helped to form the standard literary language of the
British Empire and of the United States of America.
Ampthill, 28
Arlesey, 17
Aspley Guise, 37
Astwick, 62
The following is an alphabetical list of the place-names and suffixes
explained above.
The numbers refer to the pages.
Barford, 19
Barton, 47
Battlesden, 13
Beadlow, 65
Bedford, 19
Beeston, 48
Biddenham, 25
Biggleswade, 61
Billington, 58
Biscott, 9
Bletsoe, 30
Blunham, 25
Bolnhurst, 33
-borough, 5
-bourne, 5
-bridge, 7
Brogborough, 65
Bromham, 25
-brook, 7
Broom, 65
Budna, 30
INDEX.
-bury, 8
Bushmead, 40
Caddington, 13
Cainhoe, 30
Caldecote, 9
Campton, 48
Cardington, 58
Carlton, 48
Caulcott, 9
Chalgrave, 22
Chalton, 48
Charlton, 48
Chawston, 56
Chellington, 59
Chicksand, 42
Chiltern, 65
Clapham, 25
-cliff, 8
+
Clifton, 49
Clipstone, 49
Clophill, 28
Cockayne Hatley, 37
Colmworth, 63
Cople, 41
-cote, -cot, 9
Cranfield, 17
Crawley, 37
-den, -dean, 10
Dean, 10
72
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
-dish, 12
-down, -don, 13
Dunstable, 43
Dunton, 49
Eastcotts, 9
Eaton, 49
Eaton Bray, 49
Eaton Socon, 49
Eddlesborough, 5
Edworth, 63
Eggington, 59
Elstow, 44
End, 66
Eversholt, 33
Everton, 50
-ey, 17
Eyworth, 64
Farndish, 12
Felmersham, 26
Fenlake, 36
-field, 17
Flitton, 50
Flitwick, 62
-fold, 18
-ford, 19
Froxfield, 18
Girtford, 20
Gladly, 37
Goldington, 58
-grave, 22
Gravenhurst, 33
-hale, 23
-ham, 24
-hanger, 27
Hardwick, 62
Harlington, 14
Harrold, 63
Harrowden, 14
Hatch, 27
Hatley, 37
Hawnes, 66
Haynes, 66
-head, 27
Heath, 28
Henlow, 40
Higham, 26
-hill, 28
Hinwick, 62
Hockliffe, 8
-hoe, 29
Holcote, 10
Holme, 66
-holt, 32
Holwell, 61
Honeydon, 15
Houghton Conquest, 50
Houghton Regis, 50
Howbury, 8
-hurst, 33
Husborne Crawley, 5
Hyde, 66
Ickwell, 61
-ill, 33
-ing, 34
-ington, 57
Kempston, 50
Kensworth, 66
Keysoe, 30
Knotting, 35
-lake, 36
Langford, 20
Leagrave, 22
Leighton Buzzard, 51
-ley, 36
Lidlington, 58
Limbury, 8
-low, 39
Luton, 52
Manshead, 27
Markyate, 65
Marston Morteyne, 54
Marston Pillinge, 35, 54
Maulden, 15
-mead, 40
Melchbourne, 6
Meppershall, 23
INDEX.
73
Millbrook, 7
Millow, 30
Millowbury, 8
Milton, 54
Moggerhanger, 27
-mount, 41
Nares Gladly, 37
Northill, 34
Oakley, 38
Odell, 28
Pavenham, 26
Pegsdon, 15
Pertenhall, 23
Pickshill, 67
Podington, 58
Polehanger, 27
-pool, 41
Potsgrove, 22
Potton, 54
Prestley, 38
Puddlehill, 29
Pulloxhill, 29
Putnoe, 31
Radwell, 62
Ravensden, 10
Reach, 67
Redbournestoke, 6, 44
Renhold, 24
Ridgmount, 41
Riseley, 38
Rowney, 67
Roxton, 16
Ruxox, 16
Salford, 21
Salpho, 31
-sand, 42
Sandy, 17
Segenhoe, 31
Sewell, 62
Sextons, 67
Sharnbrook, 7
Sharpenhoe, 31
Shefford, 21
Shelton, 54
Shillington, 16
Silsoe, 32
-snade, 42
Someries Farm, 67
Souldrop, 46
Southill, 34
Stagsden, 11
Stanbridge, 7
Stanford, 21
-staple, 43
Staploe, 32
Staughton, 55
-stead, 44
Steppingley, 38
Stevington, 59
Stodden, 11
-stoke, 44
Stondon, 16
Stopsley, 38
Stotfold, 18
-stow, 44
Stratton, 55
Streatley, 38
Studham, 26
Sudbury, 68
Sundon, 16
Sutton, 55
Swineshead, 28
Tebworth, 64
Tempsford, 21
Thickthorn, 68
Thorn, 68
Thorncote, 10
-thorpe, 46
Thrup End, 46
Thurleigh, 39
Tilbrook, 7
Tilsworth, 64
Tingrith, 68
Toddington, 58
Totternho, 32
-town, -ton, 47
-tree, 61
Turvey, 17
74
THE PLACE-NAMES OF BEDFORDSHIRE.
Upbury, 68
-wade, 61
Warden, 17
-well, 61
Weston Ing, 36, 55
Whipsnade, 43
-wick, 62
Wilden, 11
Willey, 39
Willington, 60
Wilshamstead, 44
Wilstead, 44
Wingfield, 18
*
Wixamtree, 60
Woburn, 6
-wold, 63
Wootton, 55
Wootton Pillinge, 36
-worth, 63
Wrest Park, 68
Wrestlingworth, 64
Wroxhill, 29
Wyboston, 56
Wymington, 60
-yate, 65
Yielden, Yelden, 12
CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A. AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
MAR 28 1990
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
3 9015 03189 4168


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