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Cambridge Antiquarian Society. Octavo Publications. No. XLVI.
THE PLACE-NAMES
OF
SUFFOLK
BY THE
Eev. WALTER W. SKEAT
LiTT.D., D.C.L., LL.D., Ph.D., F.B.A.
SOMETIME ELRINGTON AND BOSWORTH PROFESSOR OF ANGLO-SAXON
AND FELLOW OF CHRIST's COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
PRINTED FOR THE CAMBRIDGE ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.
SOLD BY DEIGHTON, BELL & CO. ; and B0WES^& BOWES
LONDON, G. BELL AND SONS, LTD.
1913
Price Five Shillings Net
THE PLACE-NAMES
OF
SUFFOLK
PUBLICATIONS : OCTAVO SERIES
No. XLVI
THE PLACE-NAMES
OF
SUFFOLK
BY THE
Kev. WALTER W. SKEAT
Lnr.D., D.C.L., LL.D., Ph.D., F.B.A.
SOMETIME ELRINGTON AND 130SW0RTH PKOFESSOK OF ANGIiO-SAXON
AXU -FELLOW OF CHIUST's COLLEGE, CAMLKIDGE
Ui'ambiiligc :
PRINTED FOR THE CAMBRIDGE ANTIQUARIAN SUCIETV.
SOLD BY DEIGHTON, BELL & CO. ; and BOWES & BOWES
LONDON, G. BELL AND SONS, LTD.
1913
CambrtHgr :
I'RINTEU BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.
AT THE UNIVEK8ITY PKESS
PKEFACE
rilHE MS. copy of this work was arranged by Professor Skeat
but his death occurred before the proof-sheets could be
submitted to him.
The Council of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society therefore
publish the work as Professor Skeat left it.
5312.6
PAGE
1
4
4
5
CONTENTS
Prefatory Remarks
1. The suffix -acre :— Benacre
2. The suffix -bach : — Debach
3. The suffix -beck : — Gosbeck
4. The suffix -bergh : — Babergh Hundred, Finborough
5. The suffix -borough -bury :— Aldborough, Blythburgh,
Burgh, Grundisburgh, Rumburgh, Bury St Edmund's,
Chedburgh, Kettleburgh, Sudbury 6
6. The suffix -bourx : — Blackbourn, Xewbourn, Sudbourn . TO
7. The suffix -bridge: — Risbridge, Woodbridge . 10
8. The suffix -brook: — Holbrook, Rushbrooke, Stradbrok(\
Washbrook, Wickham brook . . . . . 11
9. The suffix -by : — Ashby, Barnby, Risb}', Wilby . . . 12
10. The suffix -camp: Bulcau:ip 14
11. The suffix -clay: — Hinderclay 14
12. The suffix -dale: — Botesdale, Withersdale . ... 15
13. The suffix -dene:— Depden, Elveden, Framsden, Frosten-
den, Hundon, Monewden, Owsden, Rattlesden, Wautisden,
Wetherden . .15
14. The suffix -down:— Ballingdon, Brandon, Claydon, Darrasden,
Hawkedon, Raydon or Reydon, Thorndon 18
15. The suffix -edish or -eddish: — Brundish, Cavendish . 20
16. The suffix -ey: — Eye, Bawdsey, Bungay, Campsey Ashe,
Kirsey, Lindsey 21
17. The suffix -field: — Ashfield, Bedfield, Bedingfield, Bradfield,
Bramfield, Bredfield, Charsfield, Cockfield, Cratfield, Crow-
field, Fressingfield, Homersfield, Huntingfield, Laxfield,
Metfield, Mickfield, Pakefield, Redlingfiekl, Ringsfield, Shad-
ingfield, Stanningfield, Stansfield, Sternfield, Waldingfield,
Waldringfield, Wattisfield, Westei-field, Whatfield, Wingfiekl,
Withersfield 24
VIU CONTENTS
PAGE
IS. The suffix -fleet: — Herringfleet . ..... 30
19. The suffix -ford: Battisford, Blythford, Boxford, Bramford,
Brockford, Carlford, Chillesford, Cosford, Cransford, Culford,
Gleinsford, Kentford, Lackford, Marlesford, Melford, Mutford,
Orford, Playford, Poslingford, Samford, Stratford, Thetford,
Ufford, Wangford, Wilford, Yoxford 31
20. The suffix -uate :- Burgate, Lidgate, Plomesgate . . 39
21. The suffix -grave: — Gedgrave, Hargrave, Hengrave, Kes-
grave, Palgrave, Redgrave 40
22. The suffix -hale or -hall :— Aspall, Benhall, Blaxhall, Bux-
hall, Foxhall, Ilketshall, Kelsale, Knettisball, Knodishall,
Lawshall, Mildenhall, Peasenhall, Eickinghall, Ringshall,
Spexhall, Stradishall, Uggeshall, Westhall ... 42
23. The suffix -ham : — Akenhaui, Aldham, Aldringham, Bading-
hani, Barham, Barnham, Barningham, Barsham, Baylham,
Blakenham, Brantham, Brettenham, Bucklesham, Cavenhain,
Chattiisham, Coddenham, Cretingham, Dalham, Darsham,
I)eV)eiiham, Denham, (Santon) Downham, Elmham, Faken-
ham, Falkenham, Fariiliam, Felsham, Finningbani, Fornham,
Framlingham, Freckenham, Gislebam,Gislingham, Glemham,
Helmingham, Henham, Heveninghani, Highham, Hintles-
ham, Hitcham, Horham, Icklingham, Ingham, Langham,
Lavenham, Layham, Letheringham, Martlesham, Mendhani,
Mendlesbarn, ^lettingbam, Needbam Market, Pakenliam,
Parbain, Redisham, Rendbatii, Rendlesbam, Rougham,
Saxham, Saxmundbam, Sbottisbam, Sobam, Somersbam,
Stonbam, Sylebam, Tbelnetbam, Tbornbam, Tuddenbam,
Walsbarn, Wattisbam, Wenbam, Wbelnetbani, Wickbam
Market, Wickbambrook, Wickbam Skeitb, WilHngbam,
Wilbsbam, Witnesbam, Worlingbam, Wortbam, Wi-entbam 47
24. The suffix -haugh : — Pettaugb G')
25. The suffix -heath : — Horniiigsbeatb, Lakenbeatb, Leaven-
beatb ........... 66
26. The suffix -hill: — Haverbill 67
27. The suffix -hithe: — Covehitbe 67
28. The suffix -hok or -hoo : — Hoo, Culpbo, Dallinglioo, Tbingoe,
Wixoe 68
29. The suffix -holt:— Bergbolt, Occold, llamsholt, Sdutliolt 70
30. The suffix -hurst :— Hartest 70
CONTENTS IX
PAGE
31. Thk «l'FF1X -inu : — Ashbockiiig, Barking, Bealiugs, Blything,
Cowlinge, Greeting, Exning, Gedding, Gipping, Milden,
Nedging, Shimpling, Sweffling, Thredling, Wratting . 71
32. The suffix -land: — Kessingland, LothingLiiid, Xaylaud,
Shelland, Swillaud 7")
33. The suffix -ley : — Badley, Beatley, Bradley, Brockley, Butlcy,
Cookley, Eleiglj, Gazeley, Hadleigh, Haughley, Hemluy,
Henley, Hollesley, Kirkley, Oakley, Otley, Shelley, Shotley,
Sotterley, Trimley, Westley, Yaxley 77
34. The suffix -low : — Thurlow 81
35. The suffix -meadow : — Shipmeadow 82
36. The suffix -mere : — Bosmere, Hartisincre, Livcnucre, Rush-
mere, Seiner .......... 82
37. The suffix -fool : — Walpole 83
38. The suffix -set or -sett : — Bricett, Elmsett, Hessett,
AVetheringsett, Wissett .84
39. The suffix -stall : — Eurstall, Tuustall .... 86
4U. The suffix -stead : — Belstead, Box.stead, Harkstead, Haw-
.stead, Heastead, Linstead, Xettlestead, Polstead, Sax.stead,
Staustead, Whepstead, Wherstead 86
41. The suffix -.stoke or -stock :— Stoke- by-Clare, Stoke-by-
Nayland, Stoke Ash, Tostock 89
42. The suffix -stoxe : — Chediston 89
43. The suffix -stow : — Stow, ,West Stow, Stowmarket, Stow
Upland, Felixstowe 89
44. The suffix -thorpe : — Thorpe-Morieux, Thorpe, Thorpe-by-
Ix worth, Westhorpe 91
45. The suffix -toft : — Lowestoft 92
46. The suffix -ton: — Acton, Alderton, Alpheton, Ampton,
Assington, Athelington, Bacton, Barton, Belton, Beyton,
Bildeston, Blundeston, Boyton, Brampton, Brandeston,
Browston, Carlton, Chelmondi.ston, Chevington, Chilton,
Cloi)ton, Coney Weston, Corton, Cotton, Dennington,
Den.stone, Drinkstone, Easton, Edwardstone, Erwarton,
Euston, Flempton, Flixton, Flowton, Frestou, Friston, Fritton,
Gorleston, Gunton, Hacheston, Harleston, Hasketon, Heni-
ingstone, Hintou, Holton, Honington, Hopton, Hunston,
Kedington, Kenton, Kettlebaston, Kirton, Leiston, Leving-
CONTENTS
ton, Market Weston, Melton, ]\Iiddleton, Moulton, Xacton,
Newton, Norton, Nowton, Ofton, Oiilton, Preston, Sapiston,
Sibton, Somerleyton, Sothertou, Sproughton, Stanton, Stuston,
Stutton, Svitton, Tannington, Tattingstone, Theberton,
Thorington, Thrandeston, Thurlston, Thurston, Troston,
Ubbeston, Walton, Wenhaston, Westleton, Weston, Market
AVeston, Whitton, Winston, Wiston, Woolverstone, Worling-
ton, Wyverstone ......... 92
47. The suffix -tree: — Pettistree, Thedwestry . . . . Ill
48. The suffix -wade: — Cattawade Ill
49. The suffix -well : — Badwell Ash, Bardwell, Bradwell, Bright-
well, Bromeswell, Elmswell, Eriswell, Herringswell, Orwell,
Sizewell, Wordwell
50. The suffix -wich or -wick : — Dunwich
Walberswick
51. The suffix -wold : — Southwold
52. The suffix -wood : — Hazlewood .
Hard wick, Ipswich,
112
114
115
116
53. The suffix -worth : — Bi'aiseworth, Chelsworth, Dunning-
worth, Halesworth, Hepworth, Ickworth, Ixworth, Timworth,
Worlingworth 116
54. The suffix -yard: — Bruisyard 118
55. Some other names : — Cornard, Barrow, Beccles, Beck Row,
Boulge, Broine, Bures St Mary, Capel, Clare, Colneis, Combs,
Copdock, Cove, EUough, Eyke, Groton, Hoxne, Iken, Land-
guard, Loes, Bound, Mellis, Onehouse, Rede, Rishangles,
Snape, Steven, Thwaite, Wey bread, Woolpit . . . 118
56. Concluding remarks 125
Index 127
THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Prefatory Remarks.
To the Cambridge Antiquarian Society will always belong
the credit of initiating a series of works upon the Place-names
of Counties, founded upon strictly scientific investigation. My
Place-names of Cambridgeshire was published by them in 1901;
those of Huntingdonshire in 1903 ; and of Bedfordshire in
1906. My Place-names of Hertfordshire was published by the
East Herts. Archaeological Society in 1904 ; and of Berkshire,
by the Clarendon Press, in 1911. Mr W. H. Duignan, of
Walsall, published his Notes upon Staffordshire Place-names
in 1902 ; and upon those of Worcestershire in 1905, and has
just given us (1912) an account of those of Warwickshire.
The West Riding Place-names, by Prof. Moorman of Leeds,
was published by the Thoresby Society in 1910 ; and the
Place-names of Lancashire, by Dr H. C. Wyld and Dr T. O.
Hirst, appeared in 1911. This makes ten counties in all.
Being anxious to increase the series, I now attempt to
give some account of the Place-names of Suffolk. I was led
to select this county because Dr Copiuger, in his six volumes
of Collections for a History of Suffolk, has taken the enormous
trouble of collecting all the old spellings of place-names which
his exhaustive researches enabled him to discover, duly entering
them under their respective articles, in alphabetical order ; and
since such a collection of old forms constitutes no inconsider-
able portion of the task of the investigator, I was under the
impression that all due preparation had been made. I found
his work of very great service, but he unfortunately made the
regrettable mistake of omitting to indicate his authorities !
The result was, of course, that the principal books of reference,
such as Domesday Book, the Red Book of the Exchequer, the
Hundred Rolls, Testa de Nevill, and the Inquisitiones post
Mortem had to be consulted in detail all over again. Still,
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. 1
2 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
I did not find it necessary to go further, as the material was
then ample ; and I now give the references for all the more
important forms.
Further information as to the methods pursued and the
results to be expected can be found in the introductions to my
previous essays of the same character, and need not be here
repeated.
Abbreviations.
The following is a list of the more important sources of
information, with the abbreviations that denote them.
D.B. — Domesday Book (part relating to Suffolk). The page quoted
does not refer to the Book as a whole, but to the paging of the
Facsimile of the part relating to Suffolk.
E.D.D. — English Dialect Dictionary.
F.A. — Feudal Aids (Kecord Series) ; vol. i.
H.R.— Rotuli Hundredorum, vol. i.
Ipm. — Calendarium Inquisitionum post ^lortem sive Escaetarum ;
ed. J. Caley ; vol. i. (Record Series).
N.E.D.— New English Dictionary (Oxford).
R.B.— Red Book of the Exchequer ; ed. W. D. Selby (Rolls Series).
T.N.— Testa de Xevill (temp. Henry III and Edw. I).
V.E. — Valor Ecclesiasticus ; temp. Henry VIII.
Of course I constantly refer to the well-known editions of
the Anglo-Saxon Charters by Kemble and Birch, to Thorpe's
Diplomatarium JEvi Saxonici, and to Earle's Select Charters,
Also, to the Crawford Charters, ed. Napier and Stevenson ;
and to Searle's Onomasticon, from which I quote Anglo-Saxon
personal names, verifying them in many instances by a reference
to the Charters. Amongst numerous books of reference wliich
I have consulted, I may particularise the following :
Bardsley, Rev. C. W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Sur-
names. London, 1891.
Bjorkman, E. Nordische Personennamen in England. Halle a. S.,
1910.
BoswoRTH, Rev. J. and Toller, Prof. T. N. An Anglo-Saxon
Dictionary. Oxford, 1882.
CoplNGER, W. A. The County of Suffolk : its History as disclosed
by Existing Records. London. 5 vols. 1904-5.
DuiGNAX, W. H. Notes on Staflfordshire Place-names. London, 1902
. Worcestershire Place-names. London. 1905.
PREFATORY REMARKS O
M^Clurk, E. British Placo-namos in their Historical Setting.
London, 1910.
MiDDENDORF, Dr H. Altenglisches Flurnamenbuch, Halle, 1902.
Moorman, F. W., B.A., Ph.D. The Place-names of the West Riding
of Yorkshire. Thoresby Society, 1910.
NiELSON, 0., Ph.D. Olddansko Persoiniavne. Kjobenhavn, 1883.
Rygh, O. (5amle Personnavne i Norske Stedsnavno. Kristiania,
1901.
Searle, Rev. W. G., M.A. Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum. Cam-
bridge, 1897.
Taylor, Rev. J., Litt.D., LL.D. Names and their Histories. London,
1896.
Turner, J. Horsfall. Yorkshire Place-names, as recorded in the
Yorkshire Domesday Book. Bingley ; printed for the Author.
Victoria History of the County of Suffolk.
Wyld, Prof. H. C. and Hirst, T. 0., M.A., Ph.D. The Place-names
of Lancashire. London, 1911.
Zachrisson, R. E. a Contribution to the Study of Anglo-Norman
Influence on English Place-names. Lund, 1909.
I have also consulted the following works that have special
reference to the County :
KiRBY, J. The Suflfolk Traveller. 2nd ed. London, 1764.
Raven, Rev. J. J. The History of Suffolk. London, 1895.
Shorberl, F. Suftblk; being vol. xiv. of The Beauties of England
and Wales. London, 1813.
Walters, Cuming. Bygone Suffolk. London, n.d.
I am grateful for several hints that these local books have
afforded ; but cannot help regretting that (with the notable
exception of the Victoria History) they occasionally drop into
etymology, with reprehensible results. There seems to be a
rather general notion, in local works, that the river Gipping
gave its name to Ipswich ; with other similar fables.
The Place-names are arranged in alphabetical order
according to the suffixes which they contain ; this avoids much
repetition.
The suffixes found in Suffolk are, most of them, readily
intelligible, and may conveniently be here enumerated. The
chief ones are: acre, -bach, -beck, -bei-gh, -borough {-bury),
-bourn, -bridge, -brook, -by, -camp, -clay, -dale, -dene {-den),
-doivn {-don), -edish, -ey (-ea), -field, -fleet, -ford, -gate, -grave,
-hale {-hall), -ham, -haugh, -Jieath, -hill, -ho {-hoe), -holt, -hurst,
1—2
4 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
-ing, -land, -ley, -loiv, -oneadoiv, -mere, -pool, -set, -stall, -stead,
-stoke, -stone, -stow, -thorpe, -toft, -ton, -tree, -wade, -well, -wich
(-wick), -tvold, -ivood, -worth, -yard.
To these I add a few names that cannot be included amongst
such compounds.
The list of names is from Kelly's Post Office Directory of
Suffolk.
The atlases consulted are Bacon's County Atlas, Philips'
County Atlas, and Pigot's County Atlas (1831). The last of
these gives the boundaries of the hundreds, which are very
clearly shown in the map prefixed to Kirby's Suffolk Traveller.
I have also made frequent use of the ordnance map upon the
one-inch scale.
The various suffixes will now be discussed, in alphabetical
order, as given above.
1. Acre.
The suffix -acre represents the A.S. (ecer, a field. It only
occurs in Benacre.
Benacre. Between Lowestoft and Southwold. Spelt
Benakr', H.E,.; Benagra, D.B., p. 182\ From A.S. hean, bean ; so
that the sense is 'bean-field.' The Supplement to Bosworth
and Toller quotes the phrase "secer beanlandes," a field of bean-
land, from Kemble, CD. iii. 366. Ill s,pelt bean-eccer in Birch,
C.S. ii. 18, 1. 18.
2. Bach.
This interesting word only occurs as a suffix in Debach.
It is the prov. E. bach{e), a valley through which a stream
flows; M.E. bache or bach, as in Layamon, and in P. Plowman,
C. viii. 159, discussed, s.v. Bache, in the N.E.D. The A.S.
forms are bcBC, bee, m. and n. ; bcece, bece, as given in the
Supplement to Bosworth and Toller, p. 60. We may explain
it simply by ' valley ' ; remembering that it is etymologically
connected with the prov. E. beck, a stream.
Debach. Spelt Debeth, error for Debech (by the common
error of writing t for c, or of misreading), Ipm. ; Debaht, error
for Debahc (= Debach), H.R. D.B, has Depebecs, p. 240 ;
1 The reference here, and elsewhere, is to the Part of the Facsimile edition
of Domesday Book relating to Suffolk, photozincographed in 1863.
NAMES ENDING IN -BACH, -BECK, -BEllGH 5
Depehek, p. 262 ; so that it represents the A.S. dat. form
deopan hcuce, lit. 'deep valley'; which explains the spelling
Dehenbeis (with n), in D.B., p. 12G. See Birch, C.S. iii. 344
(no. 1111), where we find : — " of tham diopan bcece."
The present local pronunciation is Debbidge, in strict
accordance with the usual popular sound-changes.
8. Beck.
This well known prov. E. word for ' a small stream ' is
known in Suffolk and Norfolk as well as in the North. It
occurs in Gosbeck.
GosBECK ; to the E. of Needham Market. Spelt Gosebeck,
Gosebek, Ipm. From A.S. gds, a goose. It simply means
'goose-brook,' or 'goose-stream.' Kemble has a Gosebroc, lit.
' goose-brook.'
4. Bergh.
This suffix not only occurs in Babergh, the name of a
hundred, but also, as the old forms show, in Finborough. The
confusion of bej-gh with borough is common, though they were
kept separate in the older forms of our language. Bergh
represents the A.S. beorh, a hill, a barrow, a mound ; the
modern form is barroiu.
Babergh hundred. Spelt Baben-berga, D.B., p. 12; but
the second b is an error for d, owing to the influence of the
third b. Baberga also occurs, D.B., pp. 223, 225, 271. More
correctly, Badbergh (hundred), Badberewe (hundred), H.R. ;
Baddebury hundred, Ipm.; so that the D.B. form should have
been Baden-berga (with a Latin -a suffixed). Baden is the A.S.
Badan, as in Badan-den, Badan-pyt ; both in Kemble ; and
Badan is the gen. of Bada. The sense is ' Bada's hill,' or
' Bada's barrow.' The change from db to modern b is well
illustrated by Babraham (Cambs.), originally Badburgeham,
meaning 'Badburh's home,' or 'Badburh's ham.'
Finborough. There is a Finborough to the S.W. of
Stowmarket, and a Great Finborough to the W. of it. The
suffix -borough has been substituted for an earlier -bergh. We
find Finebiirge in R.B. and Finebury in Ipm.; but Fitieberg in
6 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
H.R.; and Fineberga in D.B., pp, 9 and 386 ; Finbergh in Ipm.,
p. 55 ; and Finbarotue even in V.E. The earliest spelling is
Finheorh, in a Wilts, charter, dated 957 ; though perhaps in a
copy of later date ; Birch, C,S. iii. 186. The name is a
compound ; and the former element may be safely identified
with the A.S. wordy^n, 'a heap,' which is fairly well authenti-
cated, and not only occurs alone, but in the compovmds llm-fin,
a lime-heap, or heap of lime, and wudu-fm, a heap of wood ;
see the note in Napier's Glosses, p. 66, gloss 2456. The sense
is, accordingly, ' a heap-barrow,' or an artificial mound made by
heaping up materials. Near Great Finborough Hall there is a
tumulus named the Devil's Hill.
5. Borough, Bury.
Borough is the usual modern E. form of the A.S. hurh, a
fort, borough, town ; and hury represents its dative case hyrig ;
so that the two may be taken together. Borough occurs in
Burgh, Aldborough, Blythburgh, Grundisburgh and Rumburgh.
Bury occurs alone in Bury St Edmund's and in the compounds
Chedburgh, Kettleburgh, Sudbury.
Burgh. There are three places with this name referred to
in Domesday Book. Burgh. Three miles N.W. of Wood-
bridge. Spelt Burc, D.B., p. 25 ; Burch, p. 70 ; Burh, p. 212 ;
Burg, p. 301 ; which represent the A.S. hurh, a fort ; mod. E.
borough. According to the map of Roman Suffolk in the
Victoria County History this is on the line of the Roman road
from Stratford St Mary to Dunwich and is on the site of the
Roman station Combretonium,
Burgh. On the Waveney, at the beginning of Breydon
Water. Spelt Burch, D.B., p. 329. There is a celebrated castle
there, of Roman origin. This Burgh Castle is that mentioned
in Beda, Hist. Eccl. iii. 19 — "in castro quodam quod lingua
Anglorum Cnobheres burg, id est urbs Cnobheri, uocatur." So
that its name in Beda's time meant ' Cnobhere's burgh.' But
Cnobhere was evidently forgotten at the time of the Norman
Conquest, and it has become simply Burgh.
Burgh. In Colneis Hundred. Spelt Burch, D.B., pp. 68,
119 ; Burg, D.B., p. 286. This probably represents the Roman
NAMES ENDING IN -BURGH 7
fort, known in later times as Walton Castle, near Felixstowe,
now washed away by the encroachments of the sea.
Aldborough, or (in Kelly's Directory) Aldeburgh. Spelt
Aldeburc in D.B., p. 71. The e may be explained as the
termination of the Aveak feminine snffix of the nominative
case ; A.S. seo ealde burJt, Mercian seo aide burh, i.e. ' the old
borough.' Prof. Moorman thus explains Aldborough in the
West Riding, and quotes, from a document of the thirteenth
century, the entry : — " Aldeburgh, Vetus Burgh." It is clear
that the river Aide took its name from the town, and not
conversely. Many river-names are more modern than some
suppose them to be. See Debenham.
There is a difficulty about the development of the primary
vowel ; since the 0. Merc, aid has given us the form old.
However, this modern adjective is really due to Norman
influence, which lengthened the a before Id, so as to produce
an early Mid. E. form did. But in the phrase seo aide burh,
the final e of aide easily dropped out ; and then the old short
a remained short (or was shortened) before the combination Idb.
Blythburgh ; or borough on the river Blythe. Spelt
Bliburg in R.B., H.R., T.N.; because the Norman scribes failed
to pronounce the E. th ; also Bliburgh, H.R. In D.B., the E.
voiced th was written d, so that it appears as Blideburc ; p. o.
The river-name Blythe is old ; there was a river named Blithe
in Northamptonshire, mentioned in a charter dated 944 ; see
Birch, C.S. iii. 541, four lines from the bottom ; from the A.S.
blithe, ' the blithe,' or ' pleasant.' Hence also Blytheford and
Blything.
Grundisburgh. Spelt Qrundesburgh, Grundesburg, Ipm. ;
Grundisbur, H.R. ; Grundesbiirh, D.B., p. 70; with many slight
variants of no importance, but all implying the same origin ;
I may notice GroiULdesburgh and Groiindesborough. There is
no such name as Grund recorded in English, but Rygh gives
Grundi as a Norse name, which occurs in rather numerous
place-names abroad. Hence the sense may be ' Grundi's
borough ' ; and we may attribute the name to Norse influence.
RUMBURGH. I do not know where to find the early forms;
8 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
but Dr Copinger gives us ten, viz. Rumberwe, Romboroughe,
Rumburn (?), Rumbiug(?); and Romborough, Romburgh,
Romburg, Romborow, Romborrow, Romebury, The A.S. form
may Avell have been rum-hurh, i.e. roomy or wide borough.
We may exemplify this by comparing it with Rum-cofa,
perhaps 'wide cove,' given in the A.S. Chronicle, under the
date 915, as the old name of Runcorn (Cheshire); and especially
with rum-heorgas, ' wide barrows,' in a charter dated 972, the
authenticity of which has been challenged, but apparently for
no good reason ; see Birch, C S., iii. 589, last line. The almost
total absence of a vowel after the m is much against the
explanation ' Ruma's borough.' Dr Wyld explains the Lanes.
Rumworth as 'Ruma's worth,' and at the same time gives us
Rumhurgh as the form of Rumburgh, Suff., as occurring in the
Catalogue of Ancient Deeds, ii. A. 3289, dated 1409. This is
the best spelling, and supports my explanation.
Bury. This form occurs alone, and represents the A.S.
hyrig, dat. case of barh, a borough. The dat. case is common
in place-names, as the prep, cet, 'at,' was often either ex-
pressed or understood before them. Hence, for example, the
surname Atterbury, from the A.S. formula cet tJuere hyrig, 'at
the borough.' At a later time, when the dative had been assimi-
lated to the nominative, and the gender of the substantive had
been changed from fem. to masc, we find the formula at then
borough, which gave the surname Attenborough. The town's
name also appears as Bury St Edmund's, 'at the borough of
St Edmund'; from the famous East Anglian king and saint
who was buried there, and whose death is fully described by
^Ifric, in his Lives of the Saints, The A.S. Chronicle gives his
slaughter by the Danes under the date 870; and the form 'sancte
Eadmundes byrig' in 1107. In an A.S. Charter dated 945, Bury
is alluded to as "in loco qui dicitur tet Bwderices wirthe" ;
and again, in Ethelweard's Chronicle, under the date 870, as
^' in..Beadimcesuuyrthe" ', so that the original name of Bury
was really ' Beaduric's worth.' See the suffix WORTH (below).
Beaduric is compounded of beadu, battle, and rw, dominiou.
Misspelt and explained 'power in prayer' in Bygone Suffolk, p. 7 9.
NAMES ENDING IN -BURY ^
Chedburgh. To the S.W. of Bury. Despite the modern
form, I refer this to the suffix hnry, though it makes no
difference to the sense. Spelt CVier^tt^r^e, Ipm.; Cedeheria {\s\\\\
Norman ce for che), D.B., p. 208. Dr Copinger gives several
spellings, of which the best are : — Cheddebur, Chedeberi, Chede-
berwe, Ghedebor, Chedebury. It is hardly possible to say
whether the suffix was bergh or bury] I only place it here for
convenience, though I suspect that it once ended in bergh,
despite the spelling Chedburye in Ipm. (a.d. 1262). The prefix
Chede- represents the A.S. Ceddan, gen. of the known name
Gedda; hence the sense is ' Cedda's bury,' or ' Cedda's barrow.'
For the suffix bergh, 'a barrow,' see Babergh (above).
Kettleburgh. Near Framlingham. I suppose that the
suffix was at first bury, in deference to the forms in D.B., viz.
Cetelbirig, p. 27, Chettlebiriga, p. 26, Ketelbiria, p. 89 ; but it
also has Kettleberga, p. 134, and we find Ketelebruge (for
-burge) in R.B. But the suffix was certainly confused with
bergh, 'a barrow' (see Babergh), as shown by Ketelberghe,
Ipm., Keteleber, H.R., Kettleberg, T.N. The prefix is exactly
the same as in Kettlewell, in the West Riding, which, as Prof.
Moorman explains, is not from a genitive Ketils, but from a
genitive Ketilan, in which the -an gave rise to the -e in
Ketel-e- in some of the forms above. Ketila was a pet name
for some form beginning with Ketel- or Ketil-, such as Ketel-
berht or Ketil-frith. Hence the sense is ' Ketila's bury ' ;
possibly 'Ketila's barrow.' Ketil, Norse Ketill, was a famous
Scandinavian name, and appears in many Norwegian place-
names. This is a clear case of Norse influence.
Sudbury. "Anciently called South-Burgh, as Norwich is
said to have been called North-Burgh," Kirby. Here there is
no doubt as to the suffix, nor as to the origin of the name.
We find Sutberie in D.B., p. 12 ; Suthbury, Ipm.; Sudbyr, H.R.;
from the dat. case Suthbyrig, which actually occurs (with
reference to Sudbury) in a Suffolk document known as the
Will of ^Ifflged ; see Birch, C.S. iii. 603, 1. 7. Hence the sense
is 'South bury'; from the A.S. suth, south.
10 the place-names of suffolk
6. Bourn.
Bourn means a burn, or small river (A.S. ham) ; and occurs
in Blackbourn, the name of a hundred, and in the place-names
Newbourn and Sudbourn ; all of obvious origin.
Blackbourn. This appears in D.B., p. 11, as Blachruna h'.
and Blackebrune, p. 313, and means 'black bourn.' Ixworth,
Bardwell, and Fakenham are all in Blackbourn hundred ; so
tliat the stream here intended is that which flows by all these
places, and enters the. Little Ouse below Euston Park,
Newbourn. This is the name of a village, which is so
called from a stream that flows through it southward, and
then, turning to the east, enters the river Deben at Kirton
Creek, to the N.E. of Kirton. Curiously enough, the name is
very old, and occurs as Neuhurne in R.B. ; Neubrunna, D.B.,
p. 178. Dr Copinger gives several old spellings of it, all without
any reference. However, the sense is obvious.
SUDBOURNE. To the S.W. of Aldeborough. Spelt Sutburna
in D.B,, p. 72 ; Sudburna, D.B., p. 207 ; Sutborne in a late A.S.
charter, in Kemble, CD. iv. 245, 1. 7 from the bottom. From
the A.S. suth-biirn, i.e. ' South burn.' Sudbourne Marshes are
traversed by a maze of confluent streams, the waters of which
find their way to the river Aide. Sudbourne Park is con-
siderably to the south of the village, and the reference may be
to the stream which flows from the Park into the Butley river.
7. Bridge.
This sufiix, of obvious meaning, only occurs in Risbridge
and Woodbridge.
Risbridge. This is the name of a hundred only, in the
extreme west and south-west of the county. The chief river
hereabouts is the Stour, and the hundred may well have been
named from a bridge over it, in the days when bridges were
scarce. We find the forms Risbrigg, H.R.; Riseh'ige, T.N.;
and Risebruge in D.B., p. 11. The e in Rise- strongly suggests
the genitive suffix -en, later form of -an, from a personal name
NAMES ENDING IX -BRIDGE, -BROOK 11
iu -«. Both in Ris-bridge and in Ris-by, we should suppose
that the reference is to the maker of the bridge or to the
founder of the town or village. If the name is that also found
in Risborough (Bucks.) it certainly had an h before the r.
With respect to Risborough, we find three forms of various
dates, viz. Hrisan, gen. of Hrisa ; the later form Hrisen, for
Hrisan ; and the form Hris-, without any suffix at all. The
references are as follows : — Hrisan-hyrge, Thorpe, Diplonia-
tarium, p. 153, last line; Hrisan-heorgan, id. p. .553; Hrisen-
beorgas, id. p. 549 ; Hris-beorge, id. p. 331, 1. 5. I should
therefore explain Risb ridge as meaning 'Hrisa's bridge.' There
was also a Norse name Hrisi ; see Risby. Hrisa was probably
its Anglo-Saxon equivalent.
Woodbridge. The sense is obvious. But it is worth
notice that the Norman often pronounced wood (A.S. wiidu)
as 'ood, without the tv. Hence we find the spelling Udebryge
in D.B., p. 27 ; but, by the time the scribe (or another scribe)
arrived at p. 90, he found it better to spell it Wudebrgge.
8. Brook.
This well-known suffix occurs in Holbrook, Rushbrooke,
Stradbroke, Washbrook, and Wickhambrook.
Holbrook. Spelt Holebrok, Ipm.; Holebroc, H.R.; D.B.,
p. 29 ; A.S. Holen-broc, with reference to Suffolk (according
to Kemble, Cod. Dipl. iv. 110, 1. 4); but a better form is
Holan-brdc{e) for which Kemble gives many references. Here
holan is for holum, the old dative form. The place-name is
best represented by the nom. hoi brdc, 'hollow-brook'; i.e. a
brook whose banks rise above it. The brook flows into the
Stour at Holbrook Bay.
Rushbrooke. Spelt Rescebroc, H.R. ; Ri/scebroc, D.B.,
p. 166 ; Ryssebroc, in iElfgar's Will, in Thorpe, Diplom. p. 508 ;
better Riscbrvc, Birch, C.S. ii. 81. From A.S. rise (also resce),
a rush ; and broc. The sense is 'rush brook.'
Stradbroke. There is here but a small brook, flowing
northward towards the W^aveney. We find Stradbroke inaner
12 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
de Eia Jionore, with reference to Eye; Ipm. Ill spelt Statebroc,
D.B., p. 137. In Matt. v. 41, where the A.V. has "a mile,"
the Latin version has mille passus, and the A.S. version has
thusend stapa, lit. "a thousand of steps"; but the Northumbrian
version has thusend strwdena, showing that there was once a
word st7'wda, m., or strwde, f , meaning "a stride" or "a step,"
the obvious original whence the verb to straddle is derived.
Hence Strad brook simply means 'a brook across which one can
easily stride' or straddle.
Washbrook. To the S.W. of Ipswich. The brook flows
eastward into the Orwell. The etymology is by no means
obvious, as it has only been associated with the verb to wash
in popular etymology. There was a personal name Wassa, gen.
Wassan, whence the tribe of Wassings; as appears in various
names in Kemble's Index, such as Wassan-burne (Washbourn),
Wassan-dun, Wassan-hdm, Wassing-burg (Washingborough,
Line), Wassinga-tun (Washington, Suss.), Wassing-welL The
original sense was ' Wassa's brook ' ; whence the old spelling
Wassebroc (Copinger).
WiCKHAMBROOK. Compounded of Wickham and brook.
Not connected, except by the accident of name, with Wickham
Market (see pp. 63, 64), which is exactly to the east of it, but
more than thirty miles away. The brook flows eastward into
the Glen and so joins the Stour.
9. By.
This suffix is of much interest, as it is well known to be a
sure indication of Danish occupation. We find that such
occupation was after all, in this county, really very slight.
There are but four examples, viz. Ashby, Barnaby (or Barnby),
Risby, and Wilby. The two former are within a few miles of
the east coast ; and Wilby is only some twenty miles from it.
Risby, however, is far from the same, farther even than Bury.
By is the modern Dan. by, Old Dan. byr, Icel. il/r (more
commonly boer), a farmhouse, farm, or town ; allied to Dan. bo,
Icel. bua, A.S. buan, to build.
NAMES ENDING IN -BY 13
AsHBY. It is extremely unlikely that Ash should here be
a true English word, as it would hardly combine with a true
Norse suffix such as -hi/. It has been proved by Bjorkman
that the English often accommodated Norse words to their
own pronunciation; and it is to be noted that Copinger records,
as old spellings of this name, not only Asheby, but Askehy, a
spelling which frequently occurs in Ipm. We even find Ashby
in Lines., where the old form is Askeby. The prefix Aske-
represents the form Asha, gen. sing, of Aski, a Norse personal
name. The real meaning is 'Aski's town.'
Barnaby, Barnby; to the S.W. of Lowestoft. The same
name as Barnby-on-Don, in the W. Riding, which is spelt
Barnaby, Bai^nehy in Ipm. For the Suffolk Barnaby, D.B. has
Barnebei, p. 5 ; Barne-by, p. 43. This is a clear indication, as
Prof. Moorman points out, that the former element in the
name is not from the A.S. Beorna, but from the Dan. personal
name Barni (gen. Barna), a name recorded by Nielsen in his
Old danske Personnavne. The sense is 'Barni's farm,' or 'Barni's
town.'
RiSBY. At no great distance from Bury. Spelt Riseby,
T.N. ; Ryseby, H.R.; Risby, Ipm. Kemble also has Riseby,
in his Charter no. 984 ; but the spelling is very late,
and of little value. D.B., p. 152, has Risebi. I explain the
prefix as being like that in Risbridge (above), and suppose
that it began with Hr. Moreover, it was probably Danish.
Hence Rise- may have represented the Icel. Hrlsa, gen. of
Hrlsi, which occurs as a nickname ; see Corpus Poeticum
Boreale, ed. Vigfusson and Powell, vol. ii. p. 315, 1. 165 ; Sigur^r
Hrisi Haraldz sonr\, i.e. SigurSr, nicknamed Hrisi, son of
Harold. If this be right, the sense is 'Hrisi's farm' or'Hrlsi's
town.' So also in Risbridge.
Wilby. To the E.S.E. of Eye. Spelt Wileby, T.N.;
W ilehegl I, l\tm..', Wilebey,^).^., p. 97. The D.B. form in -bey
must be significant, since Dr Copinger cites, from other sources,
such spellings as Wilbeghe, Wilebeigh, Wilbey, Wilbeye,
Wilbeygh, Wilebegh, Wylebeg.
At p. xxi of his Introduction to the W, Riding Place-names,
14 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Prof. Moorman has the following note on the termination -&?/.
"This word existed in Old Danish in the form -hyr (Mod. Dan.
hy), and though this form is not unknown in Old Xorse, the
usual O.N. form is hor [or h<jer\ Phonology shows that O.N.
hor would have become Mid. Eng. he, in just the same way
that O.N, slogr, sly, became M.E. sUg." It thus becomes clear
that, in this place-name, we have to do, not with the usual
Dan. hy, but with the corresponding 0. Norwegian hor (Norw.
ho in Aasen). This shows us that the settler in Wilby was not
a Dane, but a Norwegian,
We should expect the prefix Wil- to represent the gen. of a
Norse name. Egilsson gives two examples of the name Vili,
gen. Vila. The O.N. V was, in A.S. times, a W, when Vili
would have been Wili. I therefore propose to explain Wilby
as meaning 'Will's farm' or town. The final -a in the gen.
Wila was easily lost, as in Ris-by (above).
10. Camp.
I have discussed this suffix in the Place-names of Cambs.,
showing that it represents A.S. camp, a field, not really an
A.S. word, but borrowed from the L, campus. The Supple-
ment to Bosworth and Toller now gives us four good examples.
BULCAMP. A hamlet one mile N.W. of Blythburgh (Kelly).
Spelt holecamp, H.R. ; Bidecampe, D.B,, p. 10.5. Copinger also
cites Bidchamp (with French champ), and Bulfelda, where felda
(field) translates camp. The D.B. prefix hide- represents the
A.S. hidan, gen. of hula, a bull ; see hida in the Supplement to
the A.S, Diet. The sense is ' bull's field.' Or, if Bula were
used as a name, ' Bula's field,'
11, Clay.
This is the usual E. clay ; it occurs in Hinder-clay.
HiNDERCLAY, The n in this form is comparatively modern ;
all the old forms have I in place of it, and the form in D.B. is
Hilderclea, p. 168. In a late copy of Ulfketel's bequest to the
Abbey at Bury, it appears as Hildercle; see Birch, C.S., iii. 21 G,
last line. It is not from the A.S. hild, battle (gen. Midi), as
NAMES ENDING IN -DALE, -DENK 15
this will not account for the r; but from the O. Norse feminine
personal name Hildr, of which the gen. was Hildar; see Bjork-
man. Hence the literal sense is ' Hildr's clay,' with reference
to a farm with a clay soil. Hildr (as said above) was the name
of a woman.
12. Dale.
This is a well-known suffix, of obvious meaning; it only
occurs in Botesdale and Withersdale.
BoTESDALE. The spelling Botolvesdale occurs in H.R. ;
Avhich explains it at once as representing ' B5twulf's dale.'
Botwulf, mod. E. Botolph, is a well-known name, and is
often shortened to Botulf and Botolf ; the spelling Botolph
is of course absurd, though perfectly common. The spelling
with 0 is Norman ; they turned the A.S. wulf into tvolf, but
they did not thereby affect the sound of it.
Withersdale. To the N. of Fressingfield, and not far
from the river Waveney. Spelt Wytherisdal in H.R. But
Copinger also records the spellings Wetheresdale, Wethersdale,
which are better. Wethei^es is the gen. case of the A.S.
luetlier, a young ram. The sense is 'Wether's dale'; for
Wether must have been a man's name, as the -es suggests.
18. Dene.
The suffix dene represents the A.S. denu, a valley. It is
sometimes confused in old documents with -don, representing
the A.S. dun, a down, and they cannot always be distinguished.
But they are kept apart in Suffolk, if we include, as I believe
we should, the name Hundon among the denes and Darmsden
among the downs. I keep them separate.
Dene or -den occurs in Depden, Elveden, Framsden, Fros-
tenden, Hundon, Monewden, Owsden, Rattlesden, Wantisden,
and Wetherden.
Depden. To the S.W. of Bury. The old spellings are :
Depeden, H.R., T.N.; Depedene, R.B.; Depdana, D.B., p. 236.
Cf. Depeden (Essex), Ipm. And we find ' to deopan dsene,'
Birch, C.S. ii. 135. The D.B. often denotes the A.S. denu,
16 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
a dene or valley, by -dana. The sense is simply ' deep valley.'
The long e has been shortened, by the stress, before the
following pd.
Elveden, or Elden (Kelly). To the S.W. of Thetford.
Spelt Elveden, H.R.; T.N.; KB.; Elvedena, D.B., p. 156. From
the A.S. ^Ifan denu, ' ^Elfa's valley ' ; where iElfa is a pet-
name for a name beginning with ^Elf-, such as ^Elf-red or
iElf-ric. An example of the name .^Ifa (ill-spelt ^Ififa) occurs
in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 562, 1. 2,
Framsden. To the S.E. of Debenham. Spelt Framesden,
T.N.; Frainisden, H.R. ; Framesdena, D.B,, p, 36. From the
A.S. Frames denu, lit. ' Fram's valley.' Searle instances a
moneyer named Fram. It is simply the A.S. fram, valiant;
an adj. well fitted to be used as an epithet.
Frostenden. N. by W. from Southwold. Spelt Frosteden,
Frostenden, T.N. Copinger also notes the forms Frosenden,
Frossenden, as if the t had been inserted ; and when we com-
pare these with the form Fi^oxedena, in D.B., p. 268, we may
feel tolerably sure that such was really the case, and that the
form in D.B. was the original one ; especially when we further
compare it with the A.S. Froxafeld, which occurs in Birch,
C.S., iii, 432, 1. 22, and is the modern Froxfield (Hants.).
Froxa is the gen. pi. of frox, a frog ; and the sense is ' frogs'
valley,' The form Frossenden may be compared with the A.S.
variant froscan, for forscan, gen. sing. ; cf. Forscan-feld, Birch,
C.S., i. 452.
Hqndon. To the N.W. of Clare. The form is modern,
and it was formerly Hunden. It appears as Hunden, Ipm. ;
Huneden, H.R. ; Hunendana, D.B., p. 218. The A.S. prefix
was Hunan, as in Hunan-bricg and Hunan-weg, both in
Kemble's Index. Moreover, the ii was long; and several
Hunas are recorded. The sense is ' H ana's valley,' which
suits the position of the village.
Monewden. Sometimes Monoden (Kirby). Five miles
S.W. of Framlingham railway-station. Spelt Moneivedon,
Ipm.; Mungeden, T.N. The w represents an older g] Cop-
inger cites a spelling Monegedene, and we find Mmiegadena,
NAMES ENDING IN -DENE 17
D.B., p. 90; Mungadena, D.B., p. 135; Mungedena, D.B,, p. 184;
Mangedena, D.B., p. 134. The suffix is the A.S. denu, a valley ;
the oldest forms of the prefix arc, apparently, those in D.B., viz.
Munega, Munga, Mimge, Manga. I find no A.S. forms which will
account for these, and I do not know their origin. As a possible
guess, I suggest that the prefix may have arisen from the 0. Norse
fem, personal name Mundger'^r, fiom which, according to Rygh,
the Scand. place-name Munge-rad is derived. If this should be
right, the sense would be ' Mundgerthr's valley.'
OwsDEN (Kelly), or Ousden. Near Lidgate, towards the
western border of the county. Old spellings are : Ovesden,
T.N. ; Ovisdene, Ipm. ; Ovesdene, R.B. ; Uvesden, H.R. ; and
Vuesdana, for Uvesdana, D.B., p. 45. Kemble gives Ufesford
as a place-name ; but, according to Birch, this is a misreading.
He also gives Ufford as the old form of Ufford (Northants.),
but this may be a contracted form ; see the account of the
Suffolk Ufford below. Searle gives several examples of the
personal name Ufa (of the weak declension, genitive Ufan) ;
corresponding to which we might expect to find the form
Ufe (of the strong declension, genitive Ufes). Similarly, cor-
responding to the weak form Ofa (six examples), a strong form
Ofe is known. Hence the form Ufe may safely be assumed ;
so that the original sense of the place-name was ' Ufe's valley.'
Rattlesden. To the W. of Stowmarket. Spelt Ratles-
rfewe, H.R. ; R.B. ; Ratilisden, l^m.\ Ratlesden, T.N.; Ratlesdena,
D.B., p. 165. Rattlesden is certainly referred to in a Charter
of Edward the Confessor, printed in Kemble, CD., iv. 245,
where we find : — " in comitatu Sudfolc, Hertest, Glemesford,
Hecham, Rattesdene," &c. But the copy is not very well spelt,
and we may suspect that the form intended was Ratlesdene, in
conformity with all the other evidence. An A.S. *Ratles would
imply a nom. *Ratel ; or, if we compare tlie A.S. hrcetel-wyrt,
answering to our modern rattle-ivort, we might infer such a
form as *Hr8etel. In any case, we may assume that the valley
here discussed was named from a man whose personal designa-
tion was *Ratel or *Hra3tel. There we must leave it, for want
of evidence.
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. 2
18 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Wantisden. Three miles to the S.E. of Wickham Market
railway station (Kelly). Old spellings are: W a ntesden, 1pm.;
Wantesdena, D.B., pp. 32, 207. Apparently the sense is
' Want's valley.' The personal name Want is recorded in
the Liber Vitse of Durham.
Wetherden. To the N.W. of Stowmarket. Spelt Wether-
done (error for Wetherdene, as other records show), Ipm. ;
Wetherden, Weutherden, cited by Copinger ; Wederdena, D.B.,
p. 159, with d for th. A simple compound, moaning ' wether-
valley.'
14. Down.
In names that end in -don, the suffix is the unstressed form
of down, A.S. dtui, a hill.
Examples occur in Balliugdon, Brandon, Claydou, Darmsden
(for Darmsdon), Hawkedon, Raydon, Reydon, and Thorndon.
Ballingdon. a hamlet near Sudbury. I find no old
spellings. If the form is correct, it may mean ' dowai (or
hill) of the BaBllings,' or of 'the sons (or family) of Bsell.'
BaiU is recorded as a personal name. Cf. D.B., Balles-bi, i.e.
Balby (Yorks.).
Brandon, or Brandon Ferry (Kelly). Spelt Braundone,
R.B.; Brandona, D.B., p. 202 ; Brandons (late), in Kemble, CD.,
iv. 245. I explain it from the 0. Norse Branda, gen. of Brandi,
a weak form used beside the strong form Brandr (gen. Brands).
See the account of Brandr in Rygh, who shows that Brandr was
in very common use, and that Brandi also occurs in place-names.
The sense is ' Brandi's down.' Brand- occurs also in English in
compounds, such as Brand-wulf. The result is conjectural.
Claydon. To the E. of the river Gipping. It occurs in
D.B. as the name of a hundred, distinct from Bosmere ; but
Bosmere and Claydon are now taken together as forming
but one hundred. Spelt Cleydon, H.R. ; T.N. ; Ipm. But
D.B. has Claindune or Claindone frequently, with Clain- as
the former element, in which the n must be accounted for.
It may easily represent the adjectival suffix -en; the form
clayen, ' made of clay,' or ' clayey,' occurs in Wyclif 's translation
of Job iv. 19 (N.E.D.). The sense is ' clayey down.'
NAMES ENDING IN -DOWN 19
Darmsden. To the S.E. of Ncedham Market. The name
originally ended in -don or -doun, representing the A.S. dii)),
a down. Copinger gives Derniodesdon, Dormesdon ; but more
important spellings are those in D.B. and Ipm. D.B. has
Dermodesduna, pp. 28, 205 ; and Ipm. has the still fuller
form Deorniondesdoiuie, p. 218 ; which explains it at once.
Deormondes represents the A.S. Deormundes, gen. of Deormund
(a known name) ; and the original sense was ' Deormund's
down.'
Hawkedon. Nearly to the S.S.E. of Bury, in the direction
of Clare. Old spellings are : ZTftit^o/^, T.N., Ipm. ; Haukedon,
II.R. ; Hauochenduna, D.B., p. 136 (with che for ke)] Hauokedima,
D.B., p. 232. At first sight, we might suppose that Hauochen-
answers to the A.S. Heafecan, given as occurring in Heafecan-
berh, in Kemble's Charters, nos. 291 and 292 ; but, according to
Birch's revision of these charters, the name has here been mis-
read, and appears in the charters in the forms Heasecan (thrice)
and Heahsecan (once) ; proving that the supposed Heafecan has
no real authority. The form in D.B. can hardly be correct, as the
O. Merc, hafoc, A.S, Jieafoc, is a strong masculine (gen. hafoces,
heafoces), no case of which can end in -an. It is therefore
worth noting that Copinger also gives the old spellings Haukes-
den and Haiukesden, though without a reference. Kemble has
several forms beginning with Hafoces- (followed by hlww, ora,
pyt, and tun), so that the D.B. form should rather have been
Hauochesduna. That Hafoc was a man's name, with a gen.
Hafoces, can be safely concluded from its frequent occurrence
in place-names. We find Hawkesbury (Glouc.), Hawksdale
(Cumb.), Hawksdown (Devon), Hawkshead (Lanes.), and
Hawkesworth (Notts) ; besides Hauxton (Cambs.), which is
merely a form of Hawkston. It is known that the genitival
-s disappeared, occasionally, at rather an early date, in some
place-names, whilst in others it has remained. The probable
sense, in this case, is ' Hawk's down ' ; where Hawk (0. Merc.
Hafoc) was a personal name. This can be proved by two
considerations: (1) the occurrence of Hafeces hlTliu, i.e. 'Hawk's
burial-mound,' in Birch, C.S., ii. 377, 1. 18; and (2) the fact
2—2
20 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
that the Icel. haiikr, 'a hawk,' was a common personal name
(Rygh).
Raydon and Raydon St Mary are to the S.E. of Hadleigh ;
Reydon lies to the N.W. of Southwold, far from the others.
Both were formerly spelt with ei or ey ; so that we may select
Reydon as being the better form. Old spellings are : Reydon,
Ipm.; Reidiine, H.R.; Reydon, T.l^.', but D.B. has Reinduna,
p. 194. Rey is an occasional form of E. rye, A.S. ryge; and
the D.B. form rein represents the A.S. adj. rygen, belonging to
or abounding in rye. We actually find the A.S. form of
Reydon in iElfflsed's Will, in which it is spelt Rigindun (for
Rygendun) ; see Birch, C.S., iii. 603, 1. 29. Hence the sense
is ' down abounding in rye,' or ' rye-down.' For the form rey,
see the N.E.D., s.v. rye.
Thorndon. To the S. of Eye. Spelt Thornedon, R.B. ;
answering to the A.S. Thorndun, of which Kemble has four
examples. The sense is obviously ' thorn down.'
15. Edish, or Eddish.
The prov. E. eddish (also written edish) is in general dia-
lectical use, with the sense of ' aftermath,' or second crop of
grass or clover; the A.S. form being edisc. It is the origin
of the modern -dish in Brundish and Cavendish.
Brundish. Nearly to the N. of Framlingham. Ipm.
mentions a Burnedishe in Staffs. Copinger gives a number
of spellings, among which are Bornedisce, Burnedich(e), Burne-
dish, and Burnedissh(e) ; all of which would result from an
A.S. *burn-edisc. I have no doubt that it means 'bourn-
eddish,' i.e. a meadow beside a bourne or stream that was
mown for aftermath.
Cavendish. Nearly to the E. of Clare. Spelt Kavanedis,
Cavendish, Ipm.; Cauenedis, T.N.; Cavenedys, H.R.; Kauanadis,
D.B., p. 335. The prefix is the same as in Cavenham (below),
and represents Cafan, the gen. case of the personal name Cafa.
The sense is ' Cafa's eddish,' or ' Cafa's meadow for aftermath.'
NAMES ENDING IN -EY 21
16. Ey.
This very common suffix represents the Anglian eg, A.S. lec)
Ig, an island. It meant not only ' island ' in the modern sense,
but peninsula, or any piece of land wholly or partially sur-
rounded by brooks or marshy country. In D.B. and Latin
documents it is often expressed by eia. It occurs alone in Eye,
and in composition in Bawdsey, Bungay, Campsey Ashe, Kirsey,
and Lindsey.
Eye. It is situate, says Kelly, " at the confluence of two
rivulets, in a low situation." One of these streams is the river
Dove. Note the spellings Eye, Eya, H.R., T.N.; Eya, Eie, Eye,
la Eye, R.B.; Eiam (ace. case), D.B., p. 78. The final e is due
to the use of the dative case, the prep, cet (at) being understood,
as usual. Thus, in the A.S. Chronicle, an. 855, we find "on
Sceap-ige," i.e. in Sheppey. For the A.S. Ig, the Anglian, Old
Mercian, and Old Norse form was eg, which accounts for the
former e. The A.S. Ig is connected with ea, a stream ; the two
forms are often ignorantly confused.
Bawdsey. The name perhaps belonged originally to Bawd-
sey Manor, which is at some distance from the present village,
and near Bawdsey Point. The reference is to its situation in
the peninsula between the river Deben and the sea, which
terminates in Bawdsey Point. Old spellings are : Baudeseye,
Ipm. ; Balders, H.R. ; Baldeseia, D.B., p. 73. But Copinger
gives other spellings, such as Balderescia (with c for e), Bal-
dreseia, Baudersey, Baudreseye, Baudrissey ; which clearly show
that the fuller form was Baldereseye ; and Baldet-es- of course
represents the O. Merc. Baldheres, gen. of Baldhere, the Mercian
form of the A.S. Bealdhere, a known name. The sense is
' Baldhere's island.'
Bungay. The situation is remarkable, as the river Waveney
is here extremely deflected, and forms a horse-shoe bend round
the peninsula lying to the N.W. It is therefore on an eye, in
the old sense of that word. The old spellings are, accordingly,
Bungeye, H.R.; Bungeia, R.B.; Bongeia, D.B., p. 15; Buugheum
(ace. case), D.B., p. 39. The prefix Bung- is of Norse origin ;
22 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
from the Icel. hungi, a convexity, elevation ; Norweg. hiaiga,
a little heap ; closely allied to the Dan. bunke, a heap, a pile,
and connected with the E, bunch. The original sense of the
word, according to Falk and Torp's Dan. Etym. Diet., Avas
' rounded elevation.' The sense is ' rounded elevation on a
peninsula'; just as the old name of Durham was Diin-holm,
i.e. ' down-island,' or ' hill-island.' It may be added that I
have already given this explanation in my Place-names of
Cambridge, where the pronunciation of ng as ngg is exem-
plified, as in Gamling-ay.
A favourite derivation of this name was, once upon a time,
the F. bon gue, or ' good ford ' (if there ^vas one). Of course
philology forbids the derivation of forms that occur in Domes-
day Book from modern French ; and it is well to remember
that the Norman for ' ford ' was guet or wet, and that the
Norman did not pronounce gu like the gu in the F. gue, but
like the gu in anguish. The author of this egregious fable
has not told us liow to obtain the sound of gay from that of
givet
Campsea Ashe, or Ashe by Campsea (Kelly). We need
not trouble about Ashe, which refers to the familiar tree-name.
The place lies between Saxmundham and Woodbridge, and
there are several Ashes in the neighbourhood, viz. Ash Corner
to the W. ; the remains of Mill Ash Abbey to the S.S.W. ; and
Ash Green and Ash High House to the S.E. The name is
spelt Campsey Ash in the Ordnance Map. D.B. has Camjjes
ea, p. 26 ; some other old spellings are quoted by Copinger, viz.
Ashe juxta Campessey, Ayssh juxta Camsey, Campeseia, Gamp-
essey. The suffix appears to be -ey, island. As to the prefix,
I am uncertain; but Rygh gives a Norse personal name Kampi,
as appearing in some place-names, which may have become
Camp in English ; whence ' Camp's island.'
Kersey. To the N.W. of Hadleigh. I have already dis-
cussed this name in a paper for the Philological Society, printed
in the Transactions for 1907-10, at p. 258. I there show, in
opposition to the statement in the N.E.D. as to there being no
known connexion between Kersey and Kersej' cloth, that the
NAMES ENDING IN -EY 23
Suffolk cloth-making is expressly mentioned in Hall's Chronicle,
under the date 1526. Indeed, the poet Skelton, in his piece
entitled " Why Come ye nat to Courte," refers to the " cloth-
making" of Sprynge of Laniiam, 11. 930 — 2. Dyce, in his note,
strangely explains " Lanam " as " Langham in Essex," whereas
it is the usual pronunciation of the Suffolk Lavenham, and
" the coats of arms of the Springs, wealthy clothiers in the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and great benefactors of
the church" can still be seen in Lavenham Church; see
Bygone Suffolk, p. 76. This proves the point as to the
naming of Kersey cloth from Kersey in Suffolk ; especially
when taken in conjunction with my note upon Lindsey (below).
The old spellings are : Kerseye, H.R. ; Kareshey (error for
Karesey), Ipm. ; Kereseye, in 1279 (see Bardsley); Careseia,
D.B., p. 217. All from the A.S. Gceres-lg, of which the gen.
case Gwres-ige occurs in Birch, C.S,, iii. 608, 1. 3 from the
bottom. Here Cceres is the gen. of Ccer, the same name as
the Gar mentioned in Searle. Hence Kersey means " Cser's
island " or " Car's island." This name of Car looks like Celtic.
Kersey cloth was known in 1376 (Victoria Hist, of Suffolk) ;
and Kersey Priory is as old as 1158.
Lindsey. Not far from Kersey, and associated with it in
the old days of the cloth manufacture in Suffolk. But the old
name was Lellesey or Lillesey, even as late as the sixteenth
century. Old spellings are: Lelleseye, Ipm. (a.d. 1263); and
Copinger gives Lelessey, Lellesey, Lelsey, as well as Lillesey,
Lyllesey. Ipm. also has a Lylleseye in Sussex (perhaps an
error for Suffolk). However, the authentic A.S. form was
rather Lill than Lell ; Kemble's index has Lilies beam, ' Lill's
tree,' as well as Lilies ham, or ' Lill's home.' Moreover, the
related weak form Lilla also appears in the same, as in Lillan-
hrycg, ' Lilla's ridge,' and Lillanwelle, ' Lilla's well.' We may
therefore well suppose that the original name meant ' Lill's
island.' The subsequent change to Lindsey may have been
due to confusion with that name, which was better known.
A large portion of Lincolnshire was called Lindsey, which
appears even in modern maps. I have already shown, in
24 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
my paper on Kersey, that the material called Linsey-wolsey
certainly took its name from the Suffolk town ; for otherwise
it could never have had the name of Lylse wulse in the time
of Skelton, who, in his poem entitled "Why Come ye nat to
Courte," at 1. 128, has the expression : " To weve al in one lome
[loom] A webbe of lylse-iuulse " ; with a punning reference to
his enemy, the cardinal, who was one of the most celebrated
men that Suffolk has ever produced. (The spelling Lynsey
occurs in V.E,)
17. Field.
This is a well-known suffix in place-names, and appears in
Ashfield, Bedfield, Bedingfield, Bradfield, Bramfield, Bredfield,
Charsfield, Cockfield, Cratfield, Crowlield, Fressingfield, Homers-
field, Huntingfield, Laxfield, Metfield, Mickfield, Pakefield,
Redlingfield, Ringsfield, Shadingfield, Stanningfield, Stansfield,
Sternfield, Waldingfield, Waldringfield, Wattisfield, Westerfield,
Whatfield, Wingfield, and Withersfield ; i.e. just thirty times.
Ashfield. There is an Ashfield Magna to the K of
Elmswell, and another Ashfield nearly to the E. of Debenham.
The meaning is obvious, but the Norman scribes had much
ado to spell it, as there was no sh in Norman at all. Hence
we find in D.B., at p. 193, the form Asfelda, at p. 29, Asse-
felda, and at p. 173, Eascefelda. And they sometimes spelt Ash
as Esse.
Bedfield. Nearly to the N.E. of Debenham, and to the
N.W. of Framlingham.
Old spellings are scarce ; but Copinger gives the form
Bedefeld, which is quite satisfactory. Here the prefix Bede-
represents the A.S. Bedan, the gen. case of Beda, which is a
famous name. The sense of Bedfield is 'Beda's field,' just as
that of Bedford is 'Beda's ford.' The name must have been
common ; and no doubt the men who gave their names to
Bedfield and to Bedford were not the same; and the 'venerable
Bede' was a third. The last mentioned lived at an early date,
when the name was spelt Bieda.
OF \
i UNI';"-
NAMES ENDING IN -FIELD\ , , 25
- .i- I i^:.■■
Bedingfield. To the S.E. of Eye. Spelt Bediiu/feld in
Ipm. ; D.B. has Badingafelda, p. 59, and Bedingafelda, p. 276.
The correct A.S. form would be Bedinga feld, i.e. ' the field of
the Bedings' or 'of the sons of Beda.' Beding is the regular
patronymic form from that source.
Bradfield. Kelly has a Bradfield St Clare aud a Bradfield
St George ; as well as Bradfield Combust or Brent (i.e. burnt)
Bradfield, so called because its old hall was burnt in 1327.
The old spellings are Bradefel, T.N, ; Bradefeld, H.R. ; and
Bradefella,T>.^., p. 21. Bradfield (Sussex) appears as Bradan-
feld in several A.S. charters ; see Kemble's index. Here
hrddan is the weak dat. of the A.S. hrdd, broad ; and the sense
is 'broad field.' The long a is shortened by the stress, before
the df.
Bramfield. To the S. of Halesworth. Spelt Bramfeld
H.R. ; but Brunfelda in D.B., p. 24, under the account of
Walepola (Walpole). Copinger also notes such spellings as
Bromfield and Brumfield, which are of some help, and show
that it is quite different in origin from Bramfield, Herts., which
seems to have meant ' Branda's field.' See further under
Bramford.
Bredfield. To the N. of Woodbridge. Spelt Bredfelde,
Bredefeld, Ipm.; Bredefelda, D.B., p. 75. This is a highly
interesting example, as it introduces a Frisian form. The prefix
is not the A.S. hrdd, broad, as in Bradfield, but the 0. Frisian
hred, or breed, with the same sense. That is, the sense is ' broad
field,' as in the former case, but there is a difference of dialect.
Charsfield. To the W. of Wickham Market. Spelt
Charsfeld, Ipm. ; Ceresfella, D.B., p. 26 ; Cerresfella, D.B.,
p. 186. D.B. has Ce for E. Che, and usually turns the A.S.
feld (field) into fella. In the Crawford Charters, ed. Napier
and Stevenson, p. 33, 1. 28, we find the spelling Caresfeld; a
form difficult to account for. The D.B. form Cerres may be
right. If so, the sense is ' Cerr's field,' the A.S. Cerr becoming
E. Char, as in Cert, the A.S. form of Chart (Kent). The A.S.
Cerr is suggested by the form Cerringes, the A.S. spelling of
26 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Charing (Kent); see Birch, C.S. i. 411; cf. also p. 410, I. 25.
Cerring is the patronymic form of Cerr, so that there is
evidence for the name.
CocKFiELD. The railway station is on the line from Bury
to Lavenham. Spelt Cocfelde, Cokefelde, RB. ; Cokefeld, H.R.
Oddly spelt Cochanfelde in Bircli, C.S. iii. 603, 1. 1 ; also
Cokefelde in a late hand, in the same, p. 604, 1. 2. Compare
Coccan-hiirh in Kemble's index. The sense appears to be
'Cocca's field.'
Cratfield. Nearly to the E.S.E. of Halesworth, beyond
Cookley. Spelt Cratfeld, Ipm. ; Cratefeld,T.'^.; Ipm.; Crata-
felda, D.B., p. 269. The prefix does not appear to be English,
but rather Dan. krat, a thicket, a copse ; Mid. Dan. krat, a
thorn-bush ; Swed. dial, kratt, the same. The sense would be
'field covered with brambles.'
Ckowfield. To the N.E. of Needham Market. The name
has been modified, and its original sense was other than it
seems to be. Spelt Groffeud (for Crojfeld), Ipm., p. 55 ;
Crofelda, D.B., p. 187. Copinger also records the forms
Groffeld and Croftfield. All of these suggest an A.S. form
croft-feld, with the sense of 'croft-field'; i.e. a small enclosure.
Fressingfield. Otherwise Fresingfield (Kirby). Spelt
Fresing-feld, H.R..; Fresing-feud (for -feld), Ipm., p. 161a;
Fresen-feld, Ipm., p. 1616. Copinger also reports the forms
Fr^esi/ngefeld, Fresyngfeld, and the like. But the A.S. form is
rightly Fresena feld, i.e. 'field of the Frisians,' in agreement
with the form Fresenfeld. Here Fresena is the gen. pi. of
Fresa, a Frisian. This is a very interesting result ; note that
there is a similar allusion in the names Freston and Friston.
HOMERSFIELD. Kelly has " Homersfield, or St Mary
South Elmham." Spelt Humersfeld, R.B.; Humeresfeld, R.B. ;
Humhresfelda, D.B., p. 197. In the last form the h is probably
intrusive, as it does nut appear in the modern form. Humeres-
of course represents the gen. case of a masc. personal name,
which can hardly have been other than *Hiinmger. For,
NAMES ENDING IN -FIELD 27
though this name is not on record, Hiin- (never Hum-) is a
common prefix in such names, and -m.Tn-, as in ^If-mser,
^thel-mier, is a common suffix. I explain this name as
' HunmlBr's field.'
HUNTINGFIELD. Near Heveningham, to the S.W. of
Halesworth. Spelt Huntingefeld, R.B., Ipm. ; Huntyngfeld,
H.R.; Huntingafelda, D.B., p. Gl, representing an A.S. Huntinga-
feld, i.e. 'field of the Huntings.' Hunting is a tribal name,
from the personal name Hunta, our modern Hunt. It does
not refer to A.S. huntung, a hunting.
Laxfield. To the W.S.W. of Halesworth. Spelt Lax/eld,
H.R.; Laxafella, D.B., p. 26; Laxafelda, D.B., p. 27. Cf.
LcBxa-dyne, Birch, C.S. iii. 602, 1. 9 ; and Leaxan oc, in the
same, ii. 510 (in a late copy of a charter). It hence appears
that Laxfield represents an A.S. form Leaxan feld; where
Lwxan is the gen. case of Lwxa, a personal name. This name
is quite un-English, and is obviously founded upon the
extremely common Norse word lax, ' a salmon.' It was
probably a mere epithet, though the original sense may have
been 'salmon-er,' i.e. a fisher for sahnon. The final -a is often
agential in Old English.
The D.B. form Laxin-ton (for A.S. La3xan-tun) occurs in
the D.B. for Yorkshire. And there are Laxtons in Northants.
and Notts.
Metfield. To the S.E. of Mendham, which is on the
Waveney. I find no old spellings ; but Copinger records
Metefeld and Medefeld. The latter is obviously the older form,
and shows that the old sense was simply ' mead-field,' or
'meadow-field'; i.e. a field for mowing.
MiCKFiELD. Near Debenham, westwards. Spelt Mikele-
feld, T.N. ; Mikelfeld, Ipm. ; Mucelfelda, D.B., p. 273. Obviously
' mickle field,' i.e. large field.
The A.S. formula on miclan feld occurs in Birch, iii. 342
(no. 1109), which accounts for the hard k (ck); its preservation
is due to the contraction of micelan to miclan in, the dative
case. Cf. Micklefield in the West Riding.
28 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Pakefield. To the S. of Lowestoft. Spelt Paggafella,
D.B., p. 5 ; with gg (hard g) for h ; but Copinger records the
forms Pake/eld and Pakelefeld. The prefix Pake- is short for
Paken-, as in Pakenham, which see, Pakele- seems to be a
diminutive, as if for Pakelen, for an A.S. * Pacela, a weak form
allied to the A.S. Pacel, as seen in Pacles-ham (Kemble).
I explain Pakefield as representing 'Paca's field,' with the same
prefix as in Pakenham.
Redlingfield. To the N. of Debenham. Spelt Ridlingfeld,
Ipm.; better with e, as in Pedelingf eld, Redely ngf eld (Copinger);
Radinghefelda, D.B., p. 79. In the last form, the ghe is for
A.S. ga, and an I or el has been omitted; so that it points
back to an A.S. Rcedelinga feld or Rddlinga feld. The name
of Rcedel is on record ; hence we may explain it as ' the field
of the P^delings,' or Rc'edlings ; or ' the field of the sons (or
tribe) of Rtedel.'
It is not impossible that contraction has taken place, and
that the original form was Riedwulfinga feld, or 'the field of
the R^dwulfings.'
Ringsfield. To the S. of Beccles. D.B. has Ringesfella,
p. 4. The prefix Hring- occurs in several A.S. names, though
not found alone. But we may take it to be Norse. Rygh
says that the Norse Ringr, originally Hringr, was a personal
name, and is preserved in a large number of place-names.
I explain this as ' Hring's field,' where Hring represents O.N.
Hringr, so that it is really ' Hringr's field.' The final -r is
merely the suffix of the nom. case, and answers to the -us in
L. Marc-US. The prefix Rings- occurs also in Ringshall.
Shadingfield. Spelt Shaddingfield by Kirby. Between
Beccles and Blythburgh. The g is modern, and a better
spelling would be Shadenfield. Spelt Shadenfeld, H.R. ;
Shadnefeud, Ipm.; Scadenafella, D.B., p. 16. Here the -ena
is the mark of the gen. pi. of a weak noun, and the nom. sing,
would be *scada, or A.S. *sceada. This exact form is not
found ; but it evidently resulted from the form sceatha, by the
substitution of Norman d for the voiced tli; the gen. pi. was
NAMES ENDING IN -FIELD 29
sceathena. Though sceatha is literally ' one who does scathe
or damage,' it is a fairly common word for robber or thief;
and the sense is ' field of thieves.' It might even mean ' field
of pirates,' as the compound wicing- sceatha was used in that
particular sense. How the field acquired its name, we have
no means of knowing, though it would probably be an inte-
resting story, if it could be recovered. As the a was originally
short, the spelling Shaddingfield can be justified.
Stanningfield. To the S. of Bury. Spelt Stanefeld,
H.R., Ipm. ; Stanfella, D.B., p. 21. It is clear that the -ing
is comparatively modern. The original was probably stdnen
feld, i.e. 'stony field.' The usual adj. is stamen (with a?), but
stdnen also occurs ; as in the dat. stdnenan bricge ; Birch, C.S.
iii. 113, 1. 24.
Stansfield. To the N. of Clare, at some distance. Spelt
Stanesfeld, H.R. ; Ipm.; Stanefeld, R.B. ; Stanesfelda, D.B.,
p. 182. Stdnes is the gen. case of Stan, which is here a man's
name,, as in Stansfield in the W. Riding. The sense is ' Stan's
field.' Stone is now used as a surname.
Sternfield. Near Saxmundham. Spelt Sternfeld, Ipm. ;
Sternefella, D.B., p. 72. But an es has been lost, in a difficult
position between rn and /; hence we also find Sternesfella,
D.B., p. 71 ; Sternesfelda, D.B., pp. 33, 128. The apparent
meaning is 'Stern's field.' This personal name is not otherwise
recorded; but cf. A.S. styrne, E. stern, adj. 'severe.'
Waldingfield. Spelt TfaWi/i^e/e/c?, H.R.; Ipm.; Waldinge-
felda, D.B. ; p. 159. A.S. Wealdingafeld; Birch, C.S. iii. 603;
O. Merc. Waldingafeld. Meaning : ' field of the Waldings,' or
' of the sons of Walda.'
Waldringfield. Spelt Wandringfeld, misprint for Waud-
ringfeld (with u for I), Ipm. ; Waldringafelda, D.B., pp. 69,
178. Meaning: 'field of the Wald(he)rings,' or 'sons of
Waldhere.' Waldhere is a known name.
Wattisfield. Spelt Watesfelda, D.B., pp. 37, 100 ; but
Watlesfelda, D,B,, p. 170. Copinger also gives Watlesfeld,
30 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Watelesfeld, Wattelesfeld. A.S. form * Wcetles feld, where
Waetles is the gen. of *Wa3tel, the strong form allied to
Wffitela, whence Wretling and Wsetlinga stn'et or Watling
Street. Sense : ' the field of Waetel.' Though Wsetel is not
precisely recorded, it is a correct form, and is also the obvious
origin of Wateles-tone in Ipm. p. 113.
Westerfield. Spelt Westerfeld, Ipm., p. 97 ; Westrefelda,
D.B., pp. 28, 29. Meaning: 'field more to the west'; cf.
Icel. vestari, vestri, more to the west. It is more to the west
than Bealings to any one coming from Woodbridge and the
river Deben.
Whatfield. Spelt Whatefeldjpm.; Quatefeld,U.U{\\ithqu
for tvh); Gawatfelda, D.B., p. 23. A.S. form Hwaite-feld;
meaning 'wheat-field.' Though A.S. has not this precise com-
pound on record, we find hwwteland, 'wheat-land,' and feld as a
suffix. Whatfield was sometimes called Wheatfield (see The
Beauties of England). " This Town is chiefly remarkable for
growing the most excellent Seed-Wheat"; Kirby.
WiXGFiELD. Spelt ■ Wyngefeld, H.R. ; also Wingefeld in
Thurkytel's will, in Thorpe, Diplomat, p. 580; a rather late
document. Winge represents an earlier Wingan, as in
Wingan-hdm, in Kemble's index; from the nom. Winga.
Meaning: ' Winga's field.' (Distinct from Wingfield, Beds.,
which was originally Winanfeld, i.e. 'Wina's field.')
WiTHERSFiELD. Spelt Wetheresfeld, Ipm., T.N.; Wytheres-
feld, H.R.; Wedresfelda, D.B., p. 233 (with d for th). Literally
'wether's field'; cf. WiTHERSDALE (above). It is probable.,
that Wether was a personal name.
18. Fleet.
Fleet, A.S. fleot, not only means an estuary or shallow
channel, but also a shallow stream, or even a drain or ditch;
see the E.D.D. It only occurs in Herringfleet.
Herringfleet. As Herringfleet is some four miles inland,
it has notliing to do with herrings, though herring is a very
NAMES ENDING IN -FOIJD 31
familiar word in that district. How old the prefix Herring
may be in this case, I do not exactly know ; but in the four-
teenth century, at any rate, the form was Herling. Old
spellings are: Heiiingflet, Ipm. p. 223 (as late as 130(i); H.R.;
Herlingafiet, D.B., p. 8. We find Herlinga-lidm in Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 563, a.d. 1046. The sense is: 'fleet (or shallow
stream) of the Herlings,' or 'of the sons of Herla.' Herie
occurs in A.S. as a prefix in several personal names.
19. Ford.
This well-known suffix occurs in Battisford, Blythford,
Boxford, Bramford, Brockford, Carlford, Chillesford, Cosford,
Cransford, Culford, Glemsford, Kentford, Lackford, Marlesford,
Melford, Mutford, Orford, Playford, Poslingford, Samford,
Stratford, Thetford (mostly in Norfolk), Ufford, Wangford,
Wilford, and Yoxford.
Fords were once notable places, and it is remarkable how
many of them gave names to the hundreds into which the
county was divided ; as will be noted below.
Battlsford. Old spellings; Batesford, T.N.; Batisforde,
Ipm., p. 2.58 ; Battisforde, Ipm., p. 48 ; Betesfort, D.B.,
p. 259. If we could depend upon the first vowel in the last
form, this would be the same name as Bettesford, which occurs
in Birch, C.S. iii. 585, 1. 13. But it is better to assume a form
Battesford, which would mean ' Batt's ford.' The name Batt
has not been hitherto noted, but the allied weak form Bata
occurs in Batancumb, in Kemble's index. Cf. Batsford, Glouc.
Blythford or Blyford. Spelt Blideforda, D.B., p. 150.
The usual modern Blyford is due to a Norman pronunciation,
and is of rather early date. Compare Blyford in Ipm. ; which
probably refers to Blythford, though said to be in Norfolk.
The sense is, of course, ' ford through the river Blithe.' In the
Will of Eadvvine, dated 1060, but extant in a late and ill-spelt
copy, occurs the strange form Blitleford, which is probably an
error for Blitheford ; see Thorpe, Diplomat, p. 590, I. 15.
32 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
BoxFORD. Spelt Boxford, H.R.; Ipm. The sense is 'ford
near the box-tree,' Fords are often named from trees that
serve to mark the spot. Compare Boxford in Berks. The
river Box is named from Boxford.
Bramford. Spelt Bramford, Ipm. ; Brunfort, D.B., p. 2 ;
Branfort, D.B., p. 17 (both incorrect forms). Copinger also
gives the spellings Braiunforde and Bromford.
Bram probably represents the prov. E. brame, a blackberry,
though the name has not been recorded earlier than 1425
(see N.E.D. or E.D.D.); but the dimin. hrmmel occurs in A.S.,
and is now the bramble. I suppose that the name meant 'ford
near the bramble.' Our bramble is etymologically connected
with broom, which may account for the spelling Bromford
(above) just as Bromfield means 'broom field.'
Brockford. Spelt Brocford, H.R.; T.N. ; Brock/art, D.B.,
p. 161. The sense is 'brook-ford' or 'ford through the brook.'
The long o in the A.S. broc, a brook, is shortened in the
stressed syllable before cf. Compare Bromfield for 'broom-field.'
Carlford. The name of a hundred. Spelt Carlesford,
H.R. ; but Carleford in D.B., p. 4. Carleford represents the
A.S. cai^la ford, where carla is the gen. pi. of carl, a churl, a
rustic, not an English word, but borrowed from the Norse karl,
a churl, a peasant. Carlesford is an alternative form, from the
gen. sing, carles. The sense is 'churls' ford' or 'churl's ford';
where churl means a rustic, a peasant.
Chillesford. Formerly CAese(/brc^, H.R. ; Gesefortda,T)3.,
p. 32 (with inserted t and lost I). Copinger also gives the
forms Chesilford, Chesi/lford, Clujselford. All from the A.S.
ceosel, cisel, M.E. chisel, gravel ; showing that Chilles is a mere
perversion of Chisel, as in Chiselhurst (Kent). The sense is
'gravel-ford' or 'gravelly ford.'
CoSFORD. The name of a hundred. Formerly Corsford,
H.R.; Corsforth, Ipm.; Cursforde, D.B., p. 176. Cors was a
river-name, also spelt Corsa. Kemble's index has Cors-broc,
' Gors-brook' ; Gorsa-burne, ' Corsa-bourne' ; Corsan-stream,
NAMES ENDING IN -FORI) 33
' Corsa's stream,' which was also simply called Cursa. Hence
also Corsan-tun, or 'town on the Corsa'; see Birch, C.S. ii.
498. The sense is ' ford thronorh the Cors.' The meaning of
Cors is unknown ; it looks like the Welsh cois, a fen ; cf.
cor sen, a reed.
Cransford. Spelt Cranesford,l^m.\ but CVane/orc?«, D.B.,
p. 35. The sense is ' crane's ford.' Cf Cranford (crane ford),
Middlesex, and such names as Ox-ford, Swin-ford, Hors-ford.
When an animal's name is prefixed to a ford, it roughly
indicates the depth.
CuLFORD. Spelt Guleforda, D.B., p. 167 ; Culeforde (dative)
in Birch, C.S. iii. 219, in a late A.S. charter. We can hardly
dissociate this name from the curious form Gulum-ford, which
occurs in Birch, C.S. ii. 432 ; which must be further compared
with the expression seven lines below, viz. "on tha lace adun
on culum ; up of cidum on tha ealdan lace." Middendorf (in
his Altenglisches Flurnamenbuch, Halle, 1902, p. 33) explains
cule as a weak fem., meaning 'a hole, depression, pit,' like the
E. Fries, kide, Du. kiiil. If this be right, Cideforde represents
an earlier A.S. Culanforda, dat., meaning ' ford near the hole,
or pit, or hollow.' And the above passage means : "along the
stream down into the pits; up out of the pits to the old
stream." Culum is the dat. pi.
Glemsford. Spelt Glemesford, H.R.; and in Kemble, Cod.
Dipl. iv. 245. Also Clamesford (with G for G), ]).B., p. 203.
Apparently, for A.S. *Gl£emesford, or 'ford of GlsOm.' But no
such personal name is on record. See Glemham.
Kentford. Spelt Kenteford, H.R.; Kentford, Ipm., p. 314.
Short for Kennetford; 'ford through the river Kennet.' Kennet
is a known river-name; known to be of Celtic origin; spelt
Cyneta in A.S.; from a Celtic type "Cunetio. Cf. Kintbury
in Berks.
Lackford. To the N.W. of Bury. "Lackford, the f.rd
over the Lark, just where that parish [i.e. Lackford] joins
Icklingham All Saints"; Raven's Suffolk; p. 64. Lackford
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. 3
34 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
is also the name of a hundred ; and it is remarkable that this
hundred took its name from the place, as the latter is really
in Thingoe hundred, and just outside Lackford hundred
itself. Spelt Lakford, H.R.; Lacforda, D.B., p. 45. From the
A.S. lam, a running stream. [This word is often confused
with the L. lacus, but the A.S. word cognate with lacus (and
not borrowed from it) is lagu. ; and the E. lake is merely-
borrowed from the F. lac] But the native word lacu is still
extant in the prov. E. lake, explained in the E.D.D. as meaning
'a brook, rivulet, or stream,' very common in S.W. dialects.
There is, in fact, no lake at Lackford, but there is a stream.
The name means 'stream-ford,' or 'ford through the stream.'
The modern name of the stream is the Lark ; and it is much
to be suspected that this singular name arose from the M.E.
lake (from lacu), in which the a was pronounced as in father
and in lark (if the r be suppressed). Another name for the
Lark is (or was) the Burn, which means bourn or stream, and
merely translates the A.S. lacu. I further suspect that the
Linnet, which flows into the Lark at Bury, received its name
from playful association with that of the larger river. Both
names are comic.
Marlesford. Near Wickham Market. Spelt Marleford,
Ipm.; Marlesforda, D.B., p. 11; Merlesford, D.B., pp. 12, 27.
The sense is ' Maerl's ford ' or ' Masrle's fond.' The name Mserl
(or Mgerle) may safely be said to be of Norse origin, as it is
recorded in the compound Mserle-swegen, of which Searle gives
four examples ; and see Mserleswegen in Bjorkman. The
suffix swegen is certainly Norse, as it is an A.S. spelling of
O. Norse sveinn (E. swain).
Melford, often Long Melford. Spelt Meleford, H.R. ;
Ipm. ; Melaforda, D.B., p. 157. There are several Milfords in
other counties; but connexion with these is doubtful, as 'mill'
would hardly appear as Mela in D.B. The prefixes Mela-,
Mele- rather suggest connexion with the A.S. Mcelan, gen. of
Mcela, as in Mcelan heorh, in Birch, C.S. ii. 291, 1. 3. If this
be right, the sense is ' Masla's ford ' ; but it is only a guess.
NAMES ENDING IN -FORD 35
The Mel- in Melton and Mellis appears to be quite distinct
from that in Melford.
MuTFORD. This is the name of a hundred as well as of a
village. Spelt Mutford, Mutteford, H.R. ; Mutford and Mntfonla,
D.B., p. 5; but Muthford in Ipm., p. 2G (a.d. 1263), which is an
important variant, and may be taken to represent an older form.
It is not easy to find the ford referred to, but I think it must
be near Mutford Hall, where a stream flows into the Hundred
River, if I rightly understand the ordnance map. The name
may signify as much, if we connect it with the A.S. niutha,
the mouth of a river, the place where one river meets another.
If this be right, the sense is ' ford near the junction of the
streams.' A similar explanation is given of Mitton in Worcester-
shire ; viz. from the A.S. variant mythe, with the same sense.
And the compound mythford is found in Birch, C.S. ii. 481,
1. 21.
Orford. This also is the name of a former hundred,
though no longer in use for that purpose. The place is on
the N.W. bank of the river Aide. Formerly Oreford, H.R.,
T.N., Ipm. From the A.S. ora, a border, edge, bank; meaning
'ford at the bank or shore.' Perhaps it was where the ordnance
map marks the Quay and the Ferry. On one side of the Aide
is the mainland ; on the other, the King's Marshes. I find,
in the Victoria Hist, of Suffolk, i. 57, that the river Aide was
called the Ore below Aldeburgh ; and at p. 29, I find " the
Ore or Aide." This at once suggests that Orford was taken
to mean the 'ford through the Ore'; but that this is the true
origin may be doubted. It is much more likely that the lower
part of the Aide was called the Ore because Orford suggested
such alteration. The fact remains, that the A.S. ora does not
mean a river, but a river-bank or a brink of any kind.
Playford. N.E. of Ipswich, on the river Finn. Spelt
Playford, Ipm.; H.R.; Plegeforda, D.B., p. 68. From the A.S.
plega, 'play,' with, in poetry, the occasional sense of 'battle.'
It may possibly commemorate the scene of a long-forgotten
encounter.
POSLINGFORD. Copinger has collected 22 old forms of this
3—2
36 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
name, of which only 5 end m. ford; the majority of 17 end in
luorth ; and it is certain that, as in other cases, ford has been
substituted for ivorth, which meant ' a farm ' or ' a holding ' ;
see the names under Worth. Both Duxford and Pampisford,
in Cambs., have suffered the same alteration. The old spellings
most worth notice are: PoselingiU7'th,]i.R.,T.'S.; Poselingetvrth,
'T.N.; Poslindewrda, D.B., p. 182; Poslingewrda, D.B. 233.
The existence of the form Postlinges in R.B., and of the
present Postling in Kent, suggests that the full form was
Postlinga-weorth, i.e. the ' farm (or holding) of the Postlings,'
a tribe or family otherwise unknown.
Samford. The name of an old hundred, and still in use.
Spelt Samford, Sandford, H.R. ; Sanforde, Sampforde, R.B. ;
Sanfort, D.B., p. 12. Evidently for ' sand-ford,' or ford Avith a
sandy bottom. Cf. Sandford in Oxfordshire.
Stratford. Spelt Strafort, D.B., p. 56 ; Stratfort, D.B.,
p. 243. Like other Stratfords, it means a place where ' a street '
or old road is continued beyond a stream. The pi'esent road
from Marlesford to Farnham crosses the river Aide near Strat-
ford St Andrew. And the road from Colchester to Ipswich
crosses the Stour near Stratford St Mary.
Thetford. Nearly all of this town is in Norfolk, but it
is just on the border of the county, and is worth notice. It is
situate on the Little Ouse, but a smaller river here joins the
other, upon which modern ingenuity has bestowed the name
of Thet ! Here, as in other cases, the river is named from the
town, and not othei'wise. For the ingenious people who
devised this name evidently did not know that the old name
was really Thedford, or more strictly Theedford ; for the e was
once long. Indeed, the spelling Theedford occurs in the
Liber de Hyda, p. 10. It is spelt Theodford and Theotford
in the A.S. Chronicle ; the more correct spelling Theodford
appearing in the Laud MS., under the dates 870, 1004, and 1010,
and in the early Parker MS. under 870. The prefix Theod
means nation, peof)le, race ; also, people in general ; and in
composition it has the sense of general, popular. Hence the
NAMES ENDING IN -FORD ^7
sense is 'popular ford,' or ford in frequent use, on the road
from Bury northwards. Isaac Taylor strangely denounces this
explanation, but answers his own objection by saying that the
German Dietfurt means 'ford of the people.' There is another
Thetford in Cambridgeshire which has the misfortune of not
possessing any Thet to derive itself from.
Ufford. Spelt Ufford, H.R., Ipm., R.B.; Ufforda, D.B., p. 89.
Uf- is short for Uffan, as in Uffan-lege (dative) in Birch, C.S.
ii. 175, last line ; and Ul^an is the gen. of Uffa. The sense is
' UfFa's ford.' Uffa is a known name, and distinct from the
commoner Offa.
Wangford. In Blything hundred. Yet there was also a
Wangford hundred, by confusion of two or three distinct
names, as will be shown. And first, as to the place-name.
There are really two such place-names ; for Kelly says there
is a Wangford near Southwold, and another near Brandon.
This makes three Wangfords ; and they seem to be all of
different origin.
(1) Waugford in Blything hundred ; to the N.W. of
Southwold. Cf. Wangford, H.R. ; Wangeford, Ipm. Spelt
Wanheforda in D.B., p. 268, where it is associated with
Frostenden. As nh occurs in Norman for the A.S. ng, the
A.S. name must have been Wang-ford, just as it is now. The
sense is obvious, when it is remembered that both the A.S.
wang and the modern prov. E. wang (also wong) mean a flat
field. The sense is 'the ford near the flat field.' "Waugford
Green was all open common till 1817"; Raven, Hist. Suffolk,
p. 31.
(2) Wangford in Lackford hundred ; to the S.W. of
Brandon. Probably so called by confusion with the former ;
but really for Wainford. I find Waynefoj^d (Suffolk) in T.N. ;
and Copinger notes such spellings as Waynford and Wainford,
though these may refer to the hundred. However this may
be, I find in D.B., p. 156, a name which I read as Wainforda,
though in the Victoria County History, at p. 494, it is printed
Wamford, and explained as Wangford ; being certainly in
38 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Blything Hundred. I prefer my own reading, because Wamford
is nonsense, and we cannot fairly connect such a form with
Wangford no. 1 (above). The mistake of writing m for in is
common, if a mistake it be. I also find Wamford in R.B.,
but suspect that also to be wrong, as there certainly was a
Wainford somewhere, and we have not yet come to the hundred,
which had no more claim to be called Wainford than it had
to be called Wangford. I assume then that Wainford is here
the right form ; and the sense is obvious, viz. ' wain-ford,' or a
ford through which a wain could pass, as being but shallow.
The A.S. form would be lucegn-ford. There is a Wainfleet in
Lines., and fleet means a shallow stream.
(3) Wangford hundred. The original name was neither
Wangford nor Wainford, but occurs in D.B. in another form.
Thus, at p. 4, it is Wanneforda, and so again at pp. 15, 109,
178 ; but Waineforda at pp. 35, 94 ; and Wenefort at p. 39.
Waineforda and Wenefort may have been due to confusion
with Wainford ; but the prevalent form Wanneford requires
an explanation for which neither Wangford (Norman Wankford)
nor Wainford will suffice. I am inclined to accept the guess
made in Raven's Hist, of Suffolk, at p. 3. He says that the
Waveney was also called Wanney (which is likely), and suggests
that "Wainford" here means "Wanneford." Of course the
suggestion, as so presented, is impossible ; no one ever heard
of a ivain being called a wanney. But ' Wanney-ford ' may
very well suggest an origin for the form Wanneford in D.B.
As thus presented, the guess seems reasonable.
I therefore interpret the available evidence as showing
that Wangford near Southwold was always so called, and
meant ' ford near a wang'; and it was perhaps the oldest name
of the three. Secondly, that Wangford near Brandon was at
first called Wainford, or 'ford for a wain.' Thirdly, that
Wanneford hundred alluded to a ford across the Waveney,
which forms its northern boundary.
WiLFORD. The name of a hundred. There is no place
with this name in Suffolk, though there is one in Notts. Spelt
Wyleford, Willeford, H.R.; Wileford, D.B., pp. 76, 186. In the
NAMES ENDING IN -FORD, -GATE .SO
Crawford Charters, ed. Napier and Stevenson, at p. 33, 1. 3,
we find: " de wileford"; and the Index says that it means
" Wilford, CO. Suffolk"; without indicating its exact locality.
If we can rely upon the form Wileford, in which nearly all
the authorities agree, perhaps we ma}' explain it as ' Wili's
ford'; see Wilby. The sense 'willow-ford' is not impossible,
but is less likely.
YoxFORD. Spelt Yokisford, Ipm. ; loxford, lokesford,
H.R.; Gokesford, D.B., p. 298; lokesford, D.B., p. 105. " The
sense is ' Yoke's ford,' where Yoke is used, apparently, as a
man's name or nickname. In the A.S. and Northumbrian
version of the Gospels, the Lindisfarne MS. (Northumbrian)
translates coniugem in Matt. i. 20 by gehede vel geoc, lit.
'bedfellow or yoke'; showing that geoc could have the sense
of ' spouse.' The river at Yoxford is called the Yox ; but the
above spellings contradict the antiquity of its name. Some
further light comes from comparing it with Yoxall in Staffs.,
former Yokes-hale, where Yokes can only be a gen. singular.
At any rate, this second example shows that the form Yox is
modei-n ; and that the river-name is of no value. Yoxford
means 'Yoke's ford'; and it is only the interpretation of Yoke
that is doubtful. Another sense of yoke is pointed out by
Duignan, who refers us to Birch, C.S. i. 584, 1. 2, where xvi
give londes means 'sixteen yokes of land,' showing that 'a yoke
of land' denoted a definite portion of land ; whence the use of
prov. E. yoke to mean ' a small farm.' If a small farm bad
acquired the local name of Yoke, we might explain ' Yoke's
ford' as meaning a ford in its immediate neighbourhood, or
one used by the farm-servants. This is again one of the cases
in which the literal sense is obvious, but the exact inter-
pretation is unattainable, because we oannot tell to what the
name refers.
20. Gate.
There are two distinct words of this form, viz. gate, a street,
from the O. Norse gata, a street, road, way, and gate, a movable
barrier, answering to the A.S. geat. The suffix is only found
40 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
in Burgate, Lidgate, and Plomesgate, which will be considered
together.
Burgate. Spelt Burgata, D.B., pp. 276, 277, A.S.
Burhgat, occurring in the dat. case as burhgate ; Birch, C.S.
i. 8, 1. 4 from bottom; variant oihurhgeat, a borough-gate. Of
course the exact reason for the name is lost.
Lidgate. The birthplace of Lydgate the poet. Spelt
Lidgate, H.R.; Lydegate, Litgate, Ipm.; Litgata, D.B., p. 809.
For A.S. hlidgeat, explained as 'a swing-gate' in the Diet.,
but I suspect that it was rather a clapper-gate, i.e. an old-
fashioned kind of stile, one end of which falls when pressed
down, but rises again when the pressure is removed ; cf. A.S.
Idid, a lid of a box. The dat. Jdidgeate occurs in Birch, A.S.
ii. 284; spelt hlidgate in the same, p. 164.
Plomesgate. The name of a hundred. Spelt Plumesgate,
H.R. ; Plumesgata, D.B., p. 32. The exact origin of the name
is necessarily lost. It is remarkable that the A.S. plume, a
plum, was feminine, with a genitive in -an ; but here we have
to deal with a masc. sb. *Pluvi, gen. * Plumes ; whence the
sense ' Plum's gate.' The plum is referred to in the place-
names Plumstead, Plumpton, and Plumtree.
21. Grave.
The A.S. grcsf, a grave, also means a ditch, a trench, a
cutting or entrenchment. This suffix occurs in Gedgrave,
Hargrave, Hengrave, Kesgrave, Palgrave, and Redgrave.
Gedgrave. The parish (says Kelly) is a new one.
Gedgrave Hall lies to the S.W. of Orford, and near it are the
extensive Gedgrave Marshes. Spelt Gategrave, H.R.; Gatagraua,
D.B, p. 27; Gategraua, D.B., p. 93. Copiuger also gives the
spellings Gadegrave, Gadgrave, and Gedgrave. The original
prefix was obviously Gata-, as in Gata-ford, Gata-tun, Gata-wic;
all in Kemble's index. As Gatton is in Surrey, it is unlikely that
Gata- is of Norse origin. It would therefore seem to be the
NAMES ENDING IN -GRAVE 41
A.S. gdta, gen. pi. of gdt, a goat. The literal sense is ' burial-
place of goats ' ; though grave might merely mean trench, or
even enclosure. It is obviously impossible to learn the cir-
cumstances of the case.
Hargrave. Spelt Hai'egrave, Ipm. ; Haragraua, D.B.,
p. 300. The A.S. form is Haraii-grafa ; in Birch, C.S. iii. 492,
1. 15. Here grafa is a weak sb., closely related to grcef, a
grave, and no doubt had the same sense of trench. Haran
is the gen. of hara, a hare. The sense is ' hare's trench ' ;
or ' Hare's grave,' taking Hare as a man's name. We cannot
tell.
Hengrave. Spelt Hemgrave, Ipm. ; Hemegrave, H.R. ;
Hemegretha, D.B., p. 1.54. The last spelling seems to be due
to some mistake. The exact form of the prefix is not recorded;
but it may have been *H8ema. The word is not in the
dictionaries, but is found as a suffix in some place-names ; and
it is a derivative of ham, a home. Thus Kemble's index has
Niwen-htema gemero, or ' the boundaries of the dwellers in
Newnham ' ; literally, 'the boundaries of the new-homers.'
Hence a possible sense is 'grave of the dwellers in the home';
possibly ' a family burial-place.' We cannot ascertain the
circumstances.
Kesgrave. To the E. of Ipswich. Copinger records the
early forms Kessegrave and Kekesgrave, of which the latter
must be the older. Prof. Moorman shows that Kexmoor in
the W. Riding was originally spelt Ketelsmore, and Kex is
the natural contraction of Kekes. The name Ketel is Norse,
originally spelt Ketill; and the occurrence of the hard K before
the e is in itself an indication of Norse origin ; since the A.S.
Ce became Clie. The name has been much corrupted, probably
because the prefix was un-English. The succesive changes
must have been from KetilLs or Ketels to Ketes ; then to
Kekes, Kex.'and Kes. The original sense was probably 'Ketill's
grave.'
Palgrave. Spelt Palegraue, H.R.; Palegraua, D.B., p. 161;
Palegrave (in the dat. case), in Birch, C.S. iii. 314; in a grant
4'2 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
dated 962. Perhaps from the A.S. pal, a pole, a pale, a stake;
a word borrowed from the L. pdliis. If so, the sense may be
'grave enclosed with palings.'
Redgrave, Spelt Redgrave, H.R. When we compare it
with Redditch in Worcs., there seems to be no reason why it
may not have meant ' red trench,' or a trench cut through red
soil.
22. Hale, Hall.
The suffix hale is of much importance, as it is in common
use in many counties, and frequently appears in disguised
spelling, usually assuming the form of liall.
It has become -all in Aspall, and -ale in Kelsale ; and has
been changed into -hall in Benhall, Blaxhall, Buxhall, Ilkets-
hall, Knettishall, Knodishall, Mildenhall,Peasenhall,RickiDghall,
Ringshall, Spexhall, Uggeshall, and Westhall. The suffix in
Foxhall was originally -hole, while that in Lawshall and Stradis-
hall was -sele. But all the words that now end in -hall, -all, or
-ale, will be taken together, for convenience. Not one of them
originally ended in -hall ; whereas fifteen of them once ended
in -hale.
The 0. Merc, hale, A.S. heale, only appears in the dative
case ; the nom. ended in It, the O. Merc, form being halh, and
the A.S. healh. Halh has given us the modern haugh, which
is explained in the E.D.D. as meaning ' low-lying, level ground
by the side of a river'; while the pro v. E. hale (from the above
dative case) is similarly defined as 'a piece of flat alluvial land
by the side of a river.' The old sense of halh or healh seems
to have been a corner, nook, or sheltered place ; it seems safe
to define it as 'a sheltered spot, beside a river'; pei'haps we
may call it 'a nook' for the sake of brevity.
Aspall. Spelt Aspenhalle, Ipm. ; Espala, D.B., p. 196 ;
Aspella, D.B., p. 275; Aspala, D.B., p. 339. Copinger gives
many spellings, of which the best are Aspale, Asphale, Asphal.
The etymology is evidently from the A.S. cesp, an asp-tree or
aspen-tree, and liale, as explained above. The variant Aspenhalle
NAMES ENDING IN -HATJO, -HALL 43
is valuable, as giving aspen, which is really an adjectival form,
made by adding -en (as in gold-en, tuood-en) to the A.S. cesp.
The sense is 'aspen-nook.'
Benhall. Spelt Benhall, Ipm., p. 161 ; but BenJiale earlier,
Ipm., p. 121. D.B. has Benhala, pp. 57, 128; Benehcda, pp. 57,
130; Benenhala, pp.56, 130; Benehalla,^. 34. The right form,
amongst these, is Benenhala ; where Benen represents A.S.
Beonan, gen. of Beona ; a personal name occurring in Beonan-
feld, in Kemble's index. The sense is ' Beona's nook.'
Blaxhall. Spelt Blakeshal, H.R. ; Ipm. ; D.B. has Blaches-
sala, pp. 31, 53 ; with che for ke, and s wrongly repeated ;
Blaccheshala, D.B., p. 53. Copinger also gives Blacheshala,
Blakeshale. The prefix represents A.S. Bheces, gen. of Blcec,
lit. ' black,' used as a personal name, like Black at the present
day. The sense is ' Black's nook.'
Buxhall. Spelt Bakeshale, R.B., T.N. ; Buckeshale, T.N. ;
Buckeshala, D.B., p. 139. It appears as Bucyshealm, in the
dat. case, in ^IfiBaed's Will ; in Birch, CS. iii. 602. Bucys is
an inferior spelling of Bucces, gen. of Bucc, lit. ' a buck,' but
here used as a man's name. The sense is ' Buck's nook.'
Foxhall. To the E. of Ipswich, and S. of Kesgrave. There
is also a Foxhall Hall, which is not tautological, since it stands
for Foxhole Hall ; as old spellings show. Spelt Foxehole, H.R. ;
Foxeliola, D.B., p. 212. The form Foxe- shows that the prefix
represents the A.S. gen. pi. foxa, ' of foxes ' ; and the whole
word represents foxa holu, ' holes of foxes,' or ' foxholes,' which
has been turned into ' foxhole,' by neglecting the pi. suffix -u.
Ilketshall. Spelt Ilketeleshale, H.R. ; shortened to
Ilketeshale, Ipm. D.B. has Ilcheteleshala, p. 40 ; shortened to
Ilcheteshala, pp. 40, 151 ; with che for ke. From a Norse name,
as the use of ke shows. The sense seems to be ' Ilketill's nook.'
Ketill is very common in Norse names, or in names adapted
from them ; but I find no compound with the prefix II-. There
can hardly be any doubt that Ilketill is a reduced form of the
known name Ulfketill ; so that the original sense was really
44 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
' Ulfketill's nook.' Indeed, it is likely enough that the
reference is to a famous Ulfeytel who was alderman of East
Anglia, and inflicted a serious defeat upon the Danes in the
year 1004; see the A.S. Chronicle. Nevertheless, his name
was of Norse origin ; Ulfcetel was a very common Norse name,
and Bjorkman (p. 169) gives the shortened form Ulketel, for
which D.B. has substituted Ilketel, spelt Ilchetel because D.B.
has che for ke regularly.
Kelsale. Spelt Keleshulle, R.B. (wrongly) ; but Keleshale,
H.R. ; Ipm. ; and Keleshala, D.B., p. 59. Copinger has many
other forms, giving the prefix as Gheles (in Norman spelling,
with che for ke), Kales, Kelis, Keils, Kels (very rarely with II)',
so that the vowel was long. Perhaps the prefix was Ceoles,
gen. of Ceol, a known name ; for though Ceol would normally
be palatalised to Chele, this process was sometimes arrested by
Danish influence, as in the case of Kellington in the West
Riding, which is from Ceolinga-tun ; see Prof. Moorman's
explanation of this name. The very same thing seems to
have occurred again in the case of Kelshall (Herts.), which
has the same prefix, though the suffix -hall has there been
substituted for ' hill ' ; see my Place-names of Herts., p. 34.
Thus the name probably means ' Ceol's nook.'
Knettishall. Also sometimes Knattishall, as in Philips'
County Atlas. Kirby calls it Knattishall or Gnattshall. Spelt
Gnateshal, T.N.; also Ghenetessala, D.B., p. 81, with ss for sh;
Gnedeshalla, D.B., p. 174; Gnedassala, D.B., 336. The use of
a or e in the first syllable, and the spelling with gn, suggest
that the prefix was associated with the A.S. gncettes, gen. of
gncett or gncet, a gnat ; but it probably represents the Norse
name Knottr (gen. Knattar), given by Rygh. If so, the sense
is ' Knottr's nook.' The English turned Knattar into Knattes.
Knodishall. Spelt Knoteshal, H.R.; Cnotesheala, D.B.,
p. 106; Chenotessala, D.B., p. 116 (with Chen for Kn, and ss
for sh). Also Knoteshalle, Ipm. Apparently from a personal
name *Cnot: but I can only find Cnott, with a short vowel, as
NAMES ENDING IN -HALE, -HALL 45
in Gnottis rode, in Kemble, vi. 217, 1. 10. Tiiis would give us
the sense of ' Cnott's nook,' or ' Knott's nook.' Prof. Moorman
refers Knottingley in the W. Riding to an O. Norse personal
name Knottr ; but the form given by Rygh is KnOttr (gen.
Knattar) ; as in Knettishall above.
Lawshall. In this case, the evidence shows that the
suffix was neither hall nor hale, but sele. This sele is the A.S.
sele, m. (gen. seles), also found as seel, n. (gen. swles, seles), a
habitation, dwelling-place, house. The form in D.B. is Laives-
selam, p. 196. Copinger gives many other forms (without
noting the sources) ; the chief are Lausel, Lausele, Lawcell,
Lawsele, Lawsell. The word appears to be a compound sb. ;
and, as aw usually corresponds to an A.S. ag, it could easily
be derived from the A.S. lagu, a lake, and sele, a dwelling ;
meaning ' a dwelling-place near a lake.' If this be so, the
situation of this dwelling-place would not be near the present
Hall, but near the Hall in Chadacre Park, about a mile to the
S.W., where a small lake is marked upon the ordnance map,
as being an expansion of the Chad Brook. See lay, sb. (1),
by-form laiu, a lake, a pool, in the N.E.D.
Mildenhall. Spelt Mildenhal, H.R.; miswritten Mitdene-
halla, B.D., p. 16. But fortunately, the true dat. form Milden-
hale occurs in a charter of Edward the Confessor ; see Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 418, 1. 13. Milden is a late spelling of Mildan,
gen. of Milda, which represents some name beginning with
Mild, such as Mildred, which was formerly masculine. The
sense is ' Milda's nook.' For the prefix, cf. Mildan-hald ; Birch,
C.S. i. 452.
Peasenhall. Spelt Pesenhale, H.R. ; Ipm. ; Pesenhala,
D.B., p. 102 ; Fisehalla, D.B., p. 64. The prefix is the A.S.
pisena, gen. of pisan, which is the pi. of pisa, a pea. This pi.
pisan became pesen in Mid. Eng., and peasen in the sixteenth
century. The sense is ' peas-nook ' ; or a sheltered spot where
peas were grown. Or the prefix may represent pisan-, com-
bining form of pisa when forming a compound.
46 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
RiCKiNGHALL. Spelt Rykingliole, Ipm. D.B. has Rikin-
chala, p. 95; Richingehala, p. 161; Rikinghala, p. 58. From
A.S. Rlcinga, which occurs in Rlcinga-hmn, in Kemble's index.
Ricinga is the gen. pi. of Ricing, a son of Rica. The sense is
' nook of the sons (or family) of Rica.'
RiNGSHALL. Spelt Ringeshale, Ipm. ; Ringeshal, T.N. ;
Ringeshala, D.B., p. 249. The prefix is the A.S. Hringes, gen.
of Hring (borrowed from the 0. Norse Hringr), and the sense
is 'Hringr's nook.' See RiNGSFiELD.
Spexhall. Copinger gives as old spellings such forms as
Speccyshale, Spectyshale (obvious error for Speccyshale), Spet-
teshale (error for Specceshale), Speckshall, &c. The suffix is
clearly hale. The prefix can only take the form of Specces,
gen. of an A.S. *Specc, which is unknown. If it were a
name, we should then have 'Speck's nook' as the sense. The
E.D.D. says that Speck is the Norf. word for a wood-pecker,
which would represent an A.S. *specc, and would be cognate
with the G. 8pech-t. Kluge says that the E. speight, a wood-
pecker, is borrowed from German, but thinks that the G.
Specht may be allied to the A.S. specca, a speck ; with reference
to the parti-coloured plumage of the bird. My guess is that
the name means 'wood-pecker's nook.' Compare Yaxley, i.e.
' cuckoo's lea.'
Stradishall. Here the suffix is not hale, but sele, a
dwelling-place ; as in Lawshall (above). D.B. has Stratesella,
p. 233. Copinger gives such forms as Stradesel, Stradesele,
Stradesyll ; and H.R, has 8t7xitesele, Strattesele. I suppose the
original form to have been the A.S. stra't-sele, i.e. 'dwelling
near a street' or old road. The A.S. strwt is frequently
represented by Strat- in Strattons and Stratfords. The medial
-is- or -es- was easily introduced as a fictitious genitive suffix,
as it is common in many place-names, and was suggested by
the s in the suffix -sele. About a mile and a half from the
present Stradishall church we find a Wickham Street marked
on the ordnance map, which leads directly to Wickhambrook.
The present road from Stradishall to Clare passes through a
NAMES ENDING IN -HALL, -HAM 47
place where the map has a Chilton Street ; and a road joining
Wickham Street to Chilton Street would pass through or near
Stradishall.
Uggeshall. Spelt Huggethale, error for Uggec{e)hale, T.N.
D.B. has Uggiceheala, p. 38 ; Wggessala, p. 337 ; Ulkesala,
p. 102. All these are bad spellings, but they lead back to
the form Ugges-hale, evidently compounded of the suffix liale
and of Ugges, gen. of Ugg, not an English name, but adapted
from the Dan. Uggi, allied to the Icel. uggi-, fear, which has
given us the adj. ugly. The sense is ' Uggi's nook.' (Uggr
is one of the names of the god Odin in the Edda.)
Westhall. Spelt Westhale, H.R.; R.B. The sense is
simply 'west nook.'
23. Ham.
This is an extremely common suffix, and arises from two
distinct sources, which cannot in many cases be separated ; so
that all the names in -ham must be considered together. The
modern -ham represents either (1) A.S. ham, a home, or
village, or village community, shortened to ham in an un-
stressed position; or (2) the A.S. hamm, also Jtam, meaning
an 'enclosure' or 'a place fenced in,' connected with the modern
English to hem in. In the few cases in which the ultimate
origin can be ascertained, the fact will be noted.
This common suffix occurs in the following, viz. Akenham,
Aldham, Aldringham, Badingham, Barham, Barnham, Barning-
ham, Barsham, Baylham, Blakenham, Brantham, Brettenham,
Bucklesham, Cavenham, Chattisham, Coddenham, Cretingham,
Dalham, Darsham, Debenham, Denham, (Santon) Downham,
Elmham, Fakenhara, Falkenham, Farnham, Felsham, Finning-
ham, Fornham, Framlingham, Freckenham, Gisleham, Gisling-
ham, Glemham, Helmingham, Henham, Heveningham, Higham,
Hintlesham, Hitcham, Horham, Icklingham, Ingham, Langham,
Lavenham, Layham, Letheringham, Martlesham, Mendham,
Mendlesham, Mettingham, Needham Market, Pakenham,
Parham, Redisham, Reudham, Rendlesham, Rougham, Saxham,
48 THE PLACE-NAMES OB^ SUFFOLK
Saxinundhani, Shottisham, Soham, Somersham, Stonham, Syle-
ham, Thelnetham, Thoraham, Tuddenham, Walsham, Wattis-
ham, Wenham, Whelnetham, Wickham Market, Wickhambrook,
Willingham, Willisham, Witnesham, Worlingham, Wortham,
and Wrentham ; more than eighty in number.
Akenham. Ill spelt Acreham, D.B., p. 17. Aken represents
the A.S. Acan, gen. of Aca, a known name. Cf. Acan-tiln, in
Birch, iii. 603. We may generally take -ham to mean ' home '
after a personal name in the genitive, unless there is evidence
to the contrary. The probable sense is ' Aca's home.'
Aldham. Spelt Aldham, Ipm.; Aldeham, D.B., p. 14.
The e in Aide- indicates the use of the definite form of the
adjective. For O. Merc, se alda ham, nom., or cet tham aldan
hdme, dative. It means ' the old home.'
Aldringham. Spelt Aldringham, H.R.; but Alrincham in
D.B., p. 59. The A.S. personal name Eallrinc occurs in Birch,
C.S. ii. 45 as a witness; answering to 0. Merc. Allrinc. The
gen. suffix -es has been lost, as occasionally happens. The sense
is ' Allrinc's home.'
Badingham, or Baddingham. Near Framlingham. Spelt
Badingham, H.R.; Badincham, D.B., p. 96. The name Bada
occurs in the Liber Vitse of Durham, and elsewhere. The
sense is ' home of the Badings,' or ' of the sons of Bada.' (A.S.
Badinga ham.) Compare Badley, Bad well.
Barham. Spelt Bergham, Ipm., p. 241 ; Berhani, D.B.,
p. 236 ; Bercham, p. 49. The prefix is the O. Merc, herh,
A.S. heorh, a hill, a barrow ; and the suffix is, in this case,
probably hamm, an enclosure. The sense is ' hill-enclosure ' ;
or ' enclosure beside a hill.' There is a small hill near it.
(N.B. Barham, Kent, is A.S. Beoraham.)
Barnham. Spelt Bernham, T.N.; D.B., p. 37. From A.S,
bern, herern, a barn. The sense is ' barn-enclosure ' ; or ' en-
closure with a barn.'
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM 49
Barningham. Spelt Berningham, KB. ; D.B., p. 170 ;
Berni7icham, D.B,, p. 147. For O. Merc. Berninga ham, A.S.
Beoringa ham. The sense is 'home of the Bernings' (A.S.
Beornings), or ' of the sons of Bern ' (A.S. Beorn).
Barsham. Spelt Barsham, T.N. ; Barshmn, D.B., p. 94 ;
Bersham, D.B., pp. 109, 110. From the A.S. Bwre,gen. Bwres.
The sense is ' Baere's home.' Baere is a known name.
Baylham. Spelt Beilhant, Ipm.; Beylham, Ipm.; Baylham,
Ipm.; Beleham, D.B., p. 112. The diphthong ei suggests a
Scandinavian origin ; and as the Mid. E. slei, ' sly,' is from
the 0. Norse sla^gr (in Zoega's O. Icel. Diet.), so I suppose
beil- may be from the O. Icel. boeli, a farm, dwelling. The
sense may be ' farm-enclosure.'
Blakenham. Spelt Blakenham, H.R.; Blacheham, D.B.,
p. 142 (with che for ken). The corresponding A.S. form is
Blacan-hdm, i.e. ' Blaca's home.' Blaca is a known name.
Brantham. Spelt Brantham, Ipm.; D.B., p. 31 ; Brantestana,
D.B., p. 30. Copinger also gives the spelling Brentham. It
seems to be derived directly from the A.S. brant, 'steep'; if
so, the sense is ' the steep enclosure,' or ' enclosure near the
steep slope.'
Brettenham. Spelt Bretenham, H.R.; T.N.; Ipm. ; Bretham,
D.B., p. 22 ; Bretenhama, D.B., p. 177. Not to be connected
with the Britons ; because the A.S. Brytt, a Briton, is a strong
sb., with the gen. sing. Bryttes and gen. pi. Brytta (without n).
The origin is rather from the A.S. brettan, bryttan, gen. of
bretta, brytta, mostly in the sense of 'lord,' or 'prince'; though
the literal meaning is 'distributor'; cf, Icel. bryti, a steward.
The probable meaning is 'prince's home.' It is clear that
Brettenham suggested the name of Breton (as it is spelt in
Kirby, p. 270) for the river that rises near it, though the name
is now shortened to Bret, which disguises the connexion.
BucKLESHAM. Spelt Bokelesham, H.R.; Bukelesham, D.B.,
p. 23. These forms suggest an A.S. form *Bucles (or *Buccles)
ham, i.e. *Bucers (or *Buccers) home ; but the forms Bucel,
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. 4
50 • THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Buccel are not recorded. They look like a diminutive from
the known name Bucca. Compare Buckle Brook, Lanes.
Cavenham. "For shortness called Canham " ; Kirby(1813).
Spelt Gauenham, H.R. ; Ipm. (printed Cavenham); Kauanaham,
D.B., p. 245, where it is apparently miswritten as Kanaaaham.
The third a is superfluous, and may have been due to confusion
with Kauanadis, which is the misspelling in D.B., at p. 335, of
Kauanedis (Cavendish). The right form is Cauanham, where
Cauan is the gen. of Caua (in Searle's Onomasticon), which
should rather be written as Gafa ; for / is the right symbol
for V between two vowels. The sense is ' Cafa's home.' See
Cavendish.
Chattisham. Spelt Chatisham, H.R.; Ghatesham, Ipm.;
Getessam, D.B., p. 14. Ghates represents an A.S. *Geattes, gen.
of *Geatt. This exact form does not occur ; but the correspond-
ing weak form Geatta is found in Geattan-broc ; in Kemble's
index. The sense is ' Ceatt's home'; or ' Ceat's home.' Com-
pare Chettisham, Cambs.
CoDDENHAM. Spelt Godeiikam, Ipm.; D.B., pp. 9, 115. For
A.S. Godan ham, where Codan is the gen. of Goda, as in Godan-
ford, Godan-clibe (Birch, C.S. i. 295). The sense is ' Coda's
home.' See Cotton.
Cretingham. Spelt Greting, H.R. ; Gretinges, T.N. ;
Gretingaham (for Greting a J tarn), D.B., pp. 39, 305. It seems
safest to refer these forms to the A.S. Gretta, as this is a known
name. Then Greting (H.R.) would represent the gen. pi.
Grettinga, 'of the sons of Cretta'; Gretinges (T.N.) would
represent the nom. pi. Grettingas; and the place-name will
mean ' home of the sons (or family) of Cretta.'
Dalham. Spelt Dalham, H.R. ; R.B. ; D.B. ; p. 219;
Daelham, Birch, C.S. iii. 612, last line. From A.S. dcel, a dale.
The sense is 'dale-enclosure,' or 'enclosure in the dale.' 'Dale-
home' is less probable; but quite possible.
Darsham. Spelt Z>er5Aa7>t, Ipm.; H.R.; D.B. p. 4; Dersam,
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM 51
D.B., p. 24 ; Diresham, D.B., p. 108. For A.S. Deoies ham ;
i.e. ' Deor's home.' The literal sense oi deor is 'deer.'
Debenham. Spelt Deheham, H.R. ; R.B. ; Depham, D.B.,
p. 192; Depbeham, on the same page; Dephenham, D.B.,
pp. 49, 50. Also Depham, Ipm. ; Dehham, in a late copy of a
charter, in Kemble, iv. 245.
The spellings DepbenJiam, Depbeham are only variants of
Debbenham, Debbeham, as shown by the D.B. spelling of Up-
bestuna for Ubbeston. The original form was certainly the
adj. deop, 'deep,' in the dative case deopan; in the phrase cet
thcim deopan hamme, 'at the deep enclosure'; or, less probably,
wt thdm deopan hdme, ' at the deep home.' Under the stress,
the eo was shortened, giving Deppenham and Debbenham ;
Depham and Debham resulted immediately from the nom.
deop hamm (or ham). There is a Deopham in Norfolk ; and
the modern Deptford is spelt Depeford in Chaucer; meaning
'deep ford.'
It follows that it is wholly impossible even to imagine that
Debenham took its name from the river Deben ; on the con-
trary, the river was named from the place, because it there
takes its rise. " The country round this Town is very deep
and dirty, but the Town itself is clean, standing on a rising
Hill"; Kirby.
Denham. There are two places of this name ; one near
Bury, and one near Eye (Kelly). Spelt Denham, H.R. ; T.N. ;
D.B., p. 59 ; Deneham, Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 408. In the last,
the prefix Dene- represents the A.S. denu, a valley, rather than
Dena/of the Danes.' The sense may well be 'valley-enclosure,'
or ' enclosure in the valley.'
Downham, or Santon Downham, as distinguished from
Santon in Norfolk, on the other side of the Little Ouse
(Kelly). The soil is of light sand ; and Santon means Sand-
town. i)«/iAam, D.B., pp. 157, 203. There is another Downham
in Norfolk, at some distance to the N.W. Downham is probably
the A.S. Dun-ham {=D€in-hamm), i.e. ' hill-enclosure.' Kemble
and Thorpe mark the a in ham as long, but without authority ;
4—2
52 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUB'FOLK
according to Thorpe, at pp. 383, 422, and 424 of his Diplo-
matarium, the MS. has 'Dunham' in each passage ; and all the
passages occur in quite late charters. Were the a long (which
I doubt) the sense would be ' hill-home.'
Elmham. The South Elmhams are parishes in the Northern
division of the county ; viz. South E. All Saints, South E.
St George, St James, St Margaret, St Michael, and St Peter.
Spelt Elmham, H.R. : T.N. ; Elmeham, D.B., p. 94. The sense
is 'enclosure (or home) near the elm.'
Fakenham. Spelt Fakeham, R.B., T.N. ; Fachenham, D.B.,
p. 174 ; Fakenham, in a late copy of an A.S. document, in
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 594. The prefix represents an A.S.
*Facan, gen. of *Faca ; cf. the recorded names Fac-ualdus and
Facca. The sense is ' Faca's home' or ' enclosure.'
Falkenham. Spelt Falkeham, T.N. ; Faltenham, error for
Falcenham, D.B., p. 120; cf. Falchenham in Birch, CS. iii.
659. Nearly the same name as that of Fawkham, Kent,
which appears in a Latin charter as Falcheham, in Birch, C.S.
iii. 375 (1. 6 from bottom); but in a better A.S. charter as
Fealcna-ham, in the same, iii. 374, 1. 5. Here Fealcna must
be the gen. pi. of Fealca, which can only be the L. falco, a
falcon, done into English spelling ; whence also the gen. sing.
Fealcan. This A.S. form is otherwise unknown, but it may
have been in occasional use, as the Lat. y>^. fal cones appears in
the Epinal and Corpus Glossaries, both of the eighth century.
The sense is ' the enclosure of the falcon ' ; or ' Falcon's enclo-
sure.' Compare Hawkedon, above.
Farnham. Spelt Farnham, D.B., p. 72 ; Ferneham, D.B.,
p. 128. The A.S. form is Fearnham, in Kemble's index. The
sense is, probably, ' fern-enclosure ' rather than ' fern-home.'
Felsham. Spelt Felisham, Ipm. ; Fealsham, D.B., p. 164.
Copinger also notes the form Faleshani. The prefix answers to
the A.S. Fades, which appears in Fddes-gnefe, in Birch, iii.
587, 1. 3 from bottom (twice). The nom. case is Fcele ; cf. A.S.
fwle, adj., faithful, good. The sense is ' Ftele's home.'
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM 53
FiNNiNGHAM. Spelt Feningham, Ipm. ; Finingaham, D.B.,
p. 58. Copinger also gives Finingham. The spelling with en
ought to be significant, as en usually becomes in ; but not
conversely ; and fen-ing might mean a fen-man. The sense is
either ' home of the fen-men,' or ' home of the sons of Finn.'
But in the latter case we should expect to find nn in the old
spellings.
FoRNHAM. There are three places of this name near
together, viz. F. All-Saints, F. St Martin, and F. St Genevieve.
Spelt Fornham, Ipm.: D.B., p. 162. Forna was a somewhat
common name, as there are half-a-dozen examples of it; we
may conclude that the original form was Fornanhdin, i.e.
' Forna's home.' The syllable an would be very easily lost,
owing to the repetition of n. Rygh gives Forni as a Norse
name ; whence (says Bjorkraan) the A.vS. Forna was borrowed.
Framlingham. Spelt Framling ham, Ipm.; Framelingham,
H.R. ; Framelingham, D.B., p. 44 : Framelingaham, D.B., pp. 90,
297. The last suggests ' home of the Framelings ' ; but whether
that is quite the correct form, we have no further evidence.
Freckenham. Spelt Frekenham, H.R.; Frakena.ham,'D.'B.,
p. 201. Also Freheham (twice) in a twelfth century copy of
an A.S. charter originally dated 895 ; in Birch, C.S. ii. 212,
213. We also find Frecan-thorn in Birch, C.S. ii. 270. Frecan
is the gen. of freca, a bold man, a warrior. The form in D.B.
suggests the gen. pi. frecena, as if it were 'home of the
warriors ' ; rather than the gen. sing, frecan, which would give
' home of the warrior.' Cf. the patronymic Frsecing ; Birch,
C.S. i. 474.
GiSLEHAM. Spelt Gisleham, D.B., pp. 5, 43. The form
Oislan-ford occurs in an A.S. charter ; Birch, C.S. iii. 588.
Here Glslan is the gen. of Glsla ; compare the names Glsl-
heald, Glslbeorht, &c. But Gtsli (says Rygh) was a common
Nonse name, and Gisle- well represents its genitive Glsla ;
moreover the Norse initial g remained hard, whilst the A.S. g
usually became y and then disappeared. The sense is ' Gisli's
home.'
54 ■ THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
GiSLiNGHAM. Spelt Gyslyngham, H.R. ; Gislingaham,
D.B., p. 11 ; Gislingheham, D.B., p. 83. The sense is 'home of
the Gislings,' or 'of the sons of Gisli.' See the preceding
name.
Glemham. Sipeh Olemham,l\:im.; D.B., p. 245; Gliemham,
D.B., pp. 33, 129 ; Glaimham, D.B., p. 56. The forms Gliem-,
Glaim-, show that the vowel was formerly long. Perhaps for
*Gl^m-hamm ; from the A.S. glw7n, gleam, brightness. This
suggests the sense ' gleam-enclosure ' ; as if it were in a sunny
situation. Of. Glemsford. This solution is, of course, con-
jectural. The name of the river Glem is probably unoriginal ;
for otherwise, we should expect the form Glemford. Glemham
and Glemsford are a long way apart.
Helmingham. So spelt in Ipm., T.N. ; Helmingheham,
D.B., p. 22. Compare Helmyngton in Kemble's index. For A.S.
Helming a-hdm; 'home of the Helmings,' or 'of the sons of
Helm.'
Henham. Near Wangford. So spelt in H.R., T.N. ; also
Heneham, T.N. Copinger also gives Heenham. Spelt Hen-
ham, D.B., p. 268. The dat. case Hean-hammce occurs in
Birch, C.S., iii. 649. Here htan is the dat. of heah, high ;
and hammce is the dat. of hamm. The sense is ' at the high
enclosure.' See Higham.
Heveningham. To the S.W. of Hales worth. Spelt Heve-
ningham, Ipm.; Heueningham, H.R; Heueniggeham, D.B., p. 107.
The form Hefan-croft occurs in Kemble's index ; where Hefan
is the gen. of Hefa, a known name. Thus the A.S. form would
be *Hefaninga-ham, i.e. 'home of the Hefanings' or 'of the
sons of Hefa.'
Higham. Near the Stour, to the W. of E. Bergholt. Spelt
Heham, Ipm.; Heyham, H.R.; Heiham, D.B., p. 285. A charter
relating to Higham (Kent) is endorsed ' boc to heh-ham ' in a
hand of the eleventh century ; Birch, C.S., i. 301. Heh is the
O. Merc, form of A.S. heah, high. The sense is 'high enclosure.'
The dat. case occurs in Henham.
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM 55
HiNTLESHAM, Sipelt Hijntlesham, iTpm.] Hintlesham.T.'N.;
D.B., p. 17 ; and in a late A.S. charter, in Thorpe, Diplomat.,
p. 569. Also Hintelesham, R.B., H.R. ; Hentlesham, Huntles-
ham, T.N. The vai'iation in the sound of the first vowel, which
appears as y, i, e, and x, can be accounted for if we assume it
to have been originally y. Hence the sense is 'home of Hyntel';
where Hyntel is a name not yet recorded. But it is a regular
diminutive of A.S. Hunta, which would give *Huntila, *Hyntel.
HiTCHAM. Spelt Hicham, Ipm.; Hecham, H.R.; D.B., p. 208;
Hetcham, D.B., p. 221. The dat. Hecan-ige occurs in an A.S.
charter; Kemble, CD., vi. 221; and the name Heca occurs
again in the A.S. Chronicle. The A.S. form would be Hecan-
hdm, i.e. ' home of Heca.' Copinger records the spelling
Heacham ; so that Heacham (Norf ) is the same name.
HoRHAM. Spelt Horham, H.R.; Hoi^am, D.B., p. 97. The
spelling Horham occurs in Bp Theodred's Will ; see Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 513. From the A.S. horu, mud. The sense is
' mud-enclosure,' or ' muddy enclosure.' The same prefix occurs
in Horbury and Hoiton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
ICKLINGHAM. Spelt 7/;e^z»^Aam, H.R. ; T.N.; Ecclingaham,
D.B., pp. 16, 271. The prefix is the same as in Ickleton,
formerly Icklington, Cambs. ; see the A.S. spelling Icelingtim
in ^If helm's Will ; in Birch, C.S., ii. 630. The sense is ' home
of the Iclings ' or ' of the sons of Icel.' Icel and Iceling (of
which Icling is an abbreviation) both occur in the A.S.
Chronicle. The Iclingas or Iclings were a Mercian family.
See my accounts of Ickleford, Cambs., and Icleford, Herts.
Of course none of these names is in any way connected with
the Icenhild Way, as the antiquaries so often delight in saying,
in contempt of phonetic considerations. Sometimes they invoke
the Iceni !
Ingham. Spelt Yngeham, R.B. ; Ingham, D.B., p. 167 ;
Incham, D.B., p. 135. In an Oxfordshire charter, dated 880,
there is mention of " Incghsema gem^re," or ' boundary of the
men of Incgham ' ; where the occurrence of cd shows that the a
in liam was long, and the sense ' home.' Incgham, variant of
56 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Ingham, is a compound word, and the prefix ing represents the
O. Norse eng, a meadow; as in Ingbirchworth in the W. Riding
of Yorkshire. The prefix is certainly Norse ; we do not find
any trace of it in such counties as Beds., Berks., Carabs., Herts.,
Hunts., which show scarcely any sign of Scandinavian influence.
(Inkpen, Berks., means ' Inga's pen,' where Inga is a personal
name.) The sense of Ingham is ' meadow-home.' There is
another Ingham in Norfolk, and a third in Lines.
Langham, Four miles N. [by W.] of Elmswell station
(Kelly). Spelt Langeham, R.B. ; Langham, D.B., p. 173. I
suppose it means ' long enclosure ' ; from the A.S, lang, long.
Lavenham. Spelt Lauenham, H.R. ; D.B., pp. 149, 275;
Lauanham, in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 521, 1. 2. Here Lauan
represents the A.S. Lafan, gen. of Lafa, a name recorded in
the Liber Vitae of Durham. The sense is 'Lafa's home.' Often
shortened to Lauham, and actually spelt Lanam by Skelton, in
bis Why Come ye nat to Courte, 1. 930. Dyce wrongly^ explains
it as meaning Langham (Essex),
Layham.. To the S. of Hadleigh. Spelt Leyham, T.N. ;
H.R.; Ipm,; Leiham, D.B., p. 246. But it is spelt Hligham
(in connexion with Hadleigh) in iElfflSd's Will ; in Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 520, 1. 10. I cannot explain this form hltg, in
which the final g was, however, a mere glide, except by con-
necting it with the O. Friesic hli, O. Norse hly, warmth, Dan.
ly, shelter, cover, and the O.N. hlyi^ warm, A.S. hleoiv, shelter,
protection; prov. E. lew, shelter, and E. lee. Cf. A.S. Iilywan,
to keep warm ; in Napier's Glosses, i. 252. The modern form
also presents difficulty ; there may have been confusion with
the verb to lay. See Lay, verb, in the E.D.D., sect. 24 ; where
lay is given as a sb., meaning ' shelter for wild fowl.' There is
a probability that the right sense is 'sheltered enclosure'; with
reference to protection from cold.
Letheringham. Spelt Letheringham, Ipm. ; Letheringa-
ham, D.B., p. 216 ; Ledringaham, D.B., p. 135. I think the
A.S. form of the prefix must have been Leoderinga, gen. pi.
of Leodering, for Leod(h)er-ing, i.e. son of Lead-here, a known
name, formed from two very common elements. If so, the sense
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM 57
is 'home (or enclosure) of the sons of Leodhcre.' Compare
Letheringsett, Norf
Martlesham. To the S.W. of Woodbridge. Spelt Mar-
cles/iam (with c for t), Ipm., p. 218; but Merlesham (without t),
D.B., p. 287, which can hardly be right. Copinger also gives
the forms Martelisham, Marthelisliam, Martilsham, Mertlesham,
Me7'tlisham ; all from a base Mart-, Marth-, Mert-. The only
name with a similar base is Mart-ley, Wore. ; and the only
Teutonic word at all resembling this is the A.S. mearth, a
marten ; 0. Norse mofSr. A base *Mart- might give a dimin.
*Mertila, A.S. *iyiertel ; whence we might obtain the sense of
' Mertel's home.' But we have no sufficient evidence of this;
so that the name remains unsolved.
Mendham. On the Waveney; to the S.W. of Bungay. So
spelt in T.N. ; R.B. ; Ipm. ; D.B., p. 175 ; also in a late copy of
Bp Theodred's Will, in Thorpe, Diplomat, p. 513; and Mi/nd-
ham, on the same page; also Myndaham, Birch, iii. 210, 1. 17 ;
see below.
Mendlesham. Spelt Mendlesham, R.B.; Mendelisham, Ipm.,
p. 8. D.B. has the forms Melnessam, p. 10; Munlesham, p. 11 ;
Mundlesham, same page. The variation of the vowel, from e
to u, suggests that the original form had the A.S. y, and that
the prefix represents an A.S. *Myndel, formed from an earlier
^Mund-il, due to adding the dimin. suffix -il to the A.S. Mund.
Cf. G. milndel, a pupil. Both Mund and Munda occur as A.S.
personal names. If this be right, the original sense was
' Myudel's home ' or ' Myndel's enclosure.' And a possible
sense of Mendham (above) is ' Mynda's home ' or ' Mynda's
enclosure'; where *Mynda is from a stem *Mund-jon-, formed,
in the usual way, as a weak masculine ; from the base Mund.
Mettingham. E. by N. from Bimgay. Spelt Metiugham,
H.R. ; R.B. ; Metingaham, D.B., p. 40. The last form implies
' the home (or enclosure) of the sons of Ma3te ' ; supposing the
A.S. adj. 7n(ete to be used as a proper name. The usual sense
of m(^te is ' moderate, small, poor,' which would easily become
an epithet and give a name. Cf. the form MiPtelm (for *MiSt-
helm) in Birch, C.S., ii. 469, 1. 20.
58 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Needham. Spelt Nedham, H.R. Copinger also records
the form Nedeham. Cf. A.S. mod, nied, need, necessity ; used
in numerous compounds. The sense is 'a home in need,' a
home which one is driven to occupy ; a place of refuge.
Pakenham. Spelt Pakenham, Ipm.; Pachenham (with che
for ke), D.B., p. 162. Also Pakenham, in a late copy of Bp
Theodred's Will ; in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 514. The form implies
an A.S. *Pacan, gen. of *Paca ; a name not otherwise known ;
but also required to explain Pakefield. The sense is ' home
(or enclosure) of Paca.'
Parham. Spelt Parham, Ipm., p. 161 ; Perreham, D.B.,
pp. 9, 27. Copinger gives Parkham as a variant, which has
the same sense. For park (F. 2)arc) goes back to a Teut. form
*parr-uc {A.S. pearr-oc), where -uc is a dimin. suffix ; from an
older form *parr, which doubtless meant ' an enclosure.' Cf.
prov. E. par, an enclosed place for domestic animals ; from the
verb parren, to enclose or bar in. The pp. parred, confined,
occurs in 1400, and represents an unrecorded A.S. *pearran,
or *parr{an, which I take to be a shortened form of A.S.
sparrian, to bar in or fasten in with spars or bars. Thus
Parham properly signifies ' an enclosure made with bars,' or
' a railed-in enclosure.' See Park in my Etym. Diet.
Kedisham. To the S. of Beccles. Spelt Redesham, Ipm. ;
H.R. ; D.B., p. 111. Redes represents the A.S. Reades, gen. of
Read, lit. ' red.' Though Read is not recorded as a personal
name, it is very clearly implied in the A.S. Readingas (now
Reading, Berks.), lit. ' sons of Read.' Indeed, the forms Read,
Reade, Reid (all from A.S. Read) are still in common use as
surnames. The sense is ' Read's home,' or ' Read's enclosure.'
Rendham. To the N.W. of Saxmundham. Spelt Rend-
ham, Ipm.; but Rindham, D.B., p. 127; Rindeham, D.B., p. 128;
and Rimdham (for Rindham ?), D.B., p. 54. The A.S. rinde,
the rind or bark of a tree, is here unsuitable. We should
rather compare Rinde-ham with the A.S. hrinda, which occurs
in the phrase " oth hrindan broc " in Birch, C.S., ii. 60 ; where
broc means ' brook.' The sense of hrindan is not known ; if it
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM 59
is the gen. of Hrinda as a personal name, the sense of Rendham
may have been ' Hrinda's home ' or ' enclosure.' But this must
remain a conjecture. (There is a Norse female name Rindv, but
the genitive is Rindar.)
Rendlesham. Spelt Rendlesham, Ipm. ; D.B., p. 26. But
the name is very old, and is explained by Beda, in his Eccle-
siastical History, bk iii. ch. 22, where he speaks of " Rendlaes-
ham, id est, mansio Rendili " ; so that the sense is ' Rendil's
home.' Rendlaes is an old form of Rendles, the regular genitive
of Rendil, which drops the * when the form is lengthened by a
syllable.
Rougham. To the E.S.E. of Bury, Spelt Rougham, Ipm. ;
Ruhham, D.B., p. 163. We find on rinoan Jiammas, 'to the
rough enclosures,' in Birch, C.S., ii. 492 ; where ruwan is the
ace. pi. of the A.S. ruh, rough, uncultivated. Hence Ruh-ham
here means 'rough or uncultivated enclosure.'
Saxham. Spelt Saxham, Ipm. ; Saxam, D.B., p. 9 ; Saxham,
D.B., p, 222. The prefix Sax- here represents the O. Merc.
Saxan, gen. of Saxa (A.S. Seaxa), a personal name. The sense
is ' Saxa's home,' or ' Saxa's enclosure.' The O. Norse Saxi is
also common in place-names.
Saxmundham. Spelt Saxmundeham, H.R.; Saxmondehayji,
D.B., p. 116. An s has been dropped; the original form must
have been Saxmundesbam, where Saxmundes is the gen. case
of Saxmund, an 0. Merc. form. Though Saxmund is not in
Searle's list, it is perfectly regular ; since Sax- is a common
prefix, and -mund a common suffix. The sense is ' Saxmund's
home ' or ' enclosure.'
Shottisham. To the S.E. of Woodbridge ; the same name
as Shottesham, Norfolk. Spelt Shotesham, Ipm. ; Scotesham,
D.B., p. 75. The same prefix occurs in Scottes-healh, in Birch,
C.S., iii. 240, 1. 2. Here Scottes is the gen. of Scot, used as a
personal name, and pronounced Shot in later A.S., and still in
use. Compare Shotley (Suff.), Shottesbrook (Berks.), &c.
Whether this Scot is the same as the A.S. Scot, meaning
(JO THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
(1) a Scot of Ireland, and (2) a Scot of Scotland, can hardly
be determined.
SoHAM. There is an Earl Soham, so called from the Earls
of Norfolk; also a Monk Soham, called Soham Monachorum in
Ipm., p. 295; so called because the Monks of Bury were patrons
of the Rectory (Kirby). The same name as Soham in Cambs.
Spelt Saham, Ipm., p. 218 ; R.B. ; H.R. ; D.B., p. 26 ; so that
the 0 represents, as usual, an A.S. d. And this Saham is short
for Sag-ham, as shown by the variant form Saeg-ham, in a
charter of the twelfth century; see Earle, Land Charters, p. 368,
1. 8. I explain the A.S. sag as meaning ' a depression ' or
' hollow ' ; from sigaii (pt. t. sag), to sink down. See my
Place-Names of Cambs., p. 23. The sense is (probably) ' en-
closure near a hollow.'
SoMERSHAM. Spelt Somersham, Ipm. ; Sumersham, R.B. ;
D.B., p. 247; Sumersam, D.B., p. 113. There is another
Somersham in Hunts., which (in my Place-Naraes of Hunts.)
I explain as 'summer's enclosure,' or 'enclosure for the summer.'
The A.S. gen. sing, smneres is sometimes thus used adverbially,
meaning ' in the summer.'
South Elmham. See Elmham (above).
Stonham. Stonham Aspall is to the N.E. of Needham
Market. Near it are Earl Stonham, called Stonham Comitis
in Ipm., with reference, says Kirby, to Thomas Brotherton, Earl
of Norfolk ; and Little Stonham or Stonham Parva, also called
Stonham Jerningham, from the family of that name. Stonham
Aspall is so named from the family of that name, but the family
was named alter the place called Aspall (above). Perhaps it
is worth while to note that the surname Jerningham is an
example of attempting to give an English look to a French
name. As Bardsley points out, the original form was Gernagan;
which, with an initial J for G, became Jernagan. Then the
suffix -agan was "Englished" by turning it into -ingham, which
is so common an ending in English place-names. All the same,
the initial J is quite enough to detect its French origin.
NAMES ENDING IN -MAM 61
Stonluim is spelt Stcmham in Iprn., R.B., H.R., and in D.B,,
p. 140. All from the A.S. stan, a stone. It meant ' stone
enclosure,' with reference either to a wall or to st(my soil; we
can hardly say which.
Syleham. On tlie Waveney ; N.VV. of Wingficld. Spelt
Silham, H.R. ; also in a late copy of Bp Theodred's Will, in
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 513; Seilam, D.B., p. 298. Copinger
also notes the spelling Sulham. The vowels y, i, a, and e
(wrongly ei in D.B.) all point back to an A.S. y\ and the
etymology (like that of Sulhamstead in Berks.) is from the A.S.
sylu, a miry place. The sense is ' enclosure in (or near) a miry
place.'
Thelnetham. On the Little Ouse, to the N.W. of Botes-
dale. There is some strange mystery about this name and
that of Whelnetham. In both cases, there is evidence that
the n is unoriginal, and has taken the place of a v. In the
present case, the spellings are : Telneteluivi or TelueteJiam, D.B.,
p. 21; Thelueteham, D.B., p. 94; Teluetteham, D.B., p. 148;
Teolftham, D.B., p. 172. The last of these is very striking;
it is impossible that / should be miswritten for n ; it must
rather refer to a sound related to v. It should also be noticed
that there is a Thelveton in Norfolk, and that Copinger notes
the spelling Telvetham. For further discussion of this difficult
name, see under Whelnetham.
Thornham. Spelt Thornham, H.R., Ipm., R.B. ; Tornham
(with T for Th\ D.B., p. 10; Thornham, D.B., pp. 80, 83.
Also Thornham in an A.S. charter; Kemble, CD., iv. 110, 1. 2.
Kemble's index also has Thornhwma die, with reference to
Worcs. ; where the w shows that, in some instances, the word
was Thornham, with long a. This gives the sense ' Thorn-
home ' ; or a dwelling-place near thorn-trees. The sense ' thorn-
enclosure ' is also admissible, and may here be meant.
TuDDENHAM. There are two places of this name ; Tudden-
ham St Martin, near Ipswich, and Tuddenham St Mary, near
Mildenhall (Kelly). Spelt Tudenham, H.R.; T.N.; D.B., p. 25
62 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Tudeham, R.B.; D.B., p. 823. Tuddenham near Mildenhall
appears in an A.S. charter, dated 854, as Tuddan ham; Birch,
C.S., ii. 81 ; the a being marked as long. The sense is ' Tudda s
home,' Tudda is a known name.
Walsham, or Walsham-le- Willows. To the E. of Ix-
worth. N. and S. Walsham are in Norfolk. The A.F. le was,
no doubt, believed to be the definite article at an early date ;
but it is clear that it had originally the form les (as in French)
and was a preposition, meaning 'near'; being derived from the
Lat. latus, side ; whence the sense of ' beside.' We find Wales-
ham, R.B., T.N.; Walsam, D.B., p. 94. Kemble's index has
Wales-ho, Wiales-flet, and Weales-hic6 ; so that the most
probable original form (as indicated by Wales-ham in R.B.
and T.N.) was Weales-hdm (or -hamm). Weales is the gen.
of Wealh, ' a stranger, a foreigner,' usually ' a Briton.' The
sense is ' stranger's home,' or ' stranger's enclosure, near the
willows.'
Wattisham. Near Bildeston. Spelt Watesham, R.B,
Copinger also notes the forms Wathesham, Wathisham, evi-
dently with A.F. th for t; also Wachesham, Wachisham, with
th miswritten as ch. All the forms are equivalent, and can
be reduced to Watesham ; and there is no evidence to connect
this immediately with the prefix in Wattisfield (above).
The form Wates requires an A.S. nom. Wcet ; and though
we have no record of this except in Latin, we find the allied
weak masc. Wata, and the dimin, Wwtel, as in Watling Street,
and in Wattisfield, The sense is ' Wast's home ' or ' Wset's
enclosure.' The Latinised form is Wattus, spelt " Uuattus
rex" in Birch, C.S., i, 113.
Wenham. Great Wenhaim was also known as Brent Wen-
ham, i.e. Burnt Wenham ; also called Wenham Gombusta, Ipm.,
p. 93. Little Wenham is two miles S.E. of Raydon station
(Kelly). Spelt Wenham, H.R. ; T.N. ; D.B., p. 29. We find
"terram de Wenintone" in Birch, C.S., iii. 281 (no. 1061).
Here Wenin is for Wenan, gen. case of a personal name Wena,
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM (>:{
not otherwise known, though the compounds Wenburh iuid
Wenbeorht occur. The sense is ' Weua's home ' or ' ench)sure.'
WheLNETHAM. Great and Little Whehietham lie to the
S.E. of Bury. Here, as in the case of Thelnetham, we have
evidence that the n is uncniginal. In D.B. we find the extra-
ordinary form HueljiJiain, p. 165. . In Ipni., p. 116 (no. 89),
we find Parva WhelnethciDi ; but at p. 24"J (no. 34), the same
place is referred to as Whelwitham, which looks like the original
from which Hiielfiham was made, by the turning of an E. w
into a Norman v (here written as/). It is clear that Thelnet-
ham and Whelnetham must be explained together. I can only
guess at this riddle, and the theory I propose is the following,
viz. that there were already, before the Conquest, two places in
Suffolk named Witham (probably contracted from an earlier
Witanham or ' home of Wita'); and that these places (which
are little more than 15 miles apart) were distinguished by
the prefixes Thel- and Hwel (= Hweol). They thus became,
respectively, Thelwitham and Whelwitham ; or, with v for w,
Thelvithan and Whelvitham ; or, in the spelling of D.B., Teol-
f{i)thain and Huelfi{t)hain. How the sound of v was afterwards
exchanged for that of n in both cases (showing that they
certainly affected each other), it is hard to say ; but we have
positive evidence that such a change really took place. It
remains to explain the prefixes Thel- and Hwel-. Thel is the
A.S. thel, a plank, particularly one used to form a wooden
bridge over a stream, as in the case of Theale (Berks.) and
of Thelbridge (Devon). Hwel- is the A.S. hiueol, mod. E. wheel.
The A.S. hweol is also used in the sense of ' circle,' and may
denote that this Witham was of circular form. This is the
best I can make of this extraordinary pair of names, both of
which present very unusual features. I am informed that, not
long since, the pronunciation of the latter place was Wheltham,
a shortened form which ignored the middle syllable.
Wickham Market. Spelt Wichant, R.B. ; D.B., p. 11 ;
Wycham, H.R. ; Wiccham, D.B., p. 10 ; Wikham, p. 26. The
A.S. form is Ww-ha7n ; see Kemble, CD., vi. 98, 1. 6. From A.S.
wic, a village ; and ham, a home. The a was long, because we
64 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
find W'lc-hwma in Kemble, v. 243, 1. 8. The sense is ' village-
home.' But there was also a Wic-hamm, or ' village-enclosure ' ;
Birch, C.S., iii. 610.
WiCKHAMBROOK. The same as the above; with the addition
of bj'uok, A.S. broc. There is also a Wickham SkeitS, near
Finningham; from the family name Skeith, which is obviously
of Norse origin. The Icel. skeith means a space, a certain
length in a course; and Vigfusson notes that it occurs in place-
names.
Willingham. Spelt Wilingham, T.N. ; Willing aham, D.B.,
pp. 6, 109, which may be the original form. If it be so, the
sense is ' home (or enclosure) of the Willings,' or ' of the sons
of Willa.' Willa is a known name. But Willingham in Cambs.
is differently spelt in D.B., and means ' home of the Wifelings,'
or ' of the sons of Wifel.'
WiLLiSHAM. Spelt Wylavesham, Ipm. ; Willauesham, T.N. ;
Wylevjesham, H.R.; Willaluesham (error for Willauesham), D.B.,
p. 141. Also Willauesham in Leofgifu's Will (a.d. 1045); in
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 570. All from Willaues, representing
the A.S. Wigldfes, or Wildfes, gen. of Wigldf or WUaf, a well-
known name. The g is here a mere glide, and the difference
in sound between the two forms was very slight in late A.S.
The name Wtglaf occurs in Beowulf, 11. 2602, 2631, 2745. The
sense is ' Wiglaf's home.'
Witnesham. Near Ipswich. Spelt Witnesham, Ipm., p. 241,
col. 1 ; Witlesham, col. 2. But Copinger also gives such forms
as Wittelesham, Wyttylisham, answering to Wittlesham in D.B.,
p. 294; so that the n was once I. The change is not uncommon.
Further, Copinger gives the form Whitnesham, with initial Wh;
and a comparison with Whittlesford (Cambs.) and Whittlesea
(Cambs.) tends to confirm this. I would therefore explain it
from the name *HwUel, the only original form w^hich will
explain those names, being itself a derivative from Hwit, i.e.
white. Thus the original sense was, probably, ' Hwitel's home '
or ' Hwitel's enclosure.'
NAMES ENDING IN -HAM, -HAUGH 65
WoRLiNGHAM. Spelt Werlinghani, H.R.; T.N. ; Warlinga-
ham, D.B., p. 253 ; WerlingaJiam, D.B., p. 4. In Birch, C.S., ii.
295, 1. 5 from bottom, we find "werseles wellae," suggesting that
there was once a name spelt Wersel, equivalent to Werel, whence
a derivative Werling (shortened from Wereling) would easily
result. However, it seems safe to explain the above name as
meaning 'home (or enclosure) of the Werlings'; which may
have meant 'sons of Werel.' The prefixes in Worlingham,
Worlington, and Worlingworth are all different.
WouTHAM. So in T.N. ; spelt Wordham (with d for th) in
D.B., p. 80 ; Wortham, D.B., pp. 84, 148. Spelt Wrtham (for
Wurthaiii) in Kemble, CD., iv. 293. From A.S. luorth, an
enclosed homestead ; and (probably) haniut, an enclosure ; the
compound having the sense of ' farm-enclosure.' See Bosworth
and Toller's A.S. Diet., p. 1267.
Wrentham. To the N. of Southwold. Spelt Wrentham,
Ipm.; H.R.; Wretham (probably an error for Wretham= Wrent-
ham), D.B., p. 237. Copinger also gives the form Wrantham.
Not A.S., but Friesic. Koolman gives the E. Friesic wranten,
to grumble, and ivrante, sb., a grumbler. Hexham's Mid. Dutch
Diet, has tvranten, to wrangle, to quarrel, or to chide ; and wrant,
a wrangling, or a quarrelsome man. Outzen gives the N. Fries.
wrante, to whimper ; cf Dan. vrante, to be peevish. From the
base wrant would be formed an A.S. ^wrantian, *wrentan, to
grumble ; and hence *iurenta, a grumbler, which could be used
as a nick-name. Hence Wrentham would mean ' Wrenta's
home ' or ' Wrenta's enclosure.'
24. Haugh.
The mod. E. haugh is from the O. Merc, halh, A.S. healh,
a sheltered place, hence, low-lying land beside a stream; as has
already been explained under Hale, which is, grammatically,
the dat. case of haugh. The sole example is Pettaugh.
Pettaugh. To the S. of Debenham. Spelt Pethage, T.N.;
Pethagh, Ipm. ; Petehaga, D.B., p. 194 ; Pettehaga, D.B., p. 320.
Copinger also notes the forms Pethaugh and Pethale, which are
important as showing that we are here dealing with haugh and
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. o
66 • THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
hale, not with hem, a hedge; though the spelling Fethaiue
occurs also. The forms in D.B. show four syllables, so that
the word is not a mere compound with pet, 'a pit.' The prefix
Pete- represents the A.S. Peotan, gen. of Peota, which occurs
in a Worcester charter dated 851, as the name of a witness ;
see Birch, C.S., ii. 56. I explain Pettaugh as ' Peota's haugh ' ;
or rather (with a simple vowel) as ' Peta's haugh.' And see
Pettistree.
25. Heath.
The mod. E. heath appears in A.S. as hwth. There are
three places that end in -heath at the present day, but in only
one of these, viz. Leavenheath, is the suffix original. The other
two are Horningsheath and Lakenheath. But I shall take all
three together, for practical convenience.
Horningsheath. Near Bury. Often called Horringer,
and marked as Horningsheath or Horringer on Bacon's map.
This remarkable variation is due to the fact that the suffix
-heath was substituted, at an early date, for another suffix that
contained -er-, which is even now not quite forgotten. Spelt
Horning esherth, H.R.; Ipm. Copinger records numerous forms,
but in all of them the prefix is equivalent to Horninges ; whilst
the old suffix appears as herih (once harth), erth, herde, herd,
erda, erd ; and (by mistake) as worda. D.B. has Horningesworda,
p. 152, and Horningeserda, p. 222, with the usual Norman
neglect of initial h, and change of th to d. The suffix repre-
sented by the Middle English herth (whence the other forms
result) is the A.S. lieorth, mod. E. hearth, which was sometimes,
though rarely, used to denote 'a dwelling,' or 'house'; see the
A.S. Diet. The original sense was ' Horning's hearth,' which
was afterwards turned into ' Horning's heath,' Horning means
'son of Horn,' which is a known personal name. The form
' Horningges ha^S,' i.e. Horning's heath, occurs in a late copy of
Bp Theodred's Will ; in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 514. But this
copy abounds in quite late spellings, so that it proves but little.
Lakenheath. Spelt Lakingheth, H.R.; Lakinghethe, H.R.;
Lakenham (by some mistake), T.N.; Lakingahethe, D.B., p. 223 ;
NAMES ENDING IN -HEATH, -HILL -HITHE 67
Lal'inrjh lithe, Ipm., p. 24 ; Lakinghith, Ipm., p. 221. Also
Lacinga-hi^, Birch, C.S., ii. 567 ; Lakinghe^e, Kemble, CD,,
iv. 18, 1. 7 ; Lakijnge-hJ^e, Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 308, 1. 4.
The spellings huthe, hythe are absolutely inconsistent with
' heath,' and can only represent the A.S. hyth (dat. hythe), a
hithe, a landing-place. The prefix Lacinga is the gen. pi.
of Lacing, which is not a patronymic (as in the case of
Lockinge, Berks., where the form is Lacing, with long a),
but a derivative from the A.S. lacu, a stream ; see Earle, Land
Charters, p. 465. Lacing meant ' a stream-dweller,' or dweller
beside a stream, viz. a southern affluent of the Little Ouse,
at a time before the present lodes or drains were made. The
sense is ' hithe of the dwellers beside the stream.' Lakenheath
had much more water near it in early days than it has now.
At a later period, the suffix hithe was exchanged for heath.
Leavenheath. To the N.W. of Nayland. Copinger gives,
without references, the old spellings Levenesheath, Levenes-
heth, Leveney. Here Levenes is certainly a late form of
Leo/wines, gen. of Leofiuine, an extremely common name
(whence our modern Levin, Lewin, &c.). Kemble has Leof-
wines dene, Cod. Dipl. iv. 68. The sense is ' Leofwine's heath.'
26. Hill.
A well-known suffix. The A.S. form was hylle, whence the
varying Mid. English forms hille, helle, hulle, hylle.
There is but one example, viz. Haverhill.
Haverhill. Spelt Hauerhill, H.R. ; T.N. ; Haverhulle,
Ipm. ; Haverhille, Ipm. ; Hauerhella, D.B., p. 185. Not from
haver, ' oats,' because that word is unknown in English till
after 1300; but from A.S. hoifer, a he-goat. The sense is
' goat hill.'
27. Hithe.
From the A.S. hy^ (gen. and dat. hy^e), a hithe, a landing-
place, a haven. The only apparent example is Covehithe ; but
Lakenheath was once Lakenhithe, as shown above.
5—2
68 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
COVEHITHE. Near the coast, to the N. of Southwold. The
village is a little way inland. The hithe must have been where
Covehithe Broad now appears on the ordnance map. The sense
is ' cove-hithe,' or ' cove-landing-place.' See Cove.
According to Copinger, Covehithe is the place sometimes
alluded to by the name of North Hales. North refers to its
position as regards South Cove, which is not far off. Hales
is an old word, now obsolete, in use in English from 1330 to
1606, meaning ' tents, booths, huts, or temporary structures';
from the Old French hale, mod. F. halle, a covered market-
place ; from the 0. High German halla, which is cognate with
E, hall. It occurs in D.B., p. 15, ill spelt as Northals, as a
solitary example of the use of the O. Fr. hales, long before its
general introduction into English.
28. Hoe, or Hoo.
The A.S. hoh signities ' the heel,' and is the parent of the
modern E. hough and hock; but it is also common in place-
names, with the sense of ' spur of a hill ' or ' projection on a
hill-side.' With loss of the final li, and change of the A.S. o
into 00 (as in A.S. col, mod. E. cool), it has become Hoo. Some-
times it appears as Hoe or Ho, which preserves an older
pronunciation. It appears in the name Hoo ; and as a suffix
in Culpho, Dallinghoo, and Wixoe. The suffix in Thingoe is
different.
Hoo. To the S.W. of Framlingham. Spelt Hoe, T.N. ;
Hou, R.B.; D.B., p. 74; Hov (for Hou), D.B., p. 215. The
spellings Ho, Hor/h, Hohg, occur in Kemble's index, with
reference to Hoo in Kent ; and Hohg, with reference to Hoo,
Suff. From the A.S. hoh, 'spur of a hill,' as said above. The
hill-spur, above the river Deben, is clearly shown in the
ordnance map by the contour-line marked 100.
Culpho. To the N.E. of Ipswich. Spelt Culpho, H.R. ;
T.N. ; Culphowe, R.B. Also Culfho, H.R. ; R.B. ; Culfo, T.N. ;
Quilfo, T.N. D.B. has Culfole, Gulfola, p. 131 ; where perhaps
the addition means ' lea.' The suffix is plainly the A.S. hoh,
NAMES ENDING TX -UOE OR -HOO Gf)
' spur of a hill ' ; it is on high ground. The original prefix
seems to have been Gulf; and Gulfo (for Gidf-hd) was respelt,
with a Norman p/< for /. Gimlf is noticed by Searle as oc-
curring in Ellis's lists of land-owners and tenants in D.B., so
that it is a late form, and a manifest contraction for the very
common name Guthwulf, also Guthulf, in which the th would
readily disappear. The gen. -es is also lost, as is not un-
common in early names. There can hardly be a doubt that
the name meant ' Ciithwulf's hoh,' or a hill-spur named after a
Cuthwulf.
Dallinghoo. Between Ipswich and Framlinghf\m. Spelt
Dallingahou, D.B., p. 27 ; Dalingahou, D.B., p. 90 ; Daliiigeho,
in the Crawford Charters, ed. Napier and Stevenson, p. 33, 1. 2.
For A.S. Dalinga hoh, ' hill-spur of the Dalings.' I understand
Dalings to mean dal-ings, or dalemen, or ' dwellers in a dale ' ;
just as Centingas means Kent-ings, or men of Kent. We may
suppose them to have moved uphill out of a valley.
Thingoe. Not the name of an existing village, but of a
hundred ; a fact which suits the name. Spelt Thinglioive, H.R,
D.B. has TJiingehov, p. 221 ; Tinchou, p. 18 ; and Thingohov,
p. 202 (with needless repetition). Also Thinghowe; in Thorpe,
Diplomat, p. 418.
The suffix has evidently been assimilated to that in Culpho,
Dallinghoo, and Wixoe. But the spelling hoiue (in H.R. and
Thorpe) suggests that it was once the prov. E. how, howe, a
small detached hill or mound, from the Icel. haugr, a mound.
The prefix Thing, from the A.S. thing, 0. Norse thing, meant
' an assembly, a meeting for consultation or deliberation,' a
meeting of the men of the hundred ; so that the sense is
' meeting-mound.' In Gage's Suffolk, p. x, it is said that the
Thing-how was an 'aceruus' or artificial mound just outside
the North gate of Bur3^
Wixoe, or Whixoe. On the Stour, to the S.E. of Haver-
hill. Spelt Wixoe in Bacon's map, but Whixoe in his index.
Spelt F^Yes^^eoM(!), D.B., p. 267; Wydekesho, R.R.; T.N. The
prefix answers to the A.S. Hvnttuces, which occurs in Hiuit-
tuces hlcewe; in Birch, C.S., iii. 70, 1. 11. Hwittuc is a
70 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
diminutive from HwUa, lit. ' white one,' from hivit, white.
The sense is ' Hwittuc's hill-spur.' The shape of the hill
can be traced on the ordnance map by help of the contour-
line marked 200.
29. Holt.
The A.S. and mod. E. holt means a small wood or copse.
It occurs in Bergholt, Occold, Ramsholt, and Southolt.
East Bergholt. Near the mouth of the Stour. Spelt
Berkholt, H.R. ; Bergholte, Ipm.; Bercolt, T.N. ; D.B., p. 13.
Copinger gives five other forms beginning with Berc- or Berk- ;
and one example of Bircholt. The prefix is certainly the O.
Merc, here, A.S. heorc, a birch ; and the sense is ' birch-copse.'
The modern form is not a happy one.
Occold. Near Eye. Formerly Occolt, which is a better
spelling. Spelt Acolt, D.B., p. 10; for Acholt. Spelt Acholt,
in Kemble, CD., iv. 245 ; for A.S. dc-holt ; from ac, an oak.
The sense is ' oak-copse.'
Ramsholt. S.S.E. of Woodbridge. Spelt Ramisholt, Ipm.;
Rammesholt, D.B., p. 76. Apparently ' Ram's holt ' ; Ram or
Ramm might be a personal name. More probably, as in
Ramsey, it stands for the A.S. hrcem, variant of hrcemn, a
raven ; and the sense was ' Raven's holt.' Raven could also
be a personal name.
Southolt. The sense is ' south copse.'
30. Hurst.
A hu7'st means ' a wooded eminence,' or ' a small wood.' It
occurs, much disguised, in Hartest. The A.S. form is hyrst
Hartest. N.N.W. of Long Melford. Spelt Hertherste,
Ipm. ; Hertherst, T.N. ; Herterst, D.B., p. 224 ; ill spelt Hertest,
D.B., p. 203; and in a late copy of a charter, in Kemble, CD.,
iv. 245. Also Harthurst, Herthurst (Copinger). The sense is
' harthurst.'
NAMES ENDING IN -lN(i 71
31. -ING.
In the case of Ingham, the prefix is Norse, and means ' a
meadow ' ; but there is no other example of it in Suffolk. As
a suffix, it occurs, in this county, only as a patronymic, or with
the signification of 'dweller in' or 'dweller near'; for which
see Blything. In the plural, it refers to a tribe or family.
It occurs in Ash Booking, Barking, Bealings, Blything, Cowl-
inge. Greeting, Exning, Gedding, Gipping, Milden, Nedging,
Shimpling, Sweffling, Thredling, Wratting.
ASHBOCKING or Ash Booking. E. of Needham Market.
The prefix Ash merely means ' ash-tree ' ; but the place was
often called Ash simply, in olden times ; and D.B. has Essa,
p. 9 ; which is a Latinised form of Esse ; and Esse is the
Norman spelling of A.S. cesce, dat. of cesc, an ash. It was
afterwards called Ash Booking, because it was in the possession
of the Booking family for some centuries (Kelly). This family
had its name from Booking in Essex; called 'aet Boccinge,' in
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 539. And Boccing here meant, originally,
' a son of Bocc' Bocc occurs in Bocches-hale (for Bocceshale),
in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 583, note 3.
Barking. The same as Barking in Essex ; which is spelt
Berking in Ipm., p. 100. The Suffolk Barking was also for-
merly Berking (Copinger). Spelt Berchingas, nom, pi., in D.B.,
p. 204 ; Beorcingan, dat. pi. (for Beorcingum), in Birch, CD.,
iii. 602. As the A.S. beoix means ' birch-tree,' and does not
appear as a proper name, we may explain Beorcingas, nom. pi.,
to mean 'dwellers beside a birch-tree or birch-grove.' Note
that Berking is from the O. Merc, form berc rather than the
A.S. beorc.
Bealings. Great Bealings and Little Bealings are near
Woodbridge. Spelt Beling, T.N. ; Belinges, H.R. ; D.B., p. 70 ;
Belings, Ipm. The name Beola is noted by Searle as being
that of a moneyer, in the time of Cnut, but I suspect that the
name was Norse ; from Bele or Beli, a name which occurs
several times in the Edda. In any case, we may explain
Belinges (for A.S. *Belingas or *Beolingas) as a tribal name.
72 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Blything. The name of a hundred. Spelt Blidinga (with
d for S), D.B., p. 3. Blything is a hundred on the E. coast,
containing Southwold and Dunwich, and the river Blythe flows
through tlie midst of it. The river-name (meaning 'blithe' or
'pleasant') is an old one, and another river of the same name
is mentioned in a Northants. charter, dated 944 ; see Earle,
Land Charters, p. 179, 1. 3. I understand Blithinga, gen. pi.,
to be the gen. of Blithingas, or ' the dwellers beside the Blythe.'
CowLiNGE. N.N.E. of Haverhill. Spelt Culing, B..U.: Gul-
inges, T.N., Ipm.; Cvlinge, D.B., p. 24. It evidently represents
an A.S. Culinga, gen. pi. (as in Culinga gemsere, Birch, C.S.,
i. 318); and ' Gules feUV occurs in a Hants, charter, dated 909,
in Birch, C.S., ii. 284. Hence the Culingas were 'the sons of
Cril.' It seems to be not quite the same name as Cowling
in the W. Riding of Yks., which refers to ' the sons of Coll ' ;
as Prof. Moorman shows. The form Gidinges in T.N. repre-
sents the nom. pi. Ciilingas.
Creeting. West Creeting and Creeting St Mary lie to
the N. of Needham Market. Spelt Gretinges, T.N. ; Greting,
H.R. ; Gretinge, R.B., Ipm. But D.B. has Gratingas, p. 22 ;
Gratinga, p. 47 ; in Gratingis, p. 48. Probably fiom the A.S.
Gretta, a name of which two instances are known. Creeting
may represent a gen. pi. Grettinga ; and the nora. Grettingas
means ' the sons of Cretta,' or ' the family of Cretta.'
ExNiNG. To the N.W. of Newmarket. The spelling I wning
is commoner, at an early date ; and the place was once con-
sidered to be in Cambridgeshire, as its position suggests.
Spelt Ixninge, locnynge, and even Ixningliam, Ipm. ; Ixninges,
R.B.; Yxninge, R.B.; Ixnwg and Exning, H.R.; Ixning, Yxning,
T.N. No doubt the prefix is related to that of Ixworth, which
is also in Suffolk ; and the latter is known. Ixworth appears
in a very late charter (no. 1019) as Ixeworthe ; and in another
(no. 1018) as Gyxeweorde (with d for tS); both in Birch, iii. 219.
But Gyxe- stands for Gixe-, with i, not y; because before y a G
remains hard, whilst before i it disappears. And Gixe is a very
late form of the true gen. Gixan, from a nom. Gixa. It is now
NAMES ENDING IN -ING 78
clear that Ixning was a later form of Gixan-ing', or rather of
the gen. pi. Gixaninga; which meant 'of or belonging to the
Gixanings ' or * of the sons (or family) of Gixa.' Note parti-
ciihirly the spelling Ixenyng in Ipm. (Index Nominum). The
longer form Ixningham is quite legitimate; it means 'home (or
enclosure) of the Gixanings.' Gixa = Gisca ; see IxwoRTH.
Gedding. Spelt Geddinge, Geddinges, R.B. But also
known as Giddiug, in which form it appears in Pigot's Atlas,
1831. Spelt Oedinga, D.B., p. 235 ; Geldinga (error for Gedd-
inga), D.B., p. 165. In Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 526, Giddincg-
forda (dat.) is mentioned in connexion with Kersey and Hadley,
and must refer to Gedding. Note that in Ipm., p. 48, Geddinge
refers to Gedding (Suff.) ; whilst in the same, p. 25, Gedding
refers to Gidding (Hunts.). The phonology is not difficult.
Both these places really had once the same name, and this
name must have begun with an A.S. Gy, as otherwise the G
would not have remained hard. This Gy is often spelt Gi
in later times, and it often iippears as Ge (with hard g)
dialecticall}^ It is therefore certain that Gedding once referred
to a settlement of ' the sons of Gydda.' The personal name
Gydda occurs in Gyddan-den ; in Kemble, CD., v. 289.
GiPPiNG. About 2^ miles E. by N. from Haughley railway
station ; a small hamlet. I find no old spelling, but Copinger
records Gipping, Gypping, Gippyngge, and Gyppinges ; all un-
dated. There is also a river Gipping, and I have seen it
suggested that Ipswich (formerly Gippes wic) took its name
from the river! But I presume that the G in Gipping is hard,
and therefore wholly unconnected with the A.S. Gippes, in
which the G was sounded like the y in yield. The map shows
that the river Gipping, before it joins another stream above
Stowmarket, comes down from the direction of Gipping, and
whilst still small, flows past the end of Gipping Great Wood.
It is therefore fairly certain that the river took its name from
the place, and not otherwise ; just as the Deben comes from
the neighbourhood of Deben ham. I suppose that the oldest
spelling was Gypping, and that it represents a tribal name,
from a personal name Gypp or Gyppa ; but of such names
74 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
no trace seems to exist, unless we can compare Geppa (twice)
in Searle's list.
MiLDEN. Called Milding* by Kirby (1764). S.W. of
Bildeston. This must be included among the names in -ing,
on account of the older forms. Spelt Meldinge, Ipm., p. 198 ;
Mellinga, D.B., 159 ; Mildinges, F.A., v. 43. I find no other
old spelling ; but Copinger recites some seventeen, of which
all but two end in -ing, -ingg, -inge, -ingge, or -yng, -yngg,
-inga. Eleven of them begin with Me- ; so that the oldest
type seems to be Meldinga, which we may associate with the
personal name Melda, whence are derived the names Meldreth
and Melbourn, both in Cambs. The gen. pi. Meldinga refers
to a settlement of ' the sons (or family) of Melda.'
Nedging. Near Bildeston. Spelt Nedding, H.R. ; Nedd-
inge, R.B. ; so that the sound of dg is unoriginal. D.B. has
Niedinga, p. 209. In a Suffolk charter relating particularly
to Cockfield, in Birch, C.S., iii. 603, 1. 3, we find " cet {H)nydd-
inge," which Kemble and Thorpe explain as Nedging, with
obvious correctness. This furnishes another instance in which
the A.S. y is locally rendered by e. The initial H is printed by
Birch between two marks, to show that it has been supplied
afterwards. We also find Neddinge in a late copy of a charter
in Kemble, CD., iv. 245 ; it is of no great value. The evidence
shows that the name refers to a settlement of Hnyddings or of
Nyddings ; but there is nothing to help us any further.' In
the form Neddinge, the final -ge must have been palatalised,
or sounded as j, giving Neddinj ; after which the J-sound was
passed back into the former syllable, and so it became Nedjing,
or Nedging.
Shimpling. To the W. of Lavenham. There is another
Shimpling in Norfolk. Kelly says it is also known as Shim-
plingthorne ; where ' thorne ' is the mod. E. ' thorn.' Spelt
Simpling,T.'M.; Shimpling, Ipm.; Simplinga, D.B., p. 270 (with
Norman 8 for A.S. Sc) ; Scimpling, H.R. The A.S. form must
have been Scimplinga, or settlement ' of the Scimplings,' mod.
E. Shimplings ; i.e. ' of the sons of Scimpel,' mod, E. Shimpel ;
NAMES ENDING IN -ING, -LAND 75
a name not recorded. But it probably meant 'jester'; cf.
mod. Dii. schimpen, to scoff at.
SwEFFLiNG or SwEFLiNG. Near Saxmundham. Spelt
Sivifiinge, Ipm. ; Sueflinga, D.B., p. 35 ; Sueftlinga, D.B,, p. 34.
A.S. Sueftlinges ; in the Crawford Charters, ed. Napier and
Stevenson, p. 33, 1. 2. The name records a settlement ' of
Sweftlings,' or ' of the sons of *Sweftel ' ; a name not otherwise
known. Probably it was once *Sw}eftel ; and it may be allied
to E, siuift. Kemble's index has Swiftan-beorh.
Thredling. The name of a hundred. Spelt Tredelinge,
Ipm. (with T for Th). I find no other old form; Copinger gives
Thrydelingge, Thridelingge. There is no further clue. The e
(i, y) may have been due to an A.S. y, as in other cases. It
appears to refer to a settlement of *Thrydelings ; but no such
form appears. Possibly for *Thrythhildings ; since Thrythhild
is a known female name.
Wratting. Spelt Wratting in T.N. ; Wrotinge, R.B. ;
Wratinga, D.B., p. 220. The same name as Wratting in
Cambs., which appears as A.S. Wrcettincge in the dat. case,
in vElfhelm's Will ; see Birch, C.S., iii. 629 ; also Wrcattinge,
on the preceding page. The reference is to a tribe of Wrsettings
or to a man named Wrsetting. A man may have been so named
from a wart upon his face ; since ivret was the E. Anglian form
of wart in the fifteenth century (Prompt. Parv.). Cf. Du. wrat,
a wart.
32. Land.
Land is well knoAvn in mod. E., A.S., and Old Norse. It
means tract of country, region, &c. It occurs in Kessingland,
Lothingland, Nayland, Shelland, and Swilland.
Kessingland. On the E. coast; S. of Lowestoft. Spelt
Kessinglond, H.R. ; Ipm. ; Kessingland, T.N. ; Kessingekinda,
D.B., p. 5. But the A.S. form could not have begun with Ce,
or the C would have become Ch; and we find, in fact, the alter-
native spelling Cassingland. It is twice spelt Cassingland in
Ipm., p. 55 ; and Copinger quotes six examples in which the
76 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
name begins with Cass-. It therefore probably has the same
prefix as Kasing-hurna; in Birch, i. 477. Cf. Casincg -street
and Gasan-thorn in Kemble's index. The sense is therefore,
in all probability, 'land of the Casings' or 'of the sons of
Casa.'
LoTHiNGLAND. The name of a hundred. This hundred
contains Lowestoft and Lake Lothing or Lothing Lake, from
which the hundred took its name. The o was short, and must
be the o which the Normans frequently substituted for short
u ; cf the spellings Luddingland, Ipm. ; Ludingland, H.R. ;
Luthingland, H.R. ; Ludingaland, D.B., p. 329. We also find
Lii^inglond in a late copy of Bp Theodred's Will ; in Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 513. The full form was Luthinga-land, or ' land
of the Luthings'; but we have no further information as to
this tribe or family. The name may perhaps be connected
with the personal name Luda, which occurs in Lvdan-heorh ;
in Birch, C.S. iii. 204.
Nayland. This is a very interesting name, as it is an
example of a spelling in which a // has been prefixed. It is
spelt Eylaiid, Eylaund, T.N. ; but Neyland in Ipm., p. 16
(A.D. 1257); Neylond, H.R.; Eilanda, D.B., p. 242; rather
from the O. Norse eyland, an island, than from the A.S.
leg-land, %g-land, with the same sense. The situation of
Nayland is low, and it is "subject to occasional inundations" ;
see The Beauties of England, xiv. 158. Its river is the Stour. We
can easily explain how the n was prefixed. It arose from the
fact that there are two places in S.W. Suffolk called Stoke ;
one was called Stoke-juxta-Clare, or Stoke near Clare, and the
other Stoke near Eyland, described in 1327 (in the Index to
the Charters) as Stoke-atte-Neilond, of which an older form
must necessarily have been Stoke-atten-Eilond ; as the Mid.
Eng. atten represents the A.S. cet thani, i.e. ' at the.' The date
when the n was prefixed seems to have been somewhat earlier
than A.D. 1250. Observe that the name is Norse.
Shelland. To the W.N.W. of Stowmarket. Spelt Shel-
laund, Shellonde, Ipm. ; Sellanda, D.B., p. 224 (with Norman S
for A.S. Sc). I think the prefix was not the A.S. scell, ' a
NAMES ENDING IN -LAND, -LEY 77
shell,' but see If, ' a. shelf; note Shelton, Beds., of which the
A.S. form was Scelf-tim, and Shelley, Suff, (below), of which
the A.S. form was Scelf-leah, affording good reason for the
change from Ji to II. The sense is ' shelf-land,' which is pre-
cisely the right sense. A shelf is a high terrace of land or
ledge ; and Shelland Green is more than 200 feet above the
sea-level. Cf Shelfhanger, Norf ; Shelve, Salop.
SwiLLAND. N. of Ipswich, i^pelt Swynlaund, Ipm.; Swine-
londe, R.B. ; Suinlanda, D.B., p. 291. From A.S. swin, swine;
literally ' swine-land.'
33. Ley.
Ley is a common suffix in many counties and represents
the A.S. leak, a lea, a meadow ; the sense is rather vague. It
occurs in Badley, Bentley, Bradley, Brockley, Butley, Cookley,
Eleigh, Gazeley, Hadleigh, Haughley, Hemley, Henley, Hol-
lesley, Kirkley, Oakley, Otley, Shelley, Shotley, Sotterley,
Trimley, Westley, and Yaxley ; twenty-two examples.
Badley. Near Needham Market; westward. Spelt Badele,
T.N. ; Badeir, Ipm.; Badelea, D.B., p. 9. For A.S. Badan-
leah; cf Badan-pyt (Kemble); Badan-dene (Birch, C.S. i. 304).
The sense is ' Bada's lea.'
BENTLEY^ Spelt i?e//e^/e^y, T.N. ; Benetleye,Y{.'R., Benetleia,
D.B., p. 13. The AS. form is Beonetleah (Kemble). The A.S.
heonet, prov. E. hennet, means 'long coarse grass,' or 'bent-grass.'
The sense is ' bentgrass lea.' See Bent in my Etym. Diet.
Bradley. A common name. Spelt Bradeley, H.R. ;
Bradeleye, Bradelegh, Ipm.; Bradeleia, D.B., p. 182. For A.S.
brcidan leage; in Birch, C.S. iii. 29, which is a weak dative case.
From A.S. brad, broad ; and leak. The sense is ' at the broad
lea,' or simply ' broad lea.'
Brockley. Spelt Brokley, B7-ockele, Ipm., p. 270; Brokle,
D.B., p. 138; Broclega, D.B, p. 155. Cf A.S. Broc lea ford;
Birch, C.S. iii. 288, 1. 7 from bottom. Either from A.S. hroc, a
badger ; or from hroc, a brook ; the long o in the latter case
would be shortened before cl. There is nothing to discriminate
78 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
between the senses of ' badger lea ' and ' brook lea.' Pateley,
in Yorks., means ' badger lea/ because the Yorks. pate means a
oadger. This favours the former explanation.
BuTLEY. Hence was named the Butley river, which joins
the Ore, and flows into the sea near Hollesley. Spelt Buttele,
T.N., Butelai, D.B., p. 27; Butelea, D.B., p. 94. The patro-
nymic Butting occurs in Buttingc-graf ; Birch, C.S. i. 307, last
line. The name Butti (also Botti) is Norse (Rygh). The
sense is ' Butti's lea.' The gen. of Butti was Butta, which
would give the Butte- in T.N., and the Bute- in D.B.
CooKLEY. Near Halesworth. STpelt Gokeleye,il.^.; Gokelei,
D.B., p. 106 ; Cukeleye, Ipm. The prefix seems to be the A.S.
Cucan, gen. of Cuca; a name which appears in Cucanhealas
(Birch, C.S. iii. 113) and in Cucandun (Birch, C.S. iii. 140).
Thus the sense is ' Cuca's lea.' Prof. Moorman explains Cook-
ridge, in the West Riding, in the same way.
Eleigh. There is Monks' Eleigh (for which Copinger
quotes lUea Monachorum), and Brent Eleigh (for which he
quotes lUea Combusta, and Illegh Ars, where ars is Norman
for 'burnt'). Spelt Illea -drs, H.R. ; llleya, H.R. ; Illeleia,
D.B., p. 185. The A.S. form is Illan-leah, of which the dat.
case Illan-lege occurs in Birch, C.S. iii. 602. The sense is
' Ilia's lea.' But Ilsley (Berks.) has lost initial H, and stands
for ' Hild's lea.'
Gazeley. Otherwise Gaiesley ; as in Kirby. E. of New-
market. Spelt Gasele, Gaisle, Gaysle, H.R. ; Gaysley, Ipm. ;
Geisley, Ipm. The A.S. form would be *Ga?ges-leah. The
name *Gseg is not found, but can be inferred from the patro-
nymic Gwging, in Birch, C.S. iii. 257; whence, as I have shown,
is derived the name of Ginge, in Berks. The weak form
*Gsega appears as Gega in Geganden (Kemble), and as Gage
in Gageleah (also Gagenleah), also in Kemble's Index ; also in
Gaydon, Gayton and Gaywood in modern names. The sense is
' Gseg's lea/ or in later spelling ' Gay's lea.'
Hadleigh. Spelt Badlega, R.B. ; Badleigh, Ipm. ; Hced-
leage, in a late charter, Thorpe, Diplomat. 527; Headlega,
NAMES ENDING IN -LEY 79
Annals of St Neot, (juoted in Phnnmer's ed. of the A.S.
Chronicle, ii. 102; Hetlega, D.B., p. 184. In D.B. the t stands
for th ; and the true A.S. form appears in a Worcs. charter,
dated 849, as lice^leage (gen.) with reference to Headley Heath
(a tautological name) in Birch, C.S. ii. 40 ; see Duignan, Place-
names of Worcs. The sense is ' heath-lea.' In a similar way
the A.S. S has become t in Hatfield (Herts.) which means
' heath-field.'
Haughley. Spelt Haiueleye, Ipm. ; Hagala, D.B., p. 256.
The A.S. form is Hagan-leah, in a Wore, charter; in Birch, iii.
587,1. 11 from bottom. The sense is 'haw-lea/ or 'enclosed
lea.' The old spellings clearly connect the prefix with haw
rather than the mod. E. haugh, O. Merc, halh, A.S. healh.
Copinger gives many old forms, of which the most intelligible
are Haghele, Haghle, Haghlegh, Halley, Haugle, Haule,
Hawele, Hawelee, Hawelege, Hawleigh.
Helmley. Near Waldringfield ; misprinted Henley in
Bacon's map, though given as Hemley in the Index. (Henley
is due N. of Ipswich.) Hemley is short for Helmley, Spelt
Halmeleia, D.B., p. 138; Halmelega, p. 287; but Helmelea,
p. 120. The A.S. form should be Helman-leah; compare
Helmaii-hyrst in Kemble's index, p. 297, col. 2. The sense is
' Helma's lea.' Helma is a pet name for a name beginning
with Helm-, such as Helmbeald, Helmbeorht, &c. ; which are
numerous.
Henley. N. of Ipswich. Spelt Henleye, T.N.; Hanle,
H.R. ; Henleia, D.B., p. 50. There are several places of this
name, answering to A.S. Heanleage; in Birch, C.S. iii. 519; of
which a later spelling is Henlea; in Birch, C.S. i. 64. This
Heanleage is the dat. case of Heahleah, meaning ' high lea.'
Hollesley. Near the mouth of the river Aide. Spelt
Holesle, H.R. ; Holeslee, Ipm.; Holeslegh, Ipm.; Holeslea, D.B.,
p. 78. Lit. ' Hoi's lea.' The name Hoi does not appear by
itself, but it occurs in the derivative Hol-ing, or ' son of Hoi,'
in the A.S. Holinga human ; Kemble, CD. iv. 232 ; and in
the modern names Hollingbourn, HoUington, and Holling-
worth.
80 ■ THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
KiRKLEY ; forming part of Lowestoft. Spelt Kyrkele, H.R. ;
Kirkelea, D.B., p. 5. The prefix is Norse ; from O.N. kirkja, a
church. The sense is 'kirk-lea'; i.e. 'chnrch-lea.'
Oakley. To the N. of Eye. Spelt Acle, R.B. ; D.B.,
p. 180. From A S. dc, an oak ; and leak. Lit. ' oak lea.'
Written dc-lea; Birch, C.S. ii. 291.
Otley. Spelt Oteleye, Ipm., H.R. ; Otteleye, H.R. ; Otelega,
D.B., p. 133. The prefix is the same as in Otan-hyrst ; in
Kemble's index. The sense is ' Ota's lea.'
Shelley. Spelt Selleye, H.R. ; Selflega, T.N. ; Sceiieleia,
D.B., pp. 13, 14. The A.S. dat. case is Scelfleage ; Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 52.5. The sense is 'shelf lea.' /S/ie//" may answer
to the A.S. scylf, a crag, a rock, a tor; but the prov. E. shelf also
means a shoal, a ford ; or sJielf may mean a high terrace or ledge,
Shotley. Spelt Schottele, T.N. ; Scoteleia, D.B., p. 13.
Apparently trisyllabic ; compare Scotehu, Scotta ^JceS, Scotta-
7'%^, in Kemble's index. The sense is doubtful. I incline to
consider it as containing the A.S. scot, a building, as in the
compound sele-scot; and to look upon the original form as
having been scota leak, ' lea of huts ' or of small buildings.
Of. the M.Du. scJiot, 'a closure of boards,' in Hexham. See
Scot in the A.S. Dictionary. The word sele-scot is rendered
tahernaculum in Matt. xvii. 4 (Old Mercian Version) and in the
Vespasian Psalter Ps. xiv. 1.
Sotterley. Spelt Soterle, H.R. ; T.N. ; Ipm., p. 249 ;
Soterleghe, R.B. ; Soterlega, D.B,, p. 41. The same old spelling
of the prefix occurs in Sotet'ton, Ipm., p. 203, which represents
Sutterton, Lines.; so that Sotterley might have become Sutterley.
The meaning of the prefix in Sutterton is easily ascertained ;
since v^^e find the spelling Sutterton in Birch, C.S. ii. 53, but
Sutherton in the same, ii. 137. It thus appears that Sotter-
has the same sense as the Souther- in Southerton, q.v. The
sense is 'lea more to the south'; possibly because it is to the
South of the Hundred River, but a mile away from it.
N.B. Bjorkman notes a Norse name Sdti, O. Danish Soti,
but the gen. is Sota, not Sotar ; so that it will not account for
the prefix Setter- ; and still less for Sutter-.
NAMES ENDING IN -LEY, -LOW 81
Trimley. Certainly for Tremley, with im for em, a common
chaDge. Spelt Treinlye, Ipm.; Tremlega, D.B., p. 124; Treinelaia,
D.B., p. 286. Copinger also records the forms Tremley, Tremleye,
Tremele, Tremeley. The difficulty is to know whether the middle
e in the last three forms is significant. Perhaps it is best so to
consider it, as it is hard to see why it should have been inserted.
I can only conjecture that it represents a form Treman, gen. of
Trema, which is a variant of Tryma, with the Suffolk e for the
A.S. y, as in a few other cases. Though Tryma does not occur,
it is easily associated, as an agential masc. in -a, with trymian,
trymman, also found as tremman, to confirm, strengthen, set in
order; whence it might well become a name, as signifying 'one
who strengthens.' The base Trum- appears in such names as
Trum-beorht, Trum-here, &c. The A.S. trymian has given us
the modern E. to trim. Trimley can hardly mean 'trim lea,'
because this adjective is comparatively modern, and due to the
old verb. Id fact, the A.S. adj. is not try^n, but trum, i.e.
strong, firm, excellent. The sense probably would be ' Tryma's
lea.'
Westley. Spelt Westlega, R.B. ; Westle, H.R. ; Westlea,
D.B., p. 156. Meaning ' west lea.' There is another Westley
in Cambs.
Yaxley. Spelt Yakesley, Ipm.; lacheslea, D.B., p. 201.
There is another Yaxley in Hunts. The A.S. form is Geacesled ;
in Kemble, CD., v. 342 ; from geaces, gen. of geac, a cuckoo.
The sense is ' cuckoo's lea.' Fully discussed in my Place-
names of Hunts.
34. Low.
The suffix -loiv is not uncommon ; it represents the A.S.
hldw, a mound ; sometimes a burial mound or barrow. The
only Suffolk example is Thurlow.
Thurlow. Spelt Thrilloive Magna, Ipm. ; i.e. Great
Thurlow. There is also a Little Thurlow. Spelt Trillawe,
H.R.; Trillowe, H.R. Thrillauura, D.B., p. 182; Tridlauua,
D.B., p. 233; Tritlaiua, D.B., p. 11. The final t, d in the D.B.
Trit-, Trid-, point to an A.S. th ; and the true initial was Tk
C. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. 6
82 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
also. Hence it represents an A.S. Thrythe-hlmu ; where
Thryth (gen. Thrythe) is a known female name. The sense
is 'burial-mound of Thryth.'
35. Meadow.
Meadow represents the A.S. mwdive, dat. of inwd, a mead ;
so that meadow is, in fact, merely the dative of mead, without
any variation of sense. The only example is Shipmeadow.
Shipmeadow. Spelt Scipmedu, D.B., p. 41. Copinger
notes the forms Shepmedive, Shepmed ; where the e is older
than i. From A.S. sceap, a sheep. The sense is ' sheep-
meadow.' In Shropshire, a sheep is always a shij) ; and the
pi. is ships. Cf. Ship-ton.
36. Mere.
The term mere was applied to a lake or pool of any size.
In some counties, another mei^e is used as a suffix also, with
the sense of ' boundary.' But I think this second suffix does
not appear in Suffolk names. The examples are five, viz.
Bosmere, Hartismere, Livermere, Rushmere, Semer.
Bosmere. This is the name of a hundred. Spelt Bosemere,
H.R. ; Bosemera, D.B., p. 9. The prefix is from the A.S. Bosan,
gen. of Bosa, a name of which there are several examples ; as
in Bosen-hangran, in Birch, C.S. ii. 492. The sense is ' Bosa's
mere.' I find, in the Ordnance map, that there is still a pool
or small mere, beside the river Gipping, less than a mile below
Needham Market. It is situate within grounds belonging to a
hall named Bosmere Hall. This pool is called Bosmere in one
of Kirby's maps; it was probably larger in days when little
care was taken of the waterways. Moreover, it is situate very
near the centre of Bosmere Hundred. In the Beauties of
England, p. 217, Bosmere lake is called "a lake of 30 or
40 acres."
Hartismere. The name of a hundred. ^^e\t Hertesmere,
H.R.: T.N.; D.B., p. 260; Hertesmera, D.B., p. 3. The O. Mercian
NAMES ENDING IN -MKRE, -POOL .S3
equivalent is Herotes mere, later form Hertes mere ; where Herat,
Hert, answer to the A.S. Ileorot, Heart, lit. ' a hart.' But it is
here a name. The sense is ' Hart's mere.'
LiVERMERE. Sometimes miscalled Livermore ; as in Kirby.
To the N.N.E. of Bury is Livermere Park, containing a lake of
considerable length. Spelt Livermere, H.R. ; Livremere, R.B. ;
Liuermera, D.B., p. 166. Spelt Leuiiremer in a charter of
Edward the Confessor, in Kemble, CD. iv. 245 ; but the copy
is a late one, and the spelling is that of a Norman scribe. The
name seems to be a mere compound, and is easily explained by
the A.S. Icvfer, lefr, a yellow flag, the plant Iris Pseudacorus,
still called levers (sometimes livers) in prov. E. ; see the E.D.D.
The sense is ' flag-mere.' See Rushmere below.
Perhaps it is well to note here that the same explanation
may not apply to Liverpool ; which is supposed to have been
' Leofhere's pool.' See Wyld, Lanes. Place-names.
Rushmere, Considered by Kelly to be a part of Ipswich.
It lies to the N.E. of the town. Spelt Rushemore (with o for e,
a common error), Ipm. ; Riscemara, D.B., p. 4. The latter
spelling is explained by the fact that the usual A.S. form of
' rush ' is Wsc ; whence Rise-mere ; Birch, i. 83, 1. 3. The sense
is simply 'rush-mere.'
Semer. On the river Brett, some distance above Hadleigh.
The Ordnance map shows a small pool near the church. Spelt
>S*eme?^e, H.R.; this seems to be the oldest spelling; Seamera,
D.B., p. 176. It is seldom mentioned ; Copinger has also Soi/mer,
Seamer. It appears to be simply compounded of the A.S. sre,
a sea, lake, pool, pond ; and mere, a mere. The A.S. scd was
applied to a pool of any size as well as to the sea ; and a pool
would thus be called simply ' sea' ; very likely, mere was a later
explanatory addition ; its sense was very nearly as vague.
37. Pool.
The A.S. pol, a pool, sometimes appears as -pale in the
suffix of a place-name. It occurs in Walpole. Cf. PoLSTEAD.
6—2
84 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Walpole. To the S.W. of Halesworth. Spelt Walepol,
R.B. ; H.R. ; Walepola, D.B., p. 24. It appears as Walepol in
a late charter with Norman spellings; in Kemble, CD. iv. 245;
with reference to Walpole in Norfolk. The prefix Wale-
re presents the A.S. Weala, gen. pi. of Wealh, a foreigner, a
Briton. The sense is ' Britons' pool ' ; or ' Welshmen's pool'
Cf. Welshpool.
38. Set, Sett.
The suffix -set, as in Somer-set, represents the A.S. -swte, a
pi. form signifying settlers, residents, or inhabitants. There is
also a by-form -sStan, pi., with the same sense. It occurs in
Bricett, Elmsett, Hessett, Wetheringsett, and, etymologically,
in Wissett.
Bricett. Great Bricett is to the S.W. of Needham Market ;
the i is long, as in E. ice. Spelt Bresete, Ipm. ; H.R. ; Brisete,
T.N., Ipm.; D.B. has Brieseta, pp. 226, 273; Bricseta, p. 248
(printed Brieseta in the Victoria County History of Suffolk). It
is in the hundred of Bosmere, and we find in D.B., p. 306, the
following note, which seems to allude to Bricett. — " Hundret de
Bosemera. In Brictices-haga est silua qua poterant pasci xvi.
pore'." Again, in D.B., p. 12, is another note : — " Herchesteda:
ten' Harold t[empore] r[egis] e[dwardi] V. car' terre : p7-o
berewica in brictesceseia in comitatu de exsessa [Essex]." It is
certain that the latter note refers to Brightlingsea in Essex,
lit. ' Brightling's island'; but instead of -ling's we here have
-esces, for -isces, i.e. mod. E. -isKs. That is, instead of ' Bright-
ling's island ' it is here called ' Brightish's island,' which
apparently expresses the same thing ; the suffixes being-
adjectival and equivalent. In the same way, Brictices haga
(better spelt Brictisces haga) means ' Brightish haw ' ; and we
may fairly conclude that Bricett was originally Brictsete in
Norman, or Beorht-soete in A.S. spelling. The A.S. heorht is
not only an adj., meaning ' bright,' but also a neut. sb., meaning
' brightness ' or ' clear light.' I explain Beorkt-swte as ' settlers
in a bright spot.' This may seem a somewhat strange formation,
but it is exemplified and justified by the notorious form Burner-
NAMES ENDINr, IN -SET 01{ -SETT 85
sd'te, or ' summer-settlers/ which exists to-day as Somerset,
That Brightset could pass into Bricett is sufficiently obvious;
but it would not be easy to assign any other form which would
give the same result. The intermediate form would be Brighset,
which (if the gh be kept silent) fairly accounts for the modern
pronunciation.
Elmsett. Spelt Elmesete, T.N. ; Elmesset, H.R. ; Elmeseta,
D.B., p. 249. We find the gen. pi. Elmesetene in Birch, CD.,
i. 502, 1. 11. The correct nom. pi. of this is Elmescvtan, i.e.
'settlers at the elm,' or 'beside the elm.' Elme is in the dat.
case, the prep, wt, ' at,' being understood.
Hessett ; also Hedgsett (in 1813). Spelt Hegesset, H.R. ;
misspelt Heteseta (probably for Heceseta, with Norman c for g),
D.B., p. 149. Copinger also gives Heggesete, Heggesett, Hegsete,
Hegyssete. The g must have been single, because the M.E. gg
became dg. The derivation is not exactly from the A.S. hecg,
'hedge,' but from the allied form hege, a 'hay' or fence. The
sense is ' hay-settlers ' ; where hay is the prov. E. liay, ' a hedge,
a fence, a boundary'; E.D.D. The A.S. form is hege-swte.
Wetheringsett. Spelt Wederingesete,'^.^.\ Wederingaseta,
D.B., p. 179 ; Weringheseta (a contracted form), D.B., p. 10.
We find the A.S. form Wederingesete in Kemble, CD. iv. 245 ;
but the copy is in late and Norman spelling. The th is un-
original, as in father, mother (A.S. feeder ^ modor) ; several
words ending in -der were altered so as to end in -ther in the
fifteenth century. No name begins with Wether in Old
English ; but the Wederas, or tribe of Weders, are mentioned
repeatedly in Beowulf. They were a tribe of Geats, and their
province was called Weder-mearc or ' Weder-mark.' No doubt
the Wederings belonged to this tribe. The sense is 'settlers
belonging to the tribe of the Weders.'
WISSETT. Spelt Wyssete, iTpm.; Wisete,R.B.; Wysete, U.R. ;
Wiseta, D.B., p. 337 ; Wisseta, D.B., p. 25. The corresponding
A.S. form should be Wi-s^te ; and I take wi to represent the
A.S. ^u^h, 'an idol,' of which the original sense was really 'a
heathen temple,' like that of the O. Sax. wlh, Icel. ve. The
80 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
sense is * settlers beside or near a temple.' A corresponding
name Veseti occurs in O. Norse, and was used as a personal
name, though the original sense was 'settler near a temple';
see Bjorkman and Rygh. The name may have been merely
borrowed from Norse ; in which case it must be remembered
that, as far as Suffolk was concerned, Wlseti was merely a
personal name, the origin of which may have been but dimly
remembered. R-ygh gives no less than seven place-names in
Avhich the Norse name is preserved ; such as Veset-rud,
Veset-vik.
39. Stall.
This is the same word as the modern E. stall in cattle-stall ;
though the sense somewhat varies. It occurs in Burstall and
Tunstall.
Burstall. To the W. of Ipswich. Spelt Burstall, H.K. ;
Ipm. ; Burgestala, D.B., p. 189 ; Burghestala, D.B., pp. 193, 229.
The A.S. form is hiirg-steall, lit. 'position for a fort'; not a
common word. In the A.S. poem called ' The Ruins,' ed. Grein,
1. 29, hrosnade hurgsteal means ' the foundation of the fort has
crumbled to pieces.' In Wright and Wlilker's Vocabularies,
205. 30, burhsteal has the curious sense of ' a path down a hill ' ;
and the prov. E. borstaU means ' a path up a steep hill ' ; or, in
Kent, 'any seat on the side of a hill.'
Tunstall. Tunstall-cum-Dunningworth is nearly due W.
of Aldeburgh. Spelt Tunstall, H.R. ; T.N. ; Tonestala, D.B.,
p. 236 ; Tunestal, D.B., p. .53. A.S. tun-steall, a farmstead ;
from t€m, a ' town,' i.e. a farm ; and steall, a stall, position,
place, stead.
40. Stead.
Stead, a place, position, is the A.S. stede. It occurs in
Belstead, Boxstead, Harkstead, Hawstead, Henstead, Lin stead,
Nettlestead, Polstead, Saxstead, Stanstead, Whepstead, Wher-
stead.
Belstead, S.W, of Ipswich. Spelt Belstede, H.R. ; Bele-
steda, D.B., p. 51. I am in doubt as to the prefix ; but think
NAMES ENDING IN -STEAD 87
it may be Norse. There is a Norse name Beli, occurring in
the Edda ; so that it might mean ' Beli's stead.' The gen. of
Beli was Belja. Searle gives an E. name Beola, a moneyer in
the time of yEtheh-ed II. and Cnut. This may be merely the
same name in E. spelling ; and Belstead may represent Beolan-
stede. See Bealings (above).
BoxsTEAD, or BoxTED (Kelly). Spelt Boxsted, H.R. ; Tpm. ;
Boxstede, T.N. ; R.B. ; Boesteda, D.B., pp. 138, 139. From A.S.
box, a box-tree ; and stede, a place. ' A place where box trees
grow.'
Harkstead. Spelt Herkested, H.R. ; Herkestede, T.N.,
Herchesteda (with che = ke), D.B., pp. 12, 280. A similar prefix
occurs in Herces-nws, Herces-dlc, and Herces-get ; all in Birch,
C.S. iii, 103. Compare also Hwrices-hamm; in Birch, C.S.
ii. 298. Here may be a shortened form of Hceric. A likely
sense is ' Hseric's place ' or ' Here's place ' or ' stead.' A weak
form Hereca is given in Searle, and is probably an allied name.
But all these forms, Hcuric, Here, Hereca, are probably un-
English, and are really due to an O. Norse Herekr, or Ha'7^ekr,
explained by Rygh as a name which is only found in place-
names, such as Herikstad (sometimes abbreviated to Herstad),
which is obviously a Norse form of Harkstead. I regard
Harkstead, accordingly, as due to Scandinavian influence.
Hawstead. Spelt Hausted, H.R. ; but Halsteda, D.B.,
p. 155. Copinger also gives Halstead, Hcdsted, Halstede, from
other sources ; so that an Id has been lost. I take the prefix
to be the 0. Merc, hald, A.S. Jieald, sloping ; which sometimes
appears in place-names. See healdan graf, sloping ditch ;
Birch, C.S. ii. 382 ; healdan weg, sloping way ; id, 524 ; healdan
hlince, sloping linch, id. iii. 33. The sense is ' sloping stead ' or
' sloping place.' The form hald is also found in Old Frisian.
Henstead. S.W. of Lowestoft. Spelt Henestede, H.R. ;
D.B., p. 238; Henstede, R.B.; Henested, Hensted, T.N. I regard
it as a parallel formation to Henley ; and explain it as repre-
senting A.S. a3t tham hean stede, ' at the high stead ' or position.
It is not very high, though above the Hundred river.
88 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
LiNSTEAD. Spelt Linsted, Ipm. ; Linestede, D.B., p. 61 .
The e before the stede in the latter form may be due to the st
following, and need not be considered. From A,S, Im, flax ;
and stede, stead. The same prefix occurs in Linton, Cambs.
The sense is ' flax-stead ' ; or place where flax was grown,
Nettlestead. N.W. of Ipswich. Spelt Netlested, T.N. ;
Netlestede, R.B. ; Netlestedam, D.B., p. 28. From A.S. netele,
netle, a nettle. The sense is 'nettle-place.' There is another
Nettlestead in Kent; spelt Netlestede in Birch, C.S. iii. 659,
1. 19.
Polstead. S.W. of Hadleigh. Spelt Foisted, R.B. ; Pol-
stede, T.N. ; Polesteda, D.B., p. 241. It occurs as Polstede in
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 525. From A.S. pol, a pool; and stede, a
stead, place. Lit. ' pool-stead.'
Saxstead. Spelt Saxstede, Ipm. ; Saxteda, D.B., p. 37.
For O. Merc. Saxan stede, A.S. Seaxan stede. Lit. ' Saxa's
stead.' Saxa is a known name.
Stanstead. Spelt >S'^awste(i, Ipm. ; H.R.; Stanesteda, D.B.,
p. 255. For A.S. stdnstede ; lit. ' stone stead.'
Whepstead. Spelt Whepstede, T.N. ; Ipm. ; Huepestede,
D.B., p. 152. The A.S. form Hwipstede occurs in -^If helm's
Will ; in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 596. The j)refix must denote a
personal name of the form *Hwipa or *Hwepa (gen. *Hwipan,
*Hwepan); and the sense must be ' *Hwipa's (or *Whepa's)
stead.' There certainly was a base *hwip-, probably with the
sense of ' to move quickly ' or ' to bend easily ' ; the A.S.
hwip-er means unstable, infirm ; Wright's Vocab. 245. 25.
Wherstead. To the W. of the river Orwell, below Ipswich.
Spelt Whersted, Ipm. ; Wer-uesteda, D.B., p. 30. Copinger also
quotes Wefniestede, from another source. The prefix Werue-,
for Wherue-, suggests the A.S. hwearf, hwerf, spelt hwerf in
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 841, 1. 7 ; where it seems to mean a
protecting bank. It further suggests that there was a wharf,
bank, or landing-place on the Orwell, near Wherstead ; and it
is remarkable that the Ordnance map marks a " Wharf" not far
NAMES ENDING IN -STOKE, -STONE, -STOW 89
off, on the bank of the Orwell between Wherstead and Freston.
It seems probable, accordingly, that Wherstead means ' wharf-
stead.' The church is quite half a mile from the river, but the
Hall is nearer.
41. Stoke, Stock.
The A.S. stoc meant, in the first instance, a stock or log ;
but is evidently used also in the sense of habitation or settle-
ment ; perhaps one protected by stocks or stakes, and so fenced
in. It is safest to explain it by ' settlement.' The length of
the 0 is doubtful; I see no special reason for supposing that it
was long (stoc), though it is sometimes so marked. The modern
English stoke will best answer to A.S. stoce, dative, with short o;
just as the mod. E. broken is the A.S. brdcen.
It seems only necessary to add that there is a Stoke-by-
Clare, i.e. near Clare ; a Stoke-by-Nayland ; and a place called
Stoke Ash, to the S.W. of Eye. The A.S. stoc occurs as a suffix
in Tostock.
Tostock. To the E. of Bury. Spelt Tostoke, H.R. ;
Totstocha (with ch for k), D.B., p. 166 ; Totestoc, D.B., p. 8.
The last is the fullest form. For A.S. Tottan-stoc ; a form
which occurs in Kemble, CD. ii. 872. The sense is ' Totta's
settlement.'
42. Stone.
Chediston. Near Halesworth. The suffix is not -to7i, but
-stone, as the old forms show. Spelt Ghedeston, Chedestan, H.R.;
Gedestan (with ce for che), D.B., p. 328 ; ill-spelt Cidestan, D.B..
p. 103; misspelt Sedestana (with se for ce), D.B., p. 25. The
A.S. Ce becomes M.E. Che; and the corresponding A.S. form is
Ceddes stan, i.e. ' Cedd's stone.' This is more likely than
Ceddan stdn, i.e. ' Cedda's stone.' Cedd and Cedda are both
real names, and are closely allied.
43. Stow.
Stow is the A.S. stow, a place ; whence the phrase to stow
aiuay. There is a hundred named Stow ; West Stow, two and
a half miles W. of Ingham (N. of Bury) ; and Stowmarket, near
90 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
which is Stow Upland. The hundred may have been named
from Stow, which was doubtless the old name of Stowmarket ;
since market is a word of Picard-French origin. Stowmarket is
somewhere near the centre of Stow hundred. And stotu appears
as a suffix in Felixstowe.
Felixstowe. Copinger gives eleven spellings of this name.
One of them is Felixstow. But the other ten are very different,
viz. Filthestowe, Fillthustowe ; also (with c for t, erroneously)
Felchestoiue, Filchestowe, Fylchestow; Felyestoiue (with y for the
A.S. ]> = th) ; and (in a contracted form) Felstoiv, Fylstowe,
Fylstoe, Filston (error for Filstou). It is quite certain that,
not long after the Conquest, the prevalent form was Filthestow,
and that it was afterwards shortened to Filthstow and Filstow.
The name Felixstow is, in fact, not the original one, and does
not occur in early documents ; but it was known in the time of
Henry VIIL, as it occurs in the Valor Ecclesiasticus, made
during that reign. A distinction is there drawn between
" prior' de Filstoive modo subpress' '' (vol. iii. p. 447) and
" monasterio de Felyxstowe " (vol. iii. p. 449) ; so that the
names did not then refer to the same place. In Tanner's
Notitia Monastica (ed. 1787) there is mention of the monastery
of Walton St Felix ; and he speaks of a MS. that refers to " the
priory of Felixstowe, alias Fylchestowe in Walton." It appears,
in fact, that Walton St Felix was a priory founded by Roger
Bigod, about 1105; that it was called by the name of Felix;
and that it was situate at Walton, about a mile from Filstow,
properly so called/. The names were confused, and so the
name of Filstow was sometimes changed to Felixstow, though
many still held to the older name. Thus we find in Raven's
Suffolk, p. 150—" Felixtow alias Fylstou." But in the present
enlightened days, the more attractive name has prevailed,
owing to such advancement of knowledge as has enabled the
antiquaries to discover that the historian Beda mentions the
labours of St Felix in Suffolk, who "had the see of his bishopric
appointed him in the city Dommoc," which was the old name
of Dunwich (Hist. Eccl. ii. 15). Dunwich, after all, is not
1 " The church of St Felix in Walton " ; Kirby, p. 88.
NAMES ENDING IN -STOW, -THORPE 91
Felixstow, but it is in the same county ; which is held to be
good enough for corroboration of a blunder. One hardy fable
is that St Felix landed near Felixstowe when he came from
Burgundy !
It is more to the purpose to discover the origin of the true
name Filstow. On this subject, we read in the Crawford
Charters, ed. Napier and Stevenson, p. 71 : — " Felixstowe,
CO. Suffolk, apparently represents a Fileth-stow, as it is ciiUed
Filthstowe in 1316 (Nomina Villarum, 319 a)." They explain
that " Fileth is an unexplained word that occurs several times
in local names " ; and they give examples, in which occur the
spellings fileth, fdet, filed, /(/let, and once fcelet (probably by
error), in compounds ; and uncompounded, in the expression on
filetha] see Birch, C.S. iii. 494, 589, &c.; ii. 519. Such nouns
are often made from verbs, and the right form may be fyleth
(ioT fylleth), from fyllan, to fell trees. It would then correspond
to the prov. E. fellet, 'the portion of a wood felled annually, a
portion of felled wood.' The original sense may bave been,
simply, ' a place of felled trees,' a place where trees have been
felled to make a clearing. It is compounded with leaJi, a lea,
cumb, a combe, hanim, an enclosure, and stoiv, a place ; all
implying some special locality, and all suitable. But whatever
the right sense may be, we at any rate learn that Felixstow is
an ingenious ' learned ' alteration of a place that was once
named Filethstow, afterwards shortened to Filthstow and
Filstow. (I find that Middendorf derives fileth from A.S. fillan,
to flay, skin, with reference to the removal of turf; but no such
verb is found in A.S., and the sense is very forced. On the
other hand, the verb ' to fell ' appears as fille in the best
(Ellesmere) MS. of Chaucer : " It semed as it wolde fille an
ook" ; Knightes Tale, A 1702.)
44. Thorpe.
Thorpe, more correctly thorp, is the O. Frisian and A.S.
thorp, 'a village'; cognate with Du. dorp, G. dorf. We find
(in Suffolk) Thorpe-Morieux, a hamlet called Thorpe near
Aldriugham, and Thorpe-by-Ixworth ; and also Westhorpe.
The first takes the name of Morieux from a Norman family so
92 • THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
called. The 0. Fr. moriel (of which morieux is the plural) is a
variant oi morel, meaning ' mnlberry-coloured'; the name Morel
was often given to a horse. Westhorpe is merely compounded
of West and Thorpe. Thorp is not exclusively Scandinavian,
as some say,
4.5. Toft.
Toft meant a green knoll, open ground, or homestead ; see
my Etym. Diet. It occurs in Lowestoft and in Stowlangtoft.
The latter is a mere compound, containing Stow, a place, lang,
i.e. long ; and toft ; and Kirby thinks it was named from a
family of Langtofts.
Lowestoft. Copinger gives many forms, including late
spellings such as Laistoft, Leistoft, and Lestoff; the last of
these represents a common pronunciation of it. An early
spelling is Lowistoft, H.R. ; T.N. D.B., p. 5, has Lothuwistofte.
Here Lothuwis represents an A.S. Hlothuwlges, gen. of
Hlothuwig, usually spelt Hlothewig or Hlodwig; the form
Hlothewlg occurs in Birch, C.S. iii. 491, 1. 1. This A.S. name
is cognate with the Old High German Hluduwig or Hludwig,
Mid. High G. Ludewic, G. Ludwig ; a famous name. Latinised
as Chlodovichus and Chlodovius, which produced the F. Louis.
Thus the sense is ' Hlothuwig's toft ' or homestead.
46. Ton, unstressed form of Town.
Acton. N. by E. from Sudbury. Spelt A ketona, D.B., p. 71,
and on the same page, Achetuna. Copinger gives several forms,
of which the most important are Acketon, Aketon, Aketone,
Aketune ; showing (by the e before the t) that it is not derived
from A.S. ac-tun, i.e. ' oak-town,' as is the case with some of the
Actons elsewhere. Moreover, this Suffolk Acton appears as
Acantun in a list of boundaries of land at Bildeston, which is
in the neighbourhood ; and this A.S. form is consistent with the
forms given above. Hence the meaning of this Acton is ' Aca's
town,' Aca is a known name. See Birch, C.S. iii. 603. The
A.S. tun, lit. ' town,' had, practically, the sense of ' farm.'
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 93
Alderton. Near the E. coast, to the S. of the mouth of
the Aide. Spelt Alderton, Ipm. ; but Alretuna in D.B., p. 74;
and Alreton in the Crawford Charters, p. 33, The prefix
represents A.S. alra, gen. pi. of air, an alder-tree. The sense
is 'alders' town,' or * farm by the alder-trees.'
Alpheton. W. by N. from Lavenham. Also spelt
Alpheaton (Kelly). Spelt Alfeton, Alffleton, H.R. The latter
spelling answers to the A.S. form ^IJlwdetun in a Worcester-
shire Charter ; in Birch, iii. 586. jElflccde is better spelt
^Ifflrrde, the gen. of JSlffla'd, a female name, which accounts
for the gen. in -e and the spelling Alffleton (with the double/).
The sense is ' town (or farm) of ^Elfflied.' She was probably a
widow.
Ampton. N. of Bury, near Ingham station. Copinger re-
cords the old forms Ameton, Ametone, Ametun ; spelt Hametuna
(with H wrongly prefixed) in D.B., p. 165. The prefix repre-
sents the A.S. Amman, gen. oi Amma ; cf. Amman-hroc, Amman-
ivell (both in Kemble's Index). The sense is ' Amma's farm.'
AssiNGTON. N.W. of Nay ton. Spelt Asetime, KB.;
Asington, T.N. ; Asinton, Asington, H.R.; Asetona, D.B., p. 271.
Copinger also records Asentune, Assinton, Asynton. The A.S.
form is certainly Asantun ; and the -an has been turned into -en,
-in, and -ing. We must neglect the g in this case. The sense
is ' Asa's farm.' Asa is a known E. name.
Athelington. E. of Occold, which is S. by E. from Eye.
Spelt Athelington, Ipm. ; answering to A.S. ^thelinga-tun ;
lit. ' town (or farm) of the ^thelings or nobles.' The A.S.
cetheling means a prince or nobleman. Cf. Athelney, of which
the old form was .^thelinga-ig, or ' isle of nobles.' Perhaps I
ought to add that to translate cetheling by 'noble' in these
instances is by no means certain ; since Ji^theling might equally
well have the simpler sense of ' son of ^thela,' i.e. ' son of any
one whose name began with vEthel ' ; and such names are
numeroils.
Bacton. N. of Stowmarket. Copinger gives the forms
Baketon, Bakenton; D.B. has Bachetuna, p. 292 (with che for ke).
94 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
The late A.S. Baketun occurs in the Crawford Charters, p. 33.
For A.S. Bacan-tun. The sense is ' Baca's farm.' Baca is a
known name.
Barton. Great Barton ; N.E. of Bury. Spelt Bertuna,
D.B., p. 162. A.S. beretun, lit. 'corn-farm,' or barley-enclosure;
from here, barley. There are many Bartons.
Belton. S.W. of Yarmouth. Spelt Belton, H.R.; Beltone,
R.B. ; Beletuna, D.B., pp. 6, 8. For the prefix, see Belstead.
Beyton. Spelt Beyton, Ipm. ; Beytone, R.B. ; Begatona,
D.B., p. 259. It answers to A.S. Bcvgan-tim. The prefix
Bwgan occurs in Bwgan-iuyrth ; Birch, C.S. iii. 96, I. 29. The
sense is ' Bgega's farm.' The prefix in Bayford (Herts.) is not
quite the same, as the form in D.B. is Begesford ; see my
Place-names of Herts., p. 27.
Bildeston. N. of Hadleigh. Spelt BUdeston, H.R. ; T.N. ;
Bildestone, R.B. ; Bilestuna, D.B., p. 291. The d is intrusive,
as the last form shows. Alluded to in the form Byliges-dyne;
Birch, C.S. iii. 603 ; where dyne is a derivative from dun. The
same prefix occurs in Bylges-Uge, in the A.S. Chron., an. 10.55.
The sense is ' Bylig's farm.'
Blundeston. N.W. of Lowestoft. Spelt Bhmdeston, H.R,
Blundes is the gen. of Blund, which occurs as a personal name
in the name-list given in Ipm., vol. i. Of Norse origin ; Zoega
has : Icel. " blundr, m. dozing, slumber ; occurs as a nickname."
The sense is ' Blund's farm ' ; Blund (orig. Blundr) being
Norse.
Boyton. S. of Butley, and near the Butley river. Spelt
Bointone, R.B. ; Boituna, D.B., p. 81. Copinger also has the
form Boynton. The prefix Boin- is short for A.S. Boian, late
form of Bogan, gen. of Boga, a known name. The sense is
' Bosra's farm.'
Brampton. N.E. of Halesworth. Spelt Brampton, T.N. ;
but Brarntuna, D.B., p. 15 ; BranUma, D.B., p. 102. Copinger
also gives the form Bramton ; and the p is certainly unoriginal.
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 95
The dat. form Bramtune occurs iii the A.S. Chronicle, an. 1121.
The form with mt must be older than that with nt ; the change
from mt to nt is easy, but that from nt to nit is abnormal. The
same prefix Brani- occurs again in Bramcestria (Birch, C.S. iii.
280), which is Brancaster in Norfolk ; showing that the original
form of Brancaster was Bramceaster in Anglo-Saxon. The
meaning of Bram (which can hardly, in the latter case, repre-
sent a personal name) is unknown; but it may be related to
the A.S. broyn, a broom, with which the mod. E. bramble
is etymologically connected. The sense of 'bramble-farm'
seems possible here. (If a personal name, it is from Brama,
gen. of Brami, a Norse name ; see Nielsen.)
Brandeston. Brandeston (Leic.) appears in Ipm. We also
find Branteston, T.N. ; Braundestone, in the Liber Custumarum;
Brantestuna, D.B., p. 302 ; but Brandestuna, D.B., p. 216.
Brandes is the gen. of the known name Brand ; and the sense
is 'Brand's farm.'
Browston, in Belton ; a hamlet one mile S.E. of Belton.
Copinger gives, as old spellings, the forms Broweston and
Broxton. It answers, by position, to Brochestuna, D.B., p. 7 ;
and the last two forms suggest that a guttural sound has
been lost, and that the original form was Brocces-tun ; with
which compare Brocces-ham, -hlcew, and -slwd, in Kemble's
Index. The sense may have been 'Brocc's farm.'
Carlton. Carlton Colville is to the S.W. of Lowestoft;
and Colville is the name of a Norman family connected with it.
Spelt Carleton, T.N., H.R. ; Carletuna, D.B., p. 254 ; Kaiietuna,
D.B., p. 43. For A.S, Carla tun, 'farm of the churls' or
husbandmen. Carla is the gen. pi. of carl, a churl, a husband-
man ; where carl is not the true native word, but borrowed
from the O. Norse karl, a man, rustic, carle ; the A.S. related
word is ceorl, mod. E. churl; as in Chelsvvorth.
Chelmondiston. Commonly called Chemton (Kirby). Near
the S.W. bank of the Orwell. Spelt Chelmundeston, H.R. ;
Chelmondeston, T.N. The A.S. form is Ceolminides tun, i.e.
' Ceolmund's farm.' Ceolmund was once a very common name.
96 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Chevington. S.W. of Bury. The </ is a late insertion ;
it should have been Cheventon. Spelt Cheventon, H.R.; Ceven-
tiina (with Ge for Che), D.B., p. 153. The prefix is the A.S,
Ceo/an, gen. of Ceo/a ; and the sense is ' Ceofa's farm.'
Chilton. Near Sudbury. Spelt Chilton, Ipm. ; Ciltona
(with Ci for Chi), D.B., p. 47. Copiuger also gives the spellings
Cheletuna, Chelton, without references. But these forms are
doubtless right, and show that e was the older vowel. The
prefix Cliele- represents the A.S. Ceolan, as in Ceolan-hyrst ;
Birch, C.S., ii. 458. Ceolan is the gen. of Ceola ; and the sense
is ' Ceola's farm.' Ceola would become Clieel, easily shortened
to Chil.
Clopton. Spelt Clopton, H.R. ; Clopetuna, D.B., p. 70.
The prefix Clope- answers to the A.S. Cloppa in Cloppa-hCim ;
see Sw^eet, E. Eng. Texts, p. 451. This Cloppa looks like a
gen. pi. from a nom. clop, as in clop-wcer, clop-hyrst, in Birch,
C.S., iii. 589, 590. In this case, it is difficult to assign the
origin ; unless we ally it to the O.H.G. claph, ' a boulder.'
Otherwise, Clope may answer to the A.S. Cloppan, gen. of
Cloppa, a personal name, not exactly found ; but it may be
the equivalent of Clappa, the name of a king of Bernicia in
Florence of Worcester's Chronicle, i. 0 ; according to Prof.
Moorman, in his account of Clapham in the W. Riding, Clap-
ham in Surrey is called Cloppaham in Kemble, CD., no. 317 ;
so that Clap and Clop seem to have been convertible.
Coney Weston. N, of Ixworth ; not far from the Little
Ouse. Spelt Cunegestuna, D.B.,y>. 169; showing that the name
has suffered some alteration. The original prefix must have
been the 0. Norse konungs, a form of the gen. of konung, a
king. The second n being lost, this took the form konugs ;
or (with the English suffix -es in place of the Norse s) konuges,
fairly well represented by the Cuneges in D.B. ; after which
the -es was dropped, and the prefix became Coney. We thus
see that the original sense was ' king's town or farm ' ; which
would regularly have given a later form Coneyton ; but the
latter part of the word was changed from ton to Weston (west
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 97
town) ; evidently by association with the neighbouring village
called Market Weston, the prefix Coney being contrasted with
that of Market. Compare Coneythorpe in the W. Riding,
which means ' king's thorpe ' or ' king's village.'
CoRTON. On the E. coast, N. of Lowestoft. Spelt Cortone,
R.B. ; Gorton, H.R. ; Karetuna, D.B., p. 6 (which can hardly be
quite correct, but must stand for Koretuna). The sense of the
prefix is unknown and uncertain; but Kore- suggests an A.S.
*Corau, gen. of *Cora, used as a personal name. That such a
name was in use is suggested by the occurrence of Cores, the
gen. of a strong form Cor. Cores occurs in Coreshroc ; in
Kemble, CD., no. 632. Hence a possible sense is 'Cora's
farm.'
Cotton. Near Mendlesham. Spelt Coton, H.R. ; but D.B.
has Cottuna, pp. 10, 11 ; Cotetuna, p. 84; and Codetuna, p. 58.
It is clear that, of these forms, Codetuna is the older ; afterwards
d became t, and the two ^'s were united. Codentuna at once
suggests an equivalent A.S. form Codan-tun. The prefix Codan
occurs in Codan-ford ; Birch, C.S., ii. 224, 1. 3. The sense is
'Coda's farm.' See Coddenham.
Bennington. N. of Framlingham. Spelt Dinyeueton, H.R.;
Dingiuetuna, D.B., p. 90; Dingiuetona, D.B., p. 91; Binneuetuna
(where B is an error for D), D.B., p. 95. Copinger gives a
large number of later forms, among which may be particularly
noticed these: Digneveton, Dingneueton, Bingniueton, Binieueton,
Byneyeueton. It is clear that the original suffix was by no
means -ington; but that -ington was substituted for something
far less usual. All the forms can, without much difficulty, be
deduced from A.S. *Denegife, gen. of a female name *Denegifu.
Though this name does not happen to occur, it is regular and
probable, as it is compounded of the common prefix Bene-
and the common suffix -gifit. Moreover, we find a similar form
Benegyth, also a female name, with a gen. Benegythe. The
compound place-name Bengithe-graf (with i for y) occurs in
Birch, C.S., ii. 419, 1. 3. The g in gifu was pronounced as y,
and the form Deneyiveton easily became Denyivton ; and this
C. A. S. Octivo Series. No. XLVI. 7
98 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
unusual and difficult form was changed to Bennington, because
the suffix -ington was common. I have little hesitation m
explaining this unusual name to mean ' Denegifu's farm'; and
we must remember that this is a female name, with a genitive
in -e.
Denstone ; otherwise Denardiston (Kelly). Spelt Denar-
deston, H.E,.; Danerdestuna, D.B., p. 219. Evidently for Dene-
heardes tun (O. Merc. Denehardes tun). The gen. occurs (with
DcBne- for the more usual Dene-) in Dceneheardes hegeneive;
Birch, C.S., ii. 81. The sense is ' Denehard's farm.'
Drinkstone. E. by S. from Bury. Spelt Drencheston,
Ipm. ; H.K ; Drencestuna, D.B., p. 164. Other spellings (in
Copinger) are Drengstone, Dryngeston, which are, practically,
better. The form Rengestuna occurs in D.B., p. 21, with initial
D omitted by mistake. A more correct form would be
Drenges-tun, where Drenges is the gen. of the A.S. dreng, a
warrior, soldier ; not an English word, and only occurring
once, as it was borrowed from O. Norse. The O. Norse word
was drengr, a valiant man, strong young fellow. The sense
is 'soldier's farm.' The same prefix occurs in Dringhouse, in
the W. Riding ; see the discussion of the social position of the
drengr in Prof. Moorman's W. Riding Names, p. xxiii.
N.B. — Dreng was also a personal name (Nielsen).
Easton. There are two Eastonsj one near Southwold, and
another on the Deben. It means ' east town ' or ' east farm.'
Edwardstone. Between Sudbury and Hadleigh. Spelt
Edivardeston, T.N. ; Ipm. ; Eduardestuna, D.B., p. 47. For
A.S. Eadtueardes tun ; 0. Merc. Eadwardes tun ; mod. E. ' Ed-
ward's farm.'
Erwarton. N. of the Stour, near its mouth. Spelt Euer-
luardton, H.R. ; Eureiuardestuna, D.B., p. 229. For O. Merc.
Eforwardes tun, A.S. Eqforweardes tun. The sense is 'Efor-
ward's farm.'
EusTON. S.E. of Thetford. Spelt Eustone, R.B. ; Eueston,
H.R. ; Euestuna, D.B., p. 174. In the last two examples, u is
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 99
for v; so that an older name was Eveston. The {arcfix is the
same as in Evesham, viz. the A.S. Eofes, gen. of Eof, a known
name. The sense is ' Eofs farm.'
Flempton. N.W. of Bury. The spelling in D.B. is Fleming-
tuna,^. 154. This answers to A.S. fleaniinga tun or O. Merc.
fleminga tiln. where fleaininga is the gen. pi. of Jleaming, a
fugitive. The sense is ' farm of the fugitives.'
Flixton. There are two Flixtons ; one near Bungay, and
one near Lowestoft. Spelt i^^z^^o??, H.R.; Ipm.; Flixtuna, D.B.,
p. 6. Perhaps of Norse origin. Nielsen says that Flik was a
Danish name, known in the thirteenth century. This form
would suit very well, as it would take the f^rm of Flikkes
when declined as an E. name. It is quite likely that Flixton
meant ' Flik's farm.' In Raven's Hist, of Suffolk, p. 44, it is
said that " the two Flixtons preserve the name of Felix." Of
course this is wholly impossible, and shows what comes of ne-
glecting phonetic laws. The stressed vowel in Felix cannot
disappear ; a shortened form would become Fell or Fele.
Flowton. Between Bury and Bildestou. The name (like
Browston) has lost a guttural ; spelt Flokton in Ipm. ; Floclie-
tiina (with die for ke), D.B., pp. 114, 226. The A.S. ct becomes
ht ; and this ht becomes M.E. gh, and then lo ; the form Floctun
would regularly become Flohtun, Floghton, Flowton. The
present form shows that the e in the D.B. form Flochetuna was
falsely inserted ; and that the A.S. form was Floctun., with the
c and t in contact. Floctim is iox jlocc-tun ; from _^occ, a flock
of sheep. The sense is ' flock-farm ' or ' sheep-farm.'
Freston. Near the S.W. bank of the Orwell. Spelt
Frestune, H.R. ; Fresetuna, D.B., p. 230. A.S. Fresan tun ;
Birch, C.S., iii. 602. Fresan is the gen. of Fresa, a Frisian.
The sense is ' farm (or town) of the Frisian.' This is an in-
teresting result. See Friston.
Friston. S.W, of Saxmundham. This name is a mere
variant of Freston (above), and has the same sense. And see
Fressingfield.
7—2
100 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Fritton. N.W. of Lowestoft. Spelt Freton, H.R. ; Fride-
tuna, D.B., p. 7 (with d for th). For A.S. Frith-tun-, see
Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 564, I. 7. Cf. A.S. frith-hurh, a town
in which /rzY^ or peace between two parties was secured.
Hence the sense is ' frith farm,' or ' a farm to which security
was assured.' The security may have been due to situation.
For the development of the senses of frith, see N.E.D.
GORLESTON. It forms a part of Great Yarmouth. Spelt
Gorleston, T.N., H.R. ; Gurleston, T.N. ; Gorlestuna, D.B., p. 6.
The prefix evidently represents the geu. case of a name which
has been cut down to Gorl. I can think of no form that would
admit of this except *Gorwulf, made (like Garwulf) with the
suffix widf. There is such a prefix as Gov-, in limited use ;
it occurs in Gor-mund and Gor-noth. Garwulf became Garulf,
and might (in D.B.) have been shortened to Gar'l, but would
hardly have given the required vowel o at so early a date as
1086. As a rather likely guess, I suggest the sense of ' Gor-
wulf's farm.'
GuNTON. Near Lowestoft. Spelt Gunetone, R.B.; Guneton,
H.R. Evidently Norse. From the O. Norse (r^mjia-^im ; where
Gunna is the O.N. gen. of Gunni, a known masc. name, which
is common in place-names (Rygh). The sense is ' Gunni's
farm.'
Hacheston. Spelt Hacheston, Haccheston, Ipm. ; Races-
tvna, D.B., p. 26 ; Hecestuna, D.B., p. 12. The palatalised form
suggests an English origin, rather than Norse. The patronymic
Hcecing occurs in Birch, C.S., ii. 403, 1. 27, from a form *Hcec
(gen. Hseces). The sense is probably ' Hjbc's farm.' The weak
form Haca is known.
Harleston. Three miles N.W. of Stowmarket Station.
Spelt Herleston, H.R.; Heroluestima, D.B., p. 159. A.S. Heo-
7-ulfes tUn; Kemble, CD., no. 722. Heorulfes is the gen. of
Heorulf, shortened form of Heormuidf. The sense is ' Heoru-
wulf's farm.'
Hasketon. Near Woodbridge. Spelt Hasketon, H.R. ;
Haschetuna, D.B., p. 69; Hascetuna, D.B,, p. 70. The sk
NAMES ENDING IN -TON TOl
shows that the name is of Norse origin. Rygh gives O. Norse
Hoskuldr, a Norse personal name which appears in place-
names as Haskel. Hence *Haskeltun, shortened to Hasketun.
The sense is therefore ' Hoskuldr's farm.'
Hemingstone. E. by S. of Needham Market. Spelt
Hemingeston, T.N. ; Hemingestone, Ipm. ; Hainingestuna, D.B,,
pp. 29, 115. But Copinger also gives the fuller forms Hel-
mingstone, Hemelingeston, showing that an el has been lost
after the m. The original form was therefore Hemelinges
tun ; and the sense is ' Hemeling's farm,' or ' farm of the son
of Hemele.' Hemele is a known name, of which Searle sives
six examples.
HiNTON. A mile and a half S.W. of Blythburgh. Spelt
Hinetuna, D.B., p. 101. There are several Hintons; and
Hinton (Dors.) is spelt Hineton in Ipm., p. 20. These spellings
show that Hinton represents the A.S. hlna tun where hina is
the gen. of hlwan, a pi. sb. meaning 'domestic servants,' and
allied to mod. E. hind, an agricultural labourer. The sense
is ' farm of the labourers ' ; a farm held by the labourers upon
it, of which there were examples in a few places. Cf Carlton
(above).
Holton. Near Halesworth. Spelt Holeton, Ipm. ; H.R. ;
Holiton, H.R. ; Holetuna, D.B., pp. 67, 102. Not from A.S.
Iialig, holy, because the A.S. a is represented by a in D.B., as
in A.S. stantun, D.B. Stanton, &c. In some cases Hoi- repre-
sents A.S. holan, ' hollow,' but this is scarcely applicable here.
Rather, in this case, the corresponding A.S. Holan-tun must be
due to a personal name Hola (gen. Holan), as also in such a
compound as Holan-heorh, Hola's hill or barrow. The sense is
' Hola's farm.' And see Hollesley.
HoNiNGTON. N. by W. from Ixworth. Spelt Honeiueton,
Ipm. ; Hunegtuna, D.B., p. 171. Copinger also has Honyton,
Hunegetune. Hiineg represents the A.S. hunig, honey. Kemble
has several place-names beginning with Hunig, as Hunig-broc,
-hurne, -ham, -hyrst, &c. ; and there seems to be no reason
against its occurrence here also. The sense is ' honey-farm,'
l02' ' THE PtAtiE-N AMES OF SUFFOLK
or a farm where bees were kept. It might be supposed that
Honiton became Honington by confusion with the numerous
places ending in -ington, as in other cases. But in the present
case a simpler solution presents itself. The Danish for honey
is honning, and the Swedish is honing; so that Honing was
merely due to the Scandinavian way of pronouncing honey.
HoPTON. N. of Lowestoft. There is another Hopton, near
Thetford. Spelt Hopeton, H.R.; T.N.; Hopetuna, D.B., p. 170 ;
Hoppetuna, D.B., p. 66 ; Hopestuna, .D.B., p. 69. The last form
contains an s, which can hardly be original. There is another
Hopton in the W. Riding ; and it is supposed that the prefix is
the A.S. hop, mod. prov. E. hope, ' a small enclosed valley,' ' a
recess in a valley,' or ' a piece of enclosed land.' The sense is
'hope farm'; where hope is to be thus explained. The insertion
of the e seems to have no meaning in this case.
HuNSTON. S.E. of Ixworth. Formerly Hunterstuna, D.B.,
p. 11. Copinger also gives the forms Honterston, Huntereston,
Hunteriston, and the like ; all answering to A.S. Hunteres tun,
i.e. ' Hunter's town ' or ' farm.'
Kedington. Near Haverhill. Spelt Ketton in 1813, in
Beauties of England, xiv. 142; Kediton, T.N.; H.R.; Kidituna,
-D.B., p. 220. Copinger also gives Kedintun, Kedynton; showing
that an n must be supplied before t. The name does not seem
to be Norse ; nor can it be from an A.S. base Ced-, because that
would have given us Ched-. The use of i in Kid- in D.B., and
of e in Ked- in other records, suggests that the A.S. vowel was
y, before which the G would remain hard. The A.S. form
was probably Gydan-tun ; where Cydan is the gen. of Cyda.
The name Cyda occurs in the Durham Liber Vitae. If this
be right, the sense is ' Cyda's farm.' The A.S. suffix -an be-
came M.E. -en (regularly), and might easily pass into -in. The
late form in -ington arose from confusion with the suffix -ington,
as correctly used in other instances.
Kenton. N.E. of Debenham. Spelt /jTme^o/^ Ipm. ; Chene-
tiina (with Che for Ke), D.B., p. 49 ; Kenetuna, D.B., p. 91. The
A.S. c becomes ch before short e, but remains hard before a
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 103
long one, as in Kenelm, from A.S. CenJielm, Hence Kenc-
represents A.S, Genan, gen. of Gena, a known name. The sense
is ' Cena's farm.' Cf. mod. E. Keene.
Kettlebaston. Near Bildeston. Spelt Kettilharston in
1813; in Beauties of England, xiv. 210; Kettleherstone, Ipm. ;
and (in Copinger) Cutelherston, Ketelherston ; so that r must
be supplied before the s. D.B., p. 177, gives Kitelheornastnna,
which agrees with the known personal name Cytelbearn, Gytel-
barn, Ketelharn ; lit. ' Cytel's or Cetel's son,' from A.S. hearn,
0. Merc, ham, O. Norse ham, ' child.' The sense is ' Cytelbarn's
farm,' or ' farm of Cytel's son.' Cytel is the same as the
Norse name Ketill ; and Ketelbern occurs as a Norse name
(Bjorkman).
KiKTON, or Kirkton. N.W. of Felixstowe. Spelt Kirke-
tone, R..B. ; Kirhetune, H.R. ; Gherchetuna, D.B,, p. 229, which
is an Englished form. But Kirkton is of Norse origin ; from
the 0. Norse kirkja, church. The sense is ' church-town ' or
' church-farm.'
Leiston. To the E. of Saxmundham, Spelt Leyston, H.R.;
but this is a contracted form, since it appears as Lestaneston in
Ipm., p. 218, col. 1 ; Leiston, D.B., p. 59. It does not seem to
correspond in position to Leofstanestuna in D.B., pp. 121, 123;
but it represents the same name. The A.S. form was Leofstanes
tun, or ' Leofstan's farm.' It is quite likely that Leiston arose
from the shortening of -stonston to -stoji ; to avoid repetition.
Levington. S.E. of Ipswich. Spelt Levington, Ipm. ; Le-
vintone, R.B. ; Leuentona, D.B., p. 251; Leuetuna, D.B., p. 121.
It is clear that the insertion of g is comparatively late. It
represents the A.S. Leo/an tun ; i.e. ' Leofa's farm.' Leofa was
a pet-name for Leofric, or for other names beginning with
Leof.
Market Weston, i.e. west town ; see Weston.
Melton. Near Woodbridge. Spelt Melton, T.N.; Meltuna,
D.B., p. 25. [N.B. — The reference in Kemble's Index to Meltun
104 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
is wrong ; the charter relates to Kent, and has the forms Mele-
tun, Melentun, but not Meltun.] Copinger also gives the forms
Meltoune and Mcdton ; the last is doubtful. The forms suggest
a compound word, not a name followed by -ton ; because I and t
are in immediate contact. Perhaps we may here take mel as a
Norse word, as in the place-name Mellis (see p. 124). The
sense will be then given by the Norw. ynel, a sandbank along
a river-course, which in the present case is the Orwell. That
is, it will mean ' farm near a sandbank.' Note : in the Glossary
to Thorpe's Diplomatorium, he explains Methelton as meaning
Melton (Suff.). This can hardly be right, and it contradicts his
own suggestion at p. 591, that Methelton means Middleton.
Middleton. Near Westleton ; Kelly describes it as 3 miles
S. of Darsham station, on the river Minsmere. There are many
Middletons, and some of them are strangely shortened to Milton,
as good evidence proves. Spelt Mideltuna, D.B., p. 24 ; Middel-
tuna, D.B., p. 63 ; and Copinger cites the forms Medilton,
Middilton, Midelton. It means ' middle farm,' as in other cases,
though the point of the application is not obvious. Thorpe, in
his Diplomatorium, p. 591, equates Middleton with the A.S.
Metheltun, which I believe to be wrong.
MoULTON. E. of Newmarket. Spelt Midetone, R.B. ; Mule-
ton, T.N.; Midetuna, D.B., p. 184. A.S. Mulan tun; in Thorpe,
Diplomat., p. 508. The sense is ' Mula's farm.'
Nacton. S.E. of Ipswich. Spelt Naketon, H.R. ; Naketune,
R.B. ; Nachetuna (with che for ke), D.B., p. 251. The prefix is
not English, but Norse ; from the O. Norse Nakki, gen. Nakka
(Rygh). The sense is ' Nakki's farm.'
Newton, near Sudbury. Old Newton, near Haughley.
Newton means 'new town,' or 'new farm'; but the older one
of the pair has the extraordinary name of Old Newton, as it
is older than the Conquest, and is called Niwetuna in D.B.,
p. 159, and Neiuetuna, D.B., p. 140; from A.S. nuve, new. It
was called Newton Vetus in 1278; see Ipm,
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 105
Norton. S.E. of Ixworth. Spelt Nortuna, D.B., p. 8. For
A.S. north tun. The sense is ' North form.' It lies to the north
of Tostock, and may have been named from that circumstance.
NowTON. S. of Bury. SjDelt iVo^io>;e, R.B. ; i\^aw^o?i, V.E. ;
Neotuna, D.B., p. 153. The form of the word suggests that it
is rather Norse than English. The prefix appears to be the
O. Norse naut, cattle (E. neat, A.S. neat). The sense is 'cattle
farm.' Cf. M.E. 7wwt, neat cattle. Bjorkman, p. 99, gives an
example in which nouthird means ' neat-herd.' The ow in
Nowton is pronounced like the ow in noiu.
Ofton, or Offton. N.W. of Ipswich, but at some distance
from it. Spelt Offintone, R.B. ; Offeton, Ipm. ; H.R. ; Offinton,
T.N. ; Offetuna, D.B., p. 9. For A.S. Offan tun ; meaning
' Offa's farm.'
Oulton. W. of Lowestoft. Spelt Oulton, T.N. ; Olton,
H.R. Simply for old town, or ' old farm.' Not, however, in
D.B.
Preston. Near Lavenham. Spelt Prestone, R.B. ; but
Prestetona, Prestetune, D.B., pp. 139, 158. Thorpe, Diplomat.,
p. 583, has the dat. Prestone, but only in a late copy of an
A.S. charter. The form in D.B. suggests the A.S. preosta tan,
' town (or farm) of the priests ' ; from preosta, gen. pi. Hardly
a compound, as preost-tiui, i.e. ' priest farm.'
Sapiston. N. by E. from Ixworth. Spelt Sapston, Ipm. ;
Sapiston, H.R. ; Sapestuna, R.B. ; D.B., p. 171. The forms are
all, unmistakeably, genitives singular ; from an unknown per-
sonal name *Sap or *Saip. The A.S. seep (gen. scopes) means
' sap ' ; and sceppe (gen. sceppan) is ' a spruce-fir.' Sap- cote is
in Leics., and Kemble's Index has Sap-cmnh; but all these
throw no real light on the personal name. The sense seems
to be ' Sap's farm.'
Sibton. S. by W. from Halesworth. Spelt Sibheton, Ipm.;
Sihhetone, R.B.; Sibeton, H.R.; Sibbetuna, D.B., p. G4 ; Sibetuna,
D.B., p. 24. For A.S. Sibban tun; meaning ' Sibba's farm.'
Sibba is a known name.
106 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
SoMERLEYTON. N.W. of Lowestoft. " For shortness called
Somerley " (Kirby). Spelt Somerleton, H.R. ; Sumerledetuna,
D.B., pp. 6, 7. The form Somerledeton is in Thorpe, Diplo-
mat., p. 583. From A.S. Sumerlidan tun. Sumerlidan is the
gen. of Sumerlida, occurring in the A.S. Chronicle to mean
a summer-expedition, or a band of Danes who landed in the
summer for plunder. But it properly refers to an individual
member of such a band, and it is best to consider it so here.
That is, sumerlida means a sailor, mariner, or one who sails
over sea for plunder ; such a one might afterwards settle down.
The sense is, practically, that of pirate ; and we might here
explain the place-name as ' pirate's farm ' ; meaning by ' pirate '
one who had once been a rover.
SoTHERTON. Two miles to the S. of Brampton. Spelt
Suthei-ton, H.R,; Sudretuna, D.B., p. 303. For A.S. suthra
tun ; where suthra is the comparative of suth, south, and means
' more to the south.' The sense is ' farm more to the south ' ;
perhaps with reference to Brampton, which is due N. of it, and
is a larger place. See Sotterley.
Sproughton. W. of Ipswich. Spelt Sproutou, Ipm., T.N. ;
Sproutune, H.R. It has lost an s ; for Copinger also cites the
forms Spi'oiiston, Sproustun, Sproxton, Sproxtun. From A.S.
Sprotues tun ; the sense being ' Sprow's farm.' Sprow is a
known name.
Stanton. Stanton St John's and Stanton All Saints are
to the N.E. of Ix worth. Spelt Stanton, H.R. ; Stantuna, D.B.,
p. 94. A.S. stantun, i.e. ' stone farm.'
Stuston. Spelt Stufton (error for Stiistor^), H.R. ; Stutes-
tuna, D.B., p. 180. Copinger also gives Stouston, Stutestun.
For A.S. Stutes tun ; i.e. ' Stut's farm.' The A.S. stut,
prov. E. stout, means ' a gnat, a midge ' ; but it is here a
personal name.
Stutton. Near the N. bank of the Stour. Spelt Stutton,
H.R. ; Stuton, H.R. ; Stutone, Ipm.; Stuttima, D.B., p. 279;
Stottuna (with o for u), D.B., p. 31. A compound word;
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 107
answering to A.S. stut-tun, lit. ' ,stout-f;xrm.' The prov. E.
stout means ' a gnat, a midge ' ; as if it were a farm infested
with midges. Prof. Moorman gives the same explanation of
Stutton in the W. Riding, and explains Midgley as ' midge-
lea.' See Stuston.
Sutton. S. by E. from Woodbridge. Spelt Suttuna, D.B.,
p. 25 ; Suthtuna, D.B., p. 78. A.S. Suth-tun ; the sense is
' south farm ' ; perhaps with reference to Woodbridge.
Tannington. N.W. of Framlingham. An altered form ;
for Tattenton. Spelt Tatingtoii, H.R. ; but Tatintuna, D.B.,
p. 95. The latter represents A.S. Tatan-tuii] the sense is
' Tata's farm.' Of the name Tata there are eleven examples.
Tattingstone. S. of Ipswich. Spelt Tattingeston, Ipm. ;
Tatingeston, T.N. ; Tatingstun, H.R. ; Tatyngeston, Ipm. Copinger
gives many spellings, but it is difficult to know whether they
belong to this place or to Tanniugton. The spellings above
answer to an A.S. form Tatinges tun ; lit. ' farm of Tating,' or
' of the son of Tata.' There is also a form Tatting, as in Tatting-
snad ; Birch, C.S., i. 295.
Theberton. Near the E. coast; N. of Leiston. Spelt
Theherton, H.R. ; Ipm. Copinger notes the form Thehaston ;
and no doubt an s (or -es) has been lost, so that it represents
Theberteston. And Thebert is a very late form of the A.S.
name Theodbeorht, 0. Merc. Theodberht or Thedhert. The sense
is ' Theodbeorht's farm.'
Thorington. S.E. of Halesworth. Spelt Thoriton, H.R. ;
Thuritune, H.R. ; Torentuna (with T for Th), D.B., p. 24. For
A.S. Thoran-tun ; as the g is evidently a later insertion. The
name Thora is recorded as being that of a daughter of Thor-
berg, and wife of Harald Hardrada ; but the A.S. form would
be There, with the fem. nom. ending. The name Thora (gen.
Thoran) would be the corresponding masculine. We may as-
sume the masc. form as being more likely here ; and the sense
is then 'Thora's farm.' But an A.S. form Thora does not occur;
and it can only be regarded as an Anglicised form of the O.
108 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Norse Thori, variant of Thuri, a common Scandinavian name,
of which there is an example in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., iv. 71,
1. 14 ; and Thuri seems to be merely a reduced form of Thurir,
which is a very old Scandinavian name and very common. See
Bjorkman, p. 158; Rygh, p. 259. Hence Thorington is ulti-
mately of Norse origin. In Bardsley's Surnames, s.v. Thor, is
an instance of a late form of Thori, in the entry " Orm iil.
Thore'; dated 1179 (from the Pipe Rolls).
Thrandeston. N. of Eye. Spelt Thrandestuna, D.B., p. 135.
The late A.S. form is Thrandeston; in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 580.
Evidently the prefix is the gen. of Thrand, a name not recorded
as being of English origin, though Thrond is given as being
that of a Dane.. Of Norse origin ; Rygh gives the 0. Norse
name Throndr or TJirandr as occurring in numerous place-names.
We may drop the formative r of the masc. nom. ; this gives, as
the sense, ' Thrand's farm.'
Thurlston, Thurleston. The church of Whittou-cum-
Thurlston is between Whitton and Thurlston (or Thurleston) ;
to the N. by W. from Ipswich. Spelt Thurliston, Ipm., p. 258 ;
but Turoluestuna, D.B., p. 29 (with T for Th). For the A.S.
Thurulfes tun, also appearing as Turolfes tun. Really of Norse
origin; the prefix is due to the O. Norse personal name Thuriilf,
Thorolf, or Thorulf] the original O. Norse nominative of which
appears as Thorolfr or Thuridfr ; corresponding to the A.S.
Thurwidf. Hence the sense is ' Thorolfr's farm ' ; and we have
here a clear example of Norse influence. See Bjorkman, p. 102.
Thurston. To the E. of Bury. Spelt Thurston, T.N. ;
Torstuna, D.B., p. 8. For A.S. Thures tun ; i.e. ' Thur's farm.'
Thur (as in Thursday) is a form of Thor ; and Thur- occurs, as
the former element, in many A.S. names.
There was also a Thurstanestun or ' Thurstan's farm ' in
Suffolk. But there is nothing to show whether it was Thurston.
They seem to differ.
Troston. N.W. of Ixworth. Spelt Troston, Ipm.; Trostuna,
D.B., p. 172. Copinger records the form Throston, which is
evidently nearer to the original. But further, the syllable -ing-
NAMES ENDING IN -TON 109
must be restored, as the dat. form Trostingtune occurs in Birch,
C.S., iii. 630, in ^Ifhelm's Will. This takes ns back to the
original form Throstinga tun. From the Norse personal name
ThrOstr (lit. ' thrush '), which yielded several place-names be-
ginning with Trost- or Troste- ; see Rygh. The sense is ' farm
of the sons of Throstr.'
Ubbeston. S.W. of Halesworth. Spelt Uhheston, H.R. ;
Huhheston (with H wrongly prefixed), T.N. ; Upbestuna (with
pb for bb), D.B., p. 269. Tlie gen. Ubbes suggests a nom. Ubb,
not an A.S. name, but borrowed from the Danish Ubbi, recorded
by Rygh as being specifically Danish, not Icelandic. The sense
is ' Ubbi's farm.'
Walton. N. of Felixstowe. Also (later) known as Walton
St Felix, because a monastery of St Felix was built there ; see
Felixstowe (above). Spelt Waletoii, H.R. ; Waletima, D.B.,
p. 118. The corresponding A.S. form is Weala tun, the 'farm
(or enclosure) of the Welshmen ' ; from the nom. sing. Wealh,
a foreigner, a Welshman. The same explanation applies to the
two Waltons in the W. Riding. In no way connected with E.
wall.
Wenhaston. Between Halesworth and Blythburgh. Spelt
Wenhaston, H.R., Ipm. ; but Wenadestuna, D.B., p. 24. The
prefix occurs in an A.S. charter, in Birch, C.S., ii. 529, as
Wikneardes and Weneardes ; it is spelt both ways in the same
line. In both cases an h has been dropped, and the right form
of the nom. is Wenheard. The sense is ' Wenheard's ferm ' ; or,
in Mercian spelling, ' Wenhard's farm.'
Westleton. Spelt TFes^^e^o/i, H.R.; Ipm.; Westletuna,T>.B.,
p. 66; but Westlentuna, D.B., p. 63; Westledestuna, D.B., p. 319.
The last is the fullest form, and must be selected. Westledes
represents an A.S. west-leodes, gen. of luest-leod, a compound
word. Leod means ' a man ' ; and ivest-leod is ' a man from the
west.' (Note that, in Beda's Eccl. Hist., iv. 1, the A.S. trans-
lation has the gen. pi. east-leoda, i.e. ' of men from the east,'
where the Latin original has orientalium.) The meaning is
'farm of the man from the west.'
110 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Weston. Spelt Weston, H.R. ; Westuna, D.B., p. 4. The
sense is ' west town ' or "' west farm.' It is W. of Ellough.
Whitton. To the N. of Ipswach. Spelt Whitington, Ipm.,
p. 2.58. Copinger cites several equivalent forms, such as Wlii-
tinton, Whittington, Whytingtone, Whytyngton; showing that the
name has been contracted. It is the same name as Whittington
in Wore, spelt Huitingtun in an A.S. charter ; in Birch, C.S., i.
497. The full A.S. form is HtuUinga tun ; the sense is ' farm of
the Whitings ' or ' of the sons of White.'
Winston. S. of Debenham. Spelt Wynestou, H.K.; Wines-
tima, D.B., p. 36. But Copinger also cites Winerston, Wynerston ;
so that there was once an r before the s. This represents the
A.S. genitive Wynheres, as occurring in Wynheres stig ; in
Birch, C.S., i. 334, footnote 5. Wynhere is a known name. The
sense is ' Wynhere's farm.'
Wiston, or WissiNGTON ; near Nayland, Of course the
latter is the older form. Spelt Wysinton, H.R. But this is
shortened from a much more complex name, as we learn from
iElfflffid's Will, in Birch, C.S.,iii,602, where we find Wiswythetun
mentioned in connexion with Lavenliam (about 11 miles from
Wiston in a direct line), Bildeston (at the same distance from it),
and Polstead (within four miles of it). There is thus a pre-
sumption that Wiston and Wysinton (in H.R.) are shortened
forms of Wiswythetun. Copinger also cites Wisweton as a form
of Wiston, which clearly points to the same form. If we accept
this hypothesis, we must enquire into its meaning. It is not
derived from a personal name, but is descriptive. Wis may be
explained as short for the A.S. ivisc, ' a meadow,' a Avord dis-
cussed in the Phil. Soc. Trans., 1895-8, p. 542 ; and tuithe is
for withig, a withy or Avillow. The sense will then be ' farm of
the field- willow.' For luisc, see Birch, C.S., ii. 412.
WooLVERSTONE. Near the S.W. bank of the Orwell. Spelt
Wlferstun (for Wiilfei^stun), H.R. ; Vlverestuna (with V for U),
D.B., p. 30; Hulferestuna (with H wrongly prefixed), D.B.,
p. 279. These represent the A.S. Wulfheres tun; and the sense
is ' Wulfhere's farm.' Wulfhere was a very common name.
NAMES ENDING IN -TON, -TREE, -WADE 111
WORLINGTON. Near Mildeuhall. Spelt Wredelington, U.K.;
Wredlingto)i, Ipm. ; Wiriiintona, D.B., p. 149. Copingcr also
cites Wridelyngton, WretJtelijngton, WritJielingtoii, Wredelgnge-
ton, &c. The prefix evidently represents a tribal name, of which
the gen. pi. appears as Wredelinga, Wridelinga, Wrethelinga, or
Writhelinga. But all of these are unknown forms. The sense
is ' farm of the Wrethelings or Writhelings,' or ' of the sons of
Wrethel or Writhel.'
Wyverstone. W. by N. from Mindlesham. Spelt Wivers-
ton, Ipm.; Wiiiertestuna (with t for th), D.B., pp. 57, oil;
Wiuerthestuna, D.B., p. 82. The prefix represents the A.S.
Wlferihes, gen. of Wlfertli, more correctly spelt Wigfrith. The
sense is * Wigfrith's farm.'
47. Tree.
Tree, in the usual sense, occurs in Pettistree and Thed-
westry.
Pettistree. Spelt Petistre, Ipm. Ipm. has also the form
Fettes-ho. The forms Peott, Piott, and Piot, all given by
Sweet, in his Oldest English Texts, p. 536, may be considered
as Kentish variants of Pet, and so help to establish that form.
Hence the sense is 'Pet's tr6e.' See Wright, O.E. Grammar,
§ 93. The form Patta occurs in Birch, C.S., iii. 632, and may
be related.
Thedwestry. This is the name of a hundred ; and no
doubt the hundred met at a particular tree that was known
by this name. Spelt Thedwastre, Ipm. ; Thedtvardistre, H.R. ;
Theivardestreu, D.B., p. 8; TJieodivardestreo, D.B., p. 162.
Copinger also gives Thedwardestre, Thediuardstree. The A.S.
form is Theodweardes-treo ; O. Merc, Theodwardes-treo ; from
the personal name Tlieodward. The sense is ' Theodward's tree.'
48. Wade.
Wade represents the A.S. iuced, a ford, shallow water ;
cognate with L. uadum. It occurs in Cattawade.
Cattawade. Copinger gives, as old spellings, Cataiuade,
Gattiwade. Cata is precisely the O. Norse Kata, gen. of Kati,
112 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
a known name, whence some known places are derived (E,ygh).
The sense is ' Kati's ford.' Kati is masculine. Cattawade is a
hamlet of Brantham, near the Stour.
49. Well.
Well, in the usual sense, occurs in Badwell Ash, Bardwell,
Bradwell, Brightwell, Bromeswell, Elmswell, Eriswell, Herrings-
well, Orwell, Sizewell, and Wordwell ; eleven examples.
Badwell Ash. Three miles due N. of Elmswell station,
and near Great Ashfield. Copinger gives, as other names,
Ashfeld parva and Badewelle Asfelde. Badewelle represents
the A.S. Badan wella, i.e. ' Bada's well.' Bada is a known
name. Cf. Bcedewyllan ; Birch, C.S., iii. 240 (bottom).
Bardwell. N. of Ixworth. Spelt Berdeivell, T.N., H.R. ;
Berdeivella, D.B., p. 221; Beordewella, D.B., p. 171. The forms
point directly to an A.S. form Beordan wella, i.e. 'Beorda's well.'
No instance of the name Beorda is known ; but it may be
related to, or an error for, the known form Bearda, which occurs
in Beardan-lg, in the A.S. Chronicle, and in Bardan-lg (the
0. Merc, form) in the Life of St Oswald by iElfric.
Bradwell. To the S. by W. of Yarmouth. Spelt Brade-
well, H.R. ; answering to the A.S. cet thdm hrddan luellan, i.e.
'at the broad well.' Cf. Bradfield. There are at least six
Brad wells.
Brightwell. Near Bucklesham ; S. of Martlesham. Also
known as Brightwell-cum-Foxhall. Spelt Brihtewella, D.B.,
p. 211 ; for A.S. cet thdm beorhtan wellan, lit. 'at the bright (or
clear) well.'
Bromeswell. Near Melton. Spelt Brumesiuelle, Ipm.
(which has also such forms as Brumfeld, Brumlegh) ; Brumes-
uelle, D.B., p. 214; Bromeswella, D.B., p. 25; Brameswella, D.B.,
p. 75. Of the three forms in D.B., we must select the first, as
agreeing with Ipm. ; whilst the second can be accounted for by
the fact that Norman scribes frequently wrote om for um when
the a is short. The third form, with a, must be wrong, as it
suits neither the old nor the modern spellings.
NAMES ENDING IN -WELL 113
The name Brum occurs in Searle ; and we may conclude
that the A.S. form must have been Brumes-wella, meaning
' Brum's well.' The modern spelling was probably affected by
the influence of A.S. hrom, ' broom ' ; i.e. the plant so called.
This was certainly the case with Bromsgrove (Wore), which
really means ' Brem's grove,' as the old spellings prove ; see
Duignan's Place-Names of Worcestershire.
Elmswell. Spelt Elmeswell, H.R. ; Elmeswellan, D.B.,
p. 168. Here Elmes cannot refer to elm (the tree), as that
would have formed the compound Elmwell. The presence of
-es shows that Elmes represents the gen. case of a proper name,
which has certainly been contracted. It must be short for
Elmeres, which occurs in Birch, C.S., iii. 58, 1. 4 from bottom,
and is also spelt Almeres in the last line of the page. Elmeres
or Almeres represents JElm,eres, a later form oi JElfmares ; and
the oldest form of Elmswell must have been j^lfmd'ves wella,
i.e. ' ^Elfmier's well' There is an Elmsall in Yorkshire, which
similarly represents an A.S. ^Ifmwres halh, i.e. ' ^Elfmier's
haugh.' This is Prof Moorman's explanation in his Place-
Names of the West Riding.
Eriswell. Spelt Erswelle, T.N. ; Ersivell, H.P. ; Heres-
wella (with H wrongly prefixed), D.B., p. 244. Evidently a
contracted form, as shown by the spelling Everesivell in Ipm.,
p. 6. Everes represents the O. Merc. Eferes, A.S. Eoferes, gen.
of Ejer, Eofer, personal name, the literal sense being ' a boar ' ;
and it is cognate with L. aper. The meaning is ' Efer's well.'
Compare Eversden, Cambs, ; Eversley, Hants.
Herringswell. Spelt Heringeswell, Ipm. ; Haringwell,
T.N. ; but older forms are Hernigaiuella, D.B., p. 223 ; Hern-
ingawella, D.B., p. 235 ; Eyrningwella, D.B., p. 156. As D.B.
sometimes has e for A.S. y, these forms all. come from an A.S.
Hyrninga wella, i.e. ' Hyrnings' well,' or ' well of the Hyrniugs '
or ' of the sons of Hyrn ' ; or, possibly, ' of Horn.' At any rate,
Hyrning is a similar name to Horning; for which see HORN-
INGSHEATH.
G. A. S. Octavo Series. No. XLVI. 8
114 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Orwell. The name of a river ; but the river was named
from a well from which it took its rise ; and Orwell, Carabs.,
occurs as a place-name. The Cambs. place-name represents an
A.S. oran-iuella, where oran is the combining form of ora,
a border, brink, edge, or margin ; and the sense is ' well beside
the brink,' or 'well beneath a brink.' In the A.S. Chronicle,
there is mention of a river Arvje (i.e. 'arrow'), which is sup-
posed to be the Orwell. It may be the same river but it is
not the same name.
SIZEV7ELL. A hamlet in the parish of Leiston. It is due
E. of Leiston, and on the coast. I know of no old spelling ; but
Copinger quotes Siswell. Cf. Siston, Glouc. The A.S. form
was probably Sisan luella, i.e. ' Sisa's well.' The A.S. Sisa is
implied in the form Siso, quoted in Searle from a foreign
source.
WoRDWELL. Two miles N.W. of Ingham station (Kelly).
Spelt Wridewella, D.B., p. 172 ; Wride-ioella, Birch, C.S. iii.
219, 1. 4. For A.S. wrida luella, 'well of the thicket,' or 'of
(the clump of) young shoots ' ; where wrida is the gen. pi. of
wrld. The A.S. wrld is the pro v. E. ride, 'the quantity of wood
growing from one stump, a root-stock in coppice.' ' A ride of
hazle, &c., is a whole plump of sprigs growing out of one root.'
Particularly used of the hazel ; cf. A.S. hcesel-wrid, ' hazel-ride.'
50. WicH, Wick.
The suffix -wich or -luick represents the A.S. wic, a dwelling;
hence, a village. It occurs in Dunwich, Hardwick, Ipswich, and
Walberswick.
Dunwich. Spelt Donewic, T.N.; H.R.; Dunemdc, D.B,,
p. 62. A trisyllabic form ; representing the A.S. Dunan wlc,
i.e. ' Duna's village.' The name Duna occurs in Dunan-heafod
and Dunan-hyl (both in Kemble). It is possible that the name
was suggested by an older one. Beda, Hist. Eccl. ii. 15, has
"in ciuitate Domnoc"; for which the A.S. version has "on
Dommocceastre." Domnoc is not English ; but may be Celtic.
NAMES ENDING IN -WICK, WOM) 115
In fact, we are told that it is so in McClure's British Place-
names, p, 173, note 1, where it is said that Dumnoc involves
a term meaning ' deep,' with -oc as an adjectival termination ;
i.e. (as I suppose) the sense is 'deepish '; and it signifies 'a port
with a deep-water approach.' The base is the Indo-germanic
*dubnos, *dumnos, 'deep,' whence the Old Irish fn-domain,
'deep,' Welsh dwfn (fern, dofn); see Stokes-Fick, Wortschatz
der keltischen Spracheinheit, p. 153.
Hardwick. a new parish, one mile W. b}^ S. from Bury
(Kelly). Spelt Herdwice, R.B. ; Hereivic, H.R. Herdewic
answers to the A.S. Heordewlcum, dat. pi. ; spelt Heordeivican
in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 594 ; for the A.S. wtc was frequently
used in the pi., as meaning ' dwellings.' The A.S. heorde is the
gen. of heorde, a herd, a flock. The sense is ' herd-dwellings '
or ' herd-village.' The place referred to in Thorpe is Hardwick
in Northants. The derivation from the dat, pi. may explain
why the suffix remains as tuick, and did not become luich.
Ipswich. Spelt Gipeswiche, later Gippewich, Ipm.; Gipeiuic,
H.R.; Gypeswich, Robert of Gloucester; Gipeswiz, D.B., p. 19
(with z = ts, for ch). A.S. Gipes wTc; A.S. Chronicle, an. 993
(Parker MS.) ; where Gipes is the gen. of Gipi (later Gipe),
a name not otherwise known. Thus the sense is 'Gipi's village.'
The G before i was pronounced as mod. E. y, and the former
i was short ; so that Gipi was pronounced yippy. The Norman
disliked initial y before i, and dropped it. Hence it took the
sound of Ippy's luich, and finally Ipswidi.
Walberswick. Spelt Walberdeswyk, H.R. Other spellings
in Copinger do not tell us any more ; but the A.S. equivalent
form is obvious, viz. Wealhheorhtes wlc ; O. Merc. Walhberhtes
tulc. Wealhheorht occurs three times, and in two instances is
also found as Walhert. The sense is ' Walhberht's village.' Or
-wick may have been derived from the dat. pi. wlcuni; see
Hardwick.
51. Wold.
Wold represents the O. Merc, wald, A.S. weald, a wood,
forest ; just as old is from O. Merc, aid, A.S, eald. Many wolds
8—2
116 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
have lost their trees, and are now bare. The only Suffolk
example is Southwold.
SoUTHWOLD. S]ie\t Suthwold, iT^m., H.'R.; Suthwald,'S..'R.;
Sudwolda, D.B., p. 182 (with d for voiced th). From A.S. silth,
south ; the sense is obvious.
52. Wood.
Only in Hazlewood ; two miles N.W. of Aldeburgh station
(Kelly). The sense is obvious.
53. Worth.
Worth is related to mod. E. worth, value ; and meant
a property, holding, farm, an enclosed homestead. The A.S.
form is worth. Examples are : Braiseworth, Chelsworth,
Dunningworth, Halesworth, Hepworth, Ickworth, Ixworth,
Timworth, Worlingworth.
Braiseworth, or Brayes worth. Spelt Breisworth in
Kirby. S. of Eye. Spelt Bryseworth, H.R. ; Breseworth, Ipm. ;
Briseworde, D.B., p. 80. Copinger also notes forms beginning
with Brayss, Breis, Bres. The use of y, e, i after Br points to
the A.S. 2/ or y; and suggests a form *Brysan, gen. of *Brysa.
That there was such a name is further supported by the occur-
rence of such place-names as Bris-ley, Bris-ton, Norf ; and still
more by the forms Bruse-lowe, Bris-ingham, Brise-rvike in the
index to Ipm. I suggest the sense ' Brysa's farm.' Cf. A.S.
brysan, to bruise.
Chelsworth. Near Bildeston. Spelt Ghelesworth, H.R. ;
but Cerleswrda, D.B., p. 176. The D.B. form answers to A.S.
Ceorles wyrth; Birch, iii. 312; which refers to this very place.
Ceorles is the gen. of A.S. ceorl, a husbandman, countryman.
The sense is ' husbandman's farm ' ; lit. ' churl's farm.'
Dunningworth. Tunstall-cum-Dunningworth ; near Alde-
burgh. Duniworda, D.B., p. 130. Copinger gives the forms
Donyngivorthe, Dimnyngivorthe. For A.S. Dunninga wyrth ; i.e.
' farm of the Dunnings' or 'of the sons of Dunn.' Both Dunn
and Dunning are known names,
NAMES ENDING IN -WORTH 117
Halesworth. So spelt; H.R. ; T.N. ; Ipm. D.B. has
Halesuuorda, p. 25 ; and Healesuurda, p. 87. Tlic name
Halington (prob. Hallington, Lines.) oeeurs in Bireh, C.S.
i. 453 (bottom); with referenee to a tribe or family of Halings ;
from a proper name *H8el or *HaI, not otherwise known. The
sense may be ' Huel's farm.'
Hepworth. Spelt Hepwrth, H.R. ; Hepworda, D.B., p. 170.
Copinger also has Hepeivorth, Hipeiuorth. There does not seem
to be any reason why the prefix may not be the A.S. lieope,
M.K hepe, a hip, i.e. the fruit of the dog-rose. The sense may
be ' hip-worth,' or ' farm of wild roses.' There is a Hepworth in
Yks., for which D.B. has Heppeword. Cf. Heope-bricge, lit.
'hip-bridge'; Birch, C.S., iii. 567, 1. 4.
ICKWORTH. Near Horningsheath. Spelt Ikeiuorth, Ipm. ;
kkeivortha, D.B., p. 154, where / is omitted by mistake. Spelt
Iccaworth in a late A.S. charter, Kemble, iv. 222, 1. 2. For Iccan-
worth ; Iccan is the gen. of Icca, and occurs in Iccan-ora (ill spelt
Iccannore), in Birch, C.S., i. 99. The sense is ' Icca's farm.'
IxwoRTH. N.E. of Bury. Spelt Ixewortlie, R.B. ; Ixeiurth,
H.R. ; Ixewr'Q, D.B., p. 174; Copinger also has Giswortha,
Gyscewurde. It is the A.S. Gyxeiveorth; Birch, C.S., iii. 219.
The prefix must have been, originally, a weak genitive, and the
vowel must have been i, not y ; for G remains hard before y,
but is lost before i Hence the original form must have been
Gixan-iuearth ; and the sense is ' Gixa's farm ' ; where Gixa
represents Gisca. Gisca may stand for *Giseca, a diminutive
of Gisa, which is a known name. Cf. Gis-wulf.
TiMWORTH. N. of Bury. Spelt Timwrtha, D.B., p. 1G5 ;
Timeworda, D.B., p. 221. For Tlman lueorth; and the sense
is ' Tima's farm.' Tima is a known name.
WORLING WORTH. Spelt Wirlingwo7'th,R.U.; Wyrlingwortlm,
D.B,, p. 175. But Copinger also has Weiring lurthe, Wilrincga-
wertha, so that the rl was once Ir. The A.S. form Wilrincga-
wyrth is in Thorpe, Diplomat., p. 567. Wilrincga is short for
118 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Wilheringa ; and the sense is ' farm of the Wilherings,' or ' of
the family of Wilhere.' Wilhere is a known name, Cf
Wilheringa (for Wilheringa wic) ; Birch, C.S., ii. 141.
54. Yard.
From A.S. geard, an enclosure. It occurs in Bruisyard.
Bruisyard. N.W. of Saxmundham. Spelt Bursyard, H.R.;
Bursyerd, Ipm. ; Buresiart, D.B., pp. 83, 117. The evidence
seems to be conclusive as to the fact that an older form was
Burxs-geard. Biires is certainly a much contracted form, but,
fortunately, it is easy to restore it by comparison with Burslem
(Staffs.) and Buscot (Berks.). In the former, Burs- represents
the O. Merc. Burgwardes, A.S. Burgiueardes, see Duignan,
Place-Names of Staffs. ; and in the latter. Bus- is short for
Burs-, and represents the same prefix ; see my Place-Names of
Berks. Hence we may explain Bruisyard as representing
' Burhward's yard ' or ' enclosure.'
55. Some other names.
Having thus considered the names which certainly seem to
be compounds, with known suffixes, I consider first Cornard,
which is of like formation, and lastly some names that are of
different or uncertain formation, and cannot well be included
in the foregoing sets.
Cornard. To the E. of Sudbury ; called Great Cornard
there is also Little Cornard, not far off. Spelt Cornerth, T.N.
Cornerd, H.R. ; Gornerthe, H.R. ; Gornerda, D.B., p. 159
Gornierda, D.B., pp. 12, 223. The forms with th must be the
more original ; and of these we may take Cornerth as the type.
The former part of the word is corn (A.S. corn) ; the latter part
is probably not the A.S. eorthe, mod. E. earth, but the rarer
A.S. earth, plough-land, not given in the A.S. Dictionarj^,
because it is commoner in the ' modified ' form ierth or yrth
or irth ; see irth in Bosworth and Toller, and earth (2) in
N.E.D. The actual form earth (dat. eai^the) occurs in Birch,
SOME OTHER NAAfES 119
C.S., ii. 195, ]. 22 ; and in the compound earth-land in Birch,
C.S., i. 502, 1. 6 (with medwe-land, i.e. meadow-land, in the
following line) ; and again in the same, ii. 40, 1. 4 from the
bottom. The sense is 'plough-land for corn.' The form
Cornierda in D.B. may be compared with the compound
for-ierth in Birch, C.S., ii. 255, 1. 14. If this be right, we
may add it to the list of compounds ; for which reason I place
it here.
Barrow. A well-known word, meaning a funeral mound
or tumulus, or sometimes simply a hill ; from the M.E, berwe,
herewe, A.S. heorge, dat. of heorh (O. Merc. herJi), a hill,
a barrow.
Beccles. Spelt Beccles, H.R. ; Becles, T.N. ; D.B., pp. 6,
178. We may also compare Beclinge, Ipm. ; Becclinga, D.B.,
p. 116 ; where Beccling is a patronymic, formed from the name
Beccel. Beccles is the gen. of Beccel ; and stands alone as
indicating the name of the possessor of the original settlement ;
just as we might call a farm Smith's, meaning Smith's farm.
Hence the sense is ' Beccel's,' meaning a settlement of Beccel.
In the A.S. Life of St Guthlac, ch. vii., there is mention of
' Beccel the priest.'
Beck Row. A hamlet of Mildenhall. The prov. E. heck
means ' a small stream ' ; from the O. Norse bekker, a brook.
" Towards the Fens [near Mildenhall] are several large Streets
as big as ordinary Towns, called by the Inhabitants, Rows ; as
West Row, Beck Row, and Holywell Row"; Kirby.
BOULGE. Spelt Bulge, Ipm. ; Bidges, D.B., pp. 77, 134.
The name must have been quite recent, at the time of the
compilation of D.B. in 1086. It is obviously not of English,
but of Norman origin ; and D.B. preserves the correct form.
Bulges is an Old Norman plural, answering to a later 0. French
houges, given by Godefroy s.v. Bouge, s.m. 'terrain inculte et
couvert de petites brandes.' It therefore signifies 'lands not
yet cultivated, but covered with heather.'
120 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Brome, or Broome. Pronounced as E. broom. S. by W. of
Diss. Spelt Brom, D.B., pp. 59, 117. The njod. E. broom; as
a plaut-name. Broom was there abundant.
BuRES St Mary. On the Stour ; W. of Nayland. A bridge
across the river leads to Bures in Essex, Spelt Bures, H.R.,
T.N., Ipm. ; Bare, D.B., p. 223. The A.S. bur, a bower, cottage,
was masc. ; with the pi. buras. But this would have given
a mod. E. Bowers. The preservation of a long u only takes
place in words of French origin. The right explanation seems
to be that it is an Old Norman bures, pi. of bure, which was not
a word of Latin origin, but merely borrowed from the O.H.G.
and A.S. bur. The forms bur, bure, are given as modern Norman
words in Moisy's Diet, of the Norman dialect ; and he quotes
the Lat. form bui-us from a Caen chartulary; adding that
Norman also possesses the dimin. buron, a hut. This only
affects the phonology, not the sense. We may explain Bures
to mean ' bowers,' i.e. a collection of cottages or huts. In the
A.S. Chron., an. 1094, we find mention of a 'castel set Bures,'
i.e. a castle at Bures in Normandy, in the department of Seine
Inferieure. This is a proof that Bures is Norman.
Capel. S.E. of Hadleigh. Kelly names Capel St Mary
and Capel St Andrew. Spelt Capele, H.E. ; Capeles, D.B.,
p. 25. It is interesting to see that D.B. uses the plural. The
word is Norman ; capeles is the pi. of capele, a chapel. The
F. chapelle is capele in Old Norman ; the latter form occurs
in La Chanson de Roland, 1. 52. Tlie Welsh form is capel,
not capele.
Clare. Spelt Clare, H.R. ; Ipm ; Claram (Lat. ace), D.B.,
p. 218, From the A.S. Clare, a personal name; a witness bearing
this name signs an A.S. charter dated A.D. 949 ; Birch, C.S., iii.
38. It can hardly have been a true A.S. name ; it was very
likely borrowed from L. cldrus, illustrious. Earls of Clare took
their name from this place,
COLNEIS. The name of a hundred, which comprised the
land lying between the rivers Orwell and Deben. Spelt
Colneise, Colneyse, II,R. ; Colneyse, Ipm. D.B. has Colenese,
SOME OTHKR NAMES 121
p. 118; Colenesse, p. 2*3. This is a name of extraordinary
difficulty ; and I can only guess at it. The forms -nese, -nesse
may represent the dat. of the A.S. ness, a promontory, a head-
land ; while -neise, -neyse may be the O. Norse nesi, dat. of the
O.N. nes, with the same sense. The hundred of Colness does,
in fact, consist of one long headland, which narrows down to
Langer Point. The name, accordingly, is ' Col-ness ' ; where the
sense of Col- is not known. But both Cole and Colne are
river-names, and either will suit. I suggest that one or other
of these names was the old name of the Deben ; it has been
shown above that Deben is a new name, due to the place-name
Debenham.
Combs. S. of Stowmarket. Spelt Combes, Ipm. ; Gambes,
T.N. ; Camhas, D.B., p. 21. Cambas is precisely the A.S.
cambas, pi. of camb, a comb, a crest, a top. The sense is
' crests ' ; with reference, as I suppose, to hill-tops. The
spelling with a shows that it is quite a different word from
combe, a valley, so common in place-names.
CoPDOCK. S.W. of Ipswich. Spelt Gopedok, H.R. ; Goppe-
doc, H.R. ; Goppedock, Ipm. ; Goppedhak, T.N. Obviously for
A.S. copped dc, a ' copped ' or pollarded oak. The sense is
therefore 'pollard-oak.' In Birch, C.S., ii. 241, we have the
same expression, but in the accusative case; 'on tha coppedan
ac,' i.e. to the pollard oak.
Cove. There is a North Cove and a South Cove, near
Covehithe, which is between Lowestoft and Southwold. Cove
is from the A.S. cofa, a cove, a cave, a place of shelter. The
spelling Coua occurs in D.B., p. 25, 66.
Ellough. S. by W. of Beccles. Kelly calls it Ellough, or
Willingham All Saints, or Willoiigh. The last name seems
to be a jumble of the other two. H.R. has Elr/ villa ; D.B.,
p. 6, has in Elga et in WillingaJtam. Copinger gives also the
forms Elloiue and Helw. This difficult name can be fully
explained by comparison with a name in Yorkshire. In York-
shire Place-Names, by J. Horsfall Turner, p. 114, there is a note
that a place now called Hellaby is spelt in D.B. as Elgebi
8—5
122 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
(twice). The suffix -by shows that the prefix Elge- is Norse,
and the fact that the modern name begins with H shows that
this is a D.B. spelling of Helge-. Rygh shows that the O. Norse
personal name Helgi is extremely common, and that a large
number of place-names beginning with Helge- (including
Helgeby) are derived from it. Moreover, Helge would regularly
become Helwe in Mid. Eng. (cf. the form Heliu above), and
would then necessarily become Hellow ; cf. mod. Yi. fellow from
O. 'Norse felagi. The dropping of initial h in Norman is usual,
because it was not pronounced ; and in this instance it has
affected even the English form ; so that Hellow became Ellow,
of which Ellough is a mere variant. This loss of h is aptly
illustrated by the occurrence in Ipm. of a Lines, place-name
that is spelt both as EUowe and as Hellowe ; without any modern
equivalent. Hence the D.B. form Elga is exactly the O.N,
Helga, gen. of Helgi ; and the sense is ' Helgi's,' i.e. ' Helgi's
settlement.'
Eyke. N.E. of Woodbridge. Spelt -%A;e, Ipm. From O.N,
eik, an oak ; gen. eikar, eikr, dat. eik. The sense is either ' oak,'
or 'at the oak,' in the dative. The diphthong ey, representing
Mid. Eng. ei, is characteristic of Norse.
Groton. W. of Hadleigh. Spelt Groten, H.R. ; Grotene,
Ipm. ; Grotma, D.B., pp. 13, 158. It is obvious that the suffix
was not originally -ton, and that it must be otherwise explained.
Note that the modern form should be Groten, as it is sometimes
written. The nearest A.S. form is grot-an, nom, pi, of grata,
prob. ' a particle of grit,' found in mere-grota, a sea-pebble, a
pearl (see A.S. Diet.). The sense would then be ' sands ' or
' gritty plains.' Cf. prov. E. greet, grit, gravel, also found in the
forms grote, grute, grut ; and prov. E. gritten, adj. sandy. The
form grot-en might be adjectival.
HoxNE, The name of a hundred ; the modern village is
near the Waveney, almost due N. of Debenham. Spelt Hoxene,
H.R. ; Hoxana, D.B., p. 197. The form exactly answers to A.S.
Hoxena, gen. pi. of a nom. pi. Hoxan, which might very well
represent the name of a small tribe of settlers, just as we find
mention of the Wixan (see the A.S. Dictionary), and of. the
SOME OTHER NAMES 123
celebrated tribe of Seaxan. We may therefore explain the
name as meaning * settlement of the Hoxan.' I owe this
suggestion (which is to me convincing) to Mr A. Anseombe,
whom I consulted in this instance. The modern pronunciation,
as Hoxen, results from the loss of the inflectional -e.
Iken. On the S. bank of the river Aide, ai\d almost due
W. of Aldeburgh. Spelt Ikene, H.R.; T.N. ; Ykene, R.B., T.N.
Here the form suggests an A.S. gen. pi. Iccena ; allied to the
proper name Icca which occurs in ICKWORTH. The nom. pi.
would be Iccan ; and the sense would be ' a settlement of the
Iccan,' or ' of the followers of Icca.' Not from lea, with one
c, as this would certainly give Iche. Cf. A.S. Icena, the river
Itchen.
Landguard. " Landguard Fort stands on the extreme
Western point of this parish " ; Kelly, s.v, Felixstow, The
present name is an ingenious adaptation, as if it were a ' land-
guard,' or a fort to guard the land, which is not a distinctive
feature in forts ; they all do the same. In Philips' map it is
Landger Point, where the latter syllable is -ge7\ In the
Beauties of England, 1813, xiv. 235, it is Langnard, with the
former syllable as La7i- ; and at p. 273 of the same we read
that " here was a ridge, two miles along the sea, called Langer-
ston, dangerous to ships"; so that in 1813 the name was really
Langer or Langar, which may be compared with Langar in
Notts. So also in Kirby, p. 91 : — " Langer-Fort, and not Land-
guard Fort, as it is corruptly and vulgarly called." There is
still a Langer Common (misspelt Landguard on Ordnance map)
in Felixstowe parish. The etymology is easy, viz. from A.S.
lang gdra, i.e. ' long gore,' which precisely describes it. A gore
is a promontory, or a triangular piece of a land with a pointed
end ; from A.S. gar, a spear, point.
LoES. The name of a hundred. Spelt Lose, H.R. ; T.N. ;
Losa, H.R. ; D.B., pp. 11, 215. It perhaps represents A.S.
Hlossan, gen. of Hlossa, a personal name. We find it in
Hlossan-ham ; in Birch, C.S., i. 207. If this be right, the
sense refers to a settlement ' of Hlossa.' Cf. Hlos-hrycg, Hlos-
wudu ; both in Kemble's Index,
124 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
LoUND. N. by W, from Lowestoft. Spelt Lunda, D.B.,
p. 6. Ipm. has Lund, Lound (both in Notts.). Not English,
but a well-known Norse word ; from O. Norse lundr, a grove ;
cf. Lund in Sweden. The sense is ' grove.'
Mellls (see p. 104). Spelt Melles, R.B. ; Ipm. ; D.B., p. 181.
It is explained by comparing it with the prov. E. meal, " a
sandbank or sand-hill, frequent in proper names: gen. in the
plural " ; E.D.D. From Norvv. mel, a sandbank along a lake or
river-course ; O. Norse melr, a sandbank overgrown with bent-
grass, or gen. a sandbank whether overgrown or bare ; frequent
in Icel. local names.
Onehouse. Spelt Onhus, H.R.; Anhus, D.B., p. 160; Anehus,
D.B., p. 311 ; Annhus (not Anuhus), D.B., p. 121. It is the A.S.
dti h'lis, lit. ' one house.' It is now a hamlet of scattered houses,
but there is still a Onehouse Hall. In the Beauties of England,
1813, xiv. 210, we are told that "on the site of the old hall...
a farmhouse has been built." Probably that old hall, or a much
older house on the same site, was the original One House.
Rede, or Reed. S.S.W. of Bury. Spelt Rede, Ipm, ; Reoda,
D.B., p. 155 ; Reda, D.B., pp. 202, 222. For A.S. Readan ; as in
Readan-clif, -cumb, -die, -flod, -ford, &c. ; all in Kemble's Index.
Readan is the gen. case of Read, ' the Red,' still common as Reade,
Read, Reid, &c. The sense is '(settlement) of the Red one.'
Rishangles. S. by E. from Eye. Spelt Rishanggeles, Ipm.;
but Risangra, D.B., p. 85. The prefix is A.S. rise, a rush. The
suffix seems to be the A.S. hangra, of which the true sense is
'a hanging wood on a hill-side'; see the Crawfurd Charters,
p. 134. The sense is 'rushy slopes, with trees upon them.'
Snape. N. of the Aide above Aldeburgh. Spelt Snape
H.R. ; Snapes, D.B., p. 71. Cf. A.S. sncep, as in the following :
lit o3 mearc andlang diin and sncep, ' out as far as the boundary
along the down, &c.' ; the sense of sna^p being here unknown ;
see Birch, C.S., iii. 362. But the E.D.D. has snape, ' a spring,
a moist, boggy place in a field ' ; known in Dors., Som., and
Devon. This may be the right explanation here as Snape is in
a low situation.
SOME OTHER NAMES 125
Stoven. N.W. of Southwold. Spelt Stoiine, D.B., p. 106,
with w for v; Stouone, D.B., p. 251, with u for v. In the Cursor
Mundi, 8036, is the line : — " Thai three stod on a stouen," they
three stood on a stovin; where other MSS. have stalke, a stalk,
or stocke, a stock. And the E.D.D. explains stovin, a stump or
stake, the part of a hawthorn left in a hedge after ' splashing '
it ; Leicestershire. A.S. stofn, a stem, tree-stump ; Icel. stofn,
a stump of a cut tree. This is a good example of the frequently
trivial origin of a place-name. It merely means ' stump of a cut
tree.'
Thwaite. Near the river Dove ; S. by W. from Eye. A
well-known word in the North ; from the O, Norse thiueit, a
clearing in woods. So that the sense is ' a clearing.' It is
chiefly remarkable for its occurrence so far to the South. There
are two more Thwaites in Norfolk.
Weybread. S.W. of Bungay. Spelt Weybred, H.R. ; Weij-
bredd, Ipm. ; Weibrada, D.B., pp. 11, 98. A.S. wegbrwde, lit.
* way-breadth,' i.e. the broad plant by the wayside ; a name for
the common plantain, from its flat growth. It merely means
' plantain.'
WooLPiT. Between Bury and Stowmarket. Spelt Wulpet,
H.R.; Wolpet, Wulpet, Ipm.; Wlpet, H.R.; Wlfpeta, D.B., p. 164.
It answers to A.S. Widfpyt ; a wolf-pit ; a pit in which to catch
wolves. The dat. pi. widfpyttun is in Birch, C.S., iii. 184. The
sense is therefore ' wolf-pit.' We should particularly notice the
dialectal (Suffolk) pet, in place of the A.S. pyt, E. pit. The
same form, pet, occurs in Old Frisian ; and Widpet may have
been due to Frisian influence.
56. Concluding Remarks.
Owing to the large number of place-names, this investiga-
tion has necessarily taken up much space ; but room must be
found for a brief statement of general results.
The traces of Celtic are extremely slight, even among the
river-names. The Kennet and the Ouse are of Celtic origin;
126 THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
but the Butley river was named from Butley ; the Deben from
Debenham ; the Breton, afterwards shortened to Bret, from
Brettenham; the Gipping, from Gipping ; the Thet, from
Thetford ; the Box, from Boxford ; the Yox, from Yoxford ;
and the Aide, from Aldeburgh. The Blythe, the Orwell, and
the Waveney are clearly English in form. The Lark seems to
have been made out of Lackford, and the Linnet is its playfully
named companion. The Welshman, or ' foreigner,' is alluded to
in Walpole, Walton, and Walsham.
There were certainly Frisians settled in Suffolk, viz. at
Freston, Friston, and Fressingfield. The Frisian e (for AS. a)
is apparent in Bredfield ; it is even likely that the Frisian e (for
A.S. y) is seen in Gedding, Hertest, Kedington, Nedging, and
Woolpet (older form of Woolpit).
The traces of Danes and Norsemen are not very numerous,
but quite clear and decided. There are four names ending in
-hy — Ashby, Barnby, Risby and Wilby ; Baylham probably
contains the 0. Icelandic hceli, ' a farm.' Ingham contains the
O.N. eng, a meadow ; and Kirkley and Kirton show the Norse
form of 'church.' Bungay, Eyke, Lound, Thwaite are all
Norse; and Norse names or prefixes occur in Blundeston,
Cratfield, Drinkstone, Flixton, Gisleham, Grundisborough,
Gunton, Hasketon, Kesgrave, Kettlebaston, Kettleburgh, Lax-
field, Ringsfield, Ringshall, Risbridge, Thrandeston, Ubbeston,
and Uggeston. There is a Norse suffix in Lowes-toft.
Finally, there are even traces of Norman ; as in Boulge,
Bures, and Capel ; and the -le- in Walsliam-le- Willows.
As to the names that are purely English, they show decided
traces of belonging to the Mercian or Midland dialect, as dis-
tinguished from the Anglo-Saxon or Southern; which is a
matter of no small importance. It shows that we may fairly
include Suffolk amongst the rather limited number of counties
that have helped to build up that East-Midland dialect which
was destined to supersede all others and to become the speech
of the empire.
INDEX
-acre, 4
Acton, 92
Akenhara, 48
Aldborough, 7
Alder ton, 93
Aldham, 48
Aldriugliam, 48
Alpheton, 93
Ampton, 93
Ashbocliing, 71
Ashby, 13
Ashfield, 24
Aspall, 42
Assiugton, 93
Athelington, 93
Babergh Hundred, 5
-bach, 4
Bacton, 93
Badingham, or Baddingham, 48
Badley, 77
Badwell Ash, 112
Ballingdon, 18
Bardwell, 112
Barham, 48
Barking, 71
Barnaby or Barnby, 13
Barnham, 48
Baruingham, 49
Barrow, 119
Barsham, 49
Barton, 94
Battisford, 31
Bawdsey, 21
Baylham, 49
Bealings, 71
Beccles, 119
-beck, 5
Beck Row, 119
Bedtield, 24
Beduiglield, 25
Belstead, 86
Belton, 94
Benacre, 4
Benhall, 43
Bentley, 77
-bergh, 5
Bergholt, 70
Beyton, 94
Bildeston, 94
Blackbourn Hundred, 10
Blakenham, 49
Blaxball, 43
Blundeston, 94
Blythburgh, 7
Blythford or Blyford, 31
Blything Hundred, 72
-borough, 6
Bosmere Hundred, 82
Botesdale, 15
Boulge, 119
-bourn, 10
Boxford, 32
Boxstead, 87
Boyton, 94
Bradfield, 25
Bradley, 77
Bradwell, 112
Braisworth, 116
Bramfield, 25
Bramford, 32
Brampton, 94
Braudeston, 95
Brandon, 18
Brantham, 49
Bredfield, 25
128
THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Brettenbam, 49
Bricett, Si
-bridge, 10
Brigbtwell, 112
Brockford, 32
Brockley, 77
Brome, 120
Bromeswell, 112
-brook, 11
Browstou, 95
Bruisyard, 118
Bruudisb, 20
Bucklesbam, 49
Bulcamp, 14
Bungay, 21
Bures St Mary, 120
Burgate, 40
Burgb (in Colneis Hundred, near
Felixstowe), 6
Burgh (Castle) on the Waveuey, 6
Burgh (3 miles N. W. of Woodbridge), 6
Burstall, 86
-bury, 6
Bury (St Edmund's), 8
Butley, 78
Buxhall, 43
-by, 12
-camp, 14
Campsey Ashe, 22
Capel, 120
Carlford Hundred, 32
Carlton, 95
Cattawade, 111
Cavendish, 20
Cavenham, 50
Charsfield, 25
Chattisham, 50
Chedburgh, 9
Chediston, 89
Chelmondiston, 95
Chelsworth, 116
Chevington, 96
Chillesford, 32
Chilton, 96
Clare, 120
-clay, 14
Claydon Hundred, 18
Clopton, 96
Cockfield, 26
Coddeuham, 50
Colneis Hundred, 120
Combs, 121
Coney Weston, 96
Cookley, 78
Copdock, 121
Cornard, 118
Gorton, 97
Cosford Hundred, 32
Cotton, 97
Cove, 121
Covehithe, 68
Cowlinge, 72
Cransford, 33
Cratfield, 26
Greeting, 72
Cretiugham, 50
Crowfield, 26
Gulford, 33
Gulpho, 68
-dale, 15
Dalham, 50
Dalliughoo, 69
Darmsden, 19
Darsham, 50
Debach, 4
Debeuham, 51
-den, 15
-dene, 15
Bennington, 97
Denham, 51
Denstone, 98
Depden, 15
-don, 18
-down, 18
(Santon) Downham, 51
Drinkstone, 98
Dunningworth, 116
Dunwich, 114
Easton, 98
-edish, 20
Edwardstone, 98
Eleigh, 78
Ellough, 121
Elmham, 52
Elmsett, 85
Elmswell, 113
Elveden or Elden, 16
INDEX
129
Eriswell, 113
Erwarton, 98
Euston, 98
Exning, 72
-ey, 21
Eye, 21
Eyke, 122
Fakenham, 52
Falkenham, 52
Farnham, 52
Felixstowe, 90
Felsham, 52
-field, 24
Finborough, 5
Finningham, 53
-fleet, 30
Flemptou, 99
Flixton, 99
Flowton, 99
-ford, 31
Fornham, 53
Foxhall, 43
Framlingham, 53
Framsden, 16
Freckenham, 53
Fressingfield, 26
Freston, 99
Friston, 99
Fritton, 100
Frostenden, 16
-gate, 39
Gazeley, 78
Gedding, 73
Gedgrave, 40
Gippiug, 73
Gisleham, 53
Gislingham, 54
Glemham, 54
Glemsford, 33
Gorleston, 100
Gosbeek, 5
-grave, 40
Groton, 122
Grundisburgh, 7
Gunton, 100
Hacheston, 100
Hadleigh, 78
-hale, 42
Halesworth, 117
-hall, 42
-ham, 47
Hard wick, 115
Hargrave, 41
Harkstead, 87
Harleston, 100
Hartest, 70
Hartismere Hundred, 82
Hasketon, 100
-haugh, 65
Haughley, 79
Haverill, 67
Hawkedon, 19
Hawstead, 87
Hazlewood, 116
-heath, 66
Helmingham, 54
Helmley or Hemley, 79
Hemingstone, 101
Hengrave, 41
Henham, 54
Henley, 79
Henstead, 87
Hep worth, 117
Herringfleet, 30
Herringswell, 113
Hessett or Hedgsett, 85
Heveniugham, 54
Higham, 54
-hill, 67
Hinderclay, 14
Hintlesham, 55
Hinton, 101
Hitcham, 55
-hithe, 67
-hoe, 68
Holbrook, 11
HoUesley, 79
-holt, 70
Holton, 101
Homersfield, 26
Honington, 101
Hoo, 68
Hopton, 102
Horham, 55
Horningsheath or Horringer, 66
Hoxne, 122
Hundon, 16
130
THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
Hunston, 102
Huntingfield, 27
•hurst, 70
Icklingham, 55
Ickworth, 117
Iken, 123
Ilketshall, 43
■ing, 71
Ingham, 55
Ipswich, 115
Ixworth, 117
Kediugton, 102
Kelsale, 44
Kentford, 33
Kenton, 102
Kersey, 22
Kesgrave, 41
Kessingland, 75
Kettlebaston, 103
Kettleburgh, 9
Khkley, 80
Kirton or Kirkton, 103
Knettishall, 44
Knodishall, 44
Lackford, 33
Lakeuheath, 66
-land, 75
Landguard, 123
Langham, 56
Lavenham, 56
Lawshall, 45
Laxfield, 27
Layham, 56
Leavenheath, 67
Leiston, 103
Letheringham, 56
Levington, 103
-ley, 77
Lidgate, 40
Lindsey, 23
Linstead, 88
Livermere, 83
Loes Hundred, 123
Lothingland Hundred, 76
Lound, 124
-low, 81
Lowestoft, 92
Marlesford, 34
Martlesham, 57
-meadow, 82
Melford, 34
Mellis, 124
Melton, 103
Mendham, 57
Mendlesham, 57
-mere, 82
Metfield, 27
Mettingham, 57
Mickfield, 27
Middleton, 104
Milden, 74
Mildenhall, 45
Monewden, 16
Moulton, 104
Mutford, 35
Nacton, 104
Nay land, 76
Nedging, 74
Needham (Market), 58
Nettlestead, 88
Newbourn, 10
Newton, 104
Norton, 105
Nowton, 105
Oakley, 80
Occold, 70
Ofton or Offton, 105
Onehouse, 124
Ortord, 35
Orwell, 114
Otley, 80
Oulton, 105
Owsden, 17
Pakefield, 28
Pakenham, 58
Palgrave, 41
Parham, 58
Peasenhall, 45
Pettaugh, 65
Pettistree, 111
Playford, 35
Plomesgate Hundred, 40
Polstead, 88
-pool, 83
INDEX
131
Poslingford, 35
Prestou, 105
Earasholt, 70
Eattlesden, 17
Eaydon or Eeydon, 20
Eede, 121
Eedgrave, 42
Eedishara, 58
Eedlinglield, 28
Eendham, 58
Eendlesham, 59
Eickinghall, 46
Eingsfield, 28
Eingshall, 46
Eisbridge Hundred, 10
Eisby, 13
Eishangles, 124
Eougharu, 59
Eumburgh, 7
Eushbrooke, 11
Eushmere, 83
Samford Hundred, 36
Sapiston, 105
Saxham, 59
Saxmundham, 59
Saxstead, 88
Semer, 88
-set, 84
Shadingfield, 28
Shelland, 76
Shelley, 80
Sbimpling, 74
Shipmeadow, 82
Shotley, 80
Shottisham, 59
Sibton, 105
Sizewell, 114
Snape, 124
Soham, 60
Somerleyton, 106
Somersham, 60
Sotherton, 106
Sotterley, 80
Southolt, 70
Southwold, 116
Spexhall, 46
Sproughton, 106
-stall, 86
StanningfieUl, 29
Stansfield, 29
Stanstead, 88
Stanton, 106
-stead, 86
Sternfield, 29
-stoke, 89
Stoke-by-Clare, 89
Stoke-by-Nayland, 89
Stoke Ash, 89
-stone, 89
Stonham, 60
Steven, 125
-stow, 89
Stow Hundred, 89
(West) Stow, 89
Stowmarket, 90
Stradbroke, 11
Stradishall, 46
Stratford, 36
Stuston, 106
Stutton, 106
Sudbourn, 10
Sudbury, 9
Sutton, 107
Sweffling, 75
Swillaud, 77
Syleham, 61
Tannington, 107
Tattingstone, 107
Theberton, 107
Thedwestry Hundred, 111
Thelnetham, 61
Thetford, 36
Thingoe Hundred, 69
Thorington, 107
Thorndon, 20
Thornham, 61
-thorpe, 91
Thorpe, 91
Thorpe-by-Ixworth, 91
Thorpe-Morieux, 91
Thrandeston, 108
Thredling, 75
Thurlow, 81
Thurlston, 108
Thurston, 108
Thwaite, 125
Tim worth, 117
132
THE PLACE-NAMES OF SUFFOLK
-toft, 92
-ton, 92
Tostoek, 89
-tree, 111
Trimley, 81
Troston, 108
Tuddenbam, 61
Timstall, 86
Ubbeston, 109
Ufford, 37
Uggesball, 47
-wade, 111
Walberswick, 115
Waldingfield, 29
Waldringfield, 29
Walpole, 84
Walsbam, 62
Walton, 109
Wangford (in Blytbing Hundred, N.W.
of Southwold), 37
Wangford (in Lackford Hundred, S.W.
of Brandon), 37
Wangford Hundred, 38
Wantisden, 18
Wasbbrook, 12
Wattisfield, 29
Wattisham, 62
-well, 112
Wenham, 62
Wenhaston, 109
Westerfield, 30
Westhall, 47
Westborpe, 91
Westleton, 109
Westley, 81
Weston, 110
(Market) Weston, 103
Wetberden, 18
Wetberingsett, 85
Weybread, 125
Wbatfield, 30
Wheluetham, 63
Whepstead, 88
Wberstead, 88
Wbitton, 110
-wicb, 114
-wick, 114
Wickbambrook, 12, 64
Wiekham Market, 63
Wickbam Skeitb, 64
Wilby, 13
Wilford Hundred, 38
Willingbam, 64
Willisbam, 64
Wingfield, 30
Winston, 110
Wissett, 85
Wiston or Wissiugton, 110
Witbersdale, 15
Withersfield, 30
Witnesbam, 64
Wixoe or Wbixoe, 69
-wold, 115
-wood, 116
Woodbridge, 11
Woolpit, 125
Woolverstone, 110
Wordwell, 114
Worliogbam, 65
Worlington, 111
Worlingwortb, 117
-worth, 116
Wortham, 65
Wratting, 75
Wrentham, 65
Wyverstone, 111
-yard, 118
Yaxley, 81
Yoxford, 39
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