Forward, Eleanor J. (2008) Place-names of the Whittlewood area. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Access from the University of Nottingham repository: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10568/1/Thesis_EF.pdf Copyright and reuse: The Nottingham ePrints service makes this work by researchers of the University of Nottingham available open access under the following conditions. · Copyright and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. · To the extent reasonable and practicable the material made available in Nottingham ePrints has been checked for eligibility before being made available. · Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not- for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. · Quotations or similar reproductions must be sufficiently acknowledged. Please see our full end user licence at: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/end_user_agreement.pdf A note on versions: The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher’s version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. For more information, please contact [email protected] Place-names of the Whittlewood area Eleanor J. Forward, BA Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2007 To my Grandparents Abstract The recent work of D. H. Green and others on the benefits of combining linguistic, archaeological and historical evidence has highlighted the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration to early medieval studies. In this context, the Whittlewood Project (WP) lays important foundations for future projects, both in the UK and elsewhere, which seek to understand local settings in greater depth that any single discipline could permit. The WP is a multi-disciplinary project, encompassing not only the research and analysis in this thesis but also the surveys and findings conducted by Dr Richard Jones (archaeologist) and Dr Mark Page (historian), amongst other scholars. The Project focuses on twelve parishes which straddle the county boundary between Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. The general aim is to build a picture of its medieval setting, with particular interest in the chronology of medieval settlement formation and subsequent changes in the way that communities responded to and utilised the landscape. Chapter 2 presents a catalogue of Whittlewood place-name material, of which all names recorded before 1600 are analysed. The major place-names of Whittlewood and the surrounding area are investigated in Chapter 3. The band of parishes around Whittlewood adds context to the work solely on Whittlewood parishes; patterns may be further exploited. Chapter 4 draws from the minor names in this catalogue, weaving together the findings from the archaeological and historical surveys with those of place-names. This thesis provides a framework that can be used to aid future onomastic research projects with a cross-disciplinary focus. Acknowledgements I should like to thank my supervisor, Dr David Parsons, for his academic guidance. I am grateful to the School of English Studies and the Institute for Name-Studies for the Cameron Memorial Studentship. Many thanks to Dr Paul Cullen, for indulging my endless questions on obscure minor names and for support in the form of real ales. Thanks also to Dr Eleanor Quinton, Dr John Baker and Dr Jayne Carroll for their words of wisdom, both in and out of academia, and to Helen Whitfield for always being there when I needed a chat. I would like to thank Professor Chris Dyer, Dr Richard Jones and Dr Mark Page for aiding my understanding of archaeology and history, and inviting me to partake in a summer of archaeological excavation. I am also grateful to them for taking the time to read and comment on earlier drafts of relevant chapters. Thank you to my examiners, Professor Richard Coates and Dr Malcolm Jones, for managing to read the whole thing so thoroughly and for a surprisingly enjoyable viva. Thank you also to Professor Thorlac Turville-Petre for acting as viva chair. Love and thanks go to: Friends who supported me and made me smile – Harvy, Laura and Kate deserve special mention. The football girls from Absolute – for occupying my brain with something other than place-names for at least two hours a week. DJ friends at myhouse-yourhouse radio – for the eclectic tunes that kept me sane on many a late night at work. Long live vinyl. Val – my brick. Words cannot describe just how much you’ve helped me; I now feel armed with the ability to view life’s pitfalls with a smile. My mum – for always being at the end of the phone with soothing words in turbulent times. Thanks also to my sister for her delicate questioning and to my dad for giving me space. Vicky – for believing in me, for the hugs, the smiles, and the cups of tea. I would not have got through this without your love and support. Contents Abbreviations…………………………………………............................. i – x Chapter 1 – Introduction……………………………………………........ 1 Chapter 2 – The material ......................................................................… 12 Chapter 3 – Major names of Whittlewood and the surrounding area....... 150 Chapter 4 – Place-names in a historical and archaeological context........ 196 Chapter 5 – Conclusions…………………………………………........... 232 References……………………………………………………………..... 236 List of Elements………………………………………………................ 249 Appendices…………………………....................................................... 298 1 – Images of the Whittlewood area (CD-ROM) 2 – Database of names (CD-ROM) 3 – Personal names in place-names 4 – Additional maps Abbreviations a.: ante ‘before’, ‘not later than’ AD: Ancient Deeds (see References) adj.: adjective ADS: Archaeology Data Service – ‘The Whittlewood Project: Medieval Settlements and Landscapes in the Whittlewood area’ (see References – Dyer, C. et al.) adv.: adverb AN: Anglo-Norman AND: The Anglo-Norman On-line Hub – The Anglo-Norman Dictionary.A Project of the University of Wales Aberystwyth and the University of Wales Swansea. <http://www.anglo-norman.net>. Angl: Anglian approx.: approximate ASC A: Bately, J. (ed.) (1986). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle – A Collaborative Edition. Vol. 3, MS A. Cambridge: D. S. Brewer. Ass: Stenton, D. M. (ed.) (1930). The Earliest Northamptonshire Assize Rolls. Northamptonshire Record Society 5. Bd: Bedfordshire BI & I: Boatwright, L. (ed.) (1994). Inquisitions and Indictments from late fourteenth century Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire Record Society 29. Bk: Buckinghamshire Brk: Berkshire BRO: Buckinghamshire Record Office BT: Bosworth, J. & Toller, T. N. (1898). An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Oxford: OUP. Buckscc: Buckinghamshire County Council – ‘Launching the Ouse Valley Way’ (Press Release) <http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/news/200404/launch_of_ouse_valley_way.htm>. i C: Cambridgeshire c.: circa ‘about’ CAB: Elvey, E. M. (ed.) (1975). The Courts of the Archdeaconry of Buckingham 1483-1523. Buckinghamshire Record Society 19. CDEPN: Watts, V. (2004). The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names. Cambridge: CUP. cent.: century cf.: confer ‘compare’ or ‘consult’ Ch: Cheshire ChR: Calendar of Charter Rolls. (1903-1927, 6 vols.). London: HMSO. Cl: Calendar of Close Rolls. (1892-1954, 45 vols.). London: HMSO. ClR: Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum. (1833-44, 2 vols.). London: HMSO. comp.: comparative Cor: Cornwall, Cornish D: Devon dat.: dative DB: Morris, J. (ed.) (1978-9). Domesday Book: Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire. Chichester: Phillimore. Db: Derbyshire def.art.: definite article DEPN: Ekwall, E. (1960). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place- Names (4th edn.). Oxford: OUP. DES: Reaney, P. H. & Wilson, R. M. (1995). A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd edn. (repr)). Oxford: OUP. dial.: dialect dis.: disused Do: Dorset ii DOE: Dictionary of Old English Project (2003). Dictionary of Old English A-F (CD-ROM, Version 1.0). Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, Canada. Du: Dutch Dur: Durham EAngl: East Anglia EDD: Wright, J. (ed.) (1898-1905). The English Dialect Dictionary (6 vols.). London: Amen Corner. EMidl: East Midlands, East Midland counties eMnE: Early Modern English Eng: English EPNE: Smith, A. H. (1956). English Place-Name Elements (EPNS 15-16). Cambridge: CUP. EPNS: English Place-Name Society ERN: Ekwall, E. (1928). English River-Names. Oxford: Clarendon Press. esp.: especially Ess: Essex et al.: et alii ‘and others’ et freq.: ‘and frequent(ly)’ ETR: Chibnall, A. C. (ed.) (1966). Early Taxation Returns. Buckinghamshire Record Society 14. Eyre: Jenkins, J. G. (ed.) (1942). Calendar of the Roll of the Justices on Eyre. Buckinghamshire Record Society 6. FA: Feudal Aids. (1899-1920, 6 vols.). London: HMSO. fem.: feminine FF: Hughes, M. W. (ed.) (1940). A Calendar of the Feet of Fines for the county of Buckingham. Buckinghamshire Record Society 4. Fine: Calendar of Fine Rolls. (1911-62, 22 vols.). London: HMSO. Fr: French iii G: German/Germanic Gael: Gaelic gen.: genitive GEN UKI: UK and Ireland Genealogy – ‘Beachampton’. <http://met.open.ac.uk/genuki/big/eng/BKM/Beachampton/Index.html#NamesGe og>. Gl: Gloucestershire