Place and Field Names

A talk given by Rev. Fred Pennington (February 1997).

I would like to start my talk by reciting a short dialect poem told to me when I was about 6 years old. A gentleman that worked on our family farm at Newton was working in one of the fields and I had accompanied him. He called me over and said "take a look around "and as I was looking he recited the following: 

Leigh, Newton, Ley, Ugry, Bugry:

Kernson, Barton, Berry, Marcadon:

Down Chesta, Pattard and Harton Town:

' I wonder how they all got their names.?

To look at the meaning of place names is a very fascinating study, but it is so easy to get things wrong.

The name of our own Parish, for instance, is often misinterpreted. Its original name was Hertiland-- The land or home of one called Hert. This name later became Heard. That is why the Heard family is known as the oldest family within Hartland.

Stoke too has an interesting history. The original parish church was at Cheristowe or Christ's Stow the place of the Church. After the murder of St Nectan the church was moved to Newton The new town or Nova Villa as it was referred to in Latin. This commemorated the life of St Nectan and there are two fields named Church Park at Newton. Also at this time the burial ground was moved so we have a field close by called Newberry.

In 1068 the Church was again moved this time to Stoke or Nectanastoc as it was then known. That is the place of St Nectan, he died at St. Nectans well according to legend, and is reputed to have carried his severed head to his chosen place. Every drop of blood gave rise to a Foxglove.

Gytha, the mother of King Harold had the Church built at Stoke, when she founded the college of secular canons at what is now Church house. This was in thanks for the care and safe passage of her husband Godwin. The Abbey in the valley being built at a later date.

Many of our place names carry the names of a previous owner or tenant. For instance what was once Thorry which became Docton after the family who came there in Queen Elizabeth's reign in the 1500's. Thus it became Docton farm and Docton Mill. Edistone has nothing to do with Eddy or Stone it is really Egars ton, that is the home or farm of a man named eger. In 1300 it was Egston so our local name Etson is not far from correct. In fact the local dialect for names often gives a better clue to the origins of a place than would possibly be evident from first sight. Think of yewton, eckry, Angsry etc.

There is Emscut or Elmscott nothing to do with Elm but is Ilmans cot or cottage. By 1566 it had become Yelmscot from which the change to the modern name is an easy transistion. I think the local name Emscut is as near to the true origin as you could get. Hardisworthy was originally Herds worthy that is Heards home or farmstead. Wembsworthy was Wymonds worth in 1566 the home of one Wymund. Exmansworthy was Ikmansworthy, that is The home or farm of Ikman.

In all these examples the name is connected with possesion, but in many others it describes the position or the natural feature or area. Thus Norton is north town, being north of Harton and Hind Harton naturally means behind or at the back of Harton. Sutterland means south land being south of Harton whilst Netherton means lower town.

Farford, as far back as 1332 was once Fair ford. Beckland is the beak land, that is land on the beak or promontory, which is of coarse Windbury head. Blegberry means bleak hill, as Berry is the Anglo Saxon for hill, which in turn gives us the English word barrow or burial ground. Being a mound or hill thrown up as a remembrance to a person passed on. There are many of these barrows around the Parish.

At this point it would be worth reminding you that, when considering the names of places, you should try to visualise the nature of the land at the time. The majority of the country was covered in forest with areas of scrub on the higher ground. The population was such that large areas for cultivation were not needed. Thus we can imagine small cleared areas within which families made their homes. Any domesticated stock would be able to feed within the woods. For protection from marauders, and as there were no implements to undertake large scale clearance, The homesteads were sited along the tops of the hills, this is a feature of Celtic times. It was with the Anglo Saxons that the valleys became populated. These clans coming from Europe had the knowledge with which to drain and cultivate the wet ground. Although within our parish the greater majority of homesteads were on the hill tops.

Another Anglo Saxon word is Cot this representing a cottage or small detached house thus Fattacott, Hescott or Herscote in 1160, Natcott or Nottycott in 1500. Then there is don meaning down so we find Blagdon, sowdon, Bursdon But Markedon is different being that it divided the manors of Stoke and Hartland thus the Boundary don.

Ford as we know is generally identification of a fording place of a stream , river or wet ground. But here Deptford, Highford and Biteford come from the Cornish or Welsh word meaning road. But Hollowford is the ford in a hollow. Welsford is the ford leading to Wales, which was once the name for Cornwall or the nation of the Corn Welsh.

Ham is also Anglo Saxon in origin, making the English verb 'to hem in' this generally applies to fields rather than places. But you can connect it to Brownsham, Yapham, Crenham, Philham and Galsham. The later being the home of the stranger or a person from Gaul.

Hole signifies a house in a hollow and we have South Hole, Putshole and Sandhole.

Leigh or Ley from the Anglo Saxon word Leah a clearing in a forest of cultivatable land. I have already mention some names ending in 'Ton', again a collection of homesteads rather than an individual home. Worthy is a very common name and you are all well aware of examples.

It is noticeable too that many names remind us of historical facts, or of the state of life many hundreds of years gone by. For Example St. Leonard's, St. Catherine, St Clare's all of which show the existence of chapels at these spots. In fact Hartland had --- No. recorded Chapels. Then the names of various mills, Spekes Mill, Blackpool Mill, Mouth Mill, Cranham Mill, Clifford Mill, Docton Mill, Etson Mill and Tucking Mill.

Explain Hartland Mill, Docton Mill.

In most of the others No sign if ever??

Church Registers - burial of John Speke

To return to the early days possibly associated with the earthworks at Clovelly are the beacons, Fire beacon, Embury beacon which were used to warn of danger or to send messages inland..

The meaning of some names is more obvious such as Moor, Pitt, Limebridge, Longfurlong, Thorne and Summerwell. But Gorvin which was once called Gorpenne if less than clear. Adjacent to Gorvin is Harbour, which may mean shelter, but is more likely to be connected to the word Barrow.

Trellick and Trew come from the same word meaning tree.

Obviously as time passes names change, farms get combined together and names disappear. Just looking back 140 years there are listed on the Tythe rolls quite a number of places that no longer exist and in some cases cannot have their position identified. No doubt in another 140 years someone will be saying the same. Although if that will be on a Thursday evening at a Space age Hartland Society Meeting none of us will know.

I will leave you with three names for which I can find no meaning, Gawlish, Velly and Greenlake, although greenlake may well have had a lake in the spekes valley below the house. I trust I have thrown some light on the local tradition in our names and will stop now before you all think you are living in Anglo Saxon times again.