Little Silver
Early-attested site in the Parish of High Bickington
Historical Forms
- Lytelselver 1449 FF
Etymology
This is the first example of a name which is curiously common in D and part of So, occurring in the former county nine times and in the latter four times. The earliest spelling so far noted is Lytelselver 1449 FF (So), but the locality of this is uncertain. Of the Devon places all except one are by or very near streams and it may be that the names are in most cases of fairly recent date, the reference being to a sparkling stream. Cf. Silverbridge Lake supra 12, where Silver is certainly used of a stream and Selverlake (1342 Ipm) in Mudford Tracy (So). Little Silver in Great Torrington is some distance from a stream but no early spellings have been found and the name may be a quite recent and artificial one.