Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Abbedesburie 936×946 Finberg(S1727) ?13

• Abbedesber 1201 FF

• Abbedesbir', Abbedesbyr' 1212 Fees 1285 FA

• Abbedesbury 1217 Pat 1277 Ass 1311 Pat

• Abbedesbur' 1268 Ass

• Abbedesburi 1269 Ilch

• Abbedesbirie, Abbedesburia, Abbedesburgo 14 LodersC

• Abedesberie 1086 DB

• Abedesber 1201 FF

• Abbeddesbury 1253 FF 1285 FA

• at Abbodesburi 1016×1035 AbbotsC 1639

• (æt) Abbodesbyrig m11 1058×1066 ASWrits(S1064)

• Abbodesbirie 1066–78 Ch 1269

• Abbodesb'ie 1165–89 Ilch

• Abbodesberia 1194,1199,1210 P

• Abbodesbir' 1195 P

• Abbodesbury 1401 Pat

• Abodesberia 1197 P

• Abodesbir' 1205 P

• Abodesbyr' 1244 Ass

• Abodesbury 1291 Tax

• Abboddesbury 1316 FA 1333 Pat

• Abbatesberia 1086 Exon

• Abbadesbur' 1288 Ass

• Abbates-Byri 1535–43 Leland

• Abbotesbiria 1135–54(1269),1178–87(1269) Ch

• Abbotesburie 1154–65 1269 ib

• Abbotesbir' 1195 P

• Abbottesburye 1582 AD

• Abottisbire l12 MontC

• Abottisbyry 1260 Cl

• Abottisbury 1348 Pat 1461 Cl

• Abbotysbury 1354 AD 1431 FA

• Abbodeb'i 1201 FineR

• Abbodebire 1242–3 Fees

• Ab(b)otebir' 1212,1213 PatR 1264 Cl

• Abbedebyria 1210–2 RBE

• Abbudebury 1346 FA

• Abbesbury 1258 Pat

• Abbesbiry 1288 Cl

• Abbidesbir' 1275 RH

• Abbetesbir' 1280 Ass

• Abbudesbury 1291 Tax 1346 FA

• Abbudesbir(y) 1303 FA

• Abudesbur' 1291 Tax

• Abbotsbury 1344 Cl

• Abbot(t)sburie 1653 ParlSurv

• Abbottsbury 1664 HTax

Etymology

'Fortified house or manor belonging to the abbot', from OE  abbod (gen.sg. -es ) and burh (dat.sg. byrig ). The abbot in question was probably the abbot of Glastonbury: a copy of the charter in which King Edmund (939–46) gave 5 hides of land at Abbedesburie to his thegn Sigewulf (S 1727) was seen in a Glastonbury cartulary by William of Malmesbury, who believed that Sigewulf had in turn given the land to Glastonbury abbey (Keynes, AbbotsC 1–2). The monastery at Abbotsbury itself (v. St Peter's Abbey infra ) was not founded until about 1026.