Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Corigescumb 1014 SherC(S933) 12 1035 12 ib

• Coriescumbe 1086 DB

• Coriscumbe 1086 DB 1169–70 P 12 SherC e13 Pole 1204 FF 1206 P 1244 Ass 1285 FA 1306 Forde 15

• Coriscumba 1145 SherC 12 P 1170–1

• Coriscuman 1145 SherC 12

• Coriscume 1212 P

• Estcoriscumbe, Westcoriscumbe l13 SherC

• Wescoriscumb' 1268 Ass

• Corscumbe 1086 DB 1191 Sarum 1268,1288 Ass

• West Corscumbe m13 Salis 1291 Tax

• West Corscumbe 1293,1310 FF

• Corscum 1298 Ipm

• Corscomb(e) 1332 SR

• Corscoumbe 1331 Pat 1361 ib

• Westcorscomb(e) 1396,1403 AddCh 1407 Cl 1531 ADV

• Choriscumb 1125 SherC 12 Forde 15

• Choriscumba(m) 12 SherC

• Croscumb' 1202 Cur

• Coruscumb(e) 1244 Ass

• West Coruscumb(e) 1265 Misc 1288 Ass

• Corescumb(e) 1244 Ass

• West Corescumb(e) 1281 Ipm

• Est Corescumb(e), West Corescumb(e) 1289 Orig 1310 Drew

• Coreskumb' 1280 Ass

• Corescombe 1291 Tax 1367 Forde 15 FA 1428

• Westkorescumb 1256 FF

• Corscumb' Abbatis 1268 Ass

• Corscomb(e) Abbots 1290 Ch

• Corscomb(e) Abbas 1290,1365 Hutch3

• Cerskumb' 1280 Ass

• Corsecumbe 1311 Drew

• Corsecombe 1316 FA 1339 FF

• Coscombe 1550 AddCh

• Coscumbe 1551 AddCh

Etymology

'Valley of a stream called Cori ', from OE  cumb and an old name of the now unnamed stream which rises just S of the village near Urless Fm and flows N towards Halstock. Interestingly, this ancient stream-name is preserved as Curry in the name of a lane which crosses the stream in the NW corner of the par., v. Curry Hole Lane infra . The same pre- English r.n. Cori or Curi , of unknown origin and meaning, is found elsewhere in the SW, viz. in Devon (Coryton D is 'farmstead on the Curi ', an old name of the river Lyd, cf. also Cory D), in Somerset (where a stream once so called gives name to Curry Mallet, Curry Rivel and North Curry), and in Cornwall (West Curry is probably also from an original stream-name), v. Ekwall RN 97–8, PN D 160, 181, DCoPN 76, CVEP 333, 365.

The name Corscombe has been much discussed, along with Croscombe So which has similar early spellings and seems to be identical in origin and meaning. Ekwall Studies1 70 proposes that the first part of both names is a reduced form of an OE  corfweges (gen.sg. of *corfweg 'road in the pass'), and Fägersten 269–70 makes a similar (but less attractive) alternative suggestion for Corscombe, of an OE  corfgeates (gen.sg. of corfgeat 'gate in the pass'), again in a much reduced form (in itself unlikely in any case at this early date). Both of these etymologies are already shown to be unconvincing on various grounds by Tengstrand 299, and his tentative proposal of the r.n. solution can now be accepted as correct, especially since this etymology is confirmed by the preservation of the stream-name in Curry Hole Lane already noted.

The spellings provide evidence for a division of the manor from the late 13th cent., v. ēast , west . The early affix Abbatis , etc. (Lat  abbas 'abbot', gen.sg. abbatis ) is from the possession of the manor by Sherborne Abbey.

There are two 11th-cent. sets of bounds describing the Anglo-Saxon estate of Corscombe (Corigescumb ), both copied into the 12th-cent. Cartulary of Sherborne Abbey. The earlier (1014 (12) SherC (S 933)) describes an area which seems to exclude Benville and Toller Whelme in the SE of the present par., the later (1035 (12) SherC (S 975)) also excludes Benville but includes Toller Whelme.