English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Little Cheselbourne

Early-attested site in the Parish of Puddletown

Historical Forms

  • Ceoselburne 1086 DB(f.83b)
  • Ceoselburna Exon
  • Cheselbo(u)rn(e) 1285,1303,1346 FA 1383,1405 AddRoll 1431 FA 1539 AOMB
  • Chesylburne 1428 FA
  • Chesilborne 1431 ChrP 15
  • Cheselborne Fm 1839 TA
  • Chiselburneford(e) Hy1 AddCh 14 MontC c.1165
  • Chiselbornford(e) 1332 SR
  • Chileborneford Hy1 AddCh 14
  • Chiseburneforde c.1165 MontC
  • Chiseborneforde 13 AddCh 14
  • Cheseburn(e)ford(e) 1228 FF 1244 Ass 1288 ib
  • Chesulbo(u)rn(e)f(f)ord(e) 1244 ib
  • Cheselbo(u)rn(e)f(f)ord(e), Cheselburn(e)f(f)ord(e) 1270 ChrP 1372 Weld1 1352
  • Little Chesilborne als. Chesilborne Ford 1477 Hutch3 1863 ib
  • Little Ches(s)elborne 1664 HTax 1795 Boswell

Etymology

Named from the same stream as Cheselbourne par. infra q. v. , from which 'Little' distinguishes it. The settlement was near the confluence of the Cheselbourne stream and Devil's Brook (RCHM 3230); at this point, which is on the par. bdy and where several tracks still converge, the ford must have been, v. ford ; viamin Cheselbourneforde 1270 (1372) ChrP occurs in the bounds of Puddletown. There was a mill here in 1086 DB (VCHDo 3103). On the early forms Chile -, Chise -, etc. with AN  loss of -s - and -l -, v. ANInfl 54, 146.