Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Bremehull 1227 FF

• Bromeshulle 1244 Ass

• Bromhill 1244 Ass 1436 Weld1 1440 ib

• Bromhull(e) 1280 Ass 1288 1289 Weld1 1327 SR 1332 SR 1330 FF 1353 Pat 1390 Weld1 1392 Ct 1416 Weld1

• (land) atte bromulle c.1300 Milne

• Bromphull 1390,1391 Weld1

• Bromehull 1414 ib

• Bromyll 1453,1466 ib

• Bromehill, Bromehyll 1464,1478 1587 Russ 1795 Boswell

• Broomhill 1773 Bayly

• Bromhul(le)mull(e), Bromhullesmull(e) 1404,1421 Weld1

• (molend' aquatic' voc') Bromhil(les)myll(e) 1437,1440 ib

• Bromyl(le)smyll(e), Bromel(ly)smyll(e), Bromyl(l)ysmyll(e) 1450–1489 1461 Rent 1468,1484 MinAcct 1498,1499 Ct

• Bromyll' myll 1477 MinAcct

• Bromehill Mill 1640,1703 Weld1 1811 OS

• Brommill Mill 1664 Weld1

• Broomehill Mill(s) 1682 ib

Etymology

'Broom-covered hill', v. brōm , hyll , with myln 'mill', atte 'at the'. The earliest form, if it is not an error for Brome -, contains a derivative brēme 1 'broom, bramble' or brēme 2 'broom grove'; the gen.sg. form Bromes - may also suggest a collective sense for the el. brōm .

The farm (formerly the mill) stands where the Winfrith Newburgh- Moreton road crosses a tributary of R. Frome, cf. Broomhill Bridge in Moreton par. supra . This road is probably that referred to as regia via apud Bromphull 1390Weld 1, via ' harnes ' apud Bromhilmylle 1440ib , via regia voc ' Bromylleswey 1478ib , v. weg , cf. arabil ' Biwest (e )bromhull (e )wey , arabil ' Bywest (e )bromhull (e )wey , pastur ' Biwest (e )bromhull (e )wey , pastur ' Bywest (e )bromhull (e )wey 1392, 1393Weld 1, 1393Ct , '(land) to the west of', v. bī , westan . There was earlier a fishery here, cf. piscarie aque d 'ni de Frome de dicto molendino 1484MinAcct , and the reference to the repair of lez Werez et le flodeyatez here in 1466Weld 1; fossat ' apud Bromhill Outgutche , fossat ' apud Bromyll Outgutche 1452Weld 1 may refer to a sluice or a mill race, outgutche being perhaps related to gote 'channel', gyte 'pouring forth', etc., but cf. ModE  outgush 'strong outflow' (1839 NED).