Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Brigeslai 1086 DB

• Brigeslea 1196 ChancR

• Brigesl' 1204 P

• Brigesle e13 Newh Ed1 Ass 1219 RSu 1290 Abbr 1300 Pat 1312 FA 1428

• Brigesley 1490 Cl

• Brigesleye al's Briggeslye 1620 LCS

• Brygesley 1406,1408,1415 Cl

• Brygeslay 1531 Willsiii

• Brygslay 1539 LPxiv

• Brygsley 1505 Ipm 1577 Terrier 1594,1599,1603 BT 1601 Terrier

• Brigsley 1593,1623,1664 BT 1664 Terrier

• Brigesla c.1115 LS 1194 CurP 1213 Abbr

• Brighesla c.1115 LS

• Brighesle 1212 Fees

• Brichisle 1212 Fees

• Briggesle 1202,1207 FF 1275,1276 RH 1281 QW 1291 HarlCh 1299 Cl 1299 Pat 1300 Cl 1300 Orig 1361 Cl

• Briggeslee 1295 Ipm 1316 FA

• Briggesley 1327 SR 1349 Cor 1388 Pat 1388 Peace 1423 Fine 1526 Sub 1718 Haigh

• Briggeslay 1576 Saxton 1610 Speed

• Briggeslye 1554 Pat

• Briggesly 1679 Terrier

• Bryggesle 1291 Tax

• Bryggesleye 1361 Ipm

• Bryggeslay 1395 Peace 1431 FA

• Bryggesley 1401–02 1425 Cl 1450 Pap 1460 Pat 1535 VEiv

• Bruggesley 1374 Peace

• Bridgsley 1680 Haigh 1695 BT

• Bridgsly 1697,1709 ib

• Brigelai 1086 DB

• Brigelega 1210–12 RBE

• Brigeleya 1226 Welles

• Brigele 1219 Ass 1338 Pat

• Brigel' 1254 ValNor

• Brigeley 1454 Cl

• Brigelle 1242–43 Fees

• Brigley 1313 Inqaqd

• Brighela c.1115 LS

• Brichelai 1202 HarlCh

• Brichelay 1342 Pat

• Briggel' 1202 Ass 1219 Welles 1242–43 Fees

• Briggeleye 1281 QW

• Briggele 1202 Ass 1304,1338 Pat 1428 FA

• Briggelee 1332 SR

• Briggelay 1373 Peace

• Briggelle 1275 RH

• Bridgeley 1657 Rad

Etymology

Ekwall, DEPN s.n., interprets Brigsley as originally OE  brycg -lēah 'the wood, the glade by the bridge', “later Scandinavianized, gs being introduced for the palatal cg which was unknown in Scandinavia”. Fellows-Jensen, SSNEM 202–03, draws attention to forms in Briges - and in Brige - and argues convincingly that these seem to reflect a variation between genitival and non-genitival composition. Clearly, the evidence indicates that both forms were in use side by side. She further points out that it seems unlikely that “the p.n. Brigsley has been Scandinavianized in DB”, since Brige - is a regular reflex of OE  brycg in that Survey. However, she points out that the scribe of the LS “regularly employed the spelling gh to indicate the voiced plosive [g] before e , but he could also indicate the same sound by g . In the light of the early 13th century forms in Briche - and Brigge - and the modern form Brigsley, therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that the LS spelling represents a genuine local Scandinavianized form of the p.n.” This is sound common sense.We can assume that Brigsley means 'the wood, the glade of the bridge' side by side with 'the wood, the glade by the bridge', v. brycg , -es 2 , lēah , the first el. of the modern name in a Scandinavianized form. The bridge is presumably one over what is today called Waithe Beck, which forms the boundary of the parish and Ashby cum Fenby.

Brigsley is the only certain example of the el. lēah in a major p.n. in the North Riding of Lindsey. Indeed it is infrequent in the whole of the county and in this it is probably comparable to Norfolk and Suffolk. The situation of Brigsley close to a bridge suggests that in spite of it being an isolated example of lēah the likely sense of the word here is 'a glade, a clearing' and topography would seem to support this interpretation.