Dishforth
Major Settlement in the Parish of Topcliffe
Historical Forms
- Disford(e), Dysford(e) 1086 DB 1276 YI 1285 KI 1314 Ch 1327 Fount 1403 YI
- Dysforthe 1541 RichWills 1577 Saxton 1578 FF 1612 NR
- Disseford 1157 RichReg 1198 Fount
- Disceford, Dysceford 1208 FF 1298 Abbr 1301 LS 1316 Vill 1328 Banco 1333 Percy 1350 FF
- Diceford 1202,1208 FF
- Dichefurthe 1535 Fount
- Dishford 1665 Visit
Etymology
Dishforth is from OE dic and ford. Zachrisson has shown (Mélanges etc. u. s . p. 179 ff.) that in the form Disford we have AN influence, whereby OE c became s , as in Diss, Dissington (Nf, Nb). For the later development of Dis - to Dish -, cf. Whashton 292infra and Dishley (Lei), Dislea DB. The same name Ditchford is found in Blockley in Wo and there the dic is the Foss Way (PN Wo 98). Here the ford carried an important road from Boroughbridge to Northallerton but we do not know that the road was ever called a 'dyke.' More probably the meaning is that of Ditchford in Hanbury (PN Wo 322), viz. 'ford across the small dic or stream.'