Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Breiðe-tun c.1030 YCh7

• Bretton(a) 1154–63 RegAlbiii,9 c.1200,c.1214 Pont c.1216 RegAlbiii,50d c.1220,1232–40 Pont a.1266 KF 1269 YI 1289 KI 1428 et passim

• juxta Brotherton 1332 Selby

• Burton 1425 Pat 1556 TestLds 1560 PRFrs

• Burton Salamon 1516 YDvii

• Salmond(e) Burton 1546 YChant 1593 FF 1674 Dep

• Burton Salmon 1619 FF 1641 Rates 1658 SelbyW

• Burton in Elmett 1535 FF, VE

• Burton in Elmytt 1546 YChant

• Birton 1545 TestLds 1549 WillY

• Salman Birton 1450 YDvii

• Birton by Ferybrig 1502 Ipm

• Burhtun c. 1050 YCh 9

Etymology

The topographical arrangement of the places in the soke of Sherburn in YCh 7 suggests that the second Breiðe -tun mentioned, lying between Sutton (47infra ) and Brotherton (45infra ), is Burton Salmon and not Brayton 24, but the form of the name, which does not accord at all with the regular ME  spelling Bretton (a ), is probably an error brought about by the earlier mention in the document of the other Breiðe -tun (Brayton); a similar error occurs in the OE form of Byram (46infra ). So also the OE Burhtun c. 1050 YCh 9, which Farrer identifies as Burton Salmon, must because of its form refer to Burton Hall 27 supra . The source of Burton Salmon is an OE  Bretta -tūn 'farmstead of the Britons', v. Brettas , tūn . The name may possibly denote a group of Britons who survived from the British kingdom associated with Elmet (cf. Introd.), but the term is used more often to denote Britons who came with the Vikings from the Lake District, as in Birkby Hill 103infra (v. Introd.). The affix Salmon is doubtless from the name of Salamone de Brettona who witnessed a charter c. 1230 Pont. A Thomas Salman was living in South Milford 1379 PT vi, 137. It is not certain whether the Burton described as in Elmett is this place or Burton Hall 27 supra .