Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Rodemesc (sic) 1086 DB

• Routhemersk 1293 QW

• Routhemareys, Routhemarays 1293 1303 Aid

• Routhemershe 1298 Abbr

• Routhemers 1303 KF

• Routhemerch 1316 Vill

• Routhmersh 1334 SheffMisc

• Rauthemersh 1344 FF

• Rothemerch(e) 1406 YI 1409 BM

• Rowmareis 1190–1210 YCh645

• Roumareis, Roumarays, Roumareys 1193 P 1280 Ch 1283 Ebor

• Rowmers(c)h(e) 14 Sawl193d 1409 DiocV 1428 FA

• Rowmer 1493 NCWills

• Rowmersshe 1531,1534 ib

• Rumareis, Rumareys 1204 Cur 1206 FF 1226 Ebor 1286 Feod

• Rumers c.1270 Nost53

• Rubeo Marisco 1239 FF

• Romaries 1285 KI

• Romerssh 1441 DiocV

• Raumerays 1297 LS

• Raumersche 1373 FF 1379 PT

• Raumersshe 1408 Pat

• Rawemerssh 1463 ib

• Rawmers(s)h(e) 1474 WillY 1479 BM

• Rawmarsh 1502 Testiv 1822 Langd

• Ramarshe 1552 WillY

Etymology

'Red marsh', v. rauðr , mersc . “The red earth, which is everywhere about Rawmarsh, may well be supposed to have given occasion to the name” (Hnt ii, 45). The form -mersk is due to the substitution of ON  -sk for -sh , and as with other p.ns. like Rawcliffe YN 15, ON  rauðr itself may have replaced OE  rēad. Spellings with -mareis , etc., have OFr , ME  mareis 'marsh'. On the late spelling Ramarshe cf. Phonol. § 8.