Chesham
Major Settlement in the Parish of Chesham
Historical Forms
- æt Cæstæleshamme 1012 Thorpe 12th
- Cestreham 1086 DB 1201 Cur
- Cestresham Hyii Ch 1318 AD Hyii Cur 1199 Fines 1201,1212 WellsR 1209–19
- Cesterham Hyii AD
- Chesham 1247 Ass 1268 Pat 1302,1312 Fine 1372 Pat
- Chessham 1302 Ipm 1355 BM
- Chesseham 1325 Cl
- Chesham Lecytor, Chesham Owborn 1526 LS
- Chesum 1675 Ogilby
Etymology
OE ceasteles-hamm , 'the hamm of the ceastel ,' i.e. marked by such. The word ce (a )stel (IPN 148) perhaps denotes a small fort but no such seems to have survived. The later r for l may be due to AN influence (IPN 106) or it may be due to substitution of the more common ceaster for ceastel . There were two Chesham manors, one belonging to Leicester and the other to Woburn Abbey.