English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Sherborne

Major Settlement in the Parish of Sherborne

Historical Forms

  • (to þaere halgan stowe aet) Scireburnan 864 SherC(S333) 12
  • (æt) Scire burnan 860,867 ASC l9 ASC 910 ASC e10 ASC 910 11 978 m11
  • in Scir(e)burna(n), æt Scir(e)burna(n) 893 Asser e11 SherC(S813) 970–5 12 998 12 1012 ASC 12 SherC 1014 12 1046 12 860,867 12 1145 12
  • Sciraburn' 1065 CartAnt
  • on Scirburnan, æt Scirburnan 861 ASC e12
  • Scireburne 1086 DB 1205 FF 1206,1209 P
  • Scireburn' 1199–1214 P 1244 Ass 1275 AD
  • in vicus Scireburnie 1145 SherC 12
  • Scyr(e)b(ur)n(e) 1244 Ass, FF
  • Scirrborne 1393 NatT
  • Sireburne 1123 CartAnt 1212 Fees 1284 FF
  • Sireburn(') 1195 P 1196 ChancR 1265 Pat
  • Syreburn(e) 1202 FF 1212 Fees 1285 FA
  • Sireborn 1218,1219 FF
  • Sirburn 1244 FF
  • Sirebur' 1258 Cl
  • Schireburn(e) 1193–1214 P 1223 1349 Ipm
  • Schirburn 1227 FF 1428 FA
  • Schyirburn 1249 FF
  • Shireburn(') 1208 Memo 1217 FF 1219 Cur 1558 Sher
  • Shirburn 1236 FF 1285 FA 1566 Sher
  • Shirboure, Shirborme (sic) 1454 Pat
  • Chireburn' 1268 Cl
  • Shereburn 1288 Pat, Fine
  • Sherbourn 1333 Cl
  • Sherborn(e) 1415 IpmR
  • Sherburne 1579 Sher
  • Schirborn Abbatis 1291 Tax
  • Shirburn Abbatis 1428 FA
  • Schireburn Camel, Schirborn Camel 1303 FA
  • Shirneburn (sic) 1333 Fine
  • Shurbourne 1545–1551 Sher
  • Shurborne 1551 1593 Batten
  • Cammel 1332 SR
  • Camel 1375 Hutch3 4 214
  • Brydewel(l)myll' 1531,1538 Digby
  • Castleton Mill 1802 Map 1870 Hutch3
  • the East Mill 1870 Hutch3(4209)
  • Forrester's Mill 1802 Map
  • Forster 1664 HTax
  • Hoddynottes myll 1569–74 Map
  • Okes myll' 1548,1574 Sher
  • Oakes myll 1569–74 Map
  • Oakes mill 1824 Pigot
  • Pyd(de)mylle 1474,1487 Digby
  • Pedemyll' 1525 Salis
  • Pudemylle 1380 Sher
  • Pede 1332 SR
  • molendinum iuxta eccl' Sancti Andree 1145 SherC 12
  • Molendinum…juxta capellam sancti Andreæ 1163 Dugd
  • Seynt Andrewys Myll' 1516 ib
  • S. Andrews myll 1569–74 Map
  • (two watergri(e)st(e)mill(e)s called) St Andrew(e) Mills 1601 Russ 1677 Digby
  • St Androwes Mylles 1614 ib
  • St Andrew's now Melmoth's Mill 1802 Map
  • the Great Weare of Sherborne Eliz ChancP
  • meadow named Longwear 1594 Fowler
  • The Weares, (The) Broadweare(s), Litleweare, (the) Long(e) Weare, The Wearegroundes 1614 Digby
  • molend' aquatic' 1473 Digby
  • molend' Ricardi Cupper 16 Digby
  • molend' aquatic' prius Thome Cornysshe, molend' fulleretis quondam Ricardi Towker 1538 Digby
  • molendino brasino 1566 Digby
  • a watermill held by Katherine Cupper 1614 Digby

Etymology

'(Place at) the bright or clear stream', v. scīr 2 (wk.obl. scīran ), burna , perhaps originally with reference to the upper course of R. Yeo (although Fowler 12 believes that the stream referred to may have been the small tributary of R. Yeo flowing S on a limestone bed from Coombe (in Castleton par. supra ) past the Abbey). The name is found in several other counties, v. Ekwall DEPN, RN 362, cf. Leland (1 296): 'John Myer abbate of Shirburne said that he had redde in Latine bookes of his house that Shirburne was caullid Clarus fons'. In the form from 864, to þaere halgan stowe aet - ('to the holy place at-', v. hālig , stōw ) refers to the religious foundation here, v. Sherborne Abbey infra for other (and earlier) references. The Latin affix Abbatis means 'of the abbot'. The single instance of the manorial affix Camel in 1303 is presumably from the family of John Cammel 1332 SR (taxed in Houndstreet tithing) and Robert Camel 1375 Hutch3 4214 (who held half a knight's fee here).