Souldrop
Major Settlement in the Parish of Souldrop
Historical Forms
- Sultrop 1196 P 1202 Ass 1227 Ass
- Sultorp 1198 FF
- Suldrop(e) 1202 FF 1247 Ass 1254 FF Hy3 BM 1276,1287 Ass 1316,1346 FA 1390–2 CS 1469 IpmR 1526 LS
- Sulthorp 1247 Ass
- Soldrop(e) 1247 Ass 1302 FA
- S(c)huldrop 1247,1276 Ass
- Sholdrope 1276 Ass
- Sulthrope 1276 Ass 1291
- Schulthorp 1276 Ass
- Souldrop 1535 VE
Etymology
Were it not for the entire absence of an inflexional e between the l and the t one would take this name to be from OE Sulan - þrop , with the same pers. name that is found in Soulbury (Bk), Sulham (Berks, Sx), but it is difficult to overlook this. OE sulh , sul , primarily used of the plough, and then of the furrow made by it, do seem to have been used in a topographical sense, presumably to denote a gully or narrow channel, as illustrated in sulh (BCS 994, 1290), referring to the same place, and sulhford (BCS 166, 1331), referring to two places. Souldrop lies on the edge of a well-marked depression through which runs a tributary of the Ouse, and used by the Midland Railway for making its way from the valley of the Ouse to the point known as Sharnbrook Summit (337 ft.). The end of the valley is called Souldrop Gap on Bryant's map (1826). There can be little doubt therefore that the whole name means 'thorp by the well-marked valley.' For the form of the suffix, v. þorp 2 .