Gawcott
Early-attested site in the Parish of Buckingham
Historical Forms
- Chauescote 1086 DB
- Gavecote 1255 RH 1285 QW 1331 Pat
- Gauekcote 1284 FA
- Gauecote 1316 FA
- Galcote 1480 BM
- Galcotte 1517 Encl
- Gocot 1675 Ogilby
Etymology
This name would seem to be a compound of OE gafol , 'tax, tribute, rent' and cot. Similar compounds with ierþ , land , mǣd are common in OE. It may be suggested that the original cottages at Gawcott were built on territory belonging to the borough of Buckingham, for Gawcott is still in the parish of Buckingham. If so, it is probable that their inhabitants paid their gafol , or rent, to the reeves of Buckingham, and that the name arose spontaneously to denote a group of cottages outside the borough, but united to it by the payment of rent there.Inorganic s is very common in DB.
Professor Ekwall would take this difficult name to be from OE Gafancotu , OE *Gafa being a pers. name cognate with OHG Gaba . He would take the alc forms as inverted spellings which arose when l has become silent in the combination alk .