Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Baggerawe 1332 SR

• Bagarey 1560 FF

• Bagra 1578 Cocker

• Baggaraye 1581 FF

• Bagarah 1697 PR(Bridekirk)

• Baggara 1699 ib

• Baggraw 1794 Brayton

• Baggerhay 1816 Lysons

• le baggary 1589 ExchKR

• Bagray 1618 Naworth 1699 Boothby

• the Bigray 1621 Naworth

• Baggary 1626 Boothby

• Bag Row 1794 MapH

• Bagrawe 1399 IpmR

• Bagray 1535 VE

• The Bagraw 1451 PNDumf

Etymology

This name occurs again in Baggara in Nether Denton (supra 82), the forms for which are le baggary 1589ExchKR , Bagray 1618 Naworth, 1699Boothby , the Bigray 1621 Naworth, Baggary 1626Boothby , Bag Row 1794 MapH; and in Baggra Yeat in Uldale (infra 328) for which the forms are Bagrawe 1399 IpmR, Bagray 1535 VE.

The triple occurrence of this name in Cumberland, not to speak of The Bagraw 1451 (PN Dumf 105), suggests that the first element is not the Scandinavian personal name Baggi , but a significant word.Zachrisson (StudNP vi, 147) urged that bagge is a topographical term, meaning 'low-lying place, marshland.' It may, however, be one more term like Rattenraw , meaning a row of tumbledown cottages such as beggars might or did inhabit. In the early 13th century Ancren Riwle is the saying Hit is beggeres rihte vorte beren bagge . Hey wood (1546) has as well as the begger knowth his bag , Ray (1678) It would make a beggar beat his bag . There is rather a similar proverbial saying in Njálssaga: Þat mun vera maklegast at fari alt saman karl ok kýll , “It is only fair that a beggar should go with his bag.” It is worth noting also that there is a remarkable contumelious use of the word bagge in the account by John of Hexham of the Battle of the Standard (1138).“The Scots,” he said, “all slipped away from the field, flinging their sacks away from them. To the shame of this affair, that place was called Baggamor” (SD ii, 294).