Heavitree
Major Settlement in the Parish of Heavitree
Historical Forms
- Hevetrowa 1086 DB(Exon)
- Hevetrove
- (on) Hefatriwe c.1130 Earle
- Eueltrea 1179 P
- Heveltre 1286 Cl
- Hevetre 1242 Fees791 1280 Exon 1303 FA 1306 FF
- Hevetrewe 1284 Deed 1314 Ipm
- Hevetruwe 1285 FA 1314 Ipm
- Hevetru 1286 Ass 1308 Exon 1346 FA
- Hevedtre 1270 Exon
- Hevytre 1345 Ipm 1387 Exon
- Hevytre juxta Exon 1453 FF
Etymology
This is a difficult name. If any stress is to be laid on the second form one should perhaps compare hefancroft (KCD 608) and note the late Devon pers. name John Hevya (1333SR ), inflexional n being commonly lost in the document in which the Anglo-Saxon form of Heavitree is found. Hence, 'Hefa 's tree.'Alternatively we may perhaps take the name to be from OE hēafod -trēow , with a trace of the d surviving in late forms with l and d . If that is correct, the name may be interpreted in the same way as hēafod -stocc (BT Supplt s. v .), viz. a tree on which the heads of criminals were placed. This is confirmed when we find that the gallows stood here once at Livery Dole infra (Oliver, Ecclesiastical Antiquities i, 46 n).