Stowford, West and East
Early-attested site in the Parish of West Down
Historical Forms
- Estaveforda 1086 DB(Exon)
- Staveford
- Eststaufford, Weststafford 1289 Ass
- Stouford(e) 1289 Ass 1330 SR
- Stoford 1333 SR
Etymology
'Ford marked by staves or posts.' Stowford is a very common name in Devon, v. Index. It has at least three possible sources. The first, clearly illustrated in this example, is OE stæfa -ford , 'ford of the staves,' i.e. presumably one marked by stakes. Cf. the common Stapleford. There may also in other names have been forms stæf -ford , with the nom. sing. of the same word, cf. Stafwyll 1449 BM (Devon). The phonological development of such a compound to Stowford is difficult but it is certain, and Blomé (18) suggests the line of development along which it may have taken place. The second source is OE stæþ - ford . We are familiar with that compound in the modern Stafford (PN St 141), with stæþ -forms on OE coins, and DB forms Stadford , Stafford . stæþ means 'shore, bank' in OE and presumably a stæþ -ford is one where you definitely go down a bank to the ford. For Stowford infra 208 we have DB Estatforda , and for Stafford in Dolton we have DB Stadforda . Stafford shows the normal development. Stowford, unless the t is an error, contains stæþ , which must have lost its þ by assimilation and then, by a similar process to that noted for Staveford supra , become Stowford . The third and probably much the most common source is OE stānford . The only stanford in a Devon charter surviving on the map is Stafford in Colyton infra 623 in KCD 1301, which does once have a form Stoford and even Stouford , unless that be an error for Stonford . Elsewhere we have Stover (Gl), Stanford (BCS 887), Stowford near Trowbridge (W), Stanford (KCD 658), Stowford by Wishford (W), Stanford (BCS 782) and Stolford (So), Stanford (BCS 610).Altogether we have noted some thirteen Sto(w)fords and three Staffords in Devon. As a rule it is impossible to be certain about the origin of any particular one, especially as forms Stauford , Stouford are ambiguous and may at times be errors of transcription for Stanford and Stonford . Topographical investigation is not of much service here, as most fords are likely to have a more or less stony bottom.