English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Cheselbourne

Major Settlement in the Parish of Cheselbourne

Historical Forms

  • be Chiselburne 859 ShaftR(S334) 870 15 ib
  • Chiselburne 1242 Sarum 1293 Ch
  • Chiselborne 1412 FA
  • Chisselbarne (sic) 1268 Ass
  • Chisilburn 1275 Banco
  • juxta Cheselburneam 859 ShaftR(S334)
  • ad Cheselburniam 870 15 ib
  • at Cheselburne, to Cheselburne 942 15 ib
  • Cheselburne 1019 15 HyI Fees 15 FA 1212 1428
  • Cheselburn 1259 FF 1428 FA
  • Cheselborn(e) 1285 FA 1811 OS
  • Cheselbourn(e) 1290 ShaftR 15
  • Chesilburn 1275 Banco
  • Chesilborne 1540 AD
  • Checelbourne 15 ShaftR
  • Chesselborne 1795 Boswell
  • æt ceosol burnan 965 Ilch(S736) 10
  • Ceosolburnan 987 KCD656(S1217,Finberg613) 13
  • Cheleburna 1019 ShaftR(S955(1)) 15
  • Chelesborn' 1280 Ass
  • Ceseburne 1086 DB
  • Ches(e)burn(e) 1244 Ass 1250 Fees 15 ShaftR
  • Ches(e)bo(u)rn' 1280 Ass
  • Chuselburne 1166 RBE
  • Chuselbourn 1338 FF
  • Longa Cheselburn(') 1259 FF 1269 Cl
  • Langecheselburn(e) 1269 Cl 1371 Ilch
  • Long(e) Chese(l)burn 1288 Ass 1297 Cl
  • Long(e) Cheselbo(u)rn(e) 1367 Cl 1575 PlR
  • Lang(a) Cheselborn(e) 1402 IpmR 1431 FA
  • Cheselborne Longa 1456 IpmR
  • Long Chesilbo(u)rne, Long Chesylbo(u)rne 1514,1533 PlR
  • Chestelbourne 1412 FA
  • to chiselburne 859 ?for 870 (15) ShaftR (S 334)
  • to cheselburne ?870 (15) ib (S 342)
  • on cheselburne (stream) 942 (15) ib (S 485 (1)), 1019 (15) ib (S 955 (1))
  • on cyselburnan 965 (10) Ilch (S 736)

Etymology

'(Place by) the gravelly stream', from cisel, ceosol and burna . The stream itself is referred to in all five sets of bounds describing Anglo-Saxon estates here: to chiselburne 859 ?for 870 (15) ShaftR (S 334), to cheselburne ?870 (15) ib (S 342), on cheselburne (stream )942 (15) ib (S 485 (1)), 1019 (15) ib (S 955 (1)), on cyselburnan 965 (10) Ilch (S 736). The affix Long (apparently with reference to the length of the village, v. lang 1 ) distinguished this place from the lost Little Cheselbourne in Puddletown par. 1 316. On the early forms Chele -, C (h )es (e )-, with AN  loss of -s - and -l -, v. ANInfl 54, 146.