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.

Chebbard Fm, Chebbard Clump

Early-attested site in the Parish of Dewlish

Historical Forms

  • Scaborth(e) 1335 Vaux c.1447
  • Chebbord 1765 Tayl
  • Chebbard (Fm) 1811 OS 1844 TA
  • be suþe Scaftesbury 859 ShaftR(S334)
  • be suðe ceatwanberge 870 15 ib
  • on shete bergh, of þane berghe 1019 15 ib

Etymology

Chebbard Fm (SY 762982), Chebbard Clump [ˈtʃibəd], Scaborth (e )1335 (c. 1447) Vaux , Chebbord 1765 Tayl, Chebbard (Fm )1811 OS, 1844TA , probably to be associated with the bdy mark be suþe Scaftesbury 859 ? for 870 (15) ShaftR (S 334), be suðe ceatwanberge ? 870 (15) ib (S 342), on shete bergh , of þane berghe 1019 (15) ib (S 955 (1)) (a point in the bounds of Cheselbourne which belonged to Shaftesbury abbey, hence the scribal error Scaftesbury ). The final el. of the OE name is beorg 'hill, barrow', whereas Chebbard itself would seem to contain bord 'board, plank', also 'border, rim' (it is near par. bdy), cf. Borthwood Wt 53 and the use of the cognate byrde in Stibbard Nf (DEPN). However, the first part of the two names may be identical, although its form and meaning are difficult to establish. Fägersten 173 suggested an OE  pers.n. Ceatwa , a wk. form of the pers.n. postulated for Chaceley Wo 192 (Ceatewesleah 972 (c. 1050)); however Ekwall (DEPN) thinks that the first part of Chaceley is more likely to be identical with Chittoe W 252 (Chetewe 1168), which is probably from PrWelsh  cēd 'wood' with the suffix -iu or -öü (ultimately from Brit  *Caito ā ). It should perhaps be noted that there are signs of RB occupation just W of Chebbard Fm (RCHM 388, 331).