Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Flouresberi 1381 Misc

• Flouresbery 1473 MinAcct

• Flouresbury 1462,1464 Weld1 1475,1476 MinAcct

• Flowresburye, Flour(e)bury(e) 1381 Pitt 16

• Flowrysburye, Flowersbery, Flowerborrow hill c.1586 Tres

• Flowers Barrow 1774 Hutch1

• Flowers Barrow or Rings Hill 1861 Hutch3

Etymology

Flower's Barrow (SY 864805), Flouresberi 1381 Misc, Flouresbery 1473MinAcct , Flouresbury 1462, 1464Weld 1, 1475, 1476MinAcct , Flowresburye , Flour (e )bury (e )1381 (16) Pitt , Flowrysburye , Flowersbery , Flowerborrow hill c. 1586 Tres, Flowers Barrow 1774 Hutch1, Flowers Barrow or Rings Hill 1861 Hutch3. The second el. is burh (dat.sg. byrig ) 'pre-English earthwork', with reference to the hill-fort here (RCHM 2489); there has been later replacement by beorg 'hill, barrow'; for Rings Hill v. infra . The first el. could be flōr 'a floor', as in Floore Nth 82 and Flower Fm Sr 318 where it possibly refers to Roman tesselated pavements, v. -es 2 ; on the other hand it could be the surname Flour of some medieval owner, cf. Reaney s.n.Flower .