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.

Yewstock

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hinton St Mary

Historical Forms

  • Hevedstokke, Hevedstokforlang' e14 GlastE
  • la Hevedstocke 1338–40 Glast m14 Glast
  • la Hendestok
  • la Handestock
  • Hewstock 1811 OS
  • (Lr) Yewstock 1841 TA

Etymology

Yewstock (ST 787155), Hevedstokke , Hevedstokforlang 'e14GlastE , la Hevedstocke 1338–40 Glast, m14Glast , la Hendestok (for Heudestok ) n.d. Fägersten 41, la Handestock (for Haudestock ) n.d. Hutch3, Hewstock 1811 OS, (Lr ) Yewstock 1841TA , v. hēafod-stocc 'a post on which the head of a beheaded criminal was exposed', cf. Hewstock Fm in Beaminster infra which has the same origin. The cottage of this name stands on the par. bdy between Hinton and Sturminster N., and most of the early forms occur as bdy marks in medieval perambulations of Sturminster (v. SoRecSoc 64606, Glast f. 223, Hutch3 4338).