Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Stur 1086 DB

• St(o)ure 1324 Fine 1330 Pat 1412 FA

• Stures Pratellorum 1243 Cl

• Estures de Pratellis 1270 For

• Sture Pratell[is] 1285 FA

• Sturepratele 1288 Ass

• Sture P'tell' 1291 Tax

• Stoure Pratell' 1348 Pat

• Stures Prewes 1268 Ass

• Sture Preauus 1270 For

• Sturepreues 1280 Ass

• Stur(e) Prewes 1288 1297 1327 SR

• Sturprewes 1307 FF

• Stour(e) Prewes 1311 Cl 1465 Pat

• Stoure Preaux 1337 Pat

• Stoure Prews als. Stoure Prewes 1411 ib

• Stoure Uprewes (sic) 1412 FA

• Stourepreaulx 1420,1448 Pat

• Stourepriaulx 1462 ib

• Stowre Preaux 1538 KCC 1575 PlR

• Stover Preaux(e) 1538 KCC

• Stower Preaux(e) 1575 ib

• Stowr' Preves 1517 KCC

• Stowre prevys 1533 PlR

• Stoure Provys 1535 VE

• Stowr' Provost 1549 PlR

• Stower Provouste 1568 Hutch3

• Stower Proveste 1575 KCC

• Stower Provost als. Stower Preaux 1651 ib

Etymology

Named from its situation on R. Stour, cf. E & W Stour pars. supra . The earlier affixes are from the possession of this manor during the 12th and 13th centuries by the abbey of St Leger, Préaux (de Pratellis , de Preus , etc); in fact it probably belonged to this abbey at the time of DB, the TRW tenant-in-chief being Roger de Beaumont whose father had founded the abbey (VCHDo 337, 141). The later adaptation of the affix to Provost reflects the fact that the manor was given by Edward IV (1461–83) to (the Provost of) King's College, Cambridge (Hutch3 4513), who sold it in 1925.