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.

Borough Field

Early-attested site in the Parish of Colchester

Historical Forms

  • Burefeld 1196 FF
  • les Burghfeeldes 1400 Ct
  • Borowefeld 1406 ib
  • lez Boroughfeldys t.Hy7 Bodl
  • le Bery de Haynsokne (ib. 121)

Etymology

Borough Field (TA) is Burefeld 1196 FF, les Burghfeeldes 1400Ct , Borowefeld 1406 ib., lez Boroughfeldys t. Hy 7Bodl . The open fields outside the walls on the Lexden Road near the Grammar School, which were subject to rights of common by the burgesses, are without doubt to be identified with the four score acres of land in DB owned by the community of burgesses (in commune burgensium ). v. burh and further VCH i, 423, EAS xiv, 200–4. This is not to be confused with a lost Berry field (TA) inside the walls in the south-east corner in St Leonard's parish: le Bery 1374–86, le Berifeld 1383, Beryfeld gate 1563 EAS xvii. It also occurs as le Bery de Haynsokne (ib. 121), earlier Hamiessocna 1189 (1400), Haymesokne 1317 EAS xv, which Round plausibly explains as “the socn of Hamo Dapifer” (v. EAS xv, 77 ff., xvii, 36–40, 118–21). v. burh (manorial).