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.

High Laver, Little Laver

Major Settlement in the Parish of High, Little, and Magdalen Laver

Historical Forms

  • (æt) Lagefare c.1010 ASWills
  • Lagefar(e) 1170–90 P 1200 Cur 1200–40 FF
  • Lagefar(e) Magna, Lagefar(e) Parva 1212 Fees
  • Lagefar(e) Triket 1212 RBE 1227 Ch
  • Lagefar(e) Muchegros 1247 FF 1248 Fees a.1272 Colch
  • Lagfar Magna 1227 Fees
  • Lagafarā 1086 DB
  • Lagafra Eustachii 1167 P
  • Lagaefara 1169 P
  • Laghefarā 1086 DB
  • Laghefar 1222 Bracton
  • Lahefare 1219,1282 FF 1241 P
  • Lageford 1190,1191 P
  • Laufar(e) 1197,1228–55 FF 1228 Cl
  • Laufar(e) Breute, Laufar(e) Aucher, Laufar(e) de Ropha 1238 SR 1253–92 FF 1256–91 Pap 1291-2 Pat 1301 FF
  • Laufar(e) Chinges, Laufar(e) Shing' t.Hy3 WalthamA
  • High Laufare 1246,1301 FF
  • Laufar(e) Fretepere 1254 Ass
  • Laufar(e) Magdalen(e) 1256 Pap 1269 FF
  • Laufare le Rey 1261 FF
  • Laufar(e) la Magdelene 1262 FF
  • Laufare Regis 1272 Ch
  • Laufar(e) de Bosco 1276 For
  • Laufar(e) Maudalene, Laufar(e) Maddelen' 1285 Ass
  • Laufare Marie Magdalene 1301 FF
  • Lawefar(e) 1217 Pat
  • Lawefar(e) Triket 1218 Fees 1229 FF
  • Grant Lawefar(e) t.Ed1 AddCh
  • Lacfare 1218 Fees
  • Laufr' de Braute 1235 Ass
  • Launfare Mustegros 1248 Ass
  • Laugfare 1284 FF
  • (Kings) Lanfar(e) 1273 Abbr
  • Lanfare Magdalen, Alta Lanfare 1291 Tax 1301–77 IpmR
  • Lanfare Maudeleyne 1396 ib
  • Heye Lafare, Heylaffar' 1285 Ass
  • Lauvar(e) 1291 Pat 1325 Ipm
  • Lawever Mawedeleyn 1395 Ch
  • Lawever Madeleyn 1428 FA
  • Alta Low(e)fare, Parva Low(e)fare 1412 FA
  • Hyghlaver 1422 Pat
  • Mawdelyn 1460 Ipm
  • Mawdlen Laver 1549 FF
  • Little Laffour, High Laffour 1555 FF
  • Aucher (1181 P, Fees 121)
  • Breaute (1235 FF)
  • de Bosco (1256 FF)
  • Mucegros (1268 FF)
  • Trichet, Triket (1212 RBE, a. 1272 Colch)

Etymology

Possibly 'stream-passage' from OE  lagu -fær . Cf. Walter Hall infra 240. lagu is only used independently in OE  of water generally, and of the sea or ocean in particular, though in compounds such as lagustream , it is occasionally used of a large river such as the Danube. It is only on record in poetic texts. In spite of these difficulties we may perhaps take the name as belonging to the earliest period of the settlement, and containing a word destined soon to become obsolete in ordinary prose usage. There was also a Lagefare in Abberton (1478ColchB ), but it is possible that at that date it may be of manorial origin.

High Laver was formerly called Great , and was held in 1086 by Eustace , Count of Boulogne (DB). Maud, his granddaughter, was Stephen's Queen and the estate remained with the Crown (hence Kings ) until given by Henry II to William Fitz Aucher (1181 P, Fees 121). High Laver was also called Breute from the family of Gilbert de Breaute (1235 FF), de Bosco from that of William de Bosco (1256 FF), and Muchegros from that of John de Mucegros (1268 FF).

Little Laver was previously named Ropha from Ralph de Rovecestre 1200 Cur, Roffa 1201 FF, 1212 RBE (cf. Roffensis ) and Fretepere (of unknown origin). Magdalen from the church, which is dedicated to St Mary Magdalen . Triket from the family of Hugo and Simon Trichet , Triket (1212 RBE, a. 1272 Colch).

Places in the same Parish

None