Spare Bridge
Early-attested site in the Parish of Sandon
Historical Forms
- Sperkebrige, Sparkebrige t.Hy3 HMCv
- St John, Sp'brugge t.Hy8 Rental
Etymology
Spare Bridge (6″) is Sperkebrige , Sparkebrige t. Hy 3 HMC v, 13th St John , Sp 'brugge t. Hy 8Rental . This probably contains as its first element the word spirk , 'sprout, shoot,' recorded in NED from the 16th century and from East Anglian dialect. An earlier example than any given there is found in a Stebbing court roll of 1547 in the phrase “viii parvos querculos voc. Spyrkes. ”Further examples are probably found in Sparkleystrete in Ashdon (1387Walden ) and Sperkehache in Hedingham (13thStJohn ). A sperk-brigge was probably of the same kind as Risebridge supra 119.