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.

Gaunts Earthcott

Early-attested site in the Parish of Almondsbury

Historical Forms

  • Herdicote 1086 DB
  • Erdicot', Erdycot' 1221 Ass 1230–1259 Mrk 1248 FF
  • Erdecote 1231 Mrk 1275 Asht 1287 Ass 1305 FF 1313 Ch 1510 BrCh
  • Erdecote Gaunts 1541 LP
  • Herdecot' 1276 RH 1291 Tax
  • Erdcote Gauntes 1540 MinAcct
  • Erthecot 1289 Cl 1466 Pat 1535 VE
  • Erthcot' als. Ercott' 1557 FF
  • Ercotte als. Irdecotte 1589 FF
  • Gaunt(e)s Yrcote, Ircote 1542 LP c.1603 TRMB

Etymology

'Earth cottage', probably 'one made of earth', v. eorðe , cot . For the medial -i - spellings cf. Cattybrook (supra ). 'Gaunts' to distinguish it from Row Earthcott (111 infra ), because it was a parcel of the manor of St Mark's Hospital 'al 'dict ' leʒ Gauntes ' (1540MinAcct 1240), and is referred to in a charter of Henry de Gaunt (Mrk 180); cf. Gaunts Hospital (93supra ) and Rudder 224.