Dowdeswell
Major Settlement in the Parish of Dowdeswell
Historical Forms
- Dogodeswellan, Dogedes wyllan 781–98 BCS283 11th
- Dodesuuelle 1086 DB
- Doddeswell 1221 Ass 1226 ClR
- Dodeswell 1225,1529,1571 FF
- Dodiswell 1535 VE
- Doudeswell(a), Doudeswelle 12 WinchLB 1221 Ass 1227 ClR c.1240 GlR 1248 Ass 1458 FF
- Over Doudeswelle 1440 Pat
- Dowdeswell(e) 1185 Templar 1284 Episc 1316 FA 1691 PR
- Dowdiswell 1559 FF
- Dud(d)eswell' 1221,1287 Ass
- Douteswell 1303 FA
- Dowcewall 1576 MonLand
- Dowedeswelle 1412 Ass
Etymology
The OE spellings are from a reliable manuscript, and the first el. would therefore appear to be an OE pers.n. Dogod , Doged ; this would normally appear as ME Doud - (with vocalisation of the OE fricative -g -). But the pers.n. is otherwise unknown; Ekwall has suggested it would be etymologically connected with OE dugan 'to avail, to be strong, virtuous' with the suffix -od (of which no examples occur, however, in pers.n. formation in OE); Dr Melville Richards reports that there was an OWelsh pers.n. and saint's name Doged (from a root *doc -) but this should have had an OE form like Doced , for PrWelsh -g - which arose by lenition of Brit -c - (in Brit *Doceto -) normally has OE -c - [k] substituted, as OE did not have the stop -g - [g] in such positions (cf. Jackson p. 251 n, § 137); it would seem therefore that this pers.n. is unlikely on phonological grounds.v. wella , 'well, spring'. There are two springs and streams here which unite to form the R. Chelt.