Kemerton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Kemerton
Historical Forms
- Cyneburgingctun 840 BCS430 11th
- Cyneburge lond gemære 984 Earle
- Caneberton, Chinemertvne, Chenemertvne 1086 DB
- Kenemerton(e), Kenemertune 1190 P 1210–12 RBE 1212 Fees 1218 ClR 1229 Theok 1237 FF 1411 Ipm
- Kenmerton 1447 Pat 1482 TewkCt 1492 MinAcct 1612 FF
- Kenmerton als. Kemmerton 1589 FF
- Kenemarton 1220 Fees 1240 Ch 1330 FF
- Kinewarton 1221 Eyre
- Kynwarton 1451 Pat
- Kynmerton, Kynmarton 1489 Pat 1485–1500 ECP
- Kin(e) merton, Kyn(e)merton, Kyn(e)marton 1270 Episc 1291 Tax 1318 Talbot 1500 ECP
- Kemerton 1262 Ipm 1333 Heref 1682 PR
- Kymerton 1281 Ipm
- Kymartone 1347 ib
- Kemmarton, Kemmerton 1478 Pat 1487 MinAcct 1690 PR
Etymology
If the OE form belongs here (which is generally assumed), Kemerton meant 'farmstead associated with a woman Cyneburg', v. -ing 4 , tūn ; a few spellings like the DB Caneber - and the later Kinewar -, etc., would tend to support this, though generally through the influence of the preceding nasal OE Cyneburg has been adapted to the form of the OE pers.n. Cynemǣr . Cyneburg has been identified with the late 7th-century Kyneburg , sister of Osric and abbess of Gloucester (Karlström 75), but the place is amongst lands restored to the church of Worcester in 840 and, though Kyneburg owned much land in Gloucestershire (cf. BCS 535), it is difficult to believe that an estate named after her could have come into the possession of Worcester rather than Gloucester where she was abbess. If the lady is to be identified, she may well be the Mercian princess Cyneburg, daughter of Penda (as suggested by Kemble, PhilSoc 1848, 9), but these are only suppositions.