Sevenhampton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Sevenhampton
Historical Forms
- Sevenhamton(e) 1086 DB 1216 ClR 1291 Tax c.1560 Surv
- Seuenhampton, Sevenhampton e.13 WinchLB 1248 Ass 1274 RH 1285 FA 1698 PR
- Seuehamton 1221 Eyre
- Sevehampton 1241 Ch 1535 VE
- Seueshampton, Sevezhampton 1327 SR
- Sevanton 1437,1454 Pat
- Senhampton 1506 BM 1610 M
- Senhampton als. Sen(n)yngton 1575 FF 1614 Rec
- Semynton 1577 M
- Seynhampton 1604 FF
Etymology
This name, which finds parallels in the neighbouring counties of Worcester (Sevenhampton, Wo 107), Wiltshire (Sevenhampton, Sevington, W 27, 107), and Somerset (Seavington, Seofenempton c. 1025 DEPN), appears to be a compound of OE seofon 'seven', hām 'homestead' or hǣme 'dwellers' and tūn 'farmstead, village' (v. hǣma-tūn, hām-tūn in EPN). In Wo 35 and W 107 the interpretation is discussed and the conclusion drawn that such a name denoted 'a village with seven homesteads', and a parallel is found for the type in Syrencot (W 366) 'cottages with six homesteads'. It is also pointed out that in Nt in DB a thane with 6 manors or less paid 3 marks of silver to the sheriff but a thane possessed of more than 6 manors paid a relief of 8 pounds to the king; though late, the allusion suggests that seven units of property was the point at which much heavier fiscal burdens came into operation. OE hǣme 'dwellers' is frequently used in compounds with topographical words (as in Brockhampton infra ) or with contracted forms of older p.ns. (cf. EPN i, 216, 217), and Ekwall has therefore proposed that these names embody some older p.n. such as seofon wyllas 'seven wells' (184 infra ). But the last named, which is some 3 or 4 miles away was never a settlement site and therefore unlikely to have had inhabitants to give their name to Sevenhampton. On the whole, the evidence would rather favour a name denoting 'a village of 7 homesteads' forming a single community which because of its size carried a special burden of taxation. For the reduced form Sen -, cf. Phonol. § 34 (b ).