Raveley
Major Settlement in the Parish of Great and Little Raveley
Historical Forms
- Ræflea c.1060 Rams c.1350 ChronRams 1077 17th
- Rauelai 1163 P
- Rauelea et altera R. 1167 P
- Ravele(ye) 1227 Ass
- Rauesle 1228 FF
- Magna Rauele, Graunt Rauele 1297,1364 BM
- Raveley Magna and Raveley Moynes 1543 FF
Etymology
This is a very difficult name. Skeat suggests that there was an OE pers. name Ræfa , a shortened form of various names which he quotes. The first of these is Ræfcytel , but that is only Searle's faulty reconstruction of DB Rauechetel which is clearly ON Hrafnketell . Of the others Ræfwine is possibly OE , Ræfmǣr and Ræfnōth are Searle's reconstructions from DB Rauemerus and Rauenod of uncertain origin, while Ræfweald and Ræfwulf are reconstructions of English cognates for the OGer Rafold and Rafolf which are actually on record. There is then some evidence for OE names in Ræf - though it is not very strong, and the history of this element both here and in its German cognate is obscure. Derivation from a pers. name is made improbable by the form Ræflea , which is confirmed as being correct by its appearance in William i's charter of 1077 (Chron Rams 200) of which Spelman saw the original text.Raveley Moynes is Great Raveley, and takes its name from the Moyne family who owned it.