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.

Chalderbeach Farm

Early-attested site in the Parish of Holme

Historical Forms

  • Scælfremære, Scelfremære a.1022 KCD733 c.1200
  • Chelfremerebeche 1146 Cottvii.3
  • Chelfrebecche, Cheluremerebeche, Chelwremere, Chelwremare c.1150 Rams c.1350
  • Scelremere, Salderemere Breche, Saldermere 1279 RH

Etymology

This mere lay to the south of Whittlesey Mere, and Chalderbeach Farm must have been on its eastern shore. Its name was clearly scealfra-mere , i.e. 'mere of the diver-birds.' Later the f was lost between the l and r in the consonant group and was replaced by the epenthetic d which so commonly develops in ME between l and r . Confusion of initial sch and ch is fairly common and would in this case be assisted by the influence of the common ME  chaluer , cheluer , gen. pl. of 'calf.' The beach is clearly the same element that is found in Wisbech, Landbeach and Waterbeach (C) and refers to the position of the farm on the edge of the mere. The word may be the same as OE  bæc , bece , 'stream,' with transference of sense from the stream to its bank, but this is uncertain (v. Weekley, Etymological Dictionary , s.v.). v. Addenda.

Places in the same Parish