Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Pontenei (sic) 1086 DB

• Pulteneia l.12 AD 1219 GildR 1228 RHug

• Pulteney(e) 1220 MHW 1261 Cl 1379 1594,1595 AD

• Pultenay 1285,1329 Cl 1384(p),1397 et passim

• Poltenee 1202 FF

• Polteneie c.1300 AD

• Polteney(e) 1314 Ipm 1315 Cl 1331 MiD 1339 Cl

• Poltenay 1331(p),1333 Pap

• Poulteneye 1322,1339 Cl

• Poultney 1593,1598 AD

Etymology

The generic of this toponym is OE  ēg 'raised land in surrounding wet ground'. The specific is problematical. A large proportion of place- names with generic ēg have as a specific an OE pers.n. Poultney may have as the specific an unrecorded OE  masc. pers.n. Pulta , as suggested for Poltimore (D 444). Alternatively, the ME  verb pulte 'to thrust out' may have had an unrecorded OE word from the same stem, which if applied, would suit the location. The old village site at Great Poultney Fm stands on a low promontory which projects south-east into well- watered ground. Poultney medieval village was probably depopulated in the late 15th century to make way for sheep-farming. A famous son of the township was Sir John de Pulteney, Lord Mayor of London in 1312, 1330, 1331, 1333 and 1335.