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.

Spital in the Street

Early-attested site in the Parish of Hemswell

Historical Forms

  • Hospitali 1158,1167,1166 P c1190 RAiv 1337 Ch
  • Hospitali super stratam 1294,1313 Foster 1329 Ass 1333 LOC 14
  • Hospitale l12 RAii c1230 VC 14
  • Hospitale super Stratam 1281 QW 1300,1354 Ipm 1316 FA 1383 Peace 1390 Works 1431 FA
  • Hospital super Stratam 1316 FA 1329 LOC 14 Peace 1383
  • Hospialem super Stratam 1360,1374,1394 Foster
  • Hospialie de Spittle on the Strete 1400 LCCA
  • le Spitel oþþe stret 1282 FF
  • le Spitel othestret 1309 ib
  • le Spitel onthestrete 1316 1322 HarlCh
  • le Spitel in ye stret 1322 LOC 14
  • le Spitel in the strete 1383 Pat
  • le Spitel othestrete 1419 FF
  • Spytelothestrete 1295 Ass 1399 Cl
  • Spytell othe Strete 1414 LCCA
  • le Spytell over ye Strete 1428 FA
  • le Spytell othe Strete 1549 CA
  • Spitle on the streete 1323 Inqaqd 1560 LCCA
  • Spitle inle Strete 1334 Orig
  • Spitle on ye Strete 1576 Saxton
  • Spitle in the Stret 1610 Speed
  • Spitell c1460 Gough 1402 FA 1526 Sub 1569 SPi 1589 NCWills
  • Spitell othe Strete 1395 Pat
  • Spitell othestret 1400 Pap
  • Spitell in le Stret 1433 Pat
  • Spitell othestrete 1467 FF
  • Spitell super le Strete 1502 Ipm
  • Spetyll othe Strete 1385 Misc
  • Spetillofthestrete 1499 FF
  • Spetell of the Strete 1501 ECP
  • Spetell c1414 AASRxxix
  • Hospitali de Herthewyk 1301 KR
  • Spytelothestrete alias Herwyk 1395 Pap

Etymology

'The hospital on the Roman road (i.e. Ermine Street)', v. spitel , strǣt . Little seems to be known about the early history of the medieval hospital, but the Chapel here is dedicated to St Edmund, King and Martyr. The name has twice been noted alternatively as the “Hospital of Hardwick”, 'the herd farm', v. heorde-wīc, though no other references to this name have been found in the area.