Inkersall Fm olim Winkerfield
Early-attested site in the Parish of Rufford
Historical Forms
- Wirchenefeld 1086 DB
- Werkenefeld 1229,1232 Cl 1230 Pat 1232 Ch t.Hy3 BM
- Wirkesfeld 1156 Holtzmann
- Wircnesfeud c.1180 Dane
- Wilkenefeld 1232 Cl
- Wingenefeld, Winkenefeld 1230–3 Ch
- Wilkenfeld 1275 RH
- Wynkenfeld t.Hy8 MinAcct
- Wylkenfeld ib.
- Winkarfeild 1609 LRMB
- Winker(s)feild 1663 WoodsRept 1684 Recov
- Inkersall 1658 CoRec
- Winkerfield oth. Inkersall 1747 Recov
- Inkersall Dam 1775 C
Etymology
This place-name would seem to have as its first element a personal name *Wyrcin , Wyrcen , a derivative of Wyrc or Werc found in Worksop infra 105, of the type discussed by Ekwall in Studies 2–20. Hence 'Wyrcen 's open land,' v. feld . Later there was common confusion of r , l and n (cf. IPN 108) and, later still, unexplained loss of initial w and final d . It is possible that the form of the name may have been influenced by the not very distant Ingars Holt in Bilsthorpe.