Bampton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Bampton
Historical Forms
- Bemtun 1069 OSFacs
- (æt) Bemtune c.1080 Ex
- Bemtona 1140,3 OxonCh
- Bemtonia c.1175 Ex
- Bentone 1086 DB
- Bentona 1123–33 OxonCh
- Bentun' 1156,7 P
- Benton' 1158 P 1203 P
- Bent' 1203 Cur
- Betton' 1160 P
- Beton' 1162 P
- Beanton' 1195 P
- Baunton' 1199 FineR 1235 FF
- Bauntun' comitis, Bauntun' de Oylli 1220 Fees
- Bannton' 1199 MemR
- Banton 1200 Eynsh
- Banton' 1207 P
- Bamton' 1208 Pat 1217 Cl
- Bamton 1233 Ch
- Bamtone 1247 FF
- Bampton 1212 Cl
- Bampton Doyly 1349 Ipm
- Bampton Talbot 1361 Ipm
- Bamptoune 15th Ex
- Bampton Doyley 1596 AD
- Bampton in the Bush 1797 Davis 1822 O.S.
- Baynton 1457 Cl
Etymology
OE bēam-tūn, either 'tūnmade of beams' or 'tūn by a prominent tree.' The same name occurs in Cu and We. A family named Talbot is mentioned 1362 Ipm as holding the manor of Bampton, and the Doyl (e )y family have given their name to Ascot d'Oyley in this part of the county. For -comitis in 1220 cf. Fees i, 104, “Comes Bolonie habet manerium de Bamptun'.” For the suffix in the Bush cf. F. G. Brabant, Oxfordshire (London 1906) 54, “This region was formerly common land called 'the bush' and up to 1750 there were no roads across it, so that travellers to and from Bampton had to make the best of their way across the scrub. It may be added that even now the roads are none too good.”