Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Haremor' 1325–46 HAC

• Haremor(e) 1383 Lil

• Haremore 1636 PR(L)

• Haremere 1602 Peake

• Haremeare 1655 SAS1/XLVII 1697,1709 PR(L)

• Harmer or Armour Hill 1833 OS

• Harmer Hill 1839 TA

• The Moss 1839 TA

• Harmer Heath vel Newton Heath 1611 PR(L)

• Haremeare Heath 1700 Gough

• the Haremeare Warren 1700 Gough

Etymology

'Hare marsh', v. hara , mōr . Cf. Haremor , Part 4 140, which, however, is more likely to have mere as second element.

The 14th-cent. references are to land, and Harmerhill is probably not an ancient settlement. Harmer Moss Fm, which is called Harmer on 1833 OS, may be an earlier settlement-site. Harmer Moss Pltn is Harmer Moss on this map, The Moss 1839TA . Gough 30 says that Haremeare Mosse was an island in the mere, and that the mere was drained and converted to meadow and pasture. This probably does not constitute evidence that mere 'lake' was the original generic, as the area drained is more likely to have been marsh than a glacial lake.

There was also a heath (Harmer Heath vel Newton Heath 1611 PR(L) 19, Haremeare Heath 1700 Gough) and a warren (the Haremeare Warren 1700 Gough).