Crockhurst
Early-attested site in the Parish of Horsham
Historical Forms
- Crochurst 1254 Sele
Etymology
Crockhurst (lost). In the Washington Charter (BCS 834) next to Horsham (in the list of swine-pastures) stands þreo crochyrsta , i.e. three places of that name, suggesting that the word was a term of significant meaning, cf. also Crockhurst supra 197. It survived as Crochurst (1254 Sele 6), Crochurst in Horsham (c. 1315Pat , VCH ). In a second version of this charter (BCS 1125) the three are distinguished as westra , oðer and þridda , i.e. west, second, and third. The early and persistent c makes it difficult to explain this name in the same way as Crowhurst infra 461 but it is difficult to offer any alternative explanation of the first element, especially if it is a word which should go naturally with the element hyrst .