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.

Posbrook's Fm

Early-attested site in the Parish of West Grinstead

Historical Forms

  • Pesebroke 1296 SR
  • Posebrok 1327,1332 SR

Etymology

Posbrook's Fm preserves the name of Roger de Pesebroke (1296 SR), Alicia and Walter Posebrok (1327, 1332 SR). The name is probably local in origin. The second element is the common Sussex brook , 'water-meadow,' the first is OE  pise, 'pease.' The Pose -form is difficult but we may perhaps compare OE  piose and the form peose which is common in Langland in the 14th cent.