Parson Drove
Major Settlement in the Parish of Parson Drove
Historical Forms
- Person(e)sdroue 1324 1433 Cl 1459 Fenlandvi
- Parsonsdrove 1395 EAiv
- Parsonsdrove al. Fenende 1397 Wren
- Parsonsdroyve t.Ed6 Rental
- Parson Drove 1396 Ely
- Parsonways End 1582 Wisb
- Persondrove 1397 Elien 1553 Pat
Etymology
OE drāf, 'drove,' v. infra 321. Fenende because the hamlet was in the fen near the boundary of Leverington. The first element is clearly the common word or name persone or parson . It has been suggested that the drove was the one along which the parson had to pass from Leverington to the chapel (Fenland i, 345). This may be so, but droves were commonly named from owners. Certainty is impossible, as the date of the foundation of the chapel is unknown.