Shoffendike Field
Early-attested site in the Parish of Tydd St Giles
Historical Forms
- (le) S(c)hoffendyke 1391 Wisb 1438 Sewers
- New Fendike al. Shofendike al. Harhold 1570 Imb
- Shooffe fenndike, Shofft fenndike 1579 Depositions
- Shof 1251 ElyCouch c.1270 Thorney 1277 Ely
- cursus aque de Shoft, aqua dulcis de Scoft 1291 Colexliii,xliv
- river of Schoft by Trokenhaut 1293 Pat
- the Shofe 1340 Imb
- Schephe al. Schoffes 1597 WisbechMap
Etymology
Shoffendike Field (6″) takes its name from (le ) S (c )hoffendyke 1391Wisb , 1438Sewers , New Fendike al. Shofendike al. Harhold 1570 Imb, Shooffe fenndike , Shofft fenndike 1579Depositions . Cf. Newfendyk 1438Sewers . This is 'the fendike by the Shof' or 'the dike by Shof-fen.'Shof is an alternative name for the Old South Eau supra 10. It is Shof 1251ElyCouch , c. 1270Thorney , 1277Ely , cursus aque de Shoft , aqua dulcis de Scoft 1291Cole xliii, xliv (the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire near Throckenholt), river of Schoft by Trokenhaut 1293 Pat, the Shofe 1340 Imb, Schephe al. Schoffes 1597Wisbech Map . Cf. also le Schof 1349Walden , the Shoft 1575Survey (both in Over), sewer ' de Scoftgraft 1315 Cole xliii (in Donnington, L), le Schust (sic)1365 Works in Boston (L) and a dyke called le Shuft 1439 Pat in South Kyme (L). Cf. also angustam aquam quæ vocatur Thescuf between Whittlesey Mere and King's Delph (664 BCS 22).This word long persisted in the fens as a common noun. Cf. “every small shuft of water [in Waterbeach, Stretham and Thetford] over- flows and drounds our fens” (1677 Fen). This is probably one of the river-names formed from original agent-nouns from strong verbs (cf. RNxlviii). OE scūfan , originally a strong verb, 'to thrust, push,' was used c. 1374 of winds or other natural forces meaning 'to drive, propel, impel,' whilst from c. 888 it was used intransitively in the sense 'to push one's way forward, to press on' (NED s. v. vb., 2d, 6).Hence 'the pusher' used of a river that made its way slowly and with difficulty in this level district. For names of this type cf. Rendbrook 'the pusher' (RN 339).