Brinklow
Major Settlement in the Parish of Brinklow
Historical Forms
- Brinchelau t.Hy1 Kenilworth
- Brinchelawa 1173,1179 P 1279 Nott
- Brynkelaw t.Hy1 Pat 1397
- Brinckelawe c.1155 Ch 1251
- Brinkelawe c.1160 Pat 1397 Ipm 1298
- Brynkelowe 1275 RH 1546 LP
- Brinkelowe 1282 Ipm
- Brinkele 1206 Cur
- Bringele 1262 Ass
- Brenkelowe 1297 Ass
- Bryklowe 1351 Deed
- Brynklow 1502 Ipm
Etymology
Names with initial Brink - are difficult of interpretation. Apart from Brinklow, we have Brenkley and Brinkburn (PN NbDu 31), Brinkhurst and Brinksole (PN Sx 115), Brinkworth (PN W 57), Brinkley (PN C 65). The second element in Brinkley is hlaw, that in Brinksole is probably syle , 'miry place.' The second element in the other names is shown by their present forms.All these names can be explained on the basis of an OE pers. name Brynca , which is on record. A pers. name is to be expected in a worth -name and there is no reason why it should not be found with any or all of the other elements. It has been suggested that the first element may be an OE brinc , 'slope, hill,' cognate with ON brekka , MLG brink (cf. PN NbDu loc. cit. , StudNP v, 61 n and Anderson 133) and this is consistent with the topography of the places named. On the other hand one must be chary of assuming an OE word brinc , which is never found either independently or as a second element in place- names, and is not at all common in any of the Low German dialects (Jellinghaus 35–6), and until such an example is found the probabilities remain in favour of a pers. name.
On the phonological side it should be noted that OE brinc cannot lie behind Brinksole, with well-recorded Brunk -forms, and is improbable for Brinkworth for which we have early forms Brunkwurth and Brunkewurth . On the other hand in Brinklow we should have expected some Brunk -forms if the first element is Brynca . We may also note the universal occurrence of Brinke -, Brenke -, etc., in these names as distinct from simple Brink -, Brenk -. This lends support to the pers. name view. We may conclude with Dugdale's remarks on the name (142), “This place hath its name doubtless from that eminent Tumulus , whereon the Keep, or Watch-tower of the Castle, which long ago was there, did stand; but whether it was because that this little hill, by our ancients termed a low stood upon the edge or brink of the natural ascent, overtopping the rest of the country thereabouts…'tis hard to say.”