Lapworth
Major Settlement in the Parish of Lapworth
Historical Forms
- Hlappawurthin 816 BCS356 11th
- Lappawurthin 11th Heming
- Lapeforde 1086 DB
- Lappewrthe late12th BM 1197 P 1202 FF
- Lappeworth 1275 RH 1275–92 Ch c.1280 ADiii 1291 Tax 1325 Ipm
- Lapwurth 1236 FF
- Lap(p)wrth c.1280,1281 ADiii
- Lapworth 1275 RH 1585 ADv
Etymology
Lapworth, though far distant from the main part of Kineton Hundred, was, as Dugdale (588) notes, “reputed to be parcel thereof.” It forms a part of Fexhole Hundred which is detached from the rest of that hundred, and is itself surrounded on three sides by land belonging to other hundreds. It may well be that it has the sense 'detached portion, district,' noted for læppe s. n. Lapscombe (PN Sr 220). See also Lapland (PN D 300) and Cherry Lap (PN Nth 159). If that is correct, then the name would denote 'enclosure belonging to or found in such a district.'If that is the case, we must assume that the h in the OE spelling is inorganic. Cf. such spellings as hlareow for lareow noted by Sievers (AS Grammatik § 217, n. 1) or hland for land in the Ladbroke Charter (Crawford viii). See Addenda l.