Mancetter
Major Settlement in the Parish of Mancetter
Historical Forms
- Manduessedum early4th AntItin
- Manecestre 1195 P 1313 FF
- Manecestre Hugonis 1235 Fees
- Mannecestre 1247 Ass
- Manacestre 1196 FF
- Mamecestre 1196 Cur
- Mammecestre 1223 CartMisc
- Mamnecestre 1232 Ass
- Maumecestre 1234 FF
- Mamecestre 1269,1296 Pat
- Mangestre 1242 Pat 1398
- Mancestre 1251 Ch 1610 Speed
- Mansetre 1312 Ipm
- Mauncestre 1325,1341 1543 LP
- Mancet(t)our 1506 FF 1545 LP
- Mancettur, Mancettre 1535 VE
- Mansetur 1557 FF
- Manchestre 1547 Monast
- Manchester 1722 FF
- Maunchester al. Mancettur 1551 ib
- Mancetour al. Mancester 1549 Pat
- Maunchester al. Mancettur 1551 FF
- Mancettor al. Manchester 1556 Recov
- Mancester al. Mancyter t.Eliz ChancP
Etymology
The first part of this name is clearly a reduced form of the old British name for Mancetter, preserved for us in the Romano- Celtic form Manduessedum . Professor W. J. Watson points out that the second element in the old Romano-Celtic name is the Gaulish essedum (earlier *ensedum ), 'chariot,' which may perhaps here be used in its primary sense of 'place where one sits, seat.'The element mandu is common in Gaulish names (Holder s. v .), but its sense is obscure. Professor Vendryes notes the parallel of Tarvessedum , the name of a col in the Grisons (Revue Celtique li, 149), which is to be interpreted as char à taureaux .
The second element in the name is OE ceaster. For its later forms v. IPN 101.