Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Brerethuisel c.1150 Riev

• Brerethwisel 1243 Fees 1246–59 YDiv

• Breretwisel(l), Breretuisel(l), Breretwysel(l), Breretwysil(l), Breretwysyl 1193–1211 YCh 1194,1203 BM 1206–18 YChviii 1232–40 BM 1246 Ass22 1340 Arm 1402 FA 1424 Rent

• Brerewysell 1344 Ch

• Brertwisil, Brertwisel(l), Brertwissel, Brertwysell 13 YDvi 1203 BM Hy3 Arm 1327,1345 DodsN

• Brerdtuisil 1203 YCh1797

• Brettewysel 1322 YDiv

• Bretwysyll 1434 Pat

• Brestewesyll 1419 YDxii,230

• Birt(e)wissill 1451,1458 Arm

• Birtwisell 1509 DodsN

• Birtetwyssell 1517 Arm

• Brittwesyll 1504 Arm

• Brystwyll als. Bristwysill 1536 FF

• Bristwisstle 1616 PrHosp

• Bristwell 1620 PRThl

• Byrstwhistill 1521 Grant2

• Brestwill 1546 WillY

• Brestwell 1561 1610 PRThl

• Brestwell als. Breartwhistle 1583 FF

• Breestwell 1591 WillY

• Breistewell 1601 PRThl

• Briestwisle, Briestwisell 1584 WillY 1598 SessnR

• Briestwizle 1777 PRThl

• Briestfield 1796 Arm

Etymology

'Land in a river-fork overgrown with briars', v. brēr , twisla . The 'fork' is doubtless the ridge formed between Briestfield Beck (Smithy Brook) and Howroyd Beck, but the present village is 1½ miles from the confluence. The history of the forms is interesting and obvious from the spellings, chiefly due to metathesis of -twisel to -stwill , -stwell , and, with wrong analysis of the els. as Briest-well , the replacement of well by field . Breastfield (Burton in Lonsdale), pt. vi infra , may have a similar origin, as has Breretwisel i, 120 supra .