Brokenborough
Major Settlement in the Parish of Brokenborough
Historical Forms
- (in) brokene beregge 956 BCS921 14th
- Brokeneberge ib. 921–2
- Brokeneberg 1065 KCD817 14th
- Brocheneberge 1086 DB
- Brokeneberga 1156 RegMalm 1268 Ass
- Brokenburgh 1232 Ch
- Brokenbergh 1340 ib
- Brokynborgh 1394 Ass
- Brokyngbergh 1410 FF
- Broken Bergh t.Hy6 ECP
- Brokeberge 1251 Pat
- Brockenborough t.Eliz WMxxi
Etymology
'The broken hill or barrow,' v. beorg . Cf. Brokenborough in Almondsbury (Gl), Brokeneberwe 1307FF , (to ) brocenan beorge (BCS 596) in Micheldean (Ha) and Brokeneberge (1232 Selborne) in Basingstoke. The reference in one or more of these places may be to a barrow rather than a hill.
There would seem to have been an earlier Celtic name for this place, cf. “non longe fuit a castello apud Kairdurberg quod Saxonice dicitur Brohamberg nunc vero Brokenberg ” (Migne lxxxix, 309 A). We seem to have here the OE beorg added to a British compound of caer , 'fort, camp,' and *duro -, 'stronghold,' etc., found in Durobrivā , the old name of Rochester (cf. DEPN s. n .).