English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Preshute

Major Settlement in the Parish of Preshute

Historical Forms

  • Prestcheta 1185 P
  • Prestchet c.1220 HMCVar1 1247 Pat
  • Preschet(e) 1223 SarumCh 1232 HMCVar1 1272 FF
  • Presteshethe 1249 Ass
  • Preschut(e) 1252 SarumCh 1268 Ass
  • Preshut 1329 Pat 1614 FF
  • Prestchut(e) 1279,1281,1289 Ass 1290 For 1297 Pat 1338,1404 Pat
  • Prestshute juxta Marlebergh 1312 Ass
  • Prestcheut, Prestchuyt t.Ed2 For
  • Presthut 1428 FA
  • Prestechut 14th Bradenstoke 1331 Stowe
  • Prestechuyt 1381 MinAcct
  • Pershute 1321 Pat 1322 Ipm
  • Perschuyt 1385 Cl
  • Presshett 1530,1568 Recov
  • Presshatte 1553 WMi
  • Presshyatt 1553 Pat
  • Pres(h)ate t.Eliz WMxxi

Etymology

This name is not an easy one. The forms make it clear that the second element is chete , chute rather than schete , schute . One might, as Ekwall notes (DEPN), suggest that the second element was another example of Chute (supra 12) and that the whole name means 'Chute belonging to a priest.' More probably, as Ekwall himself suggests, we have OE  cīete , 'cottage, cell.'The word is in common use in OE, especially in association with monks and anchorites and is probably found also in the unidentified place (on ) cygean cytan (BCS 870) in the bounds of Knoyle, and may well be the first element in Chitterne supra 163. Hence 'priest's cottage(s).'