Bishampton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Bishampton
Historical Forms
- Bisantune 1086 DB
- Bisshantune c.1086 EveA 1190
- Bissamtona c.1086 EveB 1190
- Bishamtone, Byshamton 11th Heming 1346 FA 1466 IpmR
- Bihamtone 1208 Fees37
- Bishampton, Byshampton 1275,1327 SR 1291 Tax 1415 IpmR 1535 VE
Etymology
The first element in this name is not clear. There is a river Biss in Wiltshire (Bis in BCS 1127, a ME copy) but Bishampton does not lie definitely on a stream. The northern end is half a mile from Whitsun Brook (v. supra 16) and it is just possible that Bis may have been the name of one of the small streams linked up with it at this point. Bisley (Gl) is Bislege in an equally late copy of a charter (BCS 574) and is Biselege in DB. This certainly does not lie on any stream. We should therefore probably take Bisley and Bishampton alike as containing the OE name Bisi , or, in a weak form, Bisa . In OGer this name is found in both strong and weak forms as Bisi and Biso (Förstemann PN 308). Hence 'Bisi's hamtun.'
Places in the same Parish
None