Broadwas
Major Settlement in the Parish of Broadwas
Historical Forms
- Bradeuuesse, Bradewassan 779 BCS233 11th
- Bradsetena gemære 961 BCS1139 11th
- Bradewesham 1086 DB
- Bradewas c.1086 EveB 1190 SR 1275 Tax 1291 SR 1327
- Bradewasse 1148 Thomas
- Bradewesse 1182 RBB 18th
- Bradwas 1535 VE 1577 Wills
- Brodwas 1535–1611 Wills
- Bradwaies, Bradwais 1577 Saxton 1610 Speed
- Braddis 1595 Wills
Etymology
The suffix in this name is probably the same as that found in Alrewas, Hopwas (St) and Rotherwas, Sugwas (He), in all of which we have low-lying marshy ground. Zachrisson suggests (English Place-names and River-names , etc. 34 ff.) we have to do with OE wāse , 'mud, fen,' but the early forms in double s , the unvoiced final s , and the forms with -wess - offer a difficulty.Zachrisson would take these double s 's as late spellings which indicate the shortening of the unstressed syllable, but it is extremely doubtful if such are found in the Worcester Cartulary.See further on this point the discussion of Washbourne infra 176.The e -forms he would take to be due to the influence of OE wæsc, 'flooded place,' but while there is evidence for such confusion in Washbourne, there is no clear evidence for sh -forms in Broadwas. The DB form is probably a Latin accusative in -am , with inorganic h before it. In Bradsetena we have OE sæte added in the usual illogical fashion, straight on to the first element of the place-name, to denote the inhabitants of the place in question.
The normal development would have been to Bradwas or Brodwas , but here, as in Broadway infra 191, the influence of the independent word has been too strong. In the 1649 Survey we have mention of 'land called Cadur ' which must be connected with the Kadera pull , a stream mentioned in the bounds of Wick (BCS 219) and probably also with the Thomas le Kadere of the 1275 SR.
Lands called Barretts and Hollway in the same survey must contain the names of the families recorded as Baret and (de ) Holeweye respectively in the same SR.