Helpridge Fm
Early-attested site in the Parish of Dodderhill
Historical Forms
- Helperic 1086 DB
- Helpriche 1558 Wills
- Helpridge 1576 Wills
- Elbridge c.1830 O
Etymology
The identification of this hitherto lost brine-pit of Droitwich is made clear by the fact that Helpridge is two miles from Droitwich and that a quarter of a mile to the south-west of it lies Brinepits Fm, probably the very brine-pit, with its seventeen salt-pans, of which Domesday speaks. The brook which runs past Brinepits Fm is called Salty Brook. There are a good many early stream-names in -ic but this seems only to be added to elements of Celtic origin. Professor Ekwall therefore suggests that, like a good many other stream-, mill-names and the like, it is humorous in origin and that is a playful application of the OE pers. name Helperic , lit. 'helpful,' to a particularly rich brine-pit. In the same way he would take the stream-name Til (l )nōþ (BCS 217, 299) to be the OE pers. name of that form, meaning 'excellent, useful one,' perhaps from its power of driving mills.