Witton
Early-attested site in the Parish of Droitwich
Historical Forms
- Wittona 716 BCS134 14th
- Wittona juxta Wyche 1378 IpmR
- Wictun 817 BCS361 17th
- Wittun 972 BCS1284 18th
- Witone in Wich 1086 DB
Etymology
It is clear that here, as in Wyton (Hu), Market Weighton (Y), we have a compound of OE wic and tun, meaning 'enclosure by the wic,' cf. Wychbold supra 285. Professor Tait calls attention to the parallel of Witton by Northwich (Ch). It contains the parish church of Northwich, just as Droitwich is (or was) mainly in the parishes of St Andrew and St Peter de Witton.In both cases it looks as if the wic was the industrial centre and the wictun the dwelling-place.