Brownsall Hundred
Hundred in the County of Dorset
Historical Forms
- Bruneselle hundret c.1086 GeldR
- Brumishill'hdr' 1175 P
- Brimeshullehdr' 1175 ChancR
- Bruneshill(') 1212,1219 Fees 1244 Ass 1265 Misc
- Bruneshull(e) 1244 Ass 1258 For 1268 Ass 1285 FA 1288 Ass 1310 Pat
- Brueshelle 1270 For
- Brunneshull', Brummeshull' 1288 Ass
- Broneshille 1244 Ass
- Broneshull(e) 1268 1275 RH 1303 Pat 1327 SR 1332 SR 1346,1428 FA
- Bronshill 1431 ib
- Bromeshill' 1280 Ass
- Bromeshulle 1288 ib
- Bromshulle 1280 Ass 1335 ADI
- Bromhull' 1280 Ass
- Breoneshull 1316 FA
- Brown(e)shull 1539,1542 LP
- Brownshall 1664 HTax
Etymology
Originally the name of the hill about a mile E of Stourton Caundle on the bdy between that par. and Stalbridge, called Browns Wheel on 1811 OS. The name is also preserved in Brunseirs Fm and Brunsell's Knap both in Stourton Caundle par. infra . The second el. is hyll 'hill', the first is probably the OE pers.n. Brūn . However, the possibility that the first el. is the adj. brūn 'brown, dark' used substantively as a hill-name, Brūn 'the dark one', cannot be ruled out, v. Anderson 136, cf. Ekwall Studies1 63 where a hill-name Brūne , a derivative of brūn , is proposed for Brown So.