English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Whitchurch Canonicorum Hundred

Hundred in the County of Dorset

Historical Forms

  • Witchirce hundret c.1086 GeldR
  • (Hundr' de) Witchurch(e) 13 Forde 15 FF 1229 Ass 1268 Pole 1390
  • Whitcherch' 1212 Fees
  • Witechirche, Wyt(e)chirche 1244 Ass
  • Wyt(e)church 1244 FF 1343 HarlCh
  • Whitchurch, Whitchirch 1269 Ch
  • Wythecherche 1275 Banco
  • Whitchurche foreign hundred 1275 Ipm
  • W(h)ittechurch(e) 1317 Forde 15 Weld2 1364
  • Merswodenaal (sic for Merswodeuaal) 1319 FF
  • Merswodeval(e) 1358 Ipm 1382 Pat 1438 ADI
  • Merswodeuall' 1384 Brid
  • Merswodeuale 1392 Brid
  • Merswodewale 1448 Brid
  • Mersheudewalle, Mershoudewalle 1331 HarlCh
  • Mers(s)h(e)wodeval(e) 1335 Ch 1356 Ipm
  • 'the park of Mers(s)h(e)wodeval(e)' 1488 Pat
  • Mers(s)h(e)wo(o)dvale' 1404 Fine 1440 Cl
  • valle de Merchewod 1338 HarlCh
  • valle de Mershewood 1387 IpmR
  • 'the lordship of Mersshwod(e) Vall(e)' 1401 Pat 1402 Cl
  • la Seigneurie de Mersche Wode Vale 1446 AddCh

Etymology

Named from Whitchurch C. par. infra . Cf. also hundr ' de Mersshwode 1377–81CampbCh , 'hundreds of Whitchurche and Mersshwode '1410 Pat, v. Marshwood par. infra .