Langley & Swinehead Hundred (Upper Division)
Hundred in the County of Gloucestershire
Historical Forms
- Wyntyrborne 1379 Asht
- Langele(i) h(vn)d', Langenei hd' 1086 DB
- Langelei(a) hund', Langeleg(-)e, Langel', Langeley(e) hund' 1169–97 P 1221,1248 Ass 1274,1276 RH 1285 Ass 1437 Pat
- hund' de Langeleg' Alwestan de Grimb' 1221 Ass
- hund' de Langley 1580 FF
- hund' de Alewestan' 1220 Fees
- Alweston 1311,1322 Ipm
- hundred of Alleweston 1466 Pat
- Svinheve, Sineshoved', Sineshovedes hd' 1086 DB
- Suuineheuehdr' 1169 P
- Suinesheued, Swynesheued, Swinesheued hd', Swinesheved 1185–1204 P 1221,1248,1287 Ass 1327 SR
- Swineshedde 1316 FA
- Suineheued, Swyneheued hund' 1190 P 1248 Ass
- Suenesheuedhund' 1193 P
- Sweyneshefd 1287 Ass
- Sweynesheved 1316 FA
- Swynhevid 1287 QW
- Swynshead & Langley 1610 M
- Button 1304 Pat 1326,1335 Ipm
Etymology
Named from Langley in Alveston (112infra ). It is also called Alewestan because it belonged to the manor of Alveston (111 infra , cf. Ipm v, 199) and de Grimb ' because it was one of the Seven Hundreds of Grumbald's Ash.
The place from which the hundred was named has not been located; the hundred is sometimes called Bitton, which suggests that Swinehead might be there, and in 1349 an inquisition relating to Oldland in a Bitton text was taken at Swyneshed ; it cannot of course be identical with Swineford in Bitton (infra ). 'Swine hill', v. swīn , hēafod ; but the allusion may be to the heathen custom of setting up an animal's head on a post as part of sacrificial rites (cf. EPN i, 236).