162 MR. CARR ON COMPOSITE NAMES OF PLACES, 



herds resorted to at tlie season when their cattle were upon the 

 hills. 



Stead : A.S. sted (es, masc.) a site or station. Akin to the 

 German stadt. In the south of England it occurs in a large class 

 of names like Wanstead, NeAvstead, Hampstead. In Northum- 

 berland we have Gaystead, above Bellingeham. 



Distinct from this, but closely connected, is the word steath, in 

 A.S. sta'th, (es, neut.), signifying that which is firm, solid, and 

 hence applied to a shore or landing-place. It is in familiar use 

 still, but scarcely occurs in close or true composition. 



— house : occurring in composite names of family dwellings, 

 which have since, in many cases, been adopted as the family name, 

 with a contracted termination in us, having at first sight a strange, 

 and as it were a sort of Latin or scholastic aspect. In Domesday 

 Booh, however, such designations will be found written in full; 

 as Lofthouse, Barkhouse, Falkhouse, &c. A similar metamorphose 

 of this good homely termination has been extensively made in the 

 Netherlands, and in some adjoining countries. 



Hall : A.S. heall, hcell, halh, (Germ, halle, fern.; Old-Norse 

 hoU, fem.); a hall, the principal apartment in a dwelling, where 

 the family and guests assembled; a house of the better order. 

 So extensively has this term been adopted in the formation of 

 the names borne by detached houses and farmsteads all over 

 England, that it must have indicated any substantial country 

 }xo\jiSQ — such as the Anglo-Saxon yeomen (ead-menn, estatesmen,) 

 were wont to inhabit. Often it has been handed down to us in a 

 form which we can recognize, in other instances so greatly obscured 

 that its presence is only known to antiquarian inquirers. 



It is desirable, however, that in an archaic map, the original, or 

 fuller form of each name of this kind, should accompany that which 

 now prevails, in order that the latter, although perhaps not easily 

 admitting of amendment, may be used with a better knowledge 

 of its import. 



Thus Whittle, in the parish of Ovingeham, was White-halle. 

 HepplewasHeppe-halle, — whatsoever thatmight signify. Howtell, 

 in Glendale Ward, was Holthall ; Beadnal or Beadnell was Bead- 

 enhall j Etal was Et-hall; many of the Ryles or Ryals were Rye- 



