Names denoting Land-Divisions. 87 
49. It has already been mentioned that one way of marking 
boundaries, when no other means were at hand, was by placing a 
stone or wooden pillar at the point to be indicated. This was called 
in Anglo-Saxon stapo/, and from it we have the word staple, which 
is frequently found as a component part of the names of places. 
_ Indeed the history of this word, and of its various meanings, is very 
interesting. In its primary signification you have it in such words 
as SraPLe-ForD, which is the ford by the staple or pillar set up to 
mark the boundary of the manor; and StaPie-nIL1, the name of a 
__ hillat Westwood, across which runs the border of Wilts and Somerset. 
‘It came next to denote a land-mark generally, and in this sense it 
is used in such a word as STaPEL-THORN, that is, a thorn serving as 
a point of boundary just as the customary “staple.” In time it 















became a custom to erect such stone pillars in the middle of villages 
and towns to mark the place where men might congregate for the 
purpose of transacting business, and the village “staple” was after- 
wards developed into the “ market cross.” In ancient days when 
the privilege of holding a market was ceded to any town or village, 
it often had the name “ Staple ” or “ Steeple ” prefixed to it. Hence 
the names STeEPLE AsHTon and STEEPLE Lavineton, the latter 
_ place being commonly called Marxer Lavineton. From the less 
| to the greater the step was not difficult. The principal place in 
London for the sale of wool, the chief article of commerce in ancient 
dimes, was in Holborn, near what is now called Staptes Inn. The 
_ principal articles of commerce came, from being sold there, to be 
| called “ Staple articles,’ and they who dealt in them were in due 
_ time called “ Merchants of the Staple.” 
_ 50. Of course every one has heard of the division of the country 
into Aides. In the Domesday record, in every instance the extent 
of a manor is given first in Aides and then in carucates. The former 
= mode of measuring, or, perhaps, I ought to say, assessing estates, 
had existed for many years prior to the Norman conquest. Hence 
*- im our local names we have several traces of the custom. Thus 
_ Firterp and Fireueap are but corruptions of ff Aéd, and mean 
| _ simply an estate containing five hides. In like manner T1N-HEAD, 
= 5 tithing of Edington, means an estate of ten hides, TILSHEAD, 
