131 
The Chiltern Country. 
(Continued from page 88.) 
AWLEY. (fuille-ley.) Fallow or arable land. 
Fincest. This curious name appears in Domesday Book 
as Dile-hurst, and is properly spelt Ding-hurst or Thing-hurst, in- 
dicating the place where the Thing, or Court of the Hundred, was 
held. 
FutmMer means foul marsh: and every one who has seen it in the 
early months of the year, and heard the stories of old inhabitants, 
can readily imagine how appropriate the name must have been in 
days when drainage and roads were unknown. 
Gerrarp’s Cross Common is distant a very short way from 
Fulmer ; and over this common, avoiding that village, pass the 
principal highways of the neighbourhood. Who Gerrard was, 
and why he was immortalised by linking his name with this 
pleasant spot, no one appears to know for certain. The country 
people tell you that he was the younger of two brothers, who 
fought with swords at the cross roads, and that the elder fell ; 
also that at twelve o’clock, on certain nights of the year, they may 
still be seen fighting over again their unnatural combat. The 
peasants of the Harz mountains in Germany have a very similar 
legend, which has been elegantly versified by Heine.* 
Hametepen (Hamel-den) means the village in the valley, Hamel 
being equivalent to hamlet, and the diminutive of ham. 
HamppeEN appears to be named from the hemp which once grew 
there abundantly. 
HeEpGERLY (properly Hedg-ley) is simply ‘‘ enclosed land.” 
Hepsor. The termination over contracted into or is most com- 
mon in Danish names. Hedda was probably a Dane, and Hedda’s 
over would mean his residence or estate. The name does not 
occur in Domesday Book, though it dates from an earlier period. 
* Romanzen, No. 3. 
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