By the Rev. W. H. inex: 15 
Sroxr (A.S. sféc) means simply a ‘place,’ and here a ‘village.’ In 
~ some old documents we meet with it as Winsley-Stoke. The usual 
_ prefix now is Limpley. This name is not old, though it occurs in 
deeds of the latter part of the seventeenth century. As yet no 
satisfactory explanation can be given of it. 
A considerable tract of land to the north-west of the town is cal- 
led Berririeip and often contracted into Bearfield or Berfield. This 
in old deeds is spelt as it would be in Anglo-Saxon Bere-feld, and 
this compound would be pronounced Béré-feld, (like the form first 
above written,) as in Anglo-Saxon final vowels were sounded. Now 
Bere signifies bar/ey (sometimes corn in general) and is the root of 
the words Beren now Barn, and of Bere-tin contracted in Barron, 
the name of the principal farm in Bradford; the buildings of 
which formed part of what in old documents is spoken of as the 
“grange’ of the Abbess of Shaftesbury. Bere-fe/d thus interpreted 
would mean corn-field or arable land. 
FRanK-LEIGH was so called, most probably, from the fact of fo- 
reigners settling in that part of the parish. The term Francigena 
in olden times included every alien, whether Dane or Norman. We 
have good proof of the settlement of foreigners in this locality. 
At CumBERWELLI, as we shall presently see, the names of those re- 
presented as holders, are clearly indicative of their foreign origin ;— 
they are Levenot and Pagen. In the vicinity of Frank-leigh moreover 
are the farms called “The Hays,’! or as the word is sometimes 
written “Haugh ;” and the name of “ William le Corp de la Haghe” 
is often met with in ancient deeds: this word is clearly not of 
Anglo-Saxon derivation. 
Asu-Lry is so called, no doubt, from the ash trees which once 
abounded there. Though little esteemed now, the ash tree was 
much prized by the Anglo-Saxons. In their time of heathendom 
it was deemed a sacred tree, and always afterwards a favourite with 
1 From the French ‘Haye’ a ‘hedge’ or ‘enclosure.’ There was an officer 
—ealled the Hay-ward, whose duty it was to preserve the fences and grass of 
enclosed grounds from injury. After the ascendancy of the Danes in England 
we frequently meet with mention of the Haig-werde. (Ancient Laws and Instit, 
of England. i. 441.) The name and office still exist in Bradford. The appoint- 
ment to it is made in Court Leet by the Steward to the Lord of the Manor, 
