By Geo. Matcham, Esq. 259 
tinctive appellation (like Ashdown) for any vill, hamlet, village, 
town, or estate; “the reply” seems to me so far from being 
“decisive,” that I submit it is not applicable to the question. But 
Mr. Scrope believes his readers will agree with him that both in 
orthography and sound the word Ettun-dun bears a closer resem- 
blance to Ethandun, than does Edenton or Edendune. Admitting 
for a moment, that he has really found his word, and leaving the 
delicate question of sound to more accurate ears, I will answer him 
-on the point of orthography by a better authority than mine.’ “If 
you write Ethandune in Saxon letters you will see immediately 
how the, ¢h, in that word became the d of Edynton, the omission 
of one stroke (8 for 8-th) forming the only distinction.’ 
Passing on to fresh delinquencies, it seems I am not justified 
in throwing any doubt on the statement of Dr. Thurnam, that the 
Danes had their head quarters at Chippenham immediately before 
and after the battle. Without repeating my argument, I am wil- 
ling to be judged by the words of Asser, quoted to disprove it. 
Neither can my proposition be considered as singular, for whilst I 
am assailed with the rival claims of other places produced by dif- 
ferent writers as opposed to that of Edington near Westbury, Mr. 
Scrope will be pleased to remember, that almost every one of these 
authors assumes the fact, that Chippenham and its neighbourhood, 
were not the head quarters of the Danish army on the eve of the 
contest at Ethandun. 
As I am upbraided with omitting all mention of Milner, Carte, 
and Beke, permit me to observe, that the first places the site at 
Heddington, six or seven miles from Chippenham, the two last fix 
1 Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., a name deserving all respect and gratitude 
from the Wiltshire antiquary. 
* The etymology of Ethandun appears to me sufficiently obvious if we derive it 
from the two Saxon words Ethan to flow, to swell up as a wave, and dun a 
down. From Bratton camp, says Turner, ‘‘ two branches for the sake of water 
spread to the foot of the mountain.” See Wilts Mag. vol. iv. p. 187. See also 
Bosworth’s Anglo-Saxon and English Dict. sub. voce. There are two never- 
failing springs at Luccombe (Low-combe) bottom, in Edington parish on the 
way from Bratton to Southdown farm. They are snfficient, within a short dis- 
tance, to drive a factory. There is also a stream which runs down from just 
above Bratton Church, which is situated at the foot of Bratton hill, called 
“Stokes water,” (? Stocken-truncus-wood). 
