267 
History of Broughton Gittord. 
By the Rev. Joun WILKINSON. 
Crvit History. 
y ~ESROUGHTON, variously written, Broctune in Domesday 
JS book, latinised Brotona, Broghtone, and Brogton, is a word 
__ of unquestionable Saxon origin, and derives its name from. its 
_ position. Brook-ton is the dwelling by the brook. The transition 
from Brook to Brough is easy, and has actually taken place in 
Brough, a town in Westmoreland, which is divided into two parts 
by the Helbeck, a small feeder of the Eden. Nothing was more 
usual, because nothing more natural and reasonable, than for places 
to receive their original denominations from their situations. The 
names of every Parish and Tithing around confirm the remark. 
Melksham on the east and south is the milk-village; Shaw, ad- 
joining Melksham, is the shady wood; Whitley, adjoining Shaw, 
is wheat-leigh; Holt! on the south-west is the hill-wood; Chalfield 
on the west (c4ld feld) the chilly spot, where the trees have been 
felled (there are still indications of the ancient forest); Atworth 
on the north is Atte-worth? (at the farm); Bradford is the broad- 
_ ford, the river Avon being there fordable for a considerable 
_ distance, with deep water above and below; Whaddon, the other 
side of the river, is wheat-down. 
1 “Ye that frequent the hilles, 
And highest holtes of all, 
Assist me with your skilful quilles, 
And listen when I call.”— Perey, Ant. Rel. 
? This is the old and correct orthography. Worth has many meanings; it is 
_ either possession, court, farm, place, fort, or island. Such compounds are very 
- common in surnames derived from localities, Attehull (on the hill), Atmoor (on 
the moor), Atbridge, Atte-church, Atte-house, Atte-mylne, &e. When it pre- 
eeded a yowel, the preposition had n, which sometimes passed into the next 
word. Thus, John Atten-oke, John at Noke, John Noke; John Atten-ash, John 
‘Nash; Thomas Atten-eye (island), Thomas Noye. 
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