340 MR. CARR ON COMPOSITE NAMES OF PLACES, 
old forms of spelling, and, if so disposed, might restore them to 
use and to honour. In many cases all the orthographical im- 
provements, that could be desired, might be introduced on the 
authority of the muniments of the estate itself. 
Various erroneous and corrupt modes of conventional spelling 
now prevail, that could not stand for twenty years before a good 
archeological county map. Such would fall insensibly into dis- 
use, though no one had gone out of his way to demonstrate their 
absurdity. 
All would, of course, depend upon the care and judgement 
evinced in the preparation of such a map. Believing, however, 
in the possibility of such an acquisition, I have endeavoured to 
bring together some materials in aid of it. 
In this, and some subsequent papers, I propose to examine, 
successively, those different terms for natural features, and for 
works of human hands, which have been most commonly used 
in the composition of names, assigned to places in Northumber- 
land; and also to show what mode of spelling appears to be the 
purest and most eligible, whether of present or of former times, 
but always with reference to the existing pronunciation. In 
treating of compound names, it is very seldom necessary to deal 
with other than Anglo-Saxon elements. The exceptional in- 
stances will be very carefully noted as they occur. Every Eng- 
lish compound name, being of Anglo-Saxon origin, or formed on 
Anglo-Saxon analogy, consists of two portions or members. 
Even when the component terms are three in number, they are 
still only two incharacter. Of these, the latter in situation, and 
which forms the conclusion of the word, may be called the sub- 
stantive member, and the foregoing the definitive, qualifying, or 
descriptive member. ‘Thus, in the name Cambridge, bridge is 
the substantive term, and, in a grammatical and logical sense, it is 
the most important member. On the other hand, Cam is the 
term which defines and distinguishes the bridge in question ; 
the site of the town being, of course, at the ancient bridge over 
the river Cam. So if we take Oxford, ford is the substan- 
tive, and, fundamentally, the most important term ; whilst ox, 
(originally oxena, of oxen,) defines the particular ford, gives to it 
