TEESDALE PLACE-NAMES. 19 



Example : — Booze wood, cattle stall or byre wood; wood from 

 A.-S. wudu. 



Botany. 



. ''Nickname for an out of the way farm. Short for ' Botany 

 Bay.' Modern. The allusion being that to live on the Eector's 

 out of the way glebe farm was equivalent to exile to that famous 

 bay." Bell. 



BOLDERON. 



" Bolderon := Balder-tun, Balder' s steading." Bell. 



This name, which is written also Boldron, is pronounced lo- 

 cally Bowron, or Boron, which is probably the same as hrunn, or 

 lurn, a spring or brook. There is a fine spring at the place, as 

 W. J. Watson, Esq., Barnard Castle, informs me. The latter 

 explanation seems preferable to the former. 



Brantcas. 



Brantcas, or hranJcus, for Brankhouse, (like the vulgar workm 

 for workhouse), is one pf the farms of Layton Manor. 



" Branh,''^ Jamieson says, " means to bridle, restrain." 



"Gael. Irangus, Irmigas (formerly spelt Iranoas), an instrument 

 used for punishing petty offenders, a sort of pillory. Gael. Irang, 

 a horse's halter. Ir. hrancas, a halter. Dut. prang er, pincher, 

 barnacle, collar. Ger. pranger, a pillory. 



The root appears in Dut. prangen, to pinch. Cf. Goth, ana- 

 praggan, to harass, worry ; with gg sounded like ng, perhaps 

 related to Lat. premere, to press, worry, harass." Skeat. 



The Newcastle branks, of which a specimen exists in the 

 Museum of the Society of Antiquaries, is said to have been used 

 for the correction of scolds ; these must have been fearfully ha- 

 rassed by its being secured on their heads, with an iron tongue 

 intruding into their mouths. But how the name Brankhouse 

 came to be applied to the above farmhouse — whether a branks 

 had ever been kept there in terrorem for scolds, or whether a 



