A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



our sh, so that 'Aissa' and 'Essa,' 'Selvestan,' 'Scage,' 'Scapelie,' and 'Eselinge- 

 forde ' should be read Ash, Shilstone, Shaugh, Shapley, and Shelingford.^ 

 The initial T, so common in Devonshire names, is either omitted altogether, 

 or an His substituted, so that 'Erticoma,' 'Aeidestan,'^ 'Hernescoma' should 

 be read Yarcombe, Yardlestone, Yarnscombe. ' Alwineclancauele'* resolves 

 itself into Yalwin's or Alwin's Lan Goel, now called Yeowellston. The 

 common termination -worthy is written -orda or -urde, so that ' Begeurda,' 

 ' Hocoorda,' ' Fereurdi,' ' Colteshorda,' 'Olfereordi ' should be read Beaworthy, 

 Hockworthy, [Aljfardisworthy, Coltsworthy, Woolfardisworthy, but in a few 

 cases -worthy has since been softened into -ford. For instance, ' Blacheorde ' is 

 now Blatchford, ' Odeordi ' now Woodford, ' Waleurda ' now Wallaford, 'Hocha- 

 orda ' now Hockf ord, ' Wiborda ' now Womberford. Conversely, ' Chilef orda ' is 

 now Chilsworthy. t also is used not only to express /, but the hard th, so that 

 'Teweberie,' ' Torna,' ' Torlestan,' 'Torneberie,' * Tresetona ' should be read 

 Theoborough, Thorn, Thurlestone, Thornbury, and Thrushelton. G, too, repre- 

 sents the soft sound of _y, just as ' leap-gates ' was formerly written ' leap-yeats.'* 



Changes in the names of places have also been frequent in Devon, not only 

 to distinguish neighbouring estates which originally bore the same name,° but 

 also by custom and use where no such necessity existed,* or from the places 

 where churches were built.'' 



Glancing at the work of the commissioners appointed to inquire con- 

 cerning the lands of England, it would appear from the abbot of Tavistock 

 being disseised by them of Werrington that they had power not only to inquire 

 but also to determine subject to a right of appeal to the king.* In the case of 

 Werrington the appeal resulted in the abbot's reinstatement by William Rufus. 

 But it was otherwise in the case of Newton St. Cyres (fols. 117, 483), which 

 Donne claimed to hold of the king. The bishop produced his charters proving 

 that it belonged to his church in King Edward's time ; more than that, he 

 alleged that his claim to it had been allowed in court in King William's time. 

 But for all that the commissioners entered it as held of the king, and their 

 decision seems not to have been set aside on appeal. 



Two other instances may be referred to in which the commissioners 

 determined a question of title. They are interesting because they incident- 

 ally show that William de Walvil was at some period most probably steward 

 of the royal manors in the county of Devon. On fol. I'zbb it is stated that 



' Trans. Devon Assoc, xxvi, 149. 



'The Record Commissioners' text has twice misread the initial^ as Z), viz., in Aeidestan (fol. 403^), and 

 Aisa (fol. 394). 



' Trans. Devon Assoc, xxviii, 465, ». 3. * Ibid. 473, «. 18. 



" Thus there are three Putfords in the record (fols. 211, 335^, 399), which now bear the names of East 

 Putford, Churston, and Cory respectively ; two Doltons (fols. 295, 462), one now called Iddlecot, after its 

 tenant Edric ; two Poltimores (fols. 469^, 307^)> one now called Cutton, after its tenant Cota ; three 

 Tedburns (fols. 305^, 306,403), now called Town Barton, CoUey, and Farwood respectively ; many nimets or 

 intakes which have taken their owner's name, such as Hampson from Hermer (fol. 389/5), Merdis nimet from 

 Merta (fol. 390^) ; many Otris, now distinguished as Ottery St. Mary (fol. 195), Upottery (fol. 342), Rap- 

 linghayes (fol. 340), Warin's town or Weringston (fol. 400), Doda's town or Dotton (fol. 308^), Ivedon 

 (fol. 405), etc. 



" The most remarkable instance of this custom is ' Colebroca' (fol. 2 1 6), which appears in the fee-lists as 

 Holbrook Grindham. In the official records of the Duchy of Lancaster as Withien Furze, and at a later 

 time as Holbrook Moor, but is now called Denbow after its thirteenth-century tenant Denebaud {Trans. 

 Devon Assoc, xxxv, 290). 



' Thus ' Dunewinesdona ' is now called St. Pancras ; ' Notona ' is now called Churchstow ; ' Bredefort ' is 

 now Christow. 



' Round, in V.C.H. Essex, i, 41 1, states the same as his conclusion. 



380 



