NOTES ON LOCAL ETYMOLOGIES. 
45 
higher bridge;" Whitchurch is "the white church." Many names 
are derived from rivers ; several instances have already been given. 
Others follow trees. Bickleigh is " the beechleigh," or field. Ing 
is Saxon for a meadow, and is the pratum of Domesday as ley 
(leigh, lea) is the pasture. I do not think it is used as a clan 
affix in any Devon place-name. Ermington I read, "the tun of 
the meadow by the Erme." 
But we have to deal with other than the Saxon branch of the 
Teutonic family. There is ample evidence that the mingled com- 
pany of Scandinavians, commonly classed under the general name 
of Danes, had from time to time a great deal to do with this part 
of England ; and that they not only made raids, but effected 
settlements. Such Norse forms as beck for " brook," and gill for " a 
ravine," occur in different parts of the county; and Mr. Spence 
Bate has shown that there are Scandinavian name-traces even on 
Dartmoor. Mr. Isaac Taylor would make this county very Danish 
indeed. The most noteworthy affix connected with that class of 
our place-names which has reference to trees is the constantly- 
recurring beer, which is found in the varying forms bera, berah, 
beer, bear, and bere. Mr. Taylor treats this as identical with the 
Danish test word by, which would make Devon rather more Danish 
than the counties of the Danelagh. It is not difficult to show the 
historic baselessness of the suggestion. Elaborate argument, how- 
ever, is not needed. The word is the Saxon beera, " a grove," and 
its abundance is an indication of the wooded aspect of Devonshire 
in those distant days. The only by I know is Huckaby, in 
Lydford. Again there is the name of Wembury, which Mr. 
Taylor regards as connected with the ancient mythology, referring 
it to Woden, as he does Satterleigh to the god Scetere. 
It is singular that in both these names we should indeed have 
evidence of the Scandinavian, but in quite a different direction. 
While we have so good a Norse etymology as seter, " a dwelling, 
or seat," for Satterleigh there is no need to go further afield ; and 
as for Wembury, instead of implying " the existence of a mound 
or other erection dedicated to Woden," it is one of our most 
interesting and valuable historical links. The oldest form of 
Wembury is Wicanbeorge. Beorge, of course, is "bury," and 
Wican is wiceng, or "viking." Here then we have "the Viking's 
earthwork," a distinct proof yet subsisting of the truth of the 
tradition that it was at Wembury that Ceorl, ealdorman of DeVon, 
