Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology

start
DOING A PARISH HISTORY

A GUIDE TO LOCAL BOOKS AND OTHER SOURCES

 start

start
4. Early Days: Before the Norman Conquest

Although a difficult period for the beginner, it is desirable to have some knowledge of the early centuries, since the basic geography of the county was already established before they came to an end.

end

See also List 1b for vols. I-III of the History of Lincolnshire; List 2 for Bennett and Bennett (maps 5-15).

K. Cameron and J. Insley A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names English Place-Name Society, 1998. Although the interpretation of place-names is a specialised subject, it is more than casually interesting to know something about the origins of your village/parish name. The present spelling may be no clue as to either old spellings or plausible meanings. The book has a complete list of all sources, which may be useful in other contexts, and a glossary of common place-name elements. A typical entry is that for Barholm:

Example from Cameron and Insley's book:

BARHOLM. The entry consists first of the old spellings of the name, with abbreviations as to the sources used: Berceham, Bercheham, Bercham, 1086 DB, Bercham c1128 (12th) ChronPetro, 1202 Ass, Berham 1138 NthCh, 1189 (1332) Ch, Bergham 1242-43 ib, Barhome 1494 Pat

This is followed by a suggested meaning: 'the homestead, estate on the hill', from Old English beorg and ham. The change of -ham to -holm(e) is common in Lincs. The place is on a slight rise.

K. Cameron, J. Field and J. Insley The Place Names of Lincolnshire: Part Four, The Wapentakes of Ludborough and Haverstoe, English Place-Name Society, LXXI for 1993-94.
G. Drinkwell and M. Foreman The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Castledyke South, Barton-on-Humber Sheffield Excavation Reports, no 6 (Sheffield, 1998). Contains a general introduction by Leahy, including a new list of Anglo-Saxon burial sites (cf. his list in Vince, see below).
H. Dudley Early Days in North-West Lincolnshire, A Regional Archaeology Scunthorpe, 1949. A wealth of information on areas within about 15 miles of Scunthorpe.
E. Ekwall, ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names 4th edn., London, 1960. Although originally published between the two world wars, this is still useful for comparison with Cameron's much newer work, and for the possibility of comparing similar names in other parts of England.
E. A. Fisher Anglo-Saxon Towers Newton Abbot, 1969. An important reference book in a county with more than its fair share of Anglo-Saxon towers: well illustrated, with a gazetteer section.
P. L. Everson, C. C. Taylor and C. J. Dunn Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire London, 1991. This contains essays on surviving earthwork sites in the West Lindsey District Council area, arranged by parish.
M. Gelling and A. Cole The Landscape of Place-Names Stamford, 2000. Although pitched at the national level, this discusses many Lincolnshire place-names, and elements often found within them, and relates them to the landscape.
D. Hall and J. Coles Fenland Survey: an essay in landscape and persistence London, 1994. In stock at the Spalding and Boston libraries.
R. Hanley Villages in Roman Britain Princes Risborough, 1987.
P. P. Hayes and T. W. Lane, eds. The Fenland Project No. 5: Lincolnshire Survey, the South-West Fens East Anglian Archaeology, Report no. 55, 1992; and T. W. Lane, ed. No. 8: The Northern Fen-Edge no. 66, 1993. These major reports contain parish studies, in the first case, of 18 parishes in the area stretching from Billingborough and Quadring to the Deepings and Crowland; in the second case, of 14 parishes in two groups, one near Billinghay, the other, bigger group north of Boston.
N. Loughlin and K. R. Miller A Survey of Archaeological Sites in Humberside Hull, 1979. Parish by parish listing and description of archaeological sites, covering North and North-East Lincolnshire.
I. D. Margary Roman Roads in Britain, I, South of Fosse Way-Bristol Channel London, 1955; II, North of Fosse Way-Bristol Channel London, 1957. All Lincolnshire roads but Tillbridge Lane are in vol. I.
A. D. Mills A Dictionary of British Place-Names Oxford, 2003. LHA, 38, p. 93 - 533pp
A. Vince, ed. Pre-Viking Lindsey Lincoln, 1993. Especially useful for Leahy's essay on Anglo-Saxon settlement, which contains a detailed catalogue of burial sites, including those in Kesteven. For an updated list see Drinkwall and Foreman (above).

Historic Enviromment Records (formerly Sites and Monuments Records) include schedules of ancient monuments and much else besides. Visits are by appointment only. For the administrative county of Lincolnshire, contact the HER at Conservation Services, Highways and Planning Directorate, City Hall, Lincoln, LN1 1DN, tel. 01522 553073. For the North Lincolnshire Council area, contact the HER at North Lincs. Archaeology Service, N Lincs. Museum, Oswald Rd., Scunthorpe, DN15 7BD, tel. 01724 843533. For the North-East Lincs. Council area contact the HER at NE Lincs. Archaeology Service, Municipal Buildings, Town Hall Square, Grimsby, DN31 1HU, tel. 01472 323586. For the North and South Kesteven and Boston DC areas readers may also consult the Heritage Trust for Lincolnshire, The Old School, Cameron St, Heckington, Sleaford, NG34 9RW, tel. 01529 461499.

Back to Parish History Introduction