D
Dadnor (Bridstow).
'The bank of... ?'; perhaps of Daddo. For second element see Appendix, -over.
Daffaluke (Marstow).
- 1478 Diffrinluke, Courtfield MS.
- 1490 Deffrenluke "
- 1505 Differenlugffyld "
- 1531 Differen Luke "
Evidently a corruption of W. dyffryn-llwg, 'valley of the marsh'. The stream that flows through it is still called 'Luke Brook'.
Daff-y-nant (Whitchurch).
- 1610 Differnant, Courtfield MS.
W. dyffryn-y-nant, 'valley of the brook'. Or possibly it may be a corruption of W. dyfrhynt (dwfr hynt), 'water-course'.
Darren Wood and The Darren (Garway).
- 1605 Darren, Courtfield MS.
- 1831 Darran, Ord. Map.
W. derwen, 'an oak tree'.
Deabley (Bromyard).
Dean Hill (Ross).
O.E. denu, acc. dene, 'a valley'; Sir James Murray says this is 'perhaps' the etymology of the 'Forest of Dean'. We may venture the same conjecture here, in spite of the contradiction implied in 'valley-hill'. Gir. Camb. calls the Forest of Dean 'Danubia'.
Deerfold Forest (Wigmore).
- 1532 Darweld, Aug. Of.
- 1539 Darwalde, Capella S. Leonardi, Aug. Of.
- 1603 Darvoll, Harl. MS.
The second element is O.E. weald, 'forest'; the first may be akin to dam, 'hurt', 'The wood dangerous'.
Demesne (Garway).
- 1831 Dernain, Ord. Map.
'Demesne' was the portion of a manor which the holder (whether tenant-in-chief or only an under-tenant) worked as a home-farm, by the labour due from the peasants who held under him.
Cf. Clifford's Mesne in Linton.
*Denard [Goodrich].
- 1302 'in bosco de Denard in Castro Godrici'.
Dewchurch (Much and Little).
- circ. 1130 Lann Deui Ros Cerion, Lib. Land.
- circ. 1225 Deuweschirche, Glos. Cart.
- 1234 Deweschirch, Close R.
- 1243 Dewschirch, Chart. R.
- 1291 Deweschyrche, Tax. Eccles.
- 1341 Deweschirche, Non. Inq.
'Church of Dewi', i.e. St David.
Cf. Llandewi (four or more in Wales and Mon.), Dewiston (Pembs.), Dewisland (Pembs. Hundred).
Dewell (Dilwyn).
Dewsall.
- 1243 Dewyeswelle, T. de Nevill.
- 1269 'Ecclesia de fonte David', Ep. Reg.
- 1291 Deweswall, Tax. Eccles.
- 1302 Dewys Wall', Quo War.
- 1341 Deweswall, Dyswall, Non. Inq.
- 1557 Davyswalle, Hereford Will.
'St David's Well'. But, as often, the ending -welle tends to become -walle.
Deykins Green (Bromyard).
In 1322 'David filius Daykyns' held lands in Glasbury. Possibly his father may have lived in Bromyard.
Dickendale (Wigmore).
Dicks (Llanveyno).
- 1831 Ty dic, Ord. Map.
W. ty dych, 'house of sighs'.
Didley (St Devereux).
- 1086 Dodelegie, Dom.
- 1303 Duddeleye, F.A.
- 1304 Dudel', Ep. Reg.
'Meadow of Dudda or Dodda' (both forms very common).
Cf. Dudley (Worcs.), Didcot (Berks.).
*Diffringarran.
A 'Liberty' of Wormelow in 1722. W. dyfryn-garran, 'the valley of the Garran river'.
Dilwyn.
- 1086 Diluen, Dilge, Dom.
- 1123 Diliga, Leom. Cart.
- 1138 Dilun, A.C.
- 1277 Dilewe, Ep. Reg.
- 1281 Dilun, Dilowe, Chart. R.
- 1283 Dylun, Ep. Reg.
- 1291 Dylewe, Tax. Eccles.
- 1297 Dileue, Ep. Reg.
- 1302 Dylowe, Dylue, Quo War.
- 1303 Chirchedylue, F.A.
- 1322 Chirchedilewe, R.S.
- 1334 Solers Dylewe, Chart. R.
- 1341 Dylewe, Non. Inq.
- 1372 Littledelow, Micherdelow, MS. Chart.
- 1391 Dylewe maner', Solersdilew, Littledylewe, Dilliw, Inq. p.m.
- 1428 Delewyn, F.A.
- circ. 1550 Dillewyn, Harl. MS.
I cannot explain this word; and the multitude of its forms only increases one's perplexity.
Dinchill (Donnington).
See Ding-wood and Donning-ton.
Dineterwood (Ewyas Harold).
Evidently akin, in origin, to Dyndor. The 1831 Ord. Map spells it Dinedor Wood.
Dingwood Park (Ledbury).
- 1278 'Parcus de Ledebury qui vocatur Dulingwode,' Ep. Reg.
- 1289 Dunningewode, MS. Chart.
The 1278 form is probably a scribe's mistake; the 1289 form suggests the kinship to Donnington (q.v.) little more than a mile away.
Dinmore.
- circ. 1189 Dunemore, MS. Chart.
- 1243 Dunemore, T. de Nevill.
- 1243 Dunnesmore, Chart. R.
- 1291 Dinnemor, Tax. Eccles.
- 1302 Donmore, Quo War.
- 1368 Denemour, Ep. Reg.
- circ. 1550 Dynemore, Dinmore, Leland.
Welsh din mawr, 'big hill'. The various spellings show the difficulties which English and Norman scribes found in pronouncing even the simplest Welsh words.
Cf. Dunmore (Berks.).
Dipper-moor (Kilpeck).
So in the 17th century when the Gomond family held it.
Docklow.
- 1291 Capella de Dockelawe, Tax. Eccles.
- 1316 Doclue, F.A.
- 1341 Capella de Dokkelowe, Non. Inq.
For the second element see Append. III, -low. The first element may be O.E. docce, 'dock'. 'Hill on which dock grows plentifully'.
Dodmarsh (Westhide).
Dolvaugh (Bredwardine).
- (Not in Ord. Map, 1831.)
Probably corrupted from W. dol fach, 'little meadow'.
Cf. Pont-nedd-vaugh (Glam.).
Dolward (Turnastone).
It may be, like Clzickward and Breadward, one of the Herefordshire -wardines. But, in a Welsh district, it is more probably W. dol, 'a meadow', with some suffix which English lips have assimilated to the -wardine ending.
Dolyhir (Kington).
W. dol-y-hir, 'long meadow'.
Donathan (Llanwarne).
Donnington.
- 1086 Dunninctune, Dom.
- circ. 1120 'Donyntone in Jerchynfeld', Glos. Cart. [Donnington is not in Archenfield]
- 1219 Dunnitune, Capes.
- 1291 Donninton, Tax. Eccles.
- 1341 Donyngton, Non. Inq.
'Tun of the Dunnings', i.e. sons of Dunn or Dunna. Dingwood Park and Dinchill (both close by) are evidently akin to Donnington in origin. There are eight or nine Donningtons, Doningtons, or Dunningtons in England.
Dore (river, trib. of Monnow).
- 941 Dor, A.-S. Chron.
- circ. 1130 Dour, Dowr, Lib. Land.
Welsh dwfr, or dwr, 'river', 'water'. See also Abbeydore.
*Dorfeld [in or near Bacton].
- 1327 Dorfeld, Chart. R.
'Field on the banks of the Dore'.
Dormington.
Duncumb gives a Dom. form Dermentune, which I cannot find in the Herefordshire Dom.
- 1284 Dormintone, Dormyntone, Glos. Cart.
- 1291 'Capella de Dormiton in Berwaldstret', Tax. Eccles.
- 1331 Dormyntone, Ep. Reg.
- 1341 'Dormyton et Bertwaldestr'', Non. Inq.
Dorstone.
- 1086 Torchestone, Dom.
- 1243 Dorsinton, T. de Nevill.
- 1278 Dorsintone, Ep. Reg.
- 1291 Dorssinton, Dorsutton, Tax. Eccles.
- 1302 Dorsynton', Quo War.
- 1303 Dorsynton, F.A.
- 1316 Dorsinton, F.A.
- 1322 Dorstone, Ep. Reg.
- 1331 Dorsetune in Straddel, Ep. Reg.
- 1341 Dorston, Non. Inq.
- 1346 Dorsynton, F.A.
- 1428 Dorston, Ep. Reg.
- 1520 Dorstone Forinsec', Dorstone Burgus, Ind. Ct R.
- 1645 Durston, Symond's Diary.
It is uncertain what is the pers. name involved in the first element. The Dom. form seems to point to some such name as Thorkell, but see the old forms of Thruxton, and cf. Torkesey (Lincs.), which is O.E. Torkesei (i.e. troges ig, 'island of the tub' or 'of the small boat'). The 13th century forms would seem to give something like 'tun of Deorsige' (a known name). In any case it cannot be 'tun of the god Thor,' which would be Thores-tun. There is a Dorstone in Birley; it has no old forms, and may be of a different origin.
Doward Hill (Welsh Bicknor).
Welsh Bicknor in the Lib. Land. is Garth Benni (plur. of ban, 'a peak'). There are two ridges jutting out into the two loops of the river in the parish. Hence it has been suggested that Doward is a corruption of Dew-arth, itself a corruption of Dougarth, 'the two garths.' As there are no old forms, and the study of Welsh place-names has not yet been seriously taken in hand by any competent scholar, we can only refrain from comment.
Downton.
- 1086 Duntune, Dom. J.H.R. thinks the Dom. Dodintune may also be Downton.
- temp. Hen. III Dunton, Delim.
- 1302 'Duntone in valle de Wigmore,' Quo War.
- 1335 Dountone, Ep. Reg.
- 1479 Dunton, Ind. Ct R.
O.E. dun, 'a hill.' The Ord. Map 1831 says pleonastically 'Downton-on-the-rock.' The hills above Bromyard are called Downs. There is a Downshill in Bishopstone, a farm called Downways in Eardisland, and a Downwood in Shobdon.
Drabbington (Thornbury).
*Draycote [mentioned with Dilwyn and Pembridge].
- 1334 Draycote, Chart. R.
O.E. draeg-cott, probably (says Alex.) 'an isolated homestead'. Skeat says draeg means 'a retreat, a place of shelter'.
Drayton (Brimfield).
- 1123 Dreituna, Leom. Cart.
O.E. draeg-tun, 'an isolated tun'. See Draycote.
Drumleigh (Stoke Prior).
Drythistle Hill (Bromyard).
There is also a Dryebrokeswalle in Hope Mansell in 1338.
Dudshill (Upper Sapey).
Duffryn (Abbeydore).
- 1831 Dyffryn, Ord. Map.
Welsh dyffryn,'a valley'.
Dulas (river and parish).
- temp. Hen. III Denelays, Delimitation.
- circ. 1250 'aqua que vocatur Duneleis,' E.H. Cart.
- 1327 Dyueleis, Chart. R.
- 1523 'The ermitage of Dewlas', Glos. Cart. Walter ap Robert was the Ermyte. (Probert is still one of the commonest names in Ewyas.)
Welsh du glais, 'dark stream'. The same word as Douglas (I. of Man) and Dowlais (Glam.), and the Welsh river Dewlas.
Dunbridge (Ledbury).
Also Dunfield (Harpton), *Dunleye [in Foy in 1247], Dunswater (Kingstone), and Dunwood (Dilwyn). The first element in all these may be Dunn, Dun, or Dunna (a common pers. name in Onom.), or it may be O.E. dun, 'a down', 'a hill'.
Dundercamp (Ullingswick).
Probably, like Dineterwood, akin in origin to Dyndor.
Dunre [Domesday Hundred].
- 1086 Dunre, Dom.
See Dyndor.
Dyndor.
- 1086 Dunre, Dom.
- 1243 Dunre, T. de Nevill.
- 1291 Dunre, Tax. Eccles.
- 1341 Dunre, Non. Inq.
- 1350 Duynre, Duyndre, Ep. Reg.
- 1432 Dyndre, Ep. Reg.
- 1538 Dyndor, Val. Eccles.
- 1831 Dindor, Ord. Map.
What the Dom. form means I cannot say. But it evidently survived unchanged into the 14th century. Then the intrusive d begins to appear. And ingenious Tudor antiquaries evidently concluded that it was Welsh din dwr, 'hill by the river'; and the spelling was changed accordingly.
Cf. Dinder (Somers.).