Herefordshire Placenames F

F

Falcon Farm (Sollershope).

Falle [a 'member' of Weobley].

1303 Falle, F.A.
1346 Falle, F.A.
1431 Falley, F.A.

In 1346 and in 1431 it is entered with Alleton (i.e. Alton in Dilwyn). Possibly connected with O.E. fealo, fain, fealewe, originally 'a reddish yellow colour', and applied to land unsown or left bare of a crop, from its reddish colour.

Fawley.

1142 Filileia, Llant. Chart.
1291 Falyleye, Tax. Eccles.
1302 Faleley, Quo War.
1316 Fallaye, F.A.

The first element is possibly O.E. fealo (for which see *Falle above). Fawley (Leics.) is before 1038 Faelig-leah, which seems to be 'meadow of Feliga' (pers. name in Onom.). Fawley (Berks.) is circ. 1300 Falelegh, which Skeat connects with O.E. fealo. There are seven or eight Farleys or Farleighs in England, some of which are Dom. Fernlege, 'fern meadow'.

Felhampton (Upton Bishop).

For the first element see Felton.

Felindre (St Weonards).

A name of frequent occurrence in Wales. It is W. felin-dre, 'mill-village', felin being mutated form of melin, and -dre, as often, representing tref, the f being constantly dropped in compound words, e.g. Hendre (q.v.).

Felton.

1086 Feltone, Dom.
1291 Villata de Felton, Tax. Eccles.
1341 Villata de Felton, Non. Inq.

It may be 'tun of' some man, though there is no likely name in Onom. Or possibly, as in Cleyfelton (Salop), it is 'tun on the fell' or hill, though this fell is Norse or Icel. and there are few traces, or none, of Norse influence on Herefordshire place- names. Felstead (Essex) is said to be 'hide-place', 'tannery', and Bad. suggests that Felton is 'tun in the field' (the d of feld dropping out before the t of tun).

Fencote.

1086 Fencote, Dom.
circ.1240 Fancote, Leom. Cart.

O.E. fenn cott, 'cottage or homestead in the fen'. There is a Fencott in Hatfield (which may be the place referred to in the Leom. Cart.), and an Oxfordshire Fencott.

Fenhampton (Weobley).

1302 Kyngesfenne, Quo War.

Fermbreede (St Margaret's).

Prob. W. fferm, 'a farm', and ffridd, 'a forest'.

*Ferne [near Maund].

1086 Ferne, Dom.
circ.1150 Ferna, Brec. Cart.
1257 Lafferne, Chart. R.
1291 La Ferne, Tax. Eccles.
1302 Ferne, Quo War.

Prob. O.E. fearn, 'fern': though usually it is compounded, as in fearn-dun (Farndon), fearnham (Farnham).

*Fernhale [in Staunton-on-Wye].

1086 Fernehalle, Dom.
1402 Fernhale, Feet of F.

'Fern meadow'. The second element is O.E. healh, for which see App. -hall.

*Fernlega ['old name of Hereford'].

Girald. Camb. (circ. 1200) writes (Vit. S. Ethel.) 'Asser historicus dicit quod .... Fernlegam, que nunc Herefordia dicitur ...'. For this 'old name of Hereford', see Lloyd, p. 282. But one doubts if the name ever really was applied to the town. In 1227 (Chart. R.) there is a Fernelegh near Kilpeck, about 5 miles S.E. of Hereford. Eg. Phil. thinks Fernlega was 'originally the name of a large tract of forest country, in a portion of which the town of Hereford was founded in the 7th century'. This seems the most probable explanation of the apparent change of name.

Fernshill (Cradley).

The Field (Hampton Bishop).

1270 terra de la Felde, Ep. Reg.
1301 la ffelde, Inq. p.m.

Flanesford (Goodrich).

1346 Flanesford, Ep. Reg.

The first stone of the Priory was laid, in this year, in loco Flanesford vulgariter nuncupato. For the first element see next entry.

The Flann (Peterstow).

Possibly O.E. flan, 'an arrow'.

Flintsham (Court, and Square, Titley).

Floodgates (Bromyard).

There is a Flitgate in Leom. Cart., which cannot be identified.

*Folkeia [?].

Occurs often in Leom. Cart., earliest about 1240.

The Folly.

A common place-name in Herefordshire, as in many counties. Eardisland (where there is also a 'Little Folly '), Eye, Garway, Little Hereford, Holme Lacy, Marden, Orleton, and Preston-on-Wye have Follies. There is one in Tupsley on Price's Map 1802, and a Probert's Folly occurs in a Credenhill Terrier of 1722. Bishop Cantilupe's Register in 1278 mentions a Robertus de la Folye.

Forbury (Kimbolton).

Ford.

1123 Forda, Leom. Cart.
circ.1230 Capella de Forda, Leom. Cart.
1243 Forda, T. de Nevill.
1303 Forde, F.A.

O.E. aet thaem forde. J.H.R. identifies with Ford the Dom. Forne, because Forne and Sarnesfield are held together in Dom., and Ford and Sarnesfield in 1243. This Dom. Forne would seem to be, like Goodrich, that rare type of place-name which adopts a pers. name without any suffix. Forne is a man's name in Onom.; and Fornham (Suff.) is 'the home of Forne'.

Formine Hill (Dorstone).

Prob. W. for-maen, 'road-stone'.

Forty Steps (Little Dewchurch).

*Foukesyate [in Monnington-in-Straddel].

Held in 1300 by one Richard Foukes.

Fowden (Kingsland).

Fowlett (Eastnor).

Fownhope.

1086 Hope, Dom.
1243 Fanne Hope, T. de Nevill.
1269 Fawehope, Capes.
1278 Fonhope, Ep. Reg.
1291 Fowehope, Fonhop, Tax. Eccles.
1303 Fowehope, F.A.
1330 Fownhope, Ep. Reg.
1341 Fowehope, Non. Inq.
1428 Founhope, F.A.
1433 Fanhope, Pat. R.
circ.1550 Fowelppe, Leland.

As to the first element, two independent words seem to have struggled for centuries, and at last were combined. O.E. fana, 'flag', would give 'enclosed valley of the flag'. But the forms in Fowe suggest the same derivation as Foy, Vowchurch, and Fowmynd (see Mynnedd brith), which come, through the Norm.-Fr. foi, from Lat. fides.

Foxley (Yazor).

1199 Foxleia, Llanth. Chart.

The first element is the animal. It is found also in Foxalls (farm, Sollershope, which the Ord. Map in 1831 gives as Foxholes), Foxall (Whitbourne, and Upton Bishop), and Foxholes (Lyonshall). Such forms as Foxbaec, Foxhyl, are found in Kemble.

Foy.

circ.1130 Lantiuoi, Lib. Land.
circ.1140 'Ecclesia sancte fidis de Etone', E. H. Cart.
circ.1150 Ecclesia de Foy, Glos. Cart.
1196 Ecclesia sancte Foe de Ethone, Glos. Cart.
circ.1210 Ecclesia de Sancta Foa, Her. Cath. MS.
circ.1250 Ecclesia de Foy, Glos. Cart.
1291 Ecclesia de Foye, Tax. Eccles.
1341 Foye, Non. Inq.

The form in Lib. Land. Lantiuoi (in Mod. Welsh Llandyffwy) is 'Church of St Tyfai'. This was evidently confused with the Nor.-Fr. foi, and before the middle of the 12th century it had become 'ecclesia sancte fidis'. There is an exactly similar confusion in the case of Lamphey (Pembs.) which also is in Lib. Land. Lann Tivoi. But hybrid forms are found, such as Llanfaith, 'Church of St Faith'. Near Abergavenny Llanfoist (dedicated to St Faith) is said to be a similar hybrid form.

Frankland (Marden).

No old forms. Is it 'free-land', or (as the Worcs. Frankley) 'Franca's land' ?

Freen's Court (Sutton).

See Sutton Frene.

Freeth (Thornbury).

O.E. frith, 'forest', 'woodland'. There is a Frith farm in Ledbury, and one in Stanford Bishop.

Freetown (Ashperton).

1638 Freetown, Survey.

*Fridmore [Ullingswick].

1186 Fridmora, Glos. Cart.
1192 Fridmore, Frythmore, Glos. Cart.

'Forest-moor'. See Freeth above.

Frog-lane.

In 1322 there is a 'Froggelone ... in suburbio Herefordie' (Ep. Reg.). In 1280 there is in Ewyas Harold a 'Vriogis-strete', which in 1300 is 'frocgelone' (E. H. Cart.). A 'Froglone' was in or near Eastnor in 1277 (Ep. Reg.) and in 1577. A 'Froggeswell' is mentioned in Leom. Cart. There is a 'Frog-end' in Frome in 1650, and a 'Frogg Lane' in Goodrich in 1722.

Frome.

840 'flumen qui (sic) dicitur From', Capes.
1086 Frome, Brismerfrum, Nerefrum, Dom.
temp. Wil. I. Brichmerfrome, Bricmarifrome, Glos. Cart. Undated but evidently referring to the Conqueror's reign.
1101 Bricmarifrom', Glos. Cart.
1138 Froma, A.C.
1215 Frome Herbert, Rymer.
1243 Froma Canonicorum, Frome Henry, T. de Nevill.
1251 Froma Haymund, Chart. R.
1289 ffroma episcopi, Ep. Reg.
1291 From' Castelli Regis, Tax. Eccles.
1303 Frome Haymund, F.A.
1341 Froma Episcopi, Froma Castri, Non. Inq.
1386 Chastelfrome, MS. Chart.
1428 Castyl Frome, F.A.
1542 Priors Fromeledon, Orig. R.
circ.1550 Castell From, Leland.

It seemed best, in giving the above forms, not to attempt separate lists for Bishop's Frome, Castle Frome, and Canon Frome (the only names now current). Frome is originally a Celtic rivername, after which the district is called. In Dom. we have Frome, belonging to the Bishop; Nerefrum, which J.H.R. thinks is Castle Frome; and Brismerfrum, held T. R. E. by Brismer from Earl Harold. This apparently became in the 13th century Frome Haymund (O.E. Ealmund); and some at least of it is comprised in the hamlet still called Halmond Frome. Canon Frome was held in 1243, and perhaps for a century earlier, by the Canons of Llanthony in Wales. Of Frome Castelli Regis little or nothing is known. Frome Henry was held in 1243 by Henry of Monmouth. In Mordiford, near where the river Frome falls into the Lugg, is Prior's Frome (now always spelt Froome, though Frome in 1831), once held by St Guthlac's. The 'Priors Fromeledon' of 1542 should refer to this; but, if so, the -ledon is inexplicable. In Castle Frome the two rivers, Frome and Leadon, run almost parallel to one another, and little over two miles apart. There are four Fromes in Dorset, and one in Somerset, all on the two rivers called Frome.