By Tim Lambert Northampton in the Middle Ages Northampton began as an Anglo-Saxon village. It was called Hamm tun, which means the village by the well-watered meadow. Later it was called North Hamm tun, probably to distinguish it from Southampton. Gradually the name changed to Northampton. When they occupied Eastern England in the late 9th… Continue reading A History of Northampton
Category: Articles
A History of Newton Abbot
By Tim Lambert Early Newton Abbot Newton Abbot was created in the 13th century. However, originally there were two towns. In the 13th century, England was divided into areas called manors. One, south of the River Lemon was owned by the Abbey of Torre. In 1220 the Abbot founded a new town south of the… Continue reading A History of Newton Abbot
A History of Oxford
By Tim Lambert Saxon Oxford Oxford was founded in the 9th century when Alfred the Great created a network of fortified towns called burghs across his kingdom. One of these was at Oxford. There may have been a village already existing there or Alfred may have created a new town. The streets of Anglo-Saxon Oxford… Continue reading A History of Oxford
A History of Nuneaton
By Tim Lambert Nuneaton began as a Saxon farmstead (tun), by the water (ea). By the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it had grown into a fairly large village. In the middle of the 12th century, the Lord of the Manor gave the village to a French Abbey. They built a priory (small abbey)… Continue reading A History of Nuneaton
A History of Nottingham
By Tim Lambert Saxon Nottingham Nottingham began in the 6th century as a small settlement called Snotta inga ham. The Anglo-Saxon word ham meant village. The word inga meant ‘belonging to’ and Snotta was a man. So its name meant the village owned by Snotta. Gradually its name changed to Snottingham then just Nottingham. It… Continue reading A History of Nottingham
A History of Peterborough
By Tim Lambert Saxon Peterborough Peterborough began as a Saxon settlement. The Saxons built a village on the site of Peterborough called Medehamstede (meadow homestead). About 655 an abbey was built next to it. However, this abbey was plundered by the Danes in 870 and was then abandoned. A new abbey was built in 972… Continue reading A History of Peterborough
A History of Penzance
By Tim Lambert Early Penzance Penzance began as a small fishing village. It is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. There may have been a settlement at that time that was too small to warrant a mention or it may have grown up later. The name Penzance is derived from the Cornish words… Continue reading A History of Penzance
A History of Paulsgrove
By Tim Lambert Dedicated to Lee Norris Early Paulsgrove There is a story that St Paul once came to England and he landed north of Portsmouth Harbour by a grove of trees. Afterward, the grove was called Paul’s grove. In reality, it was named after a Saxon named Palla. It was Palla’s grove. Wymering was… Continue reading A History of Paulsgrove
A History of Poole
By Tim Lambert Poole in the Middle Ages Poole was founded in the Middle Ages. At the time of the Domesday Book, in 1086, England was divided into areas called manors. The area where Poole now stands was part of the manor of Canford. However, there was no record of a settlement at Poole at… Continue reading A History of Poole
A History of Plymouth
By Tim Lambert Plymouth in the Middle Ages Plymouth began as a fishing village. It belonged to the Prior of Plympton. (A prior was the head of a priory or small abbey). In the early 13th century the prior turned the village into a town by starting a market there. In those days there were… Continue reading A History of Plymouth