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Preston Guardian
Saturday 29 Mar 1856
Danish or Scandinavian Local Lancashire Names
The track of the Northmen, as permanent landholders in the county, is in the north-east, near the point where the great highroad from Yorkshire leads to Colne, and thence across the county and along the whole of the west. In the north-east we find Balderstone, Osbaldistone, Elstone; and Ulverstone, in the west. Stone is used, I think, as the German stein in the middle ages, and denotes a house of stone or a castle. It is connected chiefly with Danish names, and implies that the Danes, like the later Normans, were obliged to protect themselves by building strongholds. Laund, which is the same as Lund, near Sephton, and is often found in the wild hilly country in the north-east part of the county, suggests dark pictures of barbarous and cruel rites by whch the Teutonic deities were propitiated. It is the Dan. lund, Old Norse lundr, a grove, properly a consecrated grove, such as the Teutonic races, like the idolaters of the East, used to set apart as the scene of their "dark idolatry." The well-known Danish termination "by," is found along the whole west part of the county, from Kirkby to Nateby (not far from this place is Lund Hill), and thence to Hornby. Other instances are Roby, Westby, West Derby (which has given its name to one of the hundreds), Sowerby, Formby, Crosby, and Ribby. Speke also, near Liverpool, is Scandinavian. It signifies a place where mast was obtained for fattening swine, and answers to the Saxon Bearo, and the Old German Parr; Old Norse spika (to feed, to fatten), spik (lard, bacon); German speck. Another Norse word brecka (a gentle acclivity), is found in Norbreck, Warbreck, Swarbrick, Towbrick, and Kelbricke, all in or near the Fylde country. The appearance of so many names with the same ending, in one particular part, would suggest the idea of related colonists from some place or territory in Scandinavia, but I have not been able to find any place with a similar ending in any country of the North. The word does not now exist, I believe, in Danish. Other Scandinavian names are Ormesgill, near Furness, Ormskirk, Tarnsyke (Icelandic tiörn, a pool or lake), and Bearnshaw, near Cliviger. The records of Doomsday Book confirm the evidence of local names. We learn from them that in the north-east of the county, Ketel had four manors and eighteen carucates of land. In Hoogon (Lower Furness) Earl Tosti had four carucates. In Aldringham Ernulf, and in Viarestun Turnulf had each six carucates. These are all Scandinivian names.
Rev. J. Davies.
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Mel
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