May Williamson: The Non-Celtic Place-Names of the Scottish Border ...

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(n) OFr ermitage, MSc (h)ermitage, is the source of Hermitage (Cst): Ermitage, 1300
DIHS; 14 th NMS; Armytage, 1583 CBP. Tradition tells of a hermit’s cell
established on this site before the castle.
(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)
(u)
MSc Spital, an aphetic form of hospital, is /190/ seen in Spittal (Cav): Spittale,
1481 RMS. A Spital was a home for the poor and the sick, and was usually
attached to a monastery. Spital Tower (Bdr) must be named from the same
institution. There is also Spittalriddinghill (Ann).
Palace (Clg) commemorates the fact that a residence of the bishops of Glasgow
once existed there (Vernon, 374).
Pleasants (Jed) is MSc pleasaunce, “pleasure ground, garden”, from OFr
plaisance. Compare The Pleasance, Edinburgh.
Manor is contained in Hartmanor (Esk), which may be the same name as
Hardmanor on the Black Lyne, Cu.
Moat (Dns) and Mote Cottage (Jhn) are named from mediaeval motes beside
which they stand.
A few names consist of adjectives or adjectival phrases. Wideopen (Yth):
Wyd(h)oppin, 1523 RMS, 1596 CDS, may have been so named because it was
directly open to attack from England, or simply because it stood in an exposed
position. Wide Open Farm, YNR, is, however, a corruption of OE Wibedstune,
Wipestune (PN YNR, 17). Blythe /191/ (Laud): Blith, 1509 RMS; Blyth, 1537 ib,
is OE blīðe, “pleasant”. It may have taken its name from the Blythe Water: cf
R.Blyth, Nb (ERN, 39). Unthank (Ew) is so spelt in 1509-10 RMS. It represents
OE unþances, “without leave”, and may refer to a squatter’s farm (DEPN, 464);
or may denote a piece of “ungrateful” soil: cf Unthank, Nb (PN NbDu, 203).
Selcoth (Mof) is Selcouth, 1569 RPC, from OE seld-cuð “little known”, no doubt
on account of its remote position. Blinkbonny occurs in Cst, Fld, Nnt and Hfm, as
a farm-name. It is also to be found in other parts of Scotland, but not in England.
The two elements seem to be ModSc *blink, “a hurried glance, a glimpse”, and
bonny “pretty, fair to the view”, but their order suggests a Celtic compound. The
name may be a corruption of a Gaelic form.
Several place-names commemorate saints. Abbey St Bathans (A St B) is Seint
Boyt(h)an, 1296 CDS; 1297 DIHS; Sci. Boithani (gen), 13 th century, Reg Dnf. A
chapel here, no doubt a Celtic foundation, must have been dedicated to St
Baithene, the successor of St Columba: cf CPNS, 151. St Abbs (Cld): Sanctabs,
1621 HMC (Wed), is named from Æbbe who was prioress at Coldingham /192/ in
the 9 th century. St Boswells, previously known as Lessudden, a Celtic name, is
Sanct Boswellis, c 1620 Dryb; St Boswalls, 1682 LCh, and commemorates Boisil,
a 7 th century prior of Old Melrose. St Leonard’s (Hwk) is St Leonard, Blaeu.
There are also St John’s (Fld), St Ann’s (Jhn) and St Helen’s (Slk).
(v) A “manorial” name may be seen in Cavers (Cav): Caverum (acc) 1165-1214
NMS; Kaveres 1214-49 LSMM; Cavres (P), 1290 DIHS, 1304 Ch: Kauirs, 1291
DIHS; Cavers, 1296 ib; Caverys, 1359 Rot Scac, which is a genitive form of ME
Caver (cf Thomas Caver, “vicecomes de Roxburgh” in 1264), from OE *Cāfhere:
cf Caversfield and Caversham, O, and Caverswall, St, (DEPN, 87). This name
appears in several place-names in Rxb and Slk: Caverton (Eck) (see No V),
Caver’s Hill and Caverslee (Krk), Cavers Carre (Bow). A “lost” *Caverhill may