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

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flumen Tesgeta tendens in meridiem inter montana” (Bk II, Chap 5: Colgrave 90). It was on
this expedition that he visited Hruringaham, which must therefore lie somewhere in the
Cheviot Hills. Risingham is some distance south of the Teviot, but it is on the Roman Road
which was the main line of communication through the Cheviots and which must have
afforded the only possible route to Jarrow from Teviotdale. At Bellingham Nb, about four
miles from Risingham is a road known as Cuddy’s Yett (Vernon, 371) which points to a
tradition, if nothing more, that Cuthbert frequented that district.
Risingham shows little resemblance to Hruringaham, but there are no known early forms for
Risingham to compare. In the script of the 10 th to 12 th centuries, Hrur- might easily have been
miscopied as Hris; or an original Hris- (from OE hris “brushwood”) mistranscribed as Hrur-.
Long s and an elongated r might interchange.
/7/ III OE -ingtun
Names ending in -ingtn belong to a later period than those in -ingas and -ingahm. There is
no trace, in the Scottish area, of a genitive plural ending between -ing and -tn. The base of
most of these formations is an OE personal name. The sense of -ing may be simply genitival
or possessive.
BERWICKSHIRE
EDINGTON (Chrn): (75, 11 J):
Hadynton, 1095 (15 th ) ESC; Hœdentun, 1095-1100 (15 th ) ib; Edingtonam (acc), 1095 (15 th )
ib; -ton, 1465 HMC (Var Coll v); Edintun (P), 1165-82 LSMM; Edynton (P), 1182 (1434)
Cdstr, 1296 CDS. The first two spellings are dubious and may have been influenced by
Haddington (ELth). A personal name Ead(d)a might be the base of the forms in -ing; cf
Addington Bk (DEPN, 2), Addington Nth (PN Nth, 177).
EDRINGTON (Mrd): (75, 13 K):
Hadryngton, 1095 (15 th ) ESC: Hœdrinton, 1095-1100 (15 th ) ib; Edringtoun, 1309 RC; 1328
Rot Scac; Ederington, 1330 Rot Scac. The first two spellings are to be compared to the first
two above. The vowels are similar. The first element of the compound is OE dre, the
original name of the Whiteadder on which Edrington is /8/ situated. OE dringtn is “the
farm of the settlers by the Adder” or “the farm by the Adder”. A similar example of a rivername
with -ingtn is Sinnington (PN YNR, 76).
HASSINGTON (Eccl): (81, 7 B):
Assinden, c 1200 (1434) Cdstr; Halsinton (P), 1230 CDS; c 1248 LSMM; Halsingtune, c
1248 LSMM; -ton, 1248 APS; Halsigton, c 1270 (1434) Cdstr; Halsyngtoun, 1309 RC; -ton
1336-7 CDS; 1406 RMS; Hawsintoun, 1516-17 RMS; Hassintoun, c 1564 Mel Reg Rec. An
ONb *hals, “neck”, cognate with ON hals, in the sense of a small valley which broadens at
both ends, might be the base of this formation, since Hassington Mains stands not far from
such a valley. Otherwise the name must be associated with the Hælsingas who appear in
“Widsið” (Malone, 153-4). It might be that members of that tribe joined in the migration to
Britain, since they were neighbours of the Angles. A descendant of one of the original settlers
may have preserved the name Hælsing.