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

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REDKIRK (Grt): (89, 6 G):
Red Kirke, 1552 Bullock. The church must have been built of the local red sandstone.
SELKIRKSHIRE
ASHKIRK (Ask): (80, 11 H):
Ascheschyrc, c 1124 (12 th ) Glas; Hassechirke, 1165-1214 LSMM; Askirk(e), 1214-49 ib;
1335-6 CDS. OE æsċ-ċiriċe, “church by the ash-tree”. Later forms in As- represent MSc asch:
cf fis for fisch in Fishwick (No VII).
/54/
SELKIRK (Slk): (80, 11 F):
Selechirche, c 1120 (c 1320) Kelso; 13 th C de M; -chyrca, c 1120 Kelso; -schirche, c 1136
LSMM; c 1160-70 BM; -kirke, 1165-1214 ib; -kirche, ib; -krik, 1265 Rot Scac; Sellekirke,
1263 C de M; Sel-, 1296 DIHS. The first element may be OE sele, “hall, dwelling”, or a short
form, *Sela, of names in Sele-: cf Selsdon, Sr, for which a strong form *Seli is suggested (PN
Sr, 54).
There are also Berrykirk (Oxn) and Brydekirk (Ann).
/55/ XII OE helm
Originally denoting “a helmet” this word must here be taken in the wider sense of “covering”
(B-T, s.v. III), perhaps in the modern dialect meaning of “shed” (EDD, s.v. – in Y and L). The
first elements of the three compounds which have -helm for terminal suggest that the names
are habitational.
It is not impossible, however, that the term was used originally in a topographical sense,
denoting either “helmet-shaped hill” or “hill-top” since both Chisholme and Buckholm are on
pronounced hills and Branxholme lies beneath Branxholme Braes and Branxholme Park Hill.
The “lost” *Gorkhelm is actually the name of a hill-top, but may be Norse in origin.
It is unlikely that the English term was used with the meaning of ON hiálmr as is suggested
for English examples (DEPN, 221). Scandinavian influence was not sufficiently strong for
this in our area.
ROXBURGHSHIRE
BRANXHOLME (Hwk): (85, 11 B):
Brankishelme, 1315-21 RMS; Branxelm, 1463-4 ib; -haim, 1479 HMC (Rxb); -helme, 1540
RMS. Compare Branxton Nb: Brankeston, 1249, Branxston, 1346, which contains the same
first element, evidently a personal name *Bran(n)oc (PN NbDu, 30). Branxton, /56/ ELth, is
Brankestun (P), c 1300 (1434) Cdstr.
BUCKHOLM (Mel): (80, 12 C):
Bucchehelm, 1180 APS; Buc-, 1189 LSMM; Buk-, 1548 RSS. OE bucca, “he-goat”, is the
first element, later associated with the more common buck, “male deer”.