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

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The names in -feld, MSc, -feild, are not found to any marked extent in the same districts as the
names in -lēah, but are dispersed throughout the entire area.
Names ending in -field of patently modern origin occur in clusters in the Border counties, eg
Jeaniefield (Mel), Kittyfield (Mel), Grizziefield (Earl), Rachelfield (Earl). These must be
field-names transferred to farms.
In the earliest names below, the meaning of the terminal may be “stretch of open country”. In
the later examples it has already become “enclosed land”, or simply the modern meaning of
“field”.
ROXBURGHSHIRE
HENFIELD (Oxn): (86, 7 B):
Hynehousfeild, 1566 RMS; Henhousfield, 1588 L Ch. It is not certain whether the above
spellings /80/ refer to Henfield. They may represent “hind-house-field”, where hind denotes a
farm-worker. Otherwise the name must be fairly modern.
SORROWLESSFIELD (MAINS) (Mel): (81, 1 C):
Sorulesfeld, 1208 LSMM; Sorweles-, 1215 ib. This land was held by Willielmus Sorules who
gave his name to it (LSMM i, 90).
STOTFIELD (Jed):
Stobfold, Blaeu. Blaeu’s spelling must mean “a fold, or pen, made of tree trunks”. The present
form means “a field in which stotts (3 year old bulls or oxen) are kept”. The name may
however be Stotfold, which is common in English place-names: cf Stotfold (PN Beds, Hu,
178) and Stotfold, YWR (DEPN, 426).
BERWICKSHIRE
JARDINEFIELD (Wht):
Jardinfeld, 1476 HMC (Wed). In the document quoted, John Jardin of Appilgarth sells his
lands of Jardinfeld to George Hume of Wedderburn. Plainly the place was named from his
family.
NORTHFIELD (Cld), is so spelt in 1621 HMC (Wed). “North field”.
SHIELFIELD (Earl):
Scheilfeild, 1537 Dryb; Sheelfield, Blaeu. ME Schele feild, “land with a hut on it”.
/81/
SWANSFIELD (Cld): (75, 10 G):
Swanisfield, 1546 HMC (Var Coll v); Swannisfeild, 1580 RMS; Swansfeld, 1595-6 HMC
(Wed). A ME personal name Swan(n), from OE swān, “herdsman” is the first element.
WHITFIELD (Ayt):
Quhytfield, 1557 HMC (Home). “White field”.
DUMFRIESSHIRE