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The Place Names of Stourbridge, the Black Country and... 18/08/2017

(Approx. 1 Mbyte. 43 A4 pages, including 5 figures.)

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This is a short introduction, for non-specialists, to the subject of place names in the historical landscape. The article discusses the origin and interpretation of some of the commonest place-name elements and presents almost three hundred examples from the vicinity of the Black Country. Topics covered include: place-name chronology; ethnic, religious and cultural identity in place names; landscape terms; boundary perambulations; and place-name migration and mutation. Several place names around Stourbridge are examined in more depth. Brook Holloway; The Ham House and Ham Lane; Hungary Hill; Wynall Lane; Catherwell (Meadow, House, Terrace, Field and Saw Mill); Hanbury (Yearnebarrowe) Hill, Pepper Hill, and local stream names are discussed together with other topics of regional importance such as the Hwiccan kingdom; Kinver Forest; the Ismere Diploma; the province of the Husmeræ; the Swinford charter, and the origin of Pedmore. 

The pages of this article include gutter margins and are intended to be printed in A4 double-sided format.