Bewaldeth NY 212 347

Bewaldeth NY 212 347. Bualdith 1255, Bowaldef 1260, Boaldith 1278,

Ekwall gives it as the bú of Aldgȳþ (Ekwall, 1960) and Whaley agrees but helpfully notes that the Norse bú 'farmstead, estate' is common in Norway, but rare in English place-names. She also notes that this is an inversion compound - that is it uses Celtic syntax to express the genitive, not Norse or English (Whaley, 2006). PNCu follows Ekwall (Armstrong et al., 1950) So, there is some Celtic influence on the name-givers. Ireby (the farm of the Irish) is four miles distant.

There is an account dating from 1794 (Hutchinson, 1794) that Waldeof first Baron of Allerdale with his seat at Cockermouth gave Bewaldeth and other land to Waldeof son of Gilmyn.I don't know if Ekwall or Whaley had sight of this snippet, but instead of the unknown Aldgȳþ, it would make sense if Bewaldeth was named after its owner "bú Waldeof".

Waldeof's father Gilmyn has a Norman French name, but he called his son Waldeof and his daughter Ochtreda - English names - which is odd so early after the Conquest. I wonder if later scribes assimilated Gilmyn's true name with the French Gilmyn because it was later more familiar. If so, Gilmyn has the look of a Gaelic name in Gille - which are common. This would make more sense in this area in the late 11th Century than a French one, but it's just speculation. There is a record of a Gilbert McGillyn as a tenant farmer in Galloway in 1587 (Livingston, 2011), presumably a version of Mac Gille Eain, more normally Anglicised as MacLean, but now I'm a long way from evidence of any sort..

According to Hutchinson (1794), Waldeof son of Gilmyn's heairs took the surname Bowet (?from Bewaldeth). The family later became prominent, marrying into the Dacres, producing an archbishop of York and inheriting lands in Horseford, Suffolk through marriage (Miller, 1809)