F

Falcon Farm (Sollershope).

Falle [a 'member' of Weobley].

In 1346 and in 1431 it is entered with Alleton (i.e. Alton in Dilwyn). Possibly connected with O.E. fealo, fain, fealewe, originally 'a reddish yellow colour', and applied to land unsown or left bare of a crop, from its reddish colour.

Fawley.

The first element is possibly O.E. fealo (for which see *Falle above). Fawley (Leics.) is before 1038 Faelig-leah, which seems to be 'meadow of Feliga' (pers. name in Onom.). Fawley (Berks.) is circ. 1300 Falelegh, which Skeat connects with O.E. fealo. There are seven or eight Farleys or Farleighs in England, some of which are Dom. Fernlege, 'fern meadow'.

Felhampton (Upton Bishop).

For the first element see Felton.

Felindre (St Weonards).

A name of frequent occurrence in Wales. It is W. felin-dre, 'mill-village', felin being mutated form of melin, and -dre, as often, representing tref, the f being constantly dropped in compound words, e.g. Hendre (q.v.).

Felton.

It may be 'tun of' some man, though there is no likely name in Onom. Or possibly, as in Cleyfelton (Salop), it is 'tun on the fell' or hill, though this fell is Norse or Icel. and there are few traces, or none, of Norse influence on Herefordshire place- names. Felstead (Essex) is said to be 'hide-place', 'tannery', and Bad. suggests that Felton is 'tun in the field' (the d of feld dropping out before the t of tun).

Fencote.

O.E. fenn cott, 'cottage or homestead in the fen'. There is a Fencott in Hatfield (which may be the place referred to in the Leom. Cart.), and an Oxfordshire Fencott.

Fenhampton (Weobley).

Fermbreede (St Margaret's).

Prob. W. fferm, 'a farm', and ffridd, 'a forest'.

*Ferne [near Maund].

Prob. O.E. fearn, 'fern': though usually it is compounded, as in fearn-dun (Farndon), fearnham (Farnham).

*Fernhale [in Staunton-on-Wye].

'Fern meadow'. The second element is O.E. healh, for which see App. -hall.

*Fernlega ['old name of Hereford'].

Girald. Camb. (circ. 1200) writes (Vit. S. Ethel.) 'Asser historicus dicit quod .... Fernlegam, que nunc Herefordia dicitur ...'. For this 'old name of Hereford', see Lloyd, p. 282. But one doubts if the name ever really was applied to the town. In 1227 (Chart. R.) there is a Fernelegh near Kilpeck, about 5 miles S.E. of Hereford. Eg. Phil. thinks Fernlega was 'originally the name of a large tract of forest country, in a portion of which the town of Hereford was founded in the 7th century'. This seems the most probable explanation of the apparent change of name.

Fernshill (Cradley).

The Field (Hampton Bishop).

Flanesford (Goodrich).

The first stone of the Priory was laid, in this year, in loco Flanesford vulgariter nuncupato. For the first element see next entry.

The Flann (Peterstow).

Possibly O.E. flan, 'an arrow'.

Flintsham (Court, and Square, Titley).

Floodgates (Bromyard).

There is a Flitgate in Leom. Cart., which cannot be identified.

*Folkeia [?].

Occurs often in Leom. Cart., earliest about 1240.

The Folly.

A common place-name in Herefordshire, as in many counties. Eardisland (where there is also a 'Little Folly '), Eye, Garway, Little Hereford, Holme Lacy, Marden, Orleton, and Preston-on-Wye have Follies. There is one in Tupsley on Price's Map 1802, and a Probert's Folly occurs in a Credenhill Terrier of 1722. Bishop Cantilupe's Register in 1278 mentions a Robertus de la Folye.

Forbury (Kimbolton).

Ford.

O.E. aet thaem forde. J.H.R. identifies with Ford the Dom. Forne, because Forne and Sarnesfield are held together in Dom., and Ford and Sarnesfield in 1243. This Dom. Forne would seem to be, like Goodrich, that rare type of place-name which adopts a pers. name without any suffix. Forne is a man's name in Onom.; and Fornham (Suff.) is 'the home of Forne'.

Formine Hill (Dorstone).

Prob. W. for-maen, 'road-stone'.

Forty Steps (Little Dewchurch).

*Foukesyate [in Monnington-in-Straddel].

Held in 1300 by one Richard Foukes.

Fowden (Kingsland).

Fowlett (Eastnor).

Fownhope.

As to the first element, two independent words seem to have struggled for centuries, and at last were combined. O.E. fana, 'flag', would give 'enclosed valley of the flag'. But the forms in Fowe suggest the same derivation as Foy, Vowchurch, and Fowmynd (see Mynnedd brith), which come, through the Norm.-Fr. foi, from Lat. fides.

Foxley (Yazor).

The first element is the animal. It is found also in Foxalls (farm, Sollershope, which the Ord. Map in 1831 gives as Foxholes), Foxall (Whitbourne, and Upton Bishop), and Foxholes (Lyonshall). Such forms as Foxbaec, Foxhyl, are found in Kemble.

Foy.

The form in Lib. Land. Lantiuoi (in Mod. Welsh Llandyffwy) is 'Church of St Tyfai'. This was evidently confused with the Nor.-Fr. foi, and before the middle of the 12th century it had become 'ecclesia sancte fidis'. There is an exactly similar confusion in the case of Lamphey (Pembs.) which also is in Lib. Land. Lann Tivoi. But hybrid forms are found, such as Llanfaith, 'Church of St Faith'. Near Abergavenny Llanfoist (dedicated to St Faith) is said to be a similar hybrid form.

Frankland (Marden).

No old forms. Is it 'free-land', or (as the Worcs. Frankley) 'Franca's land' ?

Freen's Court (Sutton).

See Sutton Frene.

Freeth (Thornbury).

O.E. frith, 'forest', 'woodland'. There is a Frith farm in Ledbury, and one in Stanford Bishop.

Freetown (Ashperton).

*Fridmore [Ullingswick].

'Forest-moor'. See Freeth above.

Frog-lane.

In 1322 there is a 'Froggelone ... in suburbio Herefordie' (Ep. Reg.). In 1280 there is in Ewyas Harold a 'Vriogis-strete', which in 1300 is 'frocgelone' (E. H. Cart.). A 'Froglone' was in or near Eastnor in 1277 (Ep. Reg.) and in 1577. A 'Froggeswell' is mentioned in Leom. Cart. There is a 'Frog-end' in Frome in 1650, and a 'Frogg Lane' in Goodrich in 1722.

Frome.

It seemed best, in giving the above forms, not to attempt separate lists for Bishop's Frome, Castle Frome, and Canon Frome (the only names now current). Frome is originally a Celtic rivername, after which the district is called. In Dom. we have Frome, belonging to the Bishop; Nerefrum, which J.H.R. thinks is Castle Frome; and Brismerfrum, held T. R. E. by Brismer from Earl Harold. This apparently became in the 13th century Frome Haymund (O.E. Ealmund); and some at least of it is comprised in the hamlet still called Halmond Frome. Canon Frome was held in 1243, and perhaps for a century earlier, by the Canons of Llanthony in Wales. Of Frome Castelli Regis little or nothing is known. Frome Henry was held in 1243 by Henry of Monmouth. In Mordiford, near where the river Frome falls into the Lugg, is Prior's Frome (now always spelt Froome, though Frome in 1831), once held by St Guthlac's. The 'Priors Fromeledon' of 1542 should refer to this; but, if so, the -ledon is inexplicable. In Castle Frome the two rivers, Frome and Leadon, run almost parallel to one another, and little over two miles apart. There are four Fromes in Dorset, and one in Somerset, all on the two rivers called Frome.

Fudwell (Clehonger).

Fulmores (Woolhope).

'Foul moor', O.E. ful, 'filthy'. Cf. Fulford (Staffs.), Fulbourn (Cambs.).

Furlongs (farm, Little Hereford).

In Lyde circ. 1175 is a field called Mugefurlong. In Littleton (Hants.) in 1265 were Middelforlong, Orcherdforlong, Medforlonge, and Fernfurlonge. In Bredwardine circ. 1200 is Werefurlanc (i.e. Weirfurlong).

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