Litchfield
Litchfield, Litchfield and Woodcottcounty:
coords:
Hampshire
SU4653
otherwise: Lieueselva, 1168; Livesulve; Lidesull', 1212; Lidescelve, 1219; Lidesulve, 1238; Ludeshulve, 1270; Leveshulle, 1291
LITCHFIELD
The second element is clearly Old English 'scylf(e)'='terrace, shelf'; 'field' is not found till 1539 ('Lychefeld'). What the shelf might be topographically is unclear, for Litchfield is in a rather narrow dry valley debouching into that of the upper Test. The valley broadens a little just above the church. The first element can scarcely be Old English 'hlif' in any sense derived from 'hlifian'='to overhang'; a vaguer sense of 'protection' may be appropriate to the site if the fact of its being in a valley is sufficient. The spellings in 'd' more frequent but on the whole later than those in 'v' suggest Old English 'hlid, hlith'='slope', but we may have 'hlid'='lid' in the application 'gate', for the valley mentioned is the pass connecting the Kennet and Test valleys.
Having said all this, though, the first element appears to descend from hypothetical '(h)lyf-' not a form in '-i-'; no such element of this shape is known. Maybe we have the hypothetical 'hlywe' found in two Anglo Saxon charter boundaries (Sawyer catalogue nos. 944 and 1013 (South Stoneham and Hoddington)). It is held to mean 'sheltered place' (Smith, English Place Name Elements: I, 254). Either it shows the same alternation that is seen in 'lawerce, laferce'='lark' (see LAVERSTOKE); or the 'u/v' actually represents [w] not [v]. Possibly this most problematic name is thus hypothetical 'Hlywanscylf(e), Hlyfanscylf(e)'='shelter shelf', with later reinterpretation of the obscure first element. The modern name appears, unaccountably, to have been influenced by that of 'Lichfield' (Staffordshire).
7 miles away in Ashe is 'Litchfield Grange'. The original name of this place is 1033 'wutinga scylf' 1147 'Nutesceolvam' (Latin form), in the time of Richard I 'Nuttesself' ie: hypothetical Old English 'Hnutuscylf(e)'='nut(-tree) shelf'. The first form is corrupt. It is curious that its modern name has been influenced by the only other 'scylf(e)' name in the district [Litchfield, qv], after it was no longer recognizable as such. See further under NURSLING.
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- settlement, hamlet - Kingsclear Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
The place is described in text Cox 1738
- Hampshire
Litchfield, a Village of note only for having the same Name with a City in this Kingdom, which is an Episcopal See, signifying, A Field of Carkasses, ...
Shown on an old map by Morden 1695
- settlement, hamlet - Kingsclere Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- settlement, hamlet - Kingscler Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- settlement, hamlet - Kingscler Hundred - Hantshire
The place is described in text Camden 1610
- Hantshire
Period - 1600s
[a roman road went] ... hard by Litchfield, that is, the field of dead bodies, ...
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- church - Kinges Clere Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- settlement, village - Southamtoniae
Listed in Domesday Book
- Esseburne Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA HVGONIS DE PORTH ... Ipse H ten. LIVESELLE et Faderlin de eo . Ezi tenuit de rege E ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Basingstoches Hundred - Hantscire
Period - 11th century
