Nursling
Nursling, Nursling and Rownhamscounty:
coords:
Hampshire
SU3716
otherwise: nhutscelle, 800; nuhtscillingae, 877-12; hnutscillingae, 956-12; hnut scillinga, 1045-11; Nutselling, 1189; Nutsillinges, 1204; Nutschullyng, 1230
NURSLING
It seems clear that this extraordinary name started as hypothetical Old English 'hnutusciell'='nutshell'. We can only guess at the reason. (Ekwall thinks it a jocular name for a tiny place.) It was modified in later Old English by the addition of the singular '-ing' suffix (Smith, English Place Name Elements: I, 285-90). In post-Conquest documents, especially from Winchester, this is mistaken for the 'tribal' plural '-ingas' suffix or arbitrarily pluralized as the element 'stoc' often is (about 1124 'Nutsellinges'). Evidence for the loss of the 't' accumulates from 1269 ('Nusselyng') and the modern pronunciation is signalled from 1483 ('Nurselynges').
A comment on LITCHFIELD GRANGE is called for. This appears to be from hypothetical Old English 'Hnutuscylf(e)'='nut(-tree) shelf'. If there were the slightest hint of a 'f/v' in the voluminous records for Nursling, I would have no hesitation in taking these to represent the same name form. The range of Middle English spellings for the vowel of the second element 'i, y, e, u' is consistent with derivation from Old English 'scylf(e)'. Nursling is on level, though not elevated, ground. But there is no trace of the required consonant, and the relation between the two names, if any remains unsolved. The presence of nut trees in the district is apparently corroborated by the existence of 'Nutfield' in Rownhams and 'Nutburn' in North Baddesley.
Shown on an old map by Harrison 1788
- settlement, hamlet - Bedbridge Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1780s
Shown on an old map by Morden 1695
- settlement, village - Redbridg Hundred - Hampshire
Period - 1690s-1720s
Shown on an old map by Blaeu 1645
- settlement, hamlet - Redbridge Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Speed 1611
- settlement, hamlet - Redbridge Hundred - Hantshire
Shown on an old map by Norden 1607
- settlement, village - Redbridg Hundred - Hamshire
Period - 1590s-1600s
Shown on an old map by Saxton 1575
- settlement, village - Southamtoniae
Listed in Domesday Book
- Bitelesiet Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
HAE TERRAE ... SVNT DE VICTV MONACHO. Wint. ... Ipse eps. ten. NOTESSELINGE . Se~p in monasterio fuit ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Bitelesiete Hundred - Hantscire
Period - 11th century
