Hi everyone,
I'd just like to add a point or two to my September posts regarding Sixpenny DOR, Pensax WOR and similar names.
I said these were to be conceptualised like the W. compound Penmaen, and to be understood as
meaning "rocky outcrop" or "rocky coastal headland", with the SAX element = rock (whatever its exact etymology).
I've now bought the 1:25,000 maps for Cornwall, and so have spotted Roche nr. St. Austell , Roche Rock (a big rocky outcrop, after which Roche is named - this being a Cornu-Norman name - OJP in VW) and
the hamlet of Trezaise immediately to the S. of the landscape feature.
It looks overwhelmingly likely that this should be understood as "Rock Farm" rather than "Englishman's Farm".
CPNE spells this name Tresize.
Opposite Padstow is the similar name Rock (though this is early modern English - OJP in VW), also referring to a rocky
outcrop. Adjacent is the hamlet Penmayne, which we can reasonably assume is the earlier name for the outcrop.
If so, then it is therefore a Cornish outlier of the W. Penmaen names.
Unless of course we translate Penmayne freely, to get "Chef Stein" - as an onomastic tribute to the well-known Padstow restaurateur. (Couldn't resist this pun, sorry.... have been enjoying RS's India programmes)
We should probably discuss these names together with DEV/SOM/SSX/?DRB "tor" - which also means "rocky ourcrop" - though I don't think "tor" is ever used of a coastal headland.
Cecil Torr (so who should know better?) is adamant in his wonderful "Small Talk at Wreyland" (CUP, reprinted OUP o/p)
that this landscape feature and its derivative surname should be spelt with 2 r's.
Thanks everyone for reading this post.
Nick
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