From: William Calhoun
Message: 4056
Date: 2004-01-17
>From: "Gerald Mcharg" <Gerald.Mcharg@...>_________________________________________________________________
>Reply-To: norse_course@yahoogroups.com
>To: <norse_course@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [norse_course] Jed re Eric Gass and 'ham'
>Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:55:56 -0000
>
>Eric
>
>I'm not too sure about place-names in 'ham' having a Norse derivation.
>
>I believe that 'ham' is one of the earlier place-name elements to be found
>in Old English charters of the seventh century; 'tons' as a rule, occur in
>later charters.
>If anyone is interested in this, the authorities to consult are Joliffe,
>Stenton and Granville.
>
>I haven't really looked at the distribution of 'hams' in Britain, so I
>can't say whether they predominate in the north. I do know that they occur
>far less frequently than the 'ton' settlements and that the implications of
>this could be that they were early administrative or political centres for
>their respective regions.
>
>Anyhow, if there is a chance for an informed discussion on this, I would
>like to hear other opinions.
>
>Cheers
>Jed Mc Harg