WHAT WAS THE COUNTRY OF THE ANGLES?
What country was inhabited by the Angles before they occupied Britain? Adam of Bremen (Hist. Eccl. c. 3.) says:
"Igitur Saxones primo circa Rhenum sedes habitant et vocati sunt Angli quorum pars inde veniens in Britanniam, etc."
Notwithstanding the opinion of Turner, and most other historians, I venture to offer a few facts in confirmation of the monk's testimony. 1. The names of places on the Lower Rhine, and more especially in Guelderland, point to an Anglian origin for instance, Engelanderholt, Engelenburg and Engelenberg, Angerlo olim Angelerlo. Engeland, near Beekbergen, is mentioned in a charter[[3]] dated 801 as villa Englandi. Several other places bear the same name: two near Hardenberg, one in the land of Putten, another in our parish; which also contains Henschoten olim Hengestschoten, and owes its own name to Woden. Near Nimwegen, we have Horssen. 2. Many local names in the same district, which can only be explained by reference to the A.-S. Hulkestein on the Zuyder Sea, Hulkestein near Arnhem, from A.-S. hulc, a dwelling: thus, stone buildings, castles. Thri, A.-S., three, is mentioned in a charter dated 855 as the name of a villa, now the hamlet Drie, near Ermelo. Hierd and Heerd, from A.-S. hierde, perhaps also Hardewick or Harderwyk from the same. Braclog, a wood near Engelanderholt, from brac, enemy, and locen, an enclosure, is mentioned in a charter (801). Luntern and Lunhorst, from A.-S. Lun, poor. Wigmond, from wig, war; and mund, defence. Culenburg, from ciol or ceol, a ship. Klingelbeck, near Arnhem, from clingan, to shrink up. Ysseloord from ord, a point; and thus confluence of two rivers, as we see also on the Rhine, Roerort and Angerort. Herwynen, Herveld, Hernen, Herwaarden, Winden Delwynen, Sennewyn, can be explained[[4]] by A.-S. here and win. 3. The agreement between the names of places here, and those of every part of England occupied by the Angles. Out of a great number of instances collected by Mr. Molhuysen (see Nyhoff's Bijdragen, vol. iii.) I will take a few. In Kent we have Appledore, Appleton, Appleby; here Appeldorn, Appel, Appeltern, Appelenburg on the Wahal. Ashe and Ash; Asch, near Buren, and others. Barne; Bern near Heusden, and Baarn near Amersfoort. Barnefield; Barneveld. Bonington, Boningen. Dover; Doveren. Gillingham; Gellinchem. Hearne; Hiern, near Waardenburg. Herne; Hernen. Leisdon; Leusden. Lone; Loenen. Sandwich; Sandwyk, near Tiel. Watchorne; Waghorn, in the Velume. In Yorkshire: Beel; De Beele, near Voorst. Byland; Byland. Campe; Campen. Catwich; Katwyk. Dodworth; Dodewaard. Ecope; Heicop. Grimestone; Grimmestein, on the Eem. Heck; Eck. Hampall; Empel, near Engelen. Herfield; Herveld. Hewick; Ewyk, &c. &c.—The evident similarity of names in this list, which might be extended through several pages, affords at least a strong presumption that a part of the land of our fathers is to be sought here. I will just add that there is a MS. containing copies of charters, registers, &c., collected by Opstraeten van der Moelen, a genealogist, who died in the early part of the seventeenth century, now in the possession of Mr. Van Asch van Wyck. In this is an article entitled "De Nobili et Antiqua Familia dicta Amersfoort seu potius Heemsfurt vel Hemefurt a vado Heeme seu Hemi fluvii." The writer makes mention of the well-known grant of Charlemagne to the cathedral of Utrecht, by which Lisidunum (Leusden) and four forests on the banks of the Eem were ceded to this church: Hengestschoten, Fornese, Mocoroth, and Widoc. The writer considers the last-named forest to be that of Wede or Woden; and derives thence the family-name Weede. Concerning Hengestschoten is remarked:
"Hengist, qui circum annum 450 Britanniam insulam cum suis Frisonibus et Saxonibus occupat." And further: "Weede nomen adhunc retinere videtur a Woden, qui fuit avus avi Hengesti, sicut Hengestschoten, nune prædium dominorum Oestbroek, ab Hengisto nominatur."
Henschoten was ceded to the abbey of Oestbroek in 1130, and sold at the breaking up of the monasteries; and is now the property of Mr. Van Asch van Wyck. Since, therefore, the above extract must have been written before the Reformation, the belief that our forefathers proceeded from this country is by no means new; and the evidence in its support is, I think, stronger than that adduced by Turner and Lappenberg in favour of an immigration from Sleswig; indeed it seems not improbable that the first settlers, with Hengist at their head, sailed from the mouth of the Eem. I have more to add in a future Number, if "Notes and Queries" can afford me space.
J. S.
Woudenberg, April, 1851.
Footnote 3:[(return)]
Bondam's Charter-boek.
See Gibson, A.-S. Chron.