Repton and its neighbourhood

by F. C. Hipkins

During the Civil War the inhabitants of Repton and neighbourhood remained loyal and faithful to King Charles I. In 1642 Sir John Gell, commander of the Parliamentary forces stormed Bretby House, and in January, 1643, the inhabitants of Repton, and other parishes, sent a letter of remonstrance to the Mayor and Corporation of Derby, owing to the plundering excursions of soldiers under Sir John’s command. In the same year, Sir John Harpur’s house, at Swarkeston, was stormed and taken by Sir John Gell.

In 1687 a wonderful skeleton, nine feet long! was discovered in a field, called Allen’s Close, adjoining the churchyard of Repton, now part of the Vicarage grounds. The skeleton was in a stone coffin, with others to the number of one hundred arranged round it! During the year 1787 the grave was reopened, and a confused heap of bones was discovered, which were covered over with earth, and a sycamore tree, which is still flourishing, was planted to mark the spot.

During the present century few changes have been made in the village; most of them will be found recorded, either under chief events in the History of Repton, or in the chapters succeeding.

CHAPTER II.
REPTON (HISTORICAL). THE PLACE-NAME REPTON, &c.

The first mention of Repton occurs in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, under the year 755. Referring to “the slaughter” of King Ethelbald, King of Mercia, one out of the six MSS. relates that it happened “on Hreopandune,” “at Repton”; the other five have “on Seccandune,” “at Seckington,” near Tamworth. Four of the MSS. spell the name “Hrepandune,” one “Hreopadune,” and one “Reopandune.”

Under the year 874, when the Danes came from Lindsey, Lincolnshire, to Repton, “and there took winter quarters,” four of the MSS. spell the name “Hreopedune,” one “Hreopendune.” Again, under the year 875, when they left, having destroyed the Abbey and the town, the name is spelt “Hreopedune.” The final e represents the dative case. In Domesday Book it is spelt “Rapendune,” “Rapendvne,” or “Rapendvn.” In later times, among the various ways of spelling the name, the following occur:—Hrypadun, Rypadun, Rapandun, Rapindon, Rependon, Repindon, Repingdon, Repyndon, Repington, Repyngton, Ripington, Rippington, &c., and finally Repton; the final syllable ton being, of course, a corruption of the ancient dun or don.

Now as to the meaning of the name. There is no doubt about the suffix dun, which was adopted by the Anglo-Saxons from the Celts, and means a hill, and was generally used to denote a hill-fortress, stronghold, or fortified place. As to the meaning of the prefix “Hreopan,” “Hreopen,” or “Repen,” the following suggestions have been made:—(1) “Hreopan” is the genitive case of a Saxon proper name, “Hreopa,” and means Hreopa’s hill, or hill-fortress. (2) “Hropan or Hreopan,” a verb, “to shout,” or “proclaim”; or a noun, “Hrop,” “clamour,” or “proclamation,” and so may mean “the hill of shouting, clamour, or proclamation.” (3) “Repan or Ripan,” a verb, “to reap” or a noun, “Rep, or Rip,” a harvest, “the hill of reaping or harvest.” (4) “Hreppr,” a Norse noun for “a village,” “a village on a hill.” (5) “Ripa,” a noun meaning “a bank,” “a hill on a bank,” of the river Trent, which flows close to it.

The question is, which of these is the most probable meaning? The first three seem to suit the place and position. It is a very common thing for a hill or place to bear the name of the owner or occupier. As Hreopandun was the capital of Mercia, many a council may have been held, many a law may have been proclaimed, and many a fight may have been fought, with noise and clamour, upon its hill, and, in peaceful times, a harvest may have been reaped upon it, and the land around. As regards the two last suggestions, the arrival of the Norsemen, in the eighth century, would be too late for them to name a place which had probably been in existence, as an important town, for nearly two centuries before they came.