Page:Devon and Cornwall Queries Vol 9 1917.djvu/211

 Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, 155 It is also the ancient name of Launceston, and it appears in Saxon times both as 'Dunhevede and Dunhevete. In Somerset and Wilts, places now called Donhead or Down- head were, according to Kemble's Ang.-Sax. Charters, Diinhedfod. We therefore have the Heavi of our place-name the equivalent phonetically of the exact A.-S. heafod, and the less exact representatives hevede and hevete. Now, if we place either of them as prefix to the word for tree, we can see at once how the original name Hedfodtreow, as I take it to have been, became Hevetruua, Hevetroue, and ultimately Heavitree. It is found Hevetre in 1348 in the Episcopal Registers. So much for the derivation as I conceive it. But there must also be some reasonable explanation required ; and we are helped to it by certain other compound words of Anglo- Saxon literature. A metropolis was a Heafodburh or Heafod stow ; a cathedral was a Heafod cirice ; a patriarch was a Heafod faeder ; a head man, a leader, or a general, was a Heafod mann. And we are well acquainted now in schools with the chief master as the Head-master or High-master. I take it that the name Heavitree meant and means nothing more nor less than one of two things, either a tree at the head of a hill or promontory, or a specially tall or grand tree which was a notable landmark of ancient days, around which the parish of Heavitree is now clustered, and the position of which may still possibly be designated by a study of the parish map and its accompanying book of field-names. I incline to the latter view. If it be regarded as a singular name for a place, I need only suggest the Devon " Langtree " as another such. There is an estate in Manaton called " Heatree," an exact equivalent to Heavitree. There is also a place called " High Trees" at Savernake ; and a village " Hauts Arbres " a mile or two south of Gravelines near Calais. But we retain the affix perfect in " Heavywood " farm, two and a half miles south of Reigate ; and again in the personal name " Heaviside," to be found in the Clergy List; simple enough when explained on the theory I have offered, which I submit gladly to the approval or criticism of D.&C.N.&Q. readers. ^^ „ Geo. T. Llewellin.