The Origin of the name BRAINTREE.

The origin of the names Braintree and Bocking is obscure and as such the matter of much debate. These were two separate towns until 1934 when they merged into one unitary authority.

A Celtic settlement stood on what is now the London Road; later Roman dwellings adjoined this spreading upwards towards what became the town centre. The Saxons followed and some debate concerns whether their settlement represents merely a farm or a small township. The land was given to the church on the death of the Saxon Thane Atheric with the Bishop of London receiving lands in Braintree (to the east of Bank Street) and Bocking itself was gifted to the control of Canterbury. At this time the Bishops Palace was erected on Chapel Hill around the area on which stands the Royal Mail Sorting Office today. The name therefore is interpreted as most likely originating from Celtic or Saxon beginnings.

However many other suggestions concerning the name are offered. The Celtic word ‘Brehon,’ meant judgement and the word, ‘Trev,’ meant hamlet. Some believe this became ‘Brehontrev,’ a Celtic place of judgement and this later developed into ‘Branchetreu.’ The term ‘Branchetreu,’ is used in the ‘Domesday Book,’ to refer to the hamlet standing where the Celtic and Roman settlement stood. The Bishops Palace on ‘Chapel Hill,’ came under the name ‘Raines.’ Braintreefor a while in the 12th and early 13th century being referred to as ‘Magna Raines,’ ‘Great Rayne,’ although this soon appeared to die out.

 

 

A further suggestion is the Celtic reference to the raised ground area between the Rivers Brain and Pant, this being called ‘Bank,’ or ‘Bunk,’ with ‘Tre’ being a term for large village.

The River Brain is also suggested as a foundation for the name. ‘Braint’ was a name for ‘river, and a River Braint exists in Wales. Add the Celtic ‘Tre,’ and we have the township by the river, ‘Braintree.’

A further theory indicates ‘Branoc,’ as being the personal name of a leading Celt from which his village derives the name ‘Branoctre,’ Branocs village.

Bocking. There are few suggestions regarding the naming of this town. The Saxon word for ‘people,’ was ‘Ing.’ It is suggested a Thane named ‘Bocca’ had his people in this area. So we have the ‘Bock - ing.’ Early spellings of the towns name include, ‘Boccinge,’ and ‘Bockyng.’