154
THEYDON BOIS.
than French for its origin. As the manor of Taindena was in the
possession of Saxon Thegns, or Thanes, at the time of the Norman
Conquest, and consequently before the introduction of French into
England, there is afforded a sufficient reason for believing that the
source of the name should be sought for, in the language spoken by
the Saxon, or Teutonic cultivators of the soil.
The Teutonic name for wood is Bosz4; Flemish, Bosch5; German,
Busch; Anglo-Norman, Boys.6 Without attention to the sound of
the letters B-o-s-z and B-o-s-c-h, they do not seem to convey that of
Boice; but on examination it will be found to very closely approxi-
mate to it. We have in English an o sounded as if joined on to r. It
is heard in, a not unusual mode of pronouncing, cross, lost, toss, frost,
etc. If then Bosz and Bosch be pronounced with the o sounded
as above-mentioned, and the voice allowed to dwell on the terminal
consonants, which was no doubt intended, a pronunciation will result
similar to that of Bois—in Theydon Bois—by the inhabitants of the
parish and surrounding districts. A Fleming, however, at the present
time would not sound the o broad or long; but there can be no doubt
but that it was, formerly, in many words a long o, although it has
undergone a change ; for in the fifteenth century "cross" was spelt
"croys" and "crois" (to which reference will be made a little further
on); and Mr. Ellis, in his paper on "Early English Pronunciation,"
says, "The long oo is also sometimes heard from those London
speakers who wish to prolong the sound of o in dog, cross, off, office.
It is also the sound most esteemed in oar, glory, story, memorial."7
It is not, therefore, assuming too much to suppose it was so sounded
by our Teutonic ancestors, and that Bosz and Bosch were sounded
like "bosze, borough, castle, city."6
The adventurers who assisted in the Norman Conquest and settle-
ment of England were gathered from various parts of the Con-
tinent; and William de Bosco, who held land in Theydon, in 1116,
and gave the church to the Priory of St. Bartholomew, in West Smith-
field, probably came from Flanders, so that the sound of Bosz
or Bosch was familiar to him. But as Italian and Spanish priests
were freely introduced into English religious houses, a priest of one
of those nationalities may have drawn the deed of gift ; and being
unacquainted with the sound of ch, entered the name of the donor
4 Bailey's English Dictionary, 1742. Under Boseham, a town in Suffolk.
5 "Dictionnaire Flamand et Francaise," by F. Halma, 1719.
6 J. O. Halliwell's "Dictionary of Archaic Words."
7 Early English Text Society, "English Pronunciation," page 94.