As I understand that the name Bolton means town in a bowl,I assume this is why there are so many places of the same name. Valerie

I haven't got a dictionary of place names but my dictionary of surnames gives the origin of Bolton as.... 'Place with houses/huts, groups of buildings, centre of a village' OE The Dictionary of British Place Names has ..... Bolton, a common name in the North of England, from OE *bthl-tn 'settlement with a special building'; examples include: Bolton Bolton. Boelton 1185. Bolton by Bowland Lancs. Bodeltone 1086 (DB). The district-name Bowland (Boelanda 1102) probably means 'district within the curved valley (of the River Hodder)', OE boga 'bow, bend' + land. Bolton, Castle N. Yorks. Bodelton 1086 (DB). Affix from the castle built here in 1379. Bolton le Sands Lancs. Bodeltone 1086 (DB). Affix means 'on the sands'. Bolton Percy N. Yorks. Bodeltune 1086 (DB), Bolton Percy 1305. Manorial affix from its possession by the de Percy family (from 1086). Bolton upon Dearne Barns. Bodeltone 1086 (DB). The river-name Dearne is possibly from OE derne 'hidden', but may be of Celtic origin. "Bolton" A Dictionary of British Place-Names. A. D. Mills. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Bedfordshire County Council. 17 July 2006 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t40.e194 0> (Sorry but the OE does not display in plain text!) Martin Briscoe Fort William M&LFHS | Gwynedd FHS -----Original Message----- From: Valerie [mailto:v.lirakis@ntlworld.com] Sent: 13 July 2006 23:34 To: ENG-LAN-BOLTON-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [ENG-LAN-BOLTON] Boltons, various As I understand that the name Bolton means town in a bowl,I assume this is why there are so many places of the same name.