Dear Listers To all who had a go at helping me with this word in connection with a medieval document about Lichfield, we have decided, between us, that it is Whytsich and not Whycsich and this has been confirmed by the discovery of a road name in the same county which is Whitesich. It would be interesting to know the meaning of this name but reading it has helped. Thank you all for your suggestions. Audrey

Hi Audrey, I had a look at OED and have come to the conclusion that a "sich" is possibly a small stream eam of water (or possibly a stretch of meadow) as per below ....... sitch - "Forms: 1 *sic*, 4, 6 *syche*, 5-7 *siche*, 6 *sucche*, 7 *sich*, 9 *sech*, *seech*; 6 *sytche*, 7 *sytch*; 6-7 *sitche*, 9 *sitch*. *1.* = SIKE<http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=misspelling&queryword=sich&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=5F8k-kUTYbc-139&control_no=null&result_place=4&xrefword=sike&ps=n.&homonym_no=1> *n.*1** 1. Chiefly recorded in descriptions of boundaries. *969* in Birch *Cartul. Sax.* III. 535 Of [image: {th}]am mere west..[image: {th}]onne innan anne sice [image: {th}]onne andlangc sices [image: {th}]æt cym[image: {edh}] to [image: {th}]æm hor pytte. [*?c1160* in Dugdale *Mon. Angl.* (1825) V. 584 In viis, et aquis, in sichis et moris.] *c1315* SHOREHAM<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shoreham>v. 177 Ine flom iordanes syche He was ycrystned. *1410* *Coventry Leet Bk.* 12 Et abhinc vsque Merdonsiche. Et sic per illam siche diuertendo vsque [etc.]. *1523* FITZHERB.<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-f.html#fitzherb> *Surv.* 10b, Some rynning waters be commen, as lytell brokes, and sytches. * Ibid.* 50 Smale ryuers, brokes, sucches,..and pyttes. *1581* *Coventry Leet Bk.* (E.E.T.S.) 826 A litle waye into the sitche there, called Sisley-hole,..& vnder the bridge vp the sitche to Hyndwell. *1601* in *Ch. Stretton* (1904) II. 195 Thence following the fylde..and then up a sytch called Newe sytch. *1637* in Miss Jackson *Shropsh. Word-bk.* s.v., Half a land in the Barley field near Stafford's siche. *1684* MANLEY<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-m.html#manley>, *Sichetum*.., a Sich or small Current of Water that uses to be dry in the Summer. *1826-* in dialect glossaries (Chesh., Northampt., Shropsh., Sheff.)." Then link as above to "SIKE" :- " *1.* A small stream of water, a rill or streamlet, esp. one flowing through flat or marshy ground, and often dry in summer; a ditch or channel through which a tiny stream flows. In former times freq. used as a boundary between lands, fields, etc. (cf. sense 2). [image: {dag}]*2.* A stretch of meadow; a field. *Obs.* *rare*. *1479* *Priory of Hexham* (Surtees) II. 6 Idem t[enet] ij sykes prati,..Adam del Hyll t[enet] j syk, et r. p. a. ijd. *1641* BEST<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-b2.html#best> *Farm. Bks.* (Surtees) 38 The Mount-Sikes is 5 dayworkes, and had in it..seaven score and two grasse cockes..; the waine-way into this close is att the gate a little within the gate of the Greate-Sikes. *1669* WORLIDGE<http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-w3.html#worlidge> *Syst. Agric.* (1681) 331 A *Sike*, a Quillet or Furrow" All the best, As to whether the "whyt" refers to a name or is descriptive of a colour I would not make a guess at. Martyn On 25/06/2009, A Lee <alee231@btinternet.com> wrote: > > Dear Listers > > To all who had a go at helping me with this word in connection with a > medieval document about Lichfield, we have decided, between us, that it is > Whytsich and not Whycsich and this has been confirmed by the discovery of a > road name in the same county which is Whitesich. It would be interesting to > know the meaning of this name but reading it has helped. Thank you all for > your suggestions. > > Audrey > > > > > > ==================================== > WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >