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Question

I understand that there is a Nine Elms in Wiltshire, as well as in Battersea, and that the Bolingbroke/St John family come from Lydiard Tregoze, which is near Nine Elms. Do you have any information on the origin of your Nine Elms' name? Ours is first mentioned in 1645. There may be no connection, but it seems a coincidence that there is the St John link between Wiltshire and Battersea.

Question asked on

10 January 2004

Answer

You're set me on an interesting hunt here but I'm afraid that I cannot come up with a definitive answer. Our Nine Elms is first recorded on the first accurate large scale map of Wiltshire, published in 1773. At the junction of 3 roads there is a triangular 'green' in which the cartographer has depicted 7 trees - it may be that there wasn't room for all 9 or two may have died or been blown down. There is nothing published on the meaning of the name but I would expect it to be topographical relating to a distinct group of nine elm trees.

There is also a Nine Elms Farm at Bucklebury in Berkshire, the manor of which came to Henry St. John, Lord Bolingbroke, through his wife's inheritance in 1703. He seems to have greatly enjoyed Bucklebury but when he was attainted, after the death of Queen Anne, the manor was granted to his trustees in order to pay his debts. At this time many trees were cut down. The first written record of the Berkshire name seems to be the O.S. map of 1830 although it is possible that it was so named earlier and it could be that the family planted clumps of elms on their manors in the early 18th century.

Unfortunately as your Nine Elms was first mentioned in 1645 this theory wouldn't tie all three together unless it was an inherited family trait! However as all three places, apparently the only ones in England, are connected with the Bolingbrokes it does seem quite a coincidence.

Bibliography

Map of Wiltshire, by Andrews and Dury. 1773

Place-names of Wiltshire, by J.E.B. Gover, Allen Mawer and F.M. Stenton

The Victoria History of Berkshire, Vol. 3. 1923