The naming of Belchamp Walter

The naming of Belchamp Walter
The "Walter" Part

It is often asked how Belchamp Walter got its name. The most common explanation is that it is due to a connection in its history to Walter de Tey.

I previously discussed this on my page "The derivation of the name Belchamp Walter", this page is an expansion on the possibility of the connection with Walter de Tey.

It is my opinion that the "Walter" part of the village name is more likely to be for William de Beauchamp than it is for de Tey. The reference to de Tey was made in a much later reference. P. H. Reaney in his Placenames of Essex quotes Morant 1763 - 1768 and repeats the de Tey reference. Although Morant is a "trusted" source it does not mean that his inference is the correct one. Richard Newcourt (1700) is an even earlier Historian and he suggests the de Beauchamp derivation.

From the quote below, Morant seems to suggest Belchamp Willam or Belchamp Simon. He does not mention Walter de Tey.

The discussion of the "Walter" part of the name is similar to the discussion on why there is a 904 date on the village Millenium Sign. In both cases Morant is used as a source in addition to Walter de Gray Birch.

While there were 13th century marriages between a de Tey to a de Steyngreve and a de Steyngreve to a de Pattishall, it is not clear whether this is relevant to the discussion. The de Tey marriage is particularly unclear. Futher research reveals that de Steyngreve and de Pattishall do have a connection to Belchamp Walter it is through the de Beauchamp family. The community of Great and Little Tey are geographically apart from Belchamp Walter.

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Isabel de Steyngreve

Isabel de Steyngreve was the daugter of John de Steyngreve, who died in 1295 (according to Thomas Wright).

If I assume that Isabel didn't pre-decease her father and the Walter de Tey I have featured was born in 1260 they must have married around the 1280's. This was Isabel's second marriage (according to ????), her first was to Simon de Pattishall, (who died in 1296).

Philip Morant and the alternative names for the village

The Doomsday Book of 1086 uses the form Belcham. The name Walter is supposed to derive from Walter de Tey, a descendant of William de Beuchamp. Belchamp Walter has also been called Great Belchamp to distinguish it from Belchamp Otten (or Little Belchamp). The Rev’d Phillip Morant in his History and Antiquities of the County of Essex, 1768, Vol 2, p 329, states that Belchamp Walter was also “otherwise called Belchamp Simon, and Belchamp William, from its old owners Simon and William de Beuchamp. In a register of The Court Baron dated 1718 it is stated as in “The Manor of Water Belchamp otherwise Belchamp William.” The name Water Belchamp or Belchamp Water appears to have been in common use at this time through to the early 20th century.

The spelling on Beuchamp above is either a spelling mistake on my part or was in the original text taken from the VH website. In any case the spelling does not appear in Morant's text and Domesday is, as usual, subject to a lot of interpretation. Also the spelling of Domesday as Doomsday is a clue.

The naming of Belchamp WalterThe "Walter" Part

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The naming of Belchamp Walter
The "Walter" Part