Answers

 Delmerend, Flamstead and "End" in Hertfordshire Placenames

November 2001

Pam Dollimore of Toronto, Canada, says In your Burchmore genealogy, you have a William Burchmore (1765-1841) will that stated that his property at Flamstead were 3 tenements at Trowley End and a field at Dollimore End.  On the map I located Delemerend Farm just outside of Flamstead. I do not know about any Dollimore's from Flamstead, can you find any records of Dollimore's here - during any timeframe.  The IGI does not have any record of any Dollimore's from Flamstead, nor does the 1881 Census.  Or can you tell me about the history of Delemerend Farm. As you probably already know, the name Dollimore originated from "de le Mere" and they came to England from France with William the Conquerer in 1066, and were Knights to William the Conquerer.

It is almost certain that the will reference to Dollimore End, and the reference to Delemerend on the unidentified map you have seen, are both to the area of Flamstead now called Delmerend, just east of the village centre.

Place names ending in "End" are very common in the area and there are a number of such places on or near the Flamstead parish boundary. Delmerend, Holtsmere End, Woodend, Penny End and Pepsalend are in Flamstead, Norringtonend and Great Revelend are in Redbourn, Stags (or Taggs) End and Jockey End are in Great Gaddesden, and the others are Sherlock's End (Harpenden), Clement's End (Studham, Beds), Slip End (Luton, Beds) and Roe End (Markyate) which may be an alternative name for Cheverells End. Such places are sometimes named after some local feature (there are many Church Ends and several Water Ends in Hertfordshire) and on other cases the name may date back to a former farmer who lived there six hundred or more years ago.

Old spellings are unbelievably variable by modern standards so it is very easy to get confused - particularly when an unusual spelling gets mis-transcribed as well - which may explain the Dollimore reference. The Place-names of Hertfordshire associated the name with references to Nicholas of "Dillingmere" in 1307 and Thomas of "Yllingmere" in 1323, and comments that there is no pool (mere) there at the present time. There is a reference to "Dellmore" in 1477 and an early reference to "Delmor End" in the Flamstead parish register for 1586. It is "Delmore End" on Dury & Andrews survey of 1766, and "Delmerend Farm" in the 1838 tithe returns. Edwards' A New History of Flamstead  points out that parts of the farm house dates from the late sixteenth century and include a detailed history from the second half of the 19th century (which you could expand on by reference to the census returns.)

It seems likely that Delmerend gets its name from Dillingmere (Dilling's Pool?) at least 700 years ago - before modern surnames came properly into use, and there is no grounds for suggesting that the place name has connection with Dollimore or De La Mare. On the other hand it is quite possible that at some time someone from Dillingmere took the name and that there some are Dollimores who originated from Flamstead who have no connection with the Norman Conquest.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

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