- by

Hallo chums!
As a keen "blogger" people often ask me: "Can you write out a list of all place names ending in -by in an area bounded north to south by the rivers Humber and Welland and east to west by the river Trent and the North Sea?"

I say - Of course. But first I'd like to explain where that particular suffix came from: It was all about 600 AD, I think, when the Vikings started a-lootin' and a-plunderin' the British Isles. At first they were content with burning monasteries and so on, but after a while they took a liking to the place and started settling.

In those days immigration restrictions were much more flexible. There were no "citizenship tests" or anything. Basically, if you wanted to settle down somewhere, you just killed the people already living there.

So, anyway, in moved the Vikings. There must have been a lot of them, as Northern England got to be called the Danelaw and loads of places there still have Viking names.

Which brings us to -by, that, I think, is Danish for a small village. This suffix mostly occurs in the North, hardly ever in the South, but for some reason there are loads of them in what you could call the East Midlands. Why is that? I don't know.

One interesting thing (well, depending on how you define 'interesting'), is that there are some places ending in -bey as well. This just mean they were settled by Norwegian Vikings and not Danish ones. Not a lot of people know that, and those that do often keep it to themselves.

Anyway, on with the show:

Starting from the Humber and moving south, I've found these -

Saxby All Saints; Bonby; Worlaby; Ulceby; Ulceby Skitter; Coleby; Thealeby; Appleby; Roxby; Normanby; Fockerby(other side of the Trent, but I couldn't resist);
Brumby and Ashby (parts of Scunthorpe); Scawby; Wrawby; Barnetby le Wold; Brocklesby; Keelby; Riby; Aylesby; Laceby; Irby upon Humber; Grimsby; Bigby; Somerby; Searby; Owmby; Grasby; Clixby; Aisby; Snitterby; Atterby; North Owersby; South Owersby; Kirkby; Usselby; Osgoodby; Kingerby; Walesby; Tealby; Claxby; Normanby le Wold; Thorganby; Beelsby; Barnoldby le Beck;
Ashby cum Fenby;Grainsby; North Thoresby; Utterby; Fotherby; North Ormsby; Little Grimsby; Caenby; Normanby (another one); Saxby; Owmby(another one);

Just for a spot of light relief, at this point there are two other villages: one is called Toft next Newton and the other is Newton by Toft.

Onwards and upwards...
Kexby; Brattleby; Bransby; Saxilby; Harby; Whisby; Swinderby; Thurlby; Wickenby; Fulnetby; Wragby; Langton by Wragby; Apley; Ranby; Sotby; Legsby; Goulceby; Asterby; Scamblesby; Fullerby; West Ashby; Thimbleby; Gautby; Digby; Ashby de la Launde; Coleby; Boothby Graffoe; Navenby;

Saltfleetby St Clements; Saltfleetby All Saints; Saltfleetby St Peter; Grimoldby; Manby; Maltby le Marsh; Beesby; Saleby; Markby; Swaby; Aby; Rigsby; South Thoresby; Ulceby; Bilsby; Thurlby; Anderby; Mumby; Willoughby; Sloothby; Skendleby; Scremby; Candlesby; Orby; Gunby; Ashby by Partney; Spilsby; Irby in the Marsh; Firsby; Ketsby; South Ormsby; Driby; Sutterby; Bag Enderby; Aswardby; Ashby Puerorum; Somersby; Salmonby; Fulletby; West Ashby; Hemingby

Lusby; Asgarby; Mavis Enderby; Hundleby; Raithby; Hareby; Moorby; Miningsby; Wood Enderby; Revesby; Kirkby on Bain; Tumby.

Then, apart from the town of Coningsby, they take a break ...

only to start again with a vengeance at Sleaford, where you get -

Ewerby; Kirkby le Thorpe; Asgarby; Aswarby; Spanby; Aunsby; Aisby;Oasby; Osbournby; Kelby; Silk Willoughby; North Rauceby; Dembleby; Haceby; Braceby; Humby; Boothby Pagnell; Ingoldsby; Corby Glen; Aslackby; Dowsby; Dunsby; Hacconby;

and finally Thurlby and Carlby, before they peter out at Peterborough.

They continue inland, through Melton Mowbray and Leicester, seeming to follow the course of the river Eye. That would figure, as the Vikings were into boats.

But I won't go there. I think it's important to set yourself limits when listing all places ending in -by.

I hope this work of great scholarship will add to the sum of human knowledge and, who knows, may even help us understand how the universe was created. Perhaps.