Editing Elstree (section)

=== Etymology ===
The name "Elstree" derives from the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] phrase for "Tidwulf's Tree", which is mentioned as ''"Tidulfres treow" '' in an 11–12th-century manuscript of an A.D. 786 charter.<ref>George Salveson & Lyn Blackmore, "Excavations at Elstree Hill South, 1981 – 1983", ''Transactions of the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society'', Volume 36, 1985. ([http://www.lamas.org.uk/ Website])(Google Books [https://books.google.com/books?id=a4lnAAAAMAAJ&q=Tidwulfs snippet])</ref><ref>John Field, "Discovering Place-Names: A Pocket Guide to Over 1500 Place-names in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales", Issue 102 of Shire Discovering, Publisher Osprey Publishing, 2008, {{ISBN|0-7478-0617-9}}, {{ISBN|978-0-7478-0617-2}}, 72 pages ([https://books.google.com/books?id=SR8FnSFQ0WgC&dq=Tidwulf's%20tree&pg=PA23 page 23])</ref> It is thought that "the "T" [was] lost in the [[rebracketing|wrong division]] of <nowiki>'</nowiki>''aet Tidwulfes treo''<nowiki>'</nowiki><ref>Gover, J.E.B.; Mawer, A.; Stenton, F.M. eds., "The place-names of Hertfordshire", English
Place-Name Society, 15 (1938)</ref> ("at Tidwulf's Tree")."

A reference to a place in Hertford as "Ilestre" in 1460 may also be a variation.  <ref> entry number 6 in a membrane from the Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas: CP 40/799, with John Lyon as plaintiff, line 3, in Latin;  
 http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no799/aCP40no799fronts/IMG_0727.htm </ref>

In 1723, [[topographer]] [[John Norden]] noted in his book ''[[Speculum Britanniae]]'', that in the county of Hartfordshire{{sic}} was one "Elstre or Eglestre".<ref>John Norden, ''Speculum Britanniæ: an historical and chorographical description of Middlesex and Hartfordshire'', Published 1723 ([https://books.google.com/books?id=gpFbAAAAQAAJ&dq=elstre&pg=PA65 page 5 (65)])</ref> In an earlier edition, he writes:<ref>''Speculi Britan[n]iae'' pars the description of Hartfordshire by Iohn Norden., London, Printed by Thomas Dawson, 1598 (page 17)</ref>
:"ELSTREE n. 20. in OFFAES grant EAGLESTRE
:''Nemus aquilinum'': a place wherit may be thought Eagles bredd in time past, for though it be nowe hilly and heathy – it hath beene replenished with stately trees, fit for such fowle to breede and harbour in. It is parcell of the libertie of ''S. Albans''.
''Nemus aquilinum'' is the Latin for "grove of eagles".

''[[Robinson Crusoe]]'' author, [[Daniel Defoe]] wrote in his 1748 travel guide that:
:"Idlestrey or Elstre, is a Village on the Roman Watling-street, on the very Edge of Middlesex; but it is chiefly noted for its Situation, near Brockly-hill, by Stanmore, which affords a lovely View cross Middlesex, over the Thames, into Surry."<ref>Daniel Defoe, ''A tour through the whole island of Great Britain: Divided into circuits or journeys'', Printed for S. Birt, T. Osborne, 1748. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=HSgJAAAAQAAJ&q=elstre&pg=PA175 page 175])</ref>

In 1811, topographer [[Daniel Lysons (antiquarian)|Daniel Lysons]] writes:
:"The name of this place has been variously written; — Eaglestree, Elstree, Ilstrye, Idlestrye, etc. Norden says that it is called, in Offa's grant to the Abbey of St. Alban's, Eaglestree, that is, says he, "''Nemus aquilinum'', a 'place where it may be thought that eagles bred in time past'." It has been derived also from Idel-street, i.e. the noble road; and Ill-street, the decayed road. May it not have been, rather, a corruption of Eald-street, the old road, i.e. the ancient [[Watling Street|Watling-street]], upon which it is situated?"<ref>Daniel Lysons, ''The Environs of London: pt.1. Surrey. Volume 1, Part 2 of The Environs of London: Being an Historical Account of the Towns, Villages, and Hamlets, Within Twelve Miles of that Capital: Interspersed with Biographical Anecdotes'', Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1811. ([https://books.google.com/books?id=JJcjAQAAMAAJ&dq=elstree&pg=PA767 page 767])</ref>