This article written by Jackie Rickenberg was published in the Parish Magazine in September 2021
Last month’s explanation about the origin of Emley Farms’ name, started me thinking about some of the names familiar to us, but perhaps not immediately obvious as to where their origins lie. The village sign gives a clue as to the name Thursley, which was called Thoresle in 1292. This names etymologically is difficult to interpret but it was probably derived from the Saxon God, Thunor or Thunder and may be related to the heathen temple at Peper Harrow. Read on further for another possible explanation!
What about The Devil’s Punch Bowl? This is another very odd name. It seems (according to “Portrait of S.W Surrey” by Jane Brown from the early 1980’s) to have “arrived” in the district around the mid-18th century, roughly at the same time as the neighbouring Devil’s Jumps. The first recorded mention of the name is on John Rocque’s map of 1768 where the area is labelled “Hackham Bottom or Devil’s Punch Bowl”. The Devil’s Jumps also appear on this map, but it is interesting that this name also appears on an earlier map by John Senex in 1729. On that same map the site of the Devil’s Punch Bowl is simply shown as Hackham Bottom, which suggests that the Devil got the Jumps before the Punch Bowl! The name Hackham is probably derived from an ancient place name “Hegcumbe” meaning a hay-combe or meadow in a valley, a reference to the meadows that occupied the northern part of the valley before the gorse took over. There is a road map by John Ogilby dated 1675 of the London to Portsmouth Road and as this is fairly large scale it should surely show the Devil’s Punch Bowl, if it were known as such – but it does not; it only shows the name Hindhead.
Why the devil the Devil suddenly came to this corner of Surrey in the mid 1700’s, it is difficult to say. An alternative origin to the name Thursley is that the name is related to “Thor’s Ley”, which dates back to the Danish occupation of Surrey in the 9th century. Thor was the Scandinavian Vikings God of war and folklore has it that Thor made war on the Devil, who had annoyed him, by jumping from hill to hill – hence the name Devil’s Jumps. One day Thor caught him in the act and bowled him over with a stone – they say you can still see the stone on the Jumps! However, the delay of nine centuries before the name stuck, is somewhat tardy, so believe what you will!
The name Devil’s Punch Bowl, coupled with the wilderness of the landscape, has always conjured up vivid imagery, and Charles Dickens made use of this very cleverly in the following passage from Nicholas Nickleby:
To Godalming they came at last, and here they bargained for two humble beds, and slept soundly. In the morning they were astir, though not quite so early as the sun, and again afoot; if not with all the freshness of yesterday, still with enough hope and spirit to bear them cheerily on.
They walked upon the rim of the Devil’s Punch Bowl: and Smirke listened with greedy interest as Nicholas read the inscription upon the stone which reared upon that wild spot, telling of a murder committed there by night. The grass upon which they stood, had once been dyed with gore; and the blood of the murdered man had run down drop by drop into the hollow which gives the place its name. “The Devil’s Punch Bowl” thought Nicholas, as he looked into the void, “never held fitter liquor than that!”
Nowadays, the Punch Bowl is a well-known walking and beauty spot but as Charles Dickens implies, it has had its share of dark and sinister times. The sailor’s murder referred to above by Dickens, is a part of Thursley’s history, but for those not familiar with it, it’s worth repeating. Next month’s subject!
Incidentally, The History Society recently unearthed an old Tithe map of Thursley dated 1846, which lists all the field names around the village. It goes a long way towards explaining some of our house names. We are in the process of getting it framed and it will be on display at the upcoming VE Day exhibition on 14th November in the Village Hall. It’s interesting to note that the majority of land in Thursley was then owned by either Lord Middleton or Henry Yaldon Knowles. I don’t claim to know all the house names in the parish, but I can’t remember seeing anything known as The Rumpy, Dunghill, Upper Bottoms or indeed Lower Bottoms! I would love to stand corrected though.
Remember to email if you have any queries or points of interest;
thursleyhistorysociety@gmail.com.
Postcard
circa 1933