Tewkesbury

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historic market town in Gloucestershire, England, known for its medieval abbey ; a decisive Wars of the Roses battle fought near that town in 1471
2. An old market town in the county of Gloucestershire in western England ; a major clash of the Wars of the Roses fought nearby in 1471
3. A medieval English town in Gloucestershire famed for its abbey ; the 1471 engagement in the Wars of the Roses that was fought close to it

Etymology: Tewkesbury is a market town in Gloucestershire, and its name is most likely a personal name followed by an Old English word for a fortified place. The first element is probably the Old English personal name "Tēodec", in the genitive form "Tēodeces", combined with "byriġ", the dative form of "burh", meaning "fort" or "stronghold". The sense is therefore roughly "Tēodec's fortified place", a pattern shared by many English place names ending in "-bury". Local tradition tells a more colourful story. The town's ancient monastery was long believed to have given the first part of the name a Greek origin, linking it to "Theotókos", the Greek title meaning "God-bearer", used for the Virgin Mary. On this reading, the name would honour the monastery's dedication to her. The philology favours the personal name, but the monastic connection explains why the Greek idea took hold locally.