Colswein

Male
DWP
4 of 5

Discussion of the name

Colswein is the late Old English form of a name that appears as Kol(l)sveinn in Old Norse, apparently comprising kol ‘coal, dark’ and sveinn ‘young man, servant’.  However, sveinn is rare as a second element except in hybrid names and ON Kol(l)sveinn is rare in Scandinavia itself, so Colswein is most likely to have originated as an Anglo-Scandinavian name in the so-called ‘Danelaw’ area of England (Bjorkman 1910: 85-6; von Feilitzen 1937: 307; Ekwall 1947: 79, 87; Fellows Jensen 1968: 179-80, 351; Insley 1982: 85; Insley 2003: 388-90).  It is possible that the DB form Colsege is a corrupt form of Colswein but this is uncertain and is therefore discussed separately under the head-form Colsege; the DB form Coloen is included here, however, because ‘o’ for ‘w’ (paralleled by some forms of the name Mærleswein) and loss of ‘s’ before a voiced consonant occur in other DB forms (von Feilitzen 1937: 75-6, 106-7, 218, 307).

There are related entries under three head-forms in the PASE corpus: Colswegen 1-2 represent one or two moneyers active in Hastings between 1059 and 1066; Colswegen 3 was a moneyer active in Lincoln in the early eleventh century; Colswein 1 witnessed an agreement in London regarding land in Hertfordshire in the late eleventh century (Kelly 2004: 230-1; Ekwall 1947: 50, 79, who also notes a Colswegen as a London moneyer under King William 1 and a Lyveva filia Colsueni in 1103); Colswein 2 witnessed an Ely charter of c.1080 (Bates 1998: 418-20); and Colswein 3 and Kolsveinn 1 are catch-all categories for occurrences of this name in DB.  To accommodate these variants within the current head-form the identities profiled below commence with Colswein 8.

Bibliography

Bates 1998: Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannorum: The Acta of William I (1066–1087), ed. David Bates (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998)

Björkman 1910: Erik Björkman, Nordische Personennamen in England in alt- und frühmittel-englischer Zeit, Studien zur englischen Philologie 37 (Halle an der Saale, 1910; reprinted Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1973)

Ekwall 1947: E. Ekwall, Early London Personal Names (Lund, 1947)

Fellows Jensen 1968: Gillian Fellows Jensen, Scandinavian Personal Names in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire (Copenhagen: I Kommission hos Akademisk Forlag, 1968)

Insley 1982: J. Insley, ‘Some Scandinavian personal names from south-west England’, Namn Och Bygd 70 (1982), 77-93

Insley 2003: J. Insley, ‘Pre-Conquest personal names’, Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 23 (Berlin and New York, 2003), 367-96

Kelly 2004: Charters of St Paul’s, London, ed. S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters 10 (Oxford, 2004)

von Feilitzen 1937: Olof von Feilitzen, The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, Nomina Germanica 3 (Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksells, 1937)

Forms of the name

Spellings in Domesday Book: Coloen, Colsuain, Colsuan, Colsuen, Cols’

Spellings in Exon: Colsuenus (corrected from Golsuenus), Colsuinus

Spellings in TO: Colsuenus

Spellings in ICC: Colsueinus, Colsueni (genitive), Colsuenus

Spellings in IE: Colsueyn, Colsuuegen, Colsuuein

Spellings in FBB: Colsuein

Spellings in WD: Golsewanus

Forms in modern scholarship:

  von Feilitzen head forms: Kol(l)sveinn

  Phillimore edition: Colswein, Kolsveinn

  Alecto edition: Kolsveinn

Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

Holder 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Cambridgeshire 14,28 Whaddon Colsuan Colswein 'of Melbourn' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Colswein 'of Melbourn' 0.50 2.00 1.00 A
Cambridgeshire 14,32 Meldreth Colsuan Colswein 'of Melbourn' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Colswein 'of Melbourn' 0.25 2.00 1.50 A
Cambridgeshire 14,33 Melbourn Colsuan Colswein 'of Melbourn' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Colswein 'of Melbourn' 0.75 2.00 1.00 A
Kent 5,193 Swanton Coloen Colswein 'of Swanton' Edward, king Odo, bishop of Bayeux Ralph de Courbépine 1.00 5.00 1.00 B
Kent 5,193 Swanton Coloen Colswein 'of Swanton' Edward, king Odo, bishop of Bayeux Ralph de Courbépine 1.00 5.00 1.00 B
Wiltshire 26,20 Horningsham Colsuen Colswein 'of Horningsham' - Alfred of Marlborough Osmund 'of Horningsham' 0.50 0.25 0.50 C
Totals

Tenant-in-Chief 1086 demesne estates (no subtenants)

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Lincolnshire 26,1 Brattleby Colsuan Ketil 'of Brattleby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 3.00 2.00 3.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,10 Cammeringham Colsuan Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.13 0.75 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,10 Cammeringham Colsuan Esbern 'of Faldingworth' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.13 0.75 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,10 Cammeringham Colsuan Ulfkil 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.13 0.75 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,10 Cammeringham Colsuan Cnut son of Carl - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.13 0.75 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,11 Ingham Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Roger 'of Ingham' 0.50 1.25 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,11 Ingham Colsuan Summerled 'of Ingham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ansketil 'of Ingham' 0.50 1.25 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,12 Coates Colsuan Summerled 'of Ingham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.13 0.13 0.08 -
Lincolnshire 26,12 Coates Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.13 0.13 0.08 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Summerled 'of Ingham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.44 0.46 0.28 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.44 0.46 0.28 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Godric 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.43 0.17 0.21 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.43 0.17 0.21 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Eskil 'of Kexby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.43 0.17 0.21 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.43 0.17 0.21 -
Lincolnshire 26,13 Friesthorpe Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.43 0.17 0.21 -
Lincolnshire 26,14 Hanworth Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Turold the priest 'of Hanworth' 0.75 0.65 0.97 -
Lincolnshire 26,15 Hackthorn Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.41 0.35 0.53 -
Lincolnshire 26,16 Hackthorn Colsuan Cnut son of Carl - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.38 0.27 0.27 -
Lincolnshire 26,17 Scawby Colsuan Thorulf 'of Scothern' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Alfred de Chancé 1.38 0.38 0.76 -
Lincolnshire 26,18 Redbourne Colsuan Thorulf 'of Scothern' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.35 0.10 0.19 -
Lincolnshire 26,19 Hibaldstow Colsuan Thorulf 'of Scothern' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.08 0.02 0.05 -
Lincolnshire 26,2 Riseholme Colsuan Leofsige 'of Riseholme' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.00 1.00 3.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,20 Reston Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Matthew 'of Horbling' 0.50 0.75 1.50 -
Lincolnshire 26,21 Cockerington Colsuan Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.13 0.15 0.15 -
Lincolnshire 26,22 Kexby Colsuan Eskil 'of Kexby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Adelelm 'of Kexby' 3.44 2.00 2.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,23 Fillingham Colsuan Frani 'of Friesthorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.43 0.80 1.40 -
Lincolnshire 26,23 Fillingham Colsuan Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.43 0.80 1.40 -
Lincolnshire 26,23 Fillingham Colsuan Eskil 'of Kexby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.43 0.80 1.40 -
Lincolnshire 26,23 Fillingham Colsuan Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.43 0.80 1.40 -
Lincolnshire 26,23 Fillingham Colsuan Godric 'of Fillingham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.43 0.80 1.40 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - Summerled Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.13 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - Frani 'of Friesthorpe' Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.13 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - 2 brothers Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.67 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan Ebrard 'of Faldingworth' Ebrard Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.33 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - Godric 'of Fillingham' Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.15 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.15 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan Eskil 'of Kexby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.15 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - Alnoth 'of Cammeringham' Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.15 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,24 Faldingworth Colsuan - Frani 'of Friesthorpe' Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.15 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,25 Spridlington Colsuan Ebrard 'of Spridlington' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.90 0.35 0.83 -
Lincolnshire 26,25 Spridlington Colsuan 2 brothers - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.79 0.70 1.67 -
Lincolnshire 26,26 Ewerby Thorpe Colsuan Eadgyth 'of Ewerby Thorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 3.63 1.50 3.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,27 Heckington Colsuan Thorkil 'of Heckington' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.00 0.90 0.75 -
Lincolnshire 26,27 Heckington Colsuan Ælfgar the deacon - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 0.68 0.56 -
Lincolnshire 26,28 Helpringham Colsuan Thorkil 'of Heckington' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.25 0.23 0.19 -
Lincolnshire 26,29 Howell Colsuan Morcar, earl - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.31 0.16 0.32 -
Lincolnshire 26,3 Faldingworth Colsuan Esbern 'of Faldingworth' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.50 0.50 0.27 -
Lincolnshire 26,30 Laythorpe Colsuan Eskil 'of Kexby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Eskil 'of Kexby' 2.75 2.00 2.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,30 Laythorpe Colsuan Thor 'of Laythorpe' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Conded 'of Laythorpe' 2.75 2.00 2.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,31 Dry Doddington Colsuan Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 0.50 0.50 -
Lincolnshire 26,32 Dry Doddington Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 0.23 0.75 -
Lincolnshire 26,33 Marston Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Walter d'Ancourt 2.25 0.68 2.25 -
Lincolnshire 26,34 Hougham Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 2.00 0.60 2.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,35 Hougham Colsuan Azur 'of Hougham' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' William 'the man of Colswein 'of Lincoln'' 2.00 1.50 1.50 -
Lincolnshire 26,36 Billingborough Colsuan Swein 'of Billingborough' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Brunel 'of Billingborough' 2.88 2.00 3.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,37 Ouseby Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Brunel 'of Billingborough' 2.19 1.40 1.40 -
Lincolnshire 26,38 Pointon Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Conded 'of Laythorpe' 0.50 0.32 0.32 -
Lincolnshire 26,39 Spanby Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 2.00 1.28 1.28 -
Lincolnshire 26,4 Scothern Colsuan Thorulf 'of Scothern' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 3.63 2.00 3.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,40 Newton Colsuan Thorkil 'of Heckington' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ralph 'of Newton' 0.63 0.57 0.57 -
Lincolnshire 26,40 Newton Colsuan Godwine 'of Newton' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ralph 'of Newton' 0.63 0.57 0.57 -
Lincolnshire 26,41 Ouseby Colsuan Thorkil 'of Heckington' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ralph 'of Newton' 0.40 0.36 0.36 -
Lincolnshire 26,41 Ouseby Colsuan Godwine 'of Newton' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ralph 'of Newton' 0.40 0.36 0.36 -
Lincolnshire 26,42 Threekingham Colsuan Thorkil 'of Heckington' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ralph 'of Newton' 0.90 0.82 0.82 -
Lincolnshire 26,42 Threekingham Colsuan Godwine 'of Newton' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Ralph 'of Newton' 0.90 0.82 0.82 -
Lincolnshire 26,43 Dembleby Colsuan Gunnkil 'of Dembleby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Reynold 'of Humby' 1.00 1.00 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,44 Swaton Colsuan Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 7.00 8.00 4.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,45 Swaton Colsuan Alsige son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.50 0.25 0.25 -
Lincolnshire 26,45 Swaton Colsuan Æthelstan son of Godram - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.50 0.25 0.25 -
Lincolnshire 26,46 Horbling Colsuan Swein 'of Billingborough' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' Matthew 'of Horbling' 3.25 2.00 2.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,47 Aisby Colsuan Aslak 'of Aisby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' William 'the man of Colswein 'of Lincoln'' 3.00 3.00 3.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,48 Burton-le-Coggles Colsuan Leodflæd 'of Burton-le-Coggles' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' William 'the man of Colswein 'of Lincoln'' 0.75 0.80 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,49 Ashby de la Launde Colsuan Eskil 'of Kexby' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.75 1.25 1.75 -
Lincolnshire 26,49 Ashby de la Launde Colsuan Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.75 1.25 1.75 -
Lincolnshire 26,5 Scothern Colsuan Godric 'of Scothern' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.56 0.25 0.25 -
Lincolnshire 26,50 North Kyme Colsuan Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 5.25 2.00 4.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,51 Westby Colsuan - - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.25 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,52 Evedon Colsuan - - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 2.00 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,53 Pickworth Colsuan Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' William 'the man of Colswein 'of Lincoln'' 2.00 1.73 1.73 -
Lincolnshire 26,54 Pickworth Colsuan Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.31 0.27 0.27 -
Lincolnshire 26,6 Scothern Colsuan - - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 1.00 0.50 0.50 -
Lincolnshire 26,7 Barlings Colsuan Cola 'of Barlings' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 0.50 4.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,8 Barlings Colsuan Osgot 'of Barlings' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 1.50 2.00 -
Lincolnshire 26,9 Reepham Colsuan Cola 'of Barlings' - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire CK31 Heckington Colsuen Ælfgar the deacon - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 0.75 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire CK54 Pickworth Colsuen Auti son of Azur - Colswein 'of Lincoln' - 2.00 0.00 0.00 -
Totals

Lord 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Cambridgeshire 14,30 Whaddon Colsuan 1 sokeman, man of Colswein Colswein Alan, count 1 man 0.13 0.15 0.10 B
Totals

Subtenant in 1086

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Cambridgeshire 14,28 Whaddon Colsuan Colswein 'of Melbourn' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Colswein 'of Melbourn' 0.50 2.00 1.00 B
Cambridgeshire 14,32 Meldreth Colsuan Colswein 'of Melbourn' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Colswein 'of Melbourn' 0.25 2.00 1.50 B
Cambridgeshire 14,33 Melbourn Colsuan Colswein 'of Melbourn' Eadgifu the fair Alan, count Colswein 'of Melbourn' 0.75 2.00 1.00 B
Lincolnshire 13,23 Bucknall and Horsington Colsuan Lambkarl 'of Lissington' - Hugh, earl Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.44 1.00 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 13,26 Bullington Colsuan Lambkarl 'of Lissington' - Hugh, earl Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.44 1.00 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 24,2 Riseholme Colsuan Ulf Fenisc - Gilbert of Ghent Colswein 'of Lincoln' 1.50 0.77 1.02 -
Lincolnshire 28,3 Normanby by Spital Colsuan Agemund son of Walraven - Jocelin fitzLambert Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.50 0.40 0.50 -
Lincolnshire 30,36 Claxby Colsuan Ulf son of Tope - Drew de la Beuvrière Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.75 1.50 1.50 -
Lincolnshire 3,1 Brattleby Colsuuen Stiupi 'of Brattleby' - William de Saint-Calais, bishop of Durham Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.63 0.15 0.20 -
Lincolnshire 3,2 Snarlford Colsuan Siward, father of Aki - William de Saint-Calais, bishop of Durham Colswein 'of Lincoln' 2.25 1.00 1.50 -
Lincolnshire 3,3 Barlings Colsuan Dane 'of Barlings' - William de Saint-Calais, bishop of Durham Colswein 'of Lincoln' 1.13 0.80 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 3,36 Evedon Colsuan Thorfridh 'of Lincolnshire' - William de Saint-Calais, bishop of Durham Colswein 'of Lincoln' 2.50 4.00 1.00 -
Lincolnshire 40,2 Ingham Colsuan Iolf 'of Withcall' - Rayner de Brimeux Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.50 0.29 0.29 -
Lincolnshire 4,2 Ingleby Colsuan Ketil 'of Brattleby' - Odo, bishop of Bayeux Colswein 'of Lincoln' 1.88 0.75 1.25 -
Lincolnshire 8,13 Riseholme Colsuan Alnoth 'of Scotter' - Turold, abbot of Peterborough Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.50 0.37 0.37 -
Lincolnshire C22 Lincoln Colsuan - - William, king Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.00 0.00 0.00 -
Lincolnshire CW2 Riseholme Colsuan unnamed head of Lincoln All Saints church - Turold, abbot of Peterborough Colswein 'of Lincoln' 0.50 0.00 0.00 -
Somerset 5,41 Winford Colsuain Alweald the bald - Geoffrey, bishop of Coutances Colswein 'of Winford' 1.00 1.25 1.25 -
Somerset 5,41 Winford Colsuain Ælfric Cild - Geoffrey, bishop of Coutances Colswein 'of Winford' 1.00 1.25 1.25 -
Totals