Origin
of the Shrewsbury Name
Scrobbesbyrig
The original Saxon settlement was named "Scrobbesbyrig".
It is thought to have been derived from two Old English
words - “scrubb”, meaning be scrubland and
“burh” which means fortified place.
Thus
it is the fortified place in the scrubland, probably
referring to the nearby plains which in Saxon times were
sparsely populated with alder trees, especially in the
boggy regions alongside the River Severn.
Shrewsbury
Over the years this became corrupted to Shrewsbury,
which nowadays is pronounced usually in two different
ways:
“Shrows-bury”
or Shroos-bury”. Both variations seem to have equal
merit amongst the townsfolk, so prepare for a good
debate if you choose to discuss the subject with a group
of locals!
Salop
You may occasionally find the town referred to as
"Salop", particularly in historical records or
publications. In fact Salop is the original name of the
county of Shropshire, which of course includes the town
of Shrewsbury. Locals will still often describe
themselves as Salopians as do students past and present
from the Shrewsbury Boys School.
http://www.shrewsburyguide.info/shrewsbury_history.html |
