Whitlingham – Name Origin

Whilst on a roll checking the origins of place-names in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the village of Whitlingham is defined as:

Whitlingham, Norfolk. [Wisinlingaham in Domesday Book, Wicthlingham in 1206, Withlingham in 1254]. The ham of Wihthelm’s people.

‘Ingas’ (or ing) is the Saxon word for a group of people, whilst ‘ham’ means farm, homestead or settlement. I’m not sure if I’m meant to know who Wihthelm was, but I don’t. Although he was probably quite important if he had a little collection of followers. It does though help date the settlement, now best known for its lake and sewage treatment works (these two are separate locations, they haven’t merged them), to at least the Saxon period.