Quirky Suffolk: What's in a name?

What's in a name? Kersey and Lindsey

The place names Kersey and Lindsey are particular to Suffolk in more ways than one. Firstly they are contiguous villages and secondly they gave their names to a type of fabric woven in Suffolk in the 14th century. ‘Kerseymere’ and ‘linsey-woolsey’ were two locally woven clothes that took the name of the villages where most of the weavers lived. Kerseymere originated in Suffolk but in 1475 it was being produced in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Traders needed to be able to refer to that category of cloth and so it became known by its Suffolk name.

 

Taken from the book The Little Book of Suffolk by Carol Twinch published by Breedon Books, priced £9.99.

This article was brought to you by Suffolk Magazine

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