whicken

1) The mountain ash or rowan.

1562 ‘one whykkyn tree in the hedge’, Southowram

1650 unto one Wicken Tree standing in the middle of the same hedge, Cottingley

1729 This month, the quicken berry, being full of berries, made a brave shew all over the country, Dodworth. 1779 by a large wiggin tree adjoining Mr Radcliffe, Holmfirth. It was considered to protect people from evil spirits, and the following reference is from a witchcraft trial: 1674 they tye soe much whighen about him, I cannot come to my purpose, Denby. In 1782, an Ecclesfield man’s diary recorded an attack of the ague, from which he recovered after six days Under Bark of Wiggin. As a place-name element it is quite common, especially linked to ‘clough’, but few of the examples have early spellings. In Upperthong, for instance, the hamlet of Wickins is first recorded as Whickins in 1709: Wickenberry Clough in Todmorden is on the OS map of 1843.

spellings wicken wickenberry quicken quickenberry wiggen
dates 1562 1650 1674 1729 1779 1782

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Photo by Kreuzschnabel CC BY-SA 3.0