Ormside - Cumbria - England
Genealogy Index | Orme in Place Names
It is tempting to assume that name of Ormside is derived from 'Ormes Hide', a hide being an area of land, but old records show that it used to be called Ormeshead. It is more likely that the original Old Norse name for the village was Ormsaett - which means Orme's family.
There is a fine Norman Church in the village, the Church of St. James is one of the oldest buildings in all of Cumbria, and dates back to at least the 11th Century.
In 1898 a 'Viking burial' was discovered in the churchyard, the man had been buried with his sword. His body was disinterred and now rests at Tullie House Museum in Carlisle. Could this man have been the Orme that gave Ormside its name? Whoever it was, it seems likely that this gentleman was a Christian, or at least a benefactor of the church, otherwise he would not have been buried in the churchyard. The presence of the sword suggests that he and his family were new to Christianity, the sword would be insurance in case he went to Valhalla after all.
Additional Links