Denshire, v.
(ˈdɛnʃə(r))
Also 7 Devonshire, -sher, Densher, Densure, 9 Denshare.
[A syncopated form of Devonshire used as a vb.; the method having been originally practised there.
c 1630 Risdon Surv. Devon (1810) 2 Devonshire; now, by a vulgar speech, Denshire. Ibid. §96 (1810) 92 In our Denshire speech called Pohill. 1654 Vilvain Epit. Ess. v. x, Two Denshire Rivers neer contermining.]
trans. To clear or improve (land) by paring off turf, stubble, weeds, etc., burning them, and spreading the ashes on the land; = burn-beat. Hence ˈdenshiring vbl. n.
| 1607 Norden Surv. Dial. 228 They..call it in the West parts, Burning of beate, and in the South-East parts, Devonshiring. c 1630 Risdon Surv. Devon (1810) 11 Which kind of beating and burning..seems to be originally peculiar to this county, being known by the name of Denshering in other countries. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 6 About three Acres, Denshired, or Burnt-beaten. 1671 St. Foine Improved 8 The good husbandry of Densuring or Devonshering of Land. 1799 Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts XVII. 160 The land..was denshired, and one crop of oats taken from it. 1887 Rogers Agric. & Prices V. 62 The system of densharing or devonshiring old and poor pasture had made considerable progress. |
[By R. Child, 1651 (in Hartlib Legacy, 1655, 37) erroneously guessed to be from Denbighshire: thence in some Dicts.]