The Roman Map of Britain Brinauis Merton, Cherwell, Oxfordshire

Brinauis (R&C 77) next

Sabrina///s? Sabrinacus?
With the preceding entry taken as Tamese for Tamesa or Tameia, an initial sa- of Sabrina///s could have been lost by haplography. Or, Tamese Brinauis might simply be a wrongly divided Tame Sebrina///s.

Llansantffraid ym Mechain (SJ229207) is on the Vyrnwy. Britannia xviii (1987) 304, Britannia xix (1988) 417-9.
Vyrnwy = Sabrinouia? Jackson LHEB 613

    This alternative approach considers that four entries:  Landini, Tamese, Brinauis, and Alauna are within the bounds of the southeast quarter of Quadrant 5.
    R&C suggest a possible relationship with the early name of Bicester (SP5822) Bernecester 1086 and 1130, Burnecestre 1219. Ekwall says OE byrgen 'burial-mound' is the first element. [CDEPN has this as 'Beorna's Roman fort' or 'Roman fort of the warriors'.] An older name of the River Ray is Geht ca.848 found in Islip Giðslepe ca.1050. The River Rea has a rather broad catchment, and divides into three arms at Three Points (SP6520). The south-eastern arm rises near Wotton Underwood (SP5815) where there is a Yeat Farm Bucks (SP6917). The eastern arm rises amidst the what seems to be the remnants of a greater Bernwood Byrnewuda 921, Bernwood Farm (SP7324), and as with Bernecester Ekwall considers OE byrgen 'burial-mound' as the first element.
    Here we have the potential for two competing names for the lower course of the river. Ekwall believed Geht related to the Ieithon of Radnorshire and the Ythan of Scotland; and Ifor Williams' Brin- representing brun- 'brown' with -aua formative.
    If Brinauis carries the earlier name of the River Ray, then a site near its crossing by Margary 160 is to be expected.   

UPPER PARK FARM; BECKLEY AND STOWOOD; SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE; OXFORDSHIRE; England Grid ref. OSGB - SP 56 11 VILLA, Roman EHNMR-632676

WOODPERRY; STANTON ST JOHN; SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE; OXFORDSHIRE; Grid ref. OSGB - SP 57 10
 BUILDING, Roman EHNMR-632679.EHNMR-632680

IVY FARM; FENCOTT; FENCOTT AND MURCOTT; CHERWELL; OXFORDSHIRE; England Grid ref. OSGB - SP 57 16 BRIDGE, Roman EHNMR-654104

NORTH OF MERTON - ISLIP ROAD; MERTON; CHERWELL; OXFORDSHIRE SP 57 17
SETTLEMENT, Roman EHNMR-655900

    Berinsfield, Oxfordshire (SU5796) is on Margary 160, just north of Dorchester. It is a modern development on the site of a wartime airfield. The place-name derives from St. Berin (Birinus), a missionary bishop who brought Christianity to the West Saxons in 634 AD. There is no relationship with Brinauis, though the cosmographer would likely have known of the saint who died only a half century earlier in 650 AD.