It is fitting in this first chronicle to dwell a little upon the name of our town and the derivation of each of the elements that combine to form that name, i.e."Pains" and "wick"; and the numerous spellings of the name that have been identified.

No previous name is known that may have been used by Roman or later Romano-British occupation of the "parish". In the sixth century West Saxons conquered the area, which became part of the Anglo-Saxon sub-kingdom of Hwicce, part of Mercia. Subsequently Hwicce came under the overlordship of Wessex for a period. Fortunately the "parish" does not appear to have been directly affected by the Danish invaders in the tenth century. It is known, how- ever, that prior to the death of King Edward the Confessor in 1064, the West Saxon village was then called "Wyke", which formed part of a very extensive manor. This name was derived from the Saxon term "wic", or Old Frisian "wyk", both meaning "village", or perhaps more correctly "dairy farm", for the Saxon communities tended to be spread in small hamlets and farmsteads, rather than farming villages as we understand the term. The Saxon "hamme", meaning "enclosed meadow-land" also still survives in Hamfield and Hambutts.

We know from the Domesday Book, 1086, that the Saxon Thane, Earnsige - Normanised version of his name, Ernisi - was Lord of the Manor. He was a man of considerable importance, being also the Manorial Lord of Miserden, Cranham, Swell, Siddington and other manors in the county. He was therefore holder of an extensive area of land which, at the time of the Conqueror's survey, had been divided out amongst five Norman Lords. Wiche - Domesday spelling - which included Cranham,was given to Walter de Laci, a friend of King William. Upon his death in 1085 at Hereford, the Manor passed to his second son, Roger de Laci (his eldest son was a monk). Roger was banished for insurrection in 1088 and the manor of Wyke passed to Hugh de Laci, Roger's brother.

"Wyke" appears to be the spelling most commonly used up to the middle of the 13th century, but the following additional spellings are also recorded:-

In the middle of the 13th century, however, documents begin to show the additional element of our present name. The community became known as Wyke Paganni - after the Norman, Pain Fitzjohn. The addition of"Paganni" - Saxon name for Pain - was made necessary to distinguish our growing community from other villages in the county and elsewhere, known by the same name - Wyck Rissington, Wickwar, Droitwich, were all originally called "Wick" (or an alternative spelling thereof).

Sir Robert Atkins, 1712, says that "Painswyke" was also previously known as "Michael's wike", but gives no authority for the statement; nor does any reason suggest itself as to why it should be so named.

Following the death of Hugh de Laci in 1121, without issue, the manor of Wyke was conferred by King Henry 1 upon Pain Fitzjohn, in the right of his wife, Sybilla, (nee de Laci), whom he had married before or about 1121. Sybilla was Hugh de Laci's niece and heiress, being the daughter of either Emma or Ermeline de Laci, sisters of Hugh. The second element of our name thus derives from this Norman Lord, Pain Fitzjohn. Something like one third of Walter de Laci's extensive possessions came to Pain, consisting of some 115 manors, of which Painswick was one of 27 in Gloucestershire. Pain was of the lesser Norman nobility, but was a powerful man of some considerable importance in the English border with Wales. There were frequent skirmishes with the Welsh in the borderland and Pain was one of those entrusted by King Henry with the protection of this boundary of the kingdom. He was Sheriff of Shropshire about 1127, and a pipe roll of 1130 shows that he was a judge in Staffordshire, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire. During the latter part of King Henry's reign he was one of the King's principal councillors and was found to be a witness to a number of Royal Charters.

At the time of the succession of King Stephen in 1135, Pain was Sheriff of both Shropshire and Herefordshire. It was apparent that his allegiance to King Stephen was withheld at the beginning of the King's reign, but, like other Barons who initially held back, eventually supported him. Early in 1136 we find that Pain was a witness to King Stepher's Charter of Liberties.

At this time the Welsh were in revolt and fighting to free themselves from Norman rule. There was much activity along the borderland with the Normans trying to contain the Welsh advance. On 10th July 1137, Pain was killed by an arrow, whilst attacking the Welsh rebels in a border fight. His body was brought to Gloucester and was buried by the monks in the Chapter House of the then Abbey of St. Peter. Painswick was not the only village to be named after Pain Fitzjohn. In the borders, in the old county of Radnorshire, there is a further village, Painscastle - Castellum Paganni - which took his name and was the site of one of his borderland castles. The castle mound and bailey with surrounding ditches can still be seen in the gounds of Castle Farm. It was initially a stockaded castle, but was rebuilt in stone in 1251; it was later destroyed and only earthworks are visible now.

It is supposed that the name of Pain may well have been attached verbally to "Wyke" during Pain Fitzjohn's lifetime, but the earliest written reference showing both elements together appears over a hundred years after his death. An earlier document, a Charter of 1121, came close, in referring to the boundary between St. Peter's manor of Prinknash and the adjacent manor of Painswick, by the name of the Lord of the Manor - "the boundary between the monks and Paynfitz John". W.E. Wightman in "The Lacy Family" 1966, says, however,that there is some doubt, as to the authenticity of the document.

The first accepted written reference - Payneswik - is on a document dated the 47th year of the reign of Henry III, which is the regnal year 1262-63. Since that date, over some seven centuries, there have been many variations in the spelling of "Painswick". A list follows, for those who wish to ponder, of the numerous spellings, here given in alphabetical order, showing the date when first used (where date is known) -

Thirty-three spellings were published in the parish magazine of July 1888 (believed to be the work of C.T.Davis), and these have been supplemented from "The Place Names of Gloucestershire", making now forty-five. But it will be seen that the present spelling is not included, making forty-six! The earliest reference that I have seen on an original document of the present spelling is on a property deed dated 1714. If anyone knows of an earlier reference, I would appreciate a note of it.