The numerous springs in the hills form a brook which once ran close by the Stablrs. This records that in the year 577, Ceaulin, the king of the West Saxons, and his son Cuthwine killed 3 British kings at Deorrhamm together with many of their followers, thereby capturing 3 important cities Cleancester, Cyrenceaster and Bathanceaster. The battle enabled the Saxons to reach the Bristol Channel and cut off the Welsh Britons from their allies in the South West and was therefore was a significant victory. Hinton Hill, a mile from Dyrham, has terraces and earthworks which are thought to be the remains of a Saxon Settlement. The Saxons were all over Britain and therefore so was their language.
Regional accents provide for the modern day differences in spelling.
Until recently this was just Family Oral History. Where factual evidence is available, a Derham was the English ambassador to the Papal Court during Charles II's reign, but we have been unable to link him to our family. That was granted, but with a different crest to that of the C17 Ambassador, suggesting that my great grandfather was unable to identify a relationship over the 2 centuries. Interestingly, an Irish Derham family also has a similar coat of arms, but instead of one deer's head, their shield has 3 deer's heads and a different crest. My father's name is John Scott Derham, Sr.