Talk:Bishop's Waltham

Apostrophe or not
Is there any consensus on the apostrophe? I note that the Parish Council website uses both spellings on the same page.

With respect, I am hoping for an authoritative (backed up by a good source) view. Thanks. Afterbrunel (talk) 19:24, 22 October 2022 (UTC)


 * Ordnance Survey uses the apostrophe. I'd regard that as pretty definitive. See the appropriate Landranger map. Confusingly though, the junior school doesn't, confirmed by Google Street View. Make of that what you will. Murgatroyd49 (talk) 20:23, 22 October 2022 (UTC)


 * Bishop's Waltham, as with other places and names that use an apostrophe, are increasingly dropping the apostrophe as part of the trend away from the possessive. As such there is no definitive or authoritative statement on the Bishops Waltham name. Most businesses in the town don't use the apostrophe any more, and road signs will vary. Eventually all contemporary uses of the name will be without the apostrophe, though we are not quite there yet. Sources used in the article vary, and without a more consistent or weighted use of the non-apostrophe name, then moving the title from the status quo would be frowned on. It can be quite time-consuming putting together sufficient evidence of a preponderance of one use of a name over another, especially when sources such as the local council and the BBC use both versions of the name, however, if someone wants to do it, a page move request can be made. Meanwhile, I'll just put a note in the lead that "Bishops Waltham" is also used. SilkTork (talk) 00:33, 23 October 2022 (UTC)
 * The town is named with it but the parish isn't.  Crouch, Swale  ( talk ) 08:12, 23 October 2022 (UTC)
 * Most sensible option at the moment. Murgatroyd49 (talk) 08:46, 23 October 2022 (UTC)


 * Thanks to th ose who replied. Afterbrunel (talk) 06:18, 24 October 2022 (UTC)