Millborough is not the name of a town. It is the name of a medieval saint. There were three sisters who were all daughters of
King Merewald of
Mercia back around 700 A.D. who became abbesses and then were venerated as saints. In Old English their names were Mildthryth, Mildburh, and Mildgyth. In modern English the first one became
Mildred. The second became Millborough or Milbrey. Mildgyth was the least famous and her name seems not to have survived to modern times.
Withycombe's
The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names says that Milborough "survived in Shropshire until the 18th century." What no one seems to have noticed is that the name, in the form Milbrey or Milbry, has survived on the other side of the Atlantic until the present day. Though rare, there are examples of women named Milbrey in states such as
Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas from colonial times until the last decade. I have met one of them personally myself. :)
This message was edited 8/25/2007, 3:37 PM