it could be that Hemel Hempstead was in a less-forested area open to the sky, while Berkhamsted (which could mean 'birch', reflected in the Dutch berk) was in a forest of birch trees. However, this is speculation and unsupported by place name dictionaries.

Another suggestion is that Hemel came from Haemele, the name of the district in the 8th century, and was most likely either the name of the landowner or meant "broken country".

Emigrants from Hemel Hempstead, led by John Carman, settled in the

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