Dowsabel

 Young maid in a doorway by Otto Plitz

In the 16^th century a dowsabel was a sweet young maid. Dowsabell can be spelled with one or two ‘l’s but either way it is pronounced DOW-suh-bell

Dowsabell is the daughter of Cassamen, a knight of Arden, who fell in love with a shepherd.   In ‘Dowsabell’ - a ballad by Michael Drayton (1563 – 1631)  the two make love with Arcadian simplicity, and vow eternal fidelity.

    With that she bent her snow-white knee,

    Down by the shepherd kneeléd she,

    And him she sweetly kist.

    With that the shepherd whooped for joy

    Quoth he, `There's never shepherd boy

    That ever was so blist.'

By the 17^th century it had also come to be used as a forename (first known use said to be 1652 but one suspects it may have been earlier and followed its use by Drayton).  It’s origins may have been in the Latin name Dulcibella – sweet and beautiful.