Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/396

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

. in. MAY 20,

the name " eoccenforda " has been assigned to a place named Ockford, in Berkshire Unfortunately, Mr. Kemble assigned modern names of places in many instances to the names he found in the Anglo-Saxon charters. (See Index to the ' Codex Diplo maticus.') There are many such names assigned to places in Hampshire, a county with which I am intimately acquainted, which never existed under such names Where is Ockford, Berkshire ] Many fords, no doubt, existed over the river Ock ; but where is the modern Ockford 1 Even if Ock- ford can be found, it will not affect my argument, unless it can be shown that the boundaries of the land granted by Cead- walla, which start from and end with "eoccenforda," agree more accurately with those close to Ockford, when found, than the boundaries I have identified from natural features close to Oxford. One of these features is a river named Cherwell (Ceare- wyllan) having a large island between its outlets.

At Sandford the stony formation known as the coral rag, or coralline oolite, is found. Nature has formed a stony outcrop crossing the river at this place, and there can be little doubt it was called " Stanford " in the time of Cead walla from this natural characteristic. Stevenson in his ' Chron. Mon. de Abingdon ' (vol. i. p. 217) identifies this "Stanford " with Sandford-on-Thames.

The circumstance that the name " Msegth- ford" in Cead walla's boundaries is not mentioned in Edwy's charter relating to the boundaries of Kennington is of little consequence. Is its absence from Edwy's charter any evidence that the name did not exist at Kennington in the time of Cead- walla, two hundred and sixty years earlier ? It is the same as if an ancient name mentioned in a land boundary of the time of Charles I. should now have died out. Nothing is more likely, and in the case of "Msegthford " especially likely. Mcegth is the plural form of the A.-S. mceg, a kinsman, so that " Msegth- ford" means the ford of the kinsmen. Kennington is a very similar name. In Ceadwalla's time the kindred tie among the early settlers must have been stronger than in that of Edwy, by which time the name "Msegthford" had perhaps become less significant than formerly.

The "micclan-ige on cearewyllan" is the large island between the old outlets of the Cherwell known in the fifteenth century as Astones eyte, and now called Aston's eyot, extending from the Thames to the water- course known as Shirelake. (See Anthony

Wood's 'Antiquities of Oxford,' edited by Clark.) This eyot on the Oxfordshire side of the Thames was part of Berkshire, the Shirelake being the stream which marked the division of the shires. The hundred of Hormer, of which it was part, belonged to the Abbot of Abingdon, and probably this connexion and the anomalous situation of a small part of Berkshire on the Oxfordshire side of the river must be ascribed to Cead- walla's grant.

The boundaries of Ceadwalla's grant from the mouth of the Cherwell westward are the same for a short distance as the existing old boundaries of the city and its liberty. The line goes from the south of Folly Bridge, near the boathouse, along the river a little way, and then along a stream on the west to near Hogacre ditch. Northwards there is a triangular island, sometime known as George Island. The channels round this island have, no doubt, in the course of centuries of improvement become deepened ; but when the river was spread out more, it would cause the water to have the appearance of a fork- shaped lake even more clearly than at the present day. This is the "geafling lace" of Ceadwalla's boundaries. The " lang lace" of the charter has, no doubt, been also changed by artificial improvements, but its existing features are trie watercourses or former lake surrounding the long island between Osney Mill and the lock. West Osney mead, which has been built over, represented for many centuries " occenes grestun," and there was a ditch, which I believe still exists, on the west of it, as in the charter. Lastly, " eccen " or " occenes " of the time of ^eadwalla is Oxenea or Oseney of later centuries.

For further information I must refer to my papers on * Ancient Kentish Colonies in Anglo-Saxon England,' part i., 'Settlements ^n the Thames Valley,' which may be seen in the Antiquary for May. T. W". SHORE.

105, Ritherdon Road, S.W.

CORONATIONS ON ST. GEORGE'S DAY (9 th S. iii. 307). Apparently the only English monarchs crowned on 23 April were Charles II. , in 1661, James II., in 1685, and Queen Anne, in 1702.

In the treasury of S. Peter's at Home is assigned to the twelfth century. Splendidly embroidered upon a foundation of deep blue silk, it was formerly used by the German imperors when they were consecrated and rowned, and when they assisted the Pope at
 * he famous imperial dalmatic which is