Every village or town has a name. We use them every day, even though most were created at least 1,300 years ago. Yet, until now, we knew little about how these names were given and even less about the people who originally used them.
The innovative research in Surrey Place Names brings to life this little-known era of the past, the so-called 'Dark Ages' when Britons and Anglo-Saxon peoples coexisted and arrangements for administering the land evolved. Gavin Smith shows that geography is key to understanding these arrangements as river crossings, soil types and the need for trade at recognised places are all important. His work reveals that many parishes reflect patterns established in the Iron Age.
There were many influences on the naming of Surrey's places: early paganism, multicultural mixing, economic development, land management, ecclesiastical history, regional politics, the influence of London, and a gradual shift from Celtic to the Old English language. Surrey Place Names unravels these influences for the first time and reveals hitherto unknown aspects of the county's history.
Contents:
For Starters
1. Introduction
2. How do place names work?
Early Economics
3. Cranleigh and the rough commons
4. Cobham, Cofa's home
5. Croydon and the towns
6. Tilford bridges: rivers, roads and trade
7. The London connection
Religion and Politics
8. Shere and our pagan heritage
9. Southwark, that is Surrey
10. Dorking and the hundreds
11. Chertsey, and the minster reforms
Language and Culture
12. Shape-shifting: The several names of Kingston-upon-Thames
13. Send, a root name
14. The ceorls of Charlwood
15. To conclude
Useful reading
Index
