Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Rederheia 1100–7 Ch 1330

• Retherhith 1127 Dugdv,96 1235,1255 Ass

• Retherheth(e) 1224,1238 FF 1259,1272 Ass 1279 QW 1307 Ass 1312 Ipm 1408 FF

• Retherhegh 1241 Ass

• Retherhuth(e) 1270 Ass 1291 Tax 1342 Ass

• Retherhide 1327 Ipm

• Rederhitha 12th Dugdv,101

• Rutherhey 1203 FF

• Rutherhee 1248 FF

• Rutherheth 1255 Ass 1290,1293 Ipm

• Rutherhuth(e) 1312–15 Ipm 1332 SR 1347 Ipm

• Rutherhithe 1342 Inqaqd

• Rotherhuthe 1238 FF 1345 Ipm

• Rotherhethe 1301,1358 Pat

• Rotheryth 1428 FA

• Ritherheth 1238 FF

• Ritherhith 1255 Ass

• Rytherhethe 1263 Ass

• Rytherhith 1383 Winton

• Rederythe c.1480 Cely 1580 BM

• Rederith 1555 FF

• Redderhithe al. Reddryff 1559 FF

• Redriff 1595 SrWills

• Redryf 1596 FF

• Redriff 1603 SACxi t.Eliz ChancP 1606 Recov

• Redderif(e) 1609 SACxxiii 1613 FF

• Redriff 1726 Gulliver'sTravels

• Retheryffe 1582 FF

• Redderhith al. Reddriff 1613 Recov

• Rotherhith al. Redderiffe 1621 Recov

• Rotherith al. Redderiffe 1623 DKRxxxviii

• Rederhith al. Redereath t.Jas1 ECP

• Roderiff al. Rotherith 1719 Recov

• Ridriffe 1635 StJ

Etymology

'Place where cattle are either embarked or landed,' v. hryðer , hyð , and cf. Lambeth supra 22. Redriff (cf. the late spellings of Tingrith, PN BedsHu 135) was the usual 17th and 18th century pronunciation, as attested by the above spellings and by writers of the period. The original spelling, however, was apparently kept up occasionally in writing (Rocque has Rotherhithe or Redriff ), and in the 19th century ousted the other form completely, as has been the case also with Bermondsey supra 16.Rotherhithe was identified by some earlier historians with the place called Aeðeredes hyd (Retheres hide in the rubric) in BCS 577, but that should clearly be associated with the place in the City later known as Queenhithe (or Ripa Regine ). Cf. Ripa Reginae quae appellatur Atheres hythe t. Hy 2 (Dugd vi, 635).