Seaford
Major Settlement in the Parish of Seaford
Historical Forms
- Saforda 788 BCS252 12th BCS259 790 12th
- Saforde t.Wm2 Dugdiii.246 1463 Cl 1231
- Safort 1315 SAC4,44
- Seford 1180 P 1493 Ipm
- Seforth c.1400 ECP2,555
- Sevorde c.1200 ProverbsofAlfred
- Seoford 13th ADi
- Saiford 1212 Fees72
- Sheford 1230 Pat 1297 Cl 1301 Pat 1432–73 ECP1,101
- Scefford 1495 Pat
- Seafourd 1601 MarL
- Seafoord 1673 MarL
Etymology
There is no doubt that this name means what it says, viz. that it is a place where there was a ford by the sea (v. sæ ). The two earliest references are to a 'river Saforda' at Rotherfield, i.e. apparently the upper water of that branch of the Ouse which is near Rotherfield. The Ouse now debouches at Newhaven, but once made its way to sea a good deal further east, before the course of the river was altered by great storms in the 16th cent. Newhaven grew up out of Meeching as the 'new' haven.Seaford was known as the 'old' haven till Horsfield's time, i.e. 1834. It was already 'decayed' in 1592 (Pat). Seaford was then by the Ouse and a ford near the mouth of the river could appropriately be called 'sea-ford.' For the forms with a , v. IPN 112.