Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• St. Edward's or King Bridge 1774 Hutch1 1861 Hutch3

• Kyngebrigge 1318 FF

• Spadeforde Bridge 1381 Pitt 16

• from wicanforð, to Wikenforde 948 ShaftR(S534(1)) 15

• on Wickenford, on lang Wikenforde 955 14 ib

• of Wikenforde, on Wichenford 956 14 ib

Etymology

St Edward's Bridge (SY 959824), St . Edward 's or King Bridge 1774 Hutch1, 1861 Hutch3, cf. cursus aque apud Seint Edwardiswateryng 1429Midd , St . Edward 's Fountain 1861 Hutch3, named after King Edward the Martyr who was murdered at Corfe in 978 (ASC s.a.) and to whom the church (v. foll.) is dedicated, v. brycg , wateryng 'watering-place for horses and cattle' (c. 1386 NED, sense 15b), perhaps also 'well, spring' (1600 ib, sense 16), cf. St Thomas Watering Sr 5. Kyngebrigge 1318 FF may also belong here.For a traditional account of Edward's death and the miracles that followed it, v. Hutch3 1 499–500 and cf. C. E. Fell, Edward King and Martyr , Leeds 1971. St . Edward 's Fountain is a spring with healing properties in which the body is said to have lain; St Edward's Bridge is where the road out of Corfe towards Wareham, where the body was later taken (cf. The Priory in Wareham par. infra ), crosses the Corfe River (cf. St Edward's Ctg in Arne par. infra which is also on this road near the Corfe-Arne bdy); Seint Edwardiswateryng may refer to the Corfe River at this spot, or to the spring. An earlier name for a bridge here (or near here) is Spadeforde Bridge 1381 (16) Pitt , perhaps from spadu , spada , spade 'spade' in some concrete or figurative sense, cf. the use of scofl 'shovel' in p.ns., with ford , brycg . An even earlier name for a river crossing here occurs as an important bdy point in all three OE charters relating to Corfe: from wicanforð , to Wikenforde 948 (15) ShaftR (S 534 (1)), on Wickenford , on lang Wikenforde 955 (14) ib (S 573), of Wikenforde , on Wichenford 956 (14) ib (S 632), 'the ford over the River Wych', v. Wych Channel, Wych Lake in RNs. infra , ford .