Broadwater
Major Settlement in the Parish of Broadwater (including Worthing)
Historical Forms
- bradan wætere 946–55 BCS819 12th
- Bradewatre, Bradewater 1086 DB 1166 P 1296,1332 SR 1421 IpmR 1451 Pens
- Brawater 1242 Fees687 1249,1255,1268,1281 FF 1268 Ipm 1763 Wills
- Brewater(e) 1248 Ass 1262 Pat
- Bradewater juxta Offington 1279 Ass
- Muchelbradewatere 1359 Ass
- Bradwater 1404 Pens 1428 FA 1465 Pat
- Brodewater 1584 MarC
Etymology
v. brad . The name must have referred to the stream which enters the sea between Worthing and Lancing. It is short but wide. The OE long a must have been shortened in the compound and this pronunciation prevailed till at least 1500, after which the independent word brode (= broad) influenced the pronunciation. Muchel or 'great' (v. micel ) in 1359, probably in contrast to Little Broadwater, a detached part of the manor in Nuthurst (SRS 19, 288).