Slaughterford Fm
Early-attested site in the Parish of Itchingfield
Historical Forms
- Sloghtreford 1276 RH 1316 Pat
- Sloghterford 1327,1332 SR 1482 IpmR
- Sloʒghterforde 1332 Bodl282
- Slosteford 1306 FF
- Slawghterford 1547 SRS20,401
- Slaterford Powers 1638 ib
- la Sloghtere 1296 SR
Etymology
The probability is that in this name, in the lost Slaughters in Billingshurst and in Slaughter Bridge supra 160 and infra 191, we have ME sloghtre from OE slāh -trēo , 'sloe-tree.' In the case of Slaughterford we may have a reference to the tree itself in the name of Mariota de la Sloghtere (1296 SR). It should be borne in mind however that there is another possibility. Close to the Slaughters, Upper and Lower (Gl), there was a ford called Slohtranford in an original charter of 779 (BCS 230).It is clear that this can have nothing to do with OE slāh -trēo .Rather it must be associated with the OGer sluhter of which Förstemann (ON ii, 810) gives a few examples. Cf. also Jellinghaus, Die Westfälischen ON 156. Middendorff (118) was the first to notice the parallel. He takes the word to mean 'uneven land with holes,' from the same root as OE sloh, whose primary sense is 'hollow,' and notes that in LGer slochter is used as the equivalent of Lat fossa . The Slaughters lie in a well-marked river-valley so that this last sense would be peculiarly applicable to them. Curiously enough Slaughterford (W) which lies on the banks of the deep-cut valley of the Avon is not another example of this name, for its forms (PNW 149) show it to be from OE slāh - þorn , 'sloe-thorn.' The streams at the two Slaughter Bridges (Sx) do flow through slight depressions so that the 'ditch' sense is not impossible there, but it does not seem very likely.