Mongeham is probably Monyn’s Home, for the Monins family have been there
or near there since the time of Henry the Third, and are there still.
Goodneston, commonly called Guston, was no doubt Godwinston, as in the
territory of the great Earl Godwin, and we trace its present name
through the earlier forms Gounceston, Goceston, Gusseton, to Guston.
Another Goodnestone, near Faversham, appears as Gudewynston in 1469 and
Goodwinston in 1529. The Breux, of Wickham Breux, is another Norman
addition to a Saxon name.
Ebbsfleet, the so important landing place, first of Hengist and then of
S. Augustine, has, of course, been explained by ignorant guessers as the
place where the sea ebbs! But its earliest name to be traced is Ypwine’s
fliot, _i.e._, the creek where some Jute of that name settled. Yp is
probably the Eop in Eoppa, which is a common Saxon name, also found as
Eobba, so that Eobbe’s fleet easily becomes Ebbsfleet. Upper Hardres may
take us to the Norman family which came from Ardres in Picardy, although
it is possible to find a common Celtic origin for the name both of the
French and the English village in the Celtic Ardd, that is, ploughland.
It is Heg Hardres, _i.e._, High Hardies, in early documents.
Horton Kirby was simply Horton until the reign of Edward III., when a
Lancashire Kirby married the heiress of the manor and rebuilt the
castle. Even in 1377 I find it still called Hortune only. Offham is
Offa’s home, and several places, including probably Otham, bear his
name. Here this Christian King of Mercia is said to have conquered
Edmund of Kent. So Old Romney was earlier Offeton, Effeton, or Affeton.
Offa ruled Sussex and Kent, and so we have Offham near Lewes, Offington
near Worthing, Offham near Arundel, and Ufton near Tunstall. But the
name of Offeton for Old Romney disappears after 1281. Foot’s Cray, and
Footbury Hill near there, is named from Godwin Fot the Saxon. Chelsfield
is said to record the name of a Saxon Ceol, a shortened form of
Ceolmund, or Ceolbald, or Ceolwulf, all of which were common names.
Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, belonged in the 12th century to the Barons
de Scoterni, who came from Pontigny, in N. France. They had also Scotney
Court, at Lydd.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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