OF TUB PARISH OF WATFORD. -01 



Shot, e.g. " Logger Shott," " Upper Shot." A division of land in 

 an arable field. A.S. scent, a portion, e.g. "a Piece [of 

 arable] in a shott" (Terrier of 1638 at Bennington, Herts; 

 H.G., ii, 109). 



Slipe, a long narrow slip of land, generally meadow or pasture. 

 At Oxford, a strip of ground between the City Wall and 

 the Pitch is known as " The Slipc." 



Spring, e g. "Main Spring," "Beech Spring." A wood; connected 

 with spriij, spray. Cf . Fhtcher, ' ' The nightingale within 

 the thick-leav'd spring" ('Faithful Shepherdess.' v, 1. 1613). 



Toft, e.g. " Jacketts Toft." Used in two senses : ( 1 ) a grassy knoll ; 

 e.g., "a toft called the Hill," in deed of 1629 relating 

 to property at Watford. (2) A grass enclosure adjoining 

 a farmhouse. A word of Scandinavian origin ; cf . Icelandic 

 topt, toft, tomt, a clearing. 



lY. List of Place-Xajies in- Watford Parish, 

 "With a note on the names " Watford " and " Cashio." 



The name "Watford," so far as I can find, first occurs in the 

 year 944,* and is then spelled precisely as it is now. It is found 

 again in 1007,f and once more during the early part of the eleventh 

 century. J But in none of these cases does it seem to include more 

 than the land immediately adjoining the ford over the lliver Colne, 

 now represented by Watford Bridge. 



The district now comprised in the parish was known at the time 

 of the compilation of Domesday Book {cir. 1080) as " Chaissou " or 

 " Caisson," the Norman French rendering of the Saxon "Caegesho" 

 or " Caysho," now " Cashio." Mr. Cussans § would place the original 

 village of Caisson " on the brow of the gently rising acclivity from 

 the river [Colne] about a mile south-west of Watford Church " 

 His chief reason seems to be that in a fourteenth -century deed, 

 " Tolpade," now " Tolpits," is described as being " in villa de 

 Cais/wo," in the township of Caishoo. But we find that in the 

 time of Edward I, the Hundred usually called " Caisho Hundred" 

 is called " Caysford Hundred," |1 and even as late as 1428 we find 

 the name " Caysforthe." 



I am inclined to think that the present Cashio Hamlet represents 

 the old Caegesho, situated as it is at the intersection of two early 

 roads, one from St. Albans to Rickmansworth, the other from 

 ].oudon to Tring. Then as the traflSc over the ivat-ford increased 

 during the latter part of the eleventh century, the centre of 

 population seems to have drifted down the hill towards the River 

 Colne, until it occupied the site of the present church and market- 

 place of Watford. The change must have been over in the early 



* Kemble : ' Codex Biplomatietis,'' No. 410. 



t Ibid., No. 1304. 



X Ibid., No. 920. 



^^ 'Cass. Hnnd.,'p. 166. 



II -Hundred Rolls,' i, 190. 



