OF THE PARISn OF AVATFORD. 203 



(0) Baker's Hill, 1854. 



Baldwia's Field, 1854. John Baldwin, of Redlicath, was 



buried at Watford in 15.'39; tho last Baldwin of llcdheatli 



died in 1710 (Cuss., ' Cashio Hund.,' p. 183). 

 (L) Barebones, 1854. 



Barnett's Croft, 1854. An Agnes Barnett, of Rickmansworth, 



was married in 1625 (H.G., i, 285). 

 (0) Battam's Field, 1854. 



Beech Spring, 1854. Vide pp. 199, 201. 



Bellsize Field, 1854; Bellsiers, 1803. The latter is the more 



correct form. 

 (0) Bird's Field, 1854. Hugh Bird, of Pinner, had a lease of the 



manor of Wiggeuhall in Oxhey, from St. Albans Abbey, in 



1538 (Cuss.,"' Cashio Hund.,' p. 173). 

 Black Field, 1803. Black applies probably not to the colour 



of the soil, but to the darkness caused by thick wood ; 



cf. e.g. Blackbush Field. 

 (0) Black Park, 1854. Tliis name belongs to a field on the north 



of Oxhey Place ; David do Jai-penville had a park here as 



early as 1275 (' Hundred Rolls,' i, 190). 

 Blackbush Mead, 1803. 

 Blackett's Wood, 1803. William Blaket held land in Caisho 



and Watford in 1260-1290 ((iesta, i, 476); Bartholomew 



Blaket was witness to a deed of 1363 concerning the 



Brightwells property (Gesta, iii, 81); and a deed of 1456 



speaks of a " curtilage called Blaketts " (Reg. Whet., i, 123). 

 Blackpits Field, 1 854. 

 Blacksmith's Field, 1854. Vide p. 196. 

 Blackwater Pightle, 1803. 



Bloom Field, 1854. Probably from A.S. bloma, a lump. 

 Bluestone Field, 1854. Bluestone is the same as the old " blue 



vitriol," i.e. copper sulphate, used as a dressing for land. 

 Boney Wood, 1803. Occurs in 1608 as Boning W. (Add. 



MS. 16,273, f. 7, Brit. Mus.) and in 1854 as Bonny W. 



A Nicholas Bonny was a party to a suit about land in Oxhey 



in 1384 (Gesta, iii, 229). 

 (0) Borwe Field, 1384. Modern ^wrroW'', rabbit warren. 



Bottom Field. 1854. In this sense like the Icelandic botne, 



a narrow valley. 

 Brangley Field, 1854. Brang appears also in Branksome 



Chine, near Bournemouth; it comes from the same root 



as the Icelandic bringa, a grassy slope ; cf . Eng. brink. 

 Brightwells. 1854. The name first appears, so far as I can 



find, between 1214 and 1245, as Brittewell ; there is still 



a well, which has been converted into a drinking-fountain. 

 Browning's Field, 1854. 

 Buckminster Field, 1854; probably a mistake for "Buckmaster." 



A Henry Buckmaster, of Watford, miller, was married in 



1666 (H.G„ i, 361). 



