The Society's MSS. 445 



There is no possible doubt whatever, that the name in the above 

 deed is written " G-ylden " Ashton. Morton Pinkney, in North- 

 amptonshire, was known formerly as " Gildenmorton," " Gyldone 

 Mortone," with other variants. In Cambridgeshire there is still 

 a parish of " G-uildeu Mordeu." x In Cheshire and Shropshire, also, 

 the same affix occurs. Thus there is nothing suspicious about the 

 word. In his paper, however, on " Rood Ashton, &c," in vol. 

 xiii. of this Magazine, the late Canon Jackson (p. 335) mentions 

 "Sulden, Silden, or East Ashton, - ' as a division of the parish of 

 Steeple Ashton, suggests an etymology, and cites in particular 

 (note to p. 331) " Sulde Ashton " from a document in the Edington 

 Cartulary which he himself transcribed. Either the compiler of 

 the Cartulary has slipped, or Canon Jackson, it would seem. 



There is another very remarkable statement in this paper about 

 which there can be no question. " The next Ashton named in old 

 documents, but now wholly unknown, was Saucere's Ashton. We 

 find the names of Henry le Saucere, Sybil Saucere, and others. 

 This is simply a corruption of the name Salcey, from the old Latin 

 'De Salceto.' Salcetum is Latin for a willow-bed." Further, 

 since there were willow-beds in Ashton, " This may have been the 

 Salcetum which gave the name to Saucere's Ashton, but the family 

 name of Salcey seems preferable," and divers " de Salcetos " are 

 produced. 



Even if we were unable — as is so often the case with ancient 

 appellations— to define the trade, personal quality, or what not, 

 indicated by the description of " le Saucer," we should not, 



1 Cf. " The Place Fames of Cambridgeshire," Prof. W. W. Skeat, Camb. 

 Antiq. Soc, 1901. "There are two Mordens, Guilden Morden and Steeple 

 Morden. The latter was no doubt named from having a church with a 

 conspicuous steeple. The epithet Guilden is less clear. . . . there is a 

 Sutton in Cheshire called Guilden Sutton. It is spelt . . . Gylden in 

 1302. . . . the form would accurately represent the AS. gyldena, gen. 

 pi. of gylda, a guild-brother ; as if it were " the Morden of the guild- 

 brothers "... Whatever be the explanation, it must satisfy the case 

 of the Cheshire village also, which is a very small place . . . Morden 

 was held by four owners conjointly ; which perhaps explains it." 



As to the " conspicuous steeple," cf. Wilts Arch. Mag., xxxii., p. 180, 

 et seq. 



