Origins of the name Catford

[Mags]

hi everyone

"The brave Catigern, brother of Vortimer,Prince of the Kentmen . . ."

I never believed the story that the origin of the name "Catford" is from either (a) "A Ford where Cattle Crossed the River" or something concerned with cats. When you look at a lot of books on place name origins, it often says "thought to be from" or "believed to be from" etc - so heres my theory. I think the name "Catford" is much older and possibly name after one of the most famous Native British Princes -who is buried just outside Maidstone in a place called "Kits Coty".

Catford, like Sydenham, were once part of Kent - itself originally a Kingdom of the Native Britons.

Catigern died in a famous battle between the Native Britons and the Anglo-Saxon invaders at the Battle of Aylesford in 455AD - hence his burial overlooking the site at Kits Coty.

The anglised name of the person who person buried there is "Catigern" - someone possibly connected with this part of Kent (i.e., modern day Lewisham). Thus, according to my hypothesis, "Catford" is actually from "Catigern's Ford" or "Ford of Catigern". It's clear that Catigern and his borther Vortimer (both sons of the legendary Vortigern) where closely connected with Kent - it was there resistance that delayed the Anglo-Saxon conquest in the 5th century AD. Thus, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Catford is named after Catigern - certainly, he would have been remembered in some way, as the Native British won a famous battle in AD455 and it was one in which Catigern died . . . maybe (a) he was a landowner in the area known today as "Catford" c. 455 AD, or (b) had passed through the area on the way to do battle at Aylesford.

If this is the case, the the origins of the name "Catford" lie in 5th century Celtic Britain.

Mags

see
Catigern's burial site
(see <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit's_Coty_House>)

Catigern, son of Vortigern
<http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/artfam/catigern.htm>

[Eagle]

Very interesting and possibly true

I must admit I was unaware that Kent was a Kingdom before The Jutes settled there.
I thought it was a Jutish Kingdom with clear borders as to where they met The South Saxons.

Whatever the origin of the word Cat , surely cannot be in dispute that Ford is a Germanic word.

Thanks for interesting post.