There are so many things I can think of for the #52Ancestors prompt of "Origins", but I typically think it is best to write about the first thing that comes to mind. For me, that was the Origin of my last name, Slaughter.
Slaughter isn't an especially common last name and I love that. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Slaughter ranked at #1,295 in terms of most common U.S. surnames. About 9 people out of every 100,000 in the U.S. have that last name.
The Slaughter family name has its origins in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name originated from the Old English word "slohtre", which means "muddy place".
Just over a mile from Bourton-on-the-Water are the twin villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter. The name comes from old English 'Slohtre', which has nothing to do with killing things and means, simply, 'Muddy place'.
Today's villages are far from muddy places. They are the epitome of idyllic, civilized Cotswold charm. Straddling the banks of the River Eye, also known as Slaughter Brook, the two villages have remained utterly unchanged for more than a century with no building work taking place at all since 1906.
It isn't known to be a touristy spot, but I have traced it back that my family first came from here. The only attraction is a restored nineteenth century flour mill in Lower Slaughter, where the River Eye meets the north-west corner of the village. The mill was last used commercially in 1958 and its tall chimney cuts an imposing figure. The chimney is made of red brick, in sharp contrast to the other buildings in both villages, which are made from the traditional Cotswold stone. The mill features a giant working waterwheel and has a tea room and ice cream parlour for visitors.
The mill was originally part of Lower Slaughter Manor, which was built in 1658 for the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire. The Manor is now a grand country house hotel.
Lower Slaughter is home to the pretty church of St Mary. The church and its impressive spire were re-built in 1867 but some arches between the nave and the south aisle date back to the thirteenth century while the church of St Peter's, in Upper Slaughter, is a historic Norman church with parts dating from the 12th century . Francis Edward Witts, who wrote 'Diary of a Cotswold Parson', was rector of the Slaughters from 1808 to 1854.
The less-visited Upper Slaughter lies, as its name suggests, minutes upstream from Lower Slaughter. The cottages around the square were reconstructed by the famous architect Sir Edward Lutyens in 1906. The River Eye flows between neatly-mown grassy banks and is crossed several times by quaint old bridges. There are charming stone steps leading into the river which must have been built to enable villagers to more easily get water and a tiny Methodist chapel dating from 1865 also nestles by the brook. It is now used as a pottery.
My ultimate dream is to visit Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter to see where my ancestors came from and to stay at the beautiful Slaughters Manor and have afternoon tea there with Battenberg Cake and nice hot cup of Assam Garden Tea.
No comments:
Post a Comment