It may be a little hard to make out but, in this extract from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, you can see the word ‘Egonesham’ written on the third line. Egonesham is believed to have been formed from the name Ægen and the word ‘hamm’, which meant ‘river meadow’. It is one of many names by which Eynsham has been known over history.
The significance of this extract is that it is the earliest known written reference to Eynsham. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was originally created under the reign of King Alfred the Great (from 871 to 899 CE), drawing on many earlier sources. It was copied and circulated to monasteries, and was updated over a period of more than 200 years. The Chronicle was a collection of annals, that is, a record of events by year, and it covered historical events in both Anglo-Saxon and Norman England.
The reference to Egonesham (Eynsham) appears in the annal for 571 CE. The translation is: ‘In this year, Cutha fought against the Britons at Biedcanford and captured four villages: Limbury, Aylesbury, Benson and Eynsham.’