The origins of Bucganora

The name Bucgan ora (the original name for Bognor Regis) was first recorded in the year 680 AD.

It is widely considered one of the oldest recorded Anglo-Saxon place names in Sussex. The record originates from a charter (a formal legal document) involving the South Saxon kingdom, specifically related to land grants or ecclesiastical estates associated with St. Wilfrid.

Historical Details

• Meaning: The name is Old English for "Bucge’s Shore" or "Bucge’s landing place."

  • Bucge was a female Saxon name, likely belonging to a chieftain or high-ranking woman who owned the land or used the coastal area as a private harbor.

  • Ora refers to a shore, bank, or landing place.

• Context: At the time of the recording, the area was part of the Kingdom of the South Saxons (Sussex). The document itself predates the Domesday Book by four centuries, highlighting how early the settlement was established.

• Location: The "landing place" was situated on the Selsey Peninsula, where Bognor Regis stands today. In the 7th century, the geography was quite different; it was likely a wide inlet, and areas like Selsey were essentially islands surrounded by seawater.

Evolution of the Name

The name remained a variation of "Bognor" (a simplified version of Bucgan ora) for over a thousand years while it was a small fishing and smuggling village. It wasn't until July 1929 that the town officially became Bognor Regis after King George V stayed nearby to convalesce and granted the royal suffix "Regis" (Latin for "of the King")

The name Bucgan ora was recorded in a charter commonly attributed to the year 680 AD, granted by King Æthelwealh of the South Saxons (Sussex) to Bishop Wilfrid.

The Charter Details

The specific document is traditionally identified as the foundation charter for the Monastery of Selsey (often cataloged by historians as Sawyer 232 or similar, though its authenticity in its surviving form is debated by scholars).

In this document:

• The Grant: King Æthelwealh granted a large estate of 87 hides of land to Wilfrid to support the establishment of the church at Selsey and the conversion of the South Saxons to Christianity.

• The Content: The charter lists various "villages" and land parcels included in the gift. Bucgan ora appears in this list as one of the constituent parts of the wider Selsey/Pagham estate.

• Significance: Because of this 680 AD date, Bognor is frequently cited as having one of the oldest attested Anglo-Saxon place names in all of Sussex.

Historical Context

At the time of the charter, Wilfrid was an exiled Northumbrian bishop who had famously arrived in Sussex to find the kingdom suffering from a severe drought and famine. According to the historian Bede, Wilfrid taught the locals how to fish with nets, and in gratitude, the King gave him the Selsey peninsula.

It is important to note that while the event occurred in 680 AD, the surviving physical copies of such early charters are often later medieval transcriptions. However, the mention of Bucgan ora is remarkably consistent in the historical record of the area's development from a Saxon landing place to the parish of South Bersted, and eventually the town we know today.

The charter is most commonly referred to by historians as S 232 (from the Sawyer index of Anglo-Saxon charters). It is the Foundation Charter of Selsey Abbey, attributed to King Cædwalla of Wessex (and sometimes associated with King Æthelwealh of Sussex).

While the events it describes took place around 680 AD, the surviving document is a later medieval transcription held in the archives of Chichester Cathedral.

Other Settlements Mentioned

The charter was essentially a "gift list" of land given to St. Wilfrid to establish the church. Along with Bucgan ora(Bognor), it names several other locations on or near the Selsey Peninsula and the "Manhood" (the Maene-wudu or common wood).

Key places included in this 7th-century estate were:

• Seleusi (Selsey): The primary site of the monastery and the "Island of the Seals."

• Pecganham (Pagham): Now a harbor and nature reserve; it was a major harbor and estate at the time.

• Berhæstede (Bersted): Specifically mentioned as a site where 250 slaves (manumitted by Wilfrid) were located to work the land.

• Scrympenig (Shrimpney): A small hamlet just north of Bognor that still bears a version of its original name today.

• Mundham: Listed as part of the broader ecclesiastical estate.

• Felppham (Felpham): Though it became more prominent in the Domesday Book, it is often linked to the geography of this original grant.

Historical "Hidden" Details

• The Selsey Connection: At the time, the sea level was different. Selsey was almost entirely an island, and Bucgan ora was one of the primary "landing places" used to access the mainland from the monastery.

• The Slaves of Bersted: One of the most famous parts of this charter (as recorded by the historian Bede) is that when Wilfrid received these lands, they came with 250 bondmen and bondwomen (slaves). Wilfrid famously baptized them all and immediately gave them their freedom, a significant social event for 7th-century Sussex.