An idea on how the name place name Pontefract originated.
I had read that the earliest reference to the name of Pontefract was in a document dated 1122 where it is called Pontisfracti, but now have a copy of a map of England dating from c1250, by Mathew Paris, which has changed my thinking.
There are several places marked in Yorkshire on this map. Three marked castles on the line of the Great North Road are, Denceare (Doncaster ), Pontferie (Pontefract), and Pont Burge (Boroughbridge). Each castle is built close to a major river crossing. The castle at Pontefract would be built to guard the river crossings at Castleford and Ferrybridge.
A. H. Smiths Place Names of the West Riding 1958, lists at least two references to Pontferie taken from various documents. They are, Ponte(m)ferie 1227, and Pontefereye 1246.
This has led me to believe that the name Pontefract is of a later date. The name could have evolved from Pontferry, or relate to a later broken bridge. William Shakespeare writing c1600, uses Pomfret for Pontefract, in Richard III act 3 scene III.
It is not hard to find a later broken bridge in the Pontefract area. At the lead up to the Battle of Towton in 1461, a detachment under Lord Fitzwalter found the bridge at Ferrybridge broken down. Then Henry VIII's surveyor John Leyland writing about 1535, says that he saw the ruin's of the bridge on his visit to the area. His writings are in the form of an Itinerary based on the Roman Antonine Itinerary. He knew of the Roman road that ran through the medieval Pontefract Park and the town Legeolium/Lagentium on the river Aire. He had been led to believe that this town was Pontefract.
The bridge must have been repaired by 1577. Christopher Saxton's as map of Yorkshire clearly marks the bridge at Ferrybridge, together with two bridges at Castleford. One over the river Aire, and the other over the river Calder towards Methley. Another traveler and writer was William Camden, writing in 1586 also knew of Pontefract's broken bridge.
I know from experience how difficult the study of
ancient hand written manuscripts can be, but feel a fresh look at the
early Pontefract documents could be worth while.