“Where exactly does the name ‘Edgware’ come from?” I always ask those on my tour to Edgware Kingdom Hall. Its origins are more grounded than you might think.
Welcome to Edgware Kingdom Hall a place where history whispers from every corner. Edgware itself boasts a history stretching back over a thousand years.
Edgware’s story began in the Old English period. The town’s name was first recorded in the 970s as Aegces wer meaning Ecgi’s weir. Ecgi was a Saxon name. The weir was a pond where his people caught fish. The name then was applied to the ancient parish of Edgware. Imagine Ecgi a local Saxon leader overseeing his community’s fishing pond. His legacy lives on in the name of this place Edgware.
By the 15th century the spelling had evolved. A legal record of 1422 mentions Eggeswer in Middlesex. By 1489 the d was added and it became Edggeware.
Edgware’s location has always been significant. It sits on the ancient Watling Street a Roman road. This road connected London and St. Albans. Edgware was a convenient resting place for medieval pilgrims. Watling Street is now known as the A5 road. It runs from central London through Edgware and continues to Shropshire. The road is called High Street Stone Grove and Brockley Hill. South of the boundary it’s known as Burnt Oak Broadway. Further south it becomes Edgware Road meaning the road to Edgware.
In 1711 the Edgware-Kilburn turnpike trust was established to improve the road. Despite this a traveler in 1798 noted that the road had four inches of mud after summer rain. It had nine inches of mud all winter. The trust was absorbed in 1827.
The parish of Edgware has changed over time. The ancient parish served by St Margaret’s Church was west of Watling Street. It was south of Deans Brook and Edgware Brook. The parish’s northern boundary with Elstree also marked the boundary of Middlesex and Hertfordshire.
Edgware’s population has seen significant changes. In 1801 it was just 412. By 1921 it had grown to 1516. Suburban development after 1924 led to a dramatic increase. In 1931 the population was 5352 rising to 17513 by 1951. Edgware has a strong Jewish community and significant Hindu and Muslim minorities.
The Edgware Kingdom Hall stands as a testament to community and faith.