THE ANGLO-SAXONS had begun migrating from Germany while the Romans were still in power, a people belonging to a series of tribes but all sharing the same language. They were hunters and farmers but also warlike and armed with spears and swords and it is generally believed that they were invited to come to England to help fight the Picts and the Scots who were continually raiding the country but soon they settled down and stayed.

Place names of Saxon origin are easily recognised because they end with ton as in Pointon, meaning village or farmstead, ford as in Greatford, meaning river crossing and ham as in Edenham, meaning village. The Anglo-Saxons were originally pagans but gradually converted to Christianity and many churches in the Bourne area have Saxon origins.