Recorded in various spellings including Slide, Sleides, and Slyde, this is a rare surname of Olde English or possibly Norse-Viking pre 7th century origins. It derives from the ancient word 'slaed' meaning a deep valley, and as such a word which gradually passed out of use with the coming of the Norman French invaders in the 11th century. It is probable that an actual place called 'Slaed' once existed but if so we have not been able to positively identify the spot. This is not in itself unusual, an estimated five thousand British surnames do derives from 'lost' medieval villages of which the only public reminder in the 20th century is the surving surname. This itself is often to be found in many variant forms, some far removed from the original spelling, if that is known and recorded. In this case we have been able to obtain some recordings from early surviving church registers of the Greater London area, but we have no doubt that other recordings will exist in other parts of England, and possibly Scotland. These recordings include: John Slide, who married Martha Carter at the church of St Bartholomew, the Less, on February 28th 1646, and Josuah Sleids, a witness at the Sion Chapel, Mile End Road, Kentish Town, on October 10th 1813.

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