Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Mauricas Eston 1178 Whall

• Mauriches Eston 1178–82,1194–1211 ib

• Mauricaceston 1178 Orm2ii400

• Mauricaceseston 1187 Dugd

• Maurich Eston 1187–91 Whall

• grangia de Maurikeseston 1202 ib

• Menrik Aston in hundredo de Halton 1316 ib

• Mauricaston(a) 1334 Pat 1344 AddCh

• Eston 1194–1211 Whall c.1200 ib

• grangia de Aston 1291 Tax

• grangia de Aston alias Aston grange in Aston 1553 Pat

• Aston Graunge 1581 AD

• Aston Graing 1673 AddCh

• Ashton Grange 1554 Whall

Etymology

'Maurice's part of Aston', 'the grange at Aston', from the ME  pers.n. Maurice (MedLat  Mauritius ) and grange 'an outlying farm belonging to a religious house', with the p.n. Aston 160infra . Dr Barnes draws attention to a Morice witnessing a charter 1153–60 Chest 23, who may be the person referred to. The spellings in -ik - are probably due to Welsh influence, cf. Meurik - 1315 for Welsh Meurig . This township belonged to Whalley Abbey (cf. Stanlow 327infra ).