Mosterton
Major Settlement in the Parish of Mosterton
Historical Forms
- Mortestorne 1086 DB
- Mortestorn(e) 1256 FF 1268 Ass 1276 Ipm 1329 Forde 15 IpmR 1398
- Mortesturne 13 Forde 15
- Mortesthorn(e) 1209 FF 1244,1268 Ass 1276 Ipm 1285 FA 1288 Ass 1303 FA 1431 FA
- Mortesþorn 1271 Forde 15
- Mortisthorn 1275 Cl 1349 Ipm
- Morttesthorn' 1332 SR
- Mortesterne 1218 Sarum
- Morteston' 1268 Ass
- Moteshorne (sic) 1268 Ass
- Morteshorn(e) 1288 1298 Ipm
- Mortysherne or Motteshorne 1504 Ipm
- Mostreston 1354 ADII
- Musterston 1431 FA
- Mosterne als. Mosterton 1654 SoDoNQ
- Mosterton 1811 OS
- Morthesthorne 1360 Pat 1362 Cl
- Mortherstorne 1412 FA
- Mottesthorn 1428 FA 1486 Ipm
- Mosthorne Eliz ChancP
- Mestern (sic) 1653 ParlSurv
Etymology
'Mort's thorn-tree', from an OE pers.n. *Mort (gen.sg. -es ) and þorn.A pers.n. looks to be the most likely first el. in this name, but for the difficult el. mort - found here and in a small number of other names, v. Mortham PN YN 301, Morthoe PN D 52, Murtwell PN D 301, Mortlock's Fm PN Ess 513, Morcombelake in Whitchurch C. par. infra , DEPN snn. and EPN s.v. *mort, cf. also the f.n. Mosscombe Bottom in Cattistock par. and the Saxon bdy point murtes wyll in Corscombe par. both supra . On AN t - for th - in the second el. v. ANInfl 39 ff, IPN 98, Feilitzen 100 ff; it will be noted that the transition from -t (h )orn to -ton (as if from tūn ) is relatively late, although there are isolated -ton spellings from 1268. The development Mortes - to Moster - in the first part of the name has probably been influenced by that of the neighbouring par. of Misterton So (DEPN).