Mooray
Early-attested site in the Parish of Chilmark
Historical Forms
- Morwyeve 1428 MinAcct
Etymology
Mooray is Morwyeve 1428MinAcct . This is clearly another example of OE morgen-giefu , 'morning-gift,' i.e. the gift given the morning after marriage by the husband to the wife. Cf. Moor Fm (PN Ess 276), Marraway (PN Wa 224), le Moregheueplace c. 1350 Trop in the neighbouring Chicklade, and Morwyevecroft 1363 Ipm in Grimstead. It is interesting to note that we have in BCS 591 a document dealing with land in the neighbouring parish of Fonthill (five hides in extent) which was the morgengifu of one Aeðeldryð (c. 915).