Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Thing(e)lau, Thynglau, Thynglaw(e) e.13 YChviii c.1220 Calv 1316 WCR 1411 YDx

• Thynglowe 1297 WCR

• Tyngelawe, Thingeslawe 1208 FF

• Tinglawe 1608 FF

Etymology

Tingley, Thing (e )lau , Thynglau , Thynglaw (e )e. 13 YCh viii(p), c. 1220 Calv (p), 1316 WCR (p), 1411 YD x, Thynglowe 1297 WCR, Tyngelawe , Thingeslawe 1208 FF, Tinglawe 1608 FF. 'Mound where the thing or council met', v. þing , hlāw . The place is at the crossing of the Wakefield-Bradford and Leeds-Huddersfield roads, and there are traces of a mound (marked on 6″ O.S. grid 281261) on the top of the hill just south of the cross-roads. There is no evidence that this was ever the meeting-place of the freemen of the West Riding, for that was held, in medieval times at least, at Wingate Hill (Stutton) pt. iv infra , but it was no doubt the meeting-place of Morley Wapentake, Morley itself being just over a mile away. The OE and ON  word þing could certainly be used of a shire assembly as it was in Fingay Hill YN 213, but it was also used of a smaller assembly as in Morthen i, 168supra or Thingwall YN 128, the meeting-place of Whitby Strand wapentake. This parish was undoubtedly an important one for assemblies, for Woodkirk (infra ) has associations with Lee Fair Green (supra ) which is the site of the great Lee Fair, v. further Wakefield 168, and Towneley xvii.