Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• —Marshalflate 1539 MinAcct

• Serganteshou 1230 Scotland

Etymology

Marshalflate and Serganteshou (both lost). It is a curious coincidence, though it may well be no more, that two field-names in Loweswater— Marshalflate 1539MinAcct (v. flat) and Serganteshou 1230 Scotland (v. haugr )—have first elements which reflect the organisation of feudal society. Marshal stands for OFr  marechal , originally meaning 'a servant who looked after the stables,' from which a later sense 'farrier' developed. The medieval sergeant was normally a man rendering some form of direct personal service to a lord. As, however, there is no feudal centre in the neighbourhood of Loweswater, no stress can be laid on these names, and Marshalflate , for which there is no medieval form, may be derived from a family-name.