English Place-name Society

Survey of English Place-Names

A county-by-county guide to the linguistic origins of England’s place-names – a project of the English Place-Name Society, founded 1923.

Forston, Hr Forston Fm, Forston Grange, Forston Ho

Early-attested site in the Parish of Charminster

Historical Forms

  • ? Cerne(l) 1086 DB
  • Fos(s)ardeston 1236 Fees 1343,1346 FF 1344 Pat
  • Forsardeston 1285 FA 1327 SR 1332 SR 1371 Ilch
  • For(e)shardeston(e) 1303,1346,1428 FA
  • Forston 1431 ib
  • Forston Fm 1837 TA
  • Furston 1546 Lane
  • Furston als. Foston 1606 1770 ib
  • eston 1553 PlR, For(r)
  • eston als. Forston 1606 Lane 1770 Add 1617
  • Foston Ferme 1617 Add

Etymology

Forston (SY 666956), Hr Forston Fm, Forston Grange, Forston Ho, ? Cerne (l )1086 DB, Fos (s )ardeston 1236 Fees, 1343, 1346 FF, 1344 Pat, Forsardeston 1285 FA, 1327SR , 1332 SR, 1371Ilch , For(e)shardeston (e )1303, 1346, 1428 FA, Forston 1431 ib et freq toForston Fm 1837TA , Furston 1546Lane , Furston als. Foston 1606 (1770) ib , For (r )eston 1553PlR , For (r )eston als. Forston 1606 (1770) Lane , 1617Add , Foston Ferme 1617Add , 'Fo(r)sard's manor', a post-Conquest name in tūn like Herrison and Pulston infra (v. IPN 131). William Forsard held this manor in 1285 FA, but the family must have been here earlier, cf. William Fossard 1244Ass (possibly the same man, mentioned under this hundred). Forston, like Herrison and Pulston infra , is on R. Cerne, and like them is no doubt one of the nine manors called Cerne (l ) in DB (Eyton 123 f, VCHDo 3 144, DBGazetteer 120; v. further RCHMDo 3 71–2 on the probable sites of the various original settlements). There is mention of a grangia here in 1470Weld 1, 1478Ct .