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.

Ashlyns

Early-attested site in the Parish of High Ongar

Historical Forms

  • Ast(e)le(y)ns, Ast(e)lyns 1456–9 ECP 1459 Pat 1475 IpmR 1485 Ipm
  • Hast(e)lyns 1493,1503 Ipm
  • Astlynge 1568 BobbingworthPR

Etymology

Ashlyns is Ast (e )le (y )ns , Ast (e )lyns 1456–9 ECP, 1459 Pat, 1475 IpmR, 1485 Ipm, Hast (e )lyns 1493, 1503 Ipm, Astlynge 1568 BobbingworthPR. It is called by Morant (i, 130) “the manor of Astelyns or Gapps,” with lands in Bobbingworth and North Weald. On the far side of Bobbingworth, just inside Shelley, is Ashlyns (6″), whilst in Magdalen Laver, near the North Weald boundary, is Ashlings. There is also an Ashlings Fm in the south of High Ongar. In all the early forms and in Morant, there has been a mis-reading of t for c . The four places owe their names to the family of Richard Ascelyn and his sons Richard and William (1321, 1324, 1327FF , 1325 Cl, 1341 Pat).