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.

Pounce Hall, Pounce Wood

Early-attested site in the Parish of Saffron Walden

Historical Forms

  • manoir monsire William Poucyn (Poucyns) de Siwardeshend(e) 1387 Walden
  • Pounces(hall) 1538 LP
  • Pounces wood 1605 WaldenA
  • Pouncynescrouch, Poncyns 1387 Walden
  • Pownces t.Hy8 Rental
  • Pouncys 1538 LP
  • Pounceshall wood, Pounshall wood, Pouncewood 1605 WaldenA
  • Pulcell 1174–84 Walden
  • Pucin 1219 Fees 1248 Ass
  • Pocyn 1285 Ass

Etymology

Pounce Hall (1″), Pounce Wood (6″) is manoir monsire William Poucyn (Poucyns ) de Siwardeshend (e )1387Walden , Pounces (hall )ib., 1538 LP, Pounces wood 1605WaldenA , Pouncynescrouch , Poncyns 1387Walden , Pownces t. Hy 8Rental , Pouncys 1538 LP, Pounceshall wood , Pounshall wood , Pouncewood 1605WaldenA , and is so called from the family of William Pulcyn whose name occurs in a charter of Geoffrey de Mandeville (Walden ). The surname is also found as Pulcell (1174–84Walden ), Pucin (1219 Fees, 1248Ass ) and Pocyn (1285Ass ). William de Mandeville granted to Albold Pouncyn totam terram Siwardi avi sui (Walden ). The place is near Sewards End infra 540 and this is in all probability the Sigeweard to whom the district owes its name.