Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Morcary Leys 1723,1749 Anc 1845 BHS

• Money Morcary Leys 1723,1724,1732 Anc

• Ashwells Nether Morcary Leys, Ashwells Upper Morcary Leys 1723,1724,1732 ib

• Mawkery Leys 1758,1785 Anc

• Mockery Leys 1785 Anc

• Morcrow Leys 1804 BHS

• Nether Morcrow Leys 1847 ib

• Morcray Leys c1840 TA 1842 Anc

• Morkery Leys 1904 Anc 1908 Deed

• Money 1723 Anc

Etymology

Possibly an OE compound of mearc 'a boundary' and rīð 'a stream'. If this is correct, the first el. was later Scandinavianized to mǫrk 'border, boundary'. Morkery Leys line the county boundary, with East and West Morkery Woods lying beyond the border in Castle Bytham L. A small stream forms the county boundary for a short stretch north of Stocken Hall. In the reign of Edward the Confessor, Morcar, brother of Edwin, earl of Mercia, held the estate of Casterton some six miles to the south-east. If his name survives here, it is difficult to see what the final el. of Morkery could be. On the other hand, early 18th century antiquarianism may well be responsible for the approximation to Morcar in the spellings recorded in the Ancaster MSS.

Money Morcary Leys were in the possession of Widow Money in 1723Anc , while Ashwells Nether Morcary Leys , Ashwells Upper Morcary Leys record the family of Henry Ashwell , resident in Stretton in 1637ib .