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.

Marlpost Wood

Early-attested site in the Parish of Horsham

Historical Forms

  • Malrepat 12th ADiii
  • Malrepast 1327 Pat
  • Maurepast 1274 Misc
  • Marlepas 1280 Misc
  • Marlepast 1317 Pat
  • Marlespost, Merlyspost 1288 Ass
  • Marlepost 1638 Ipm
  • Malliperts 1650 SAC23,286

Etymology

This is a name of French origin. It corresponds to the common French p.n. Maurepas . The history of that is made clear by the form malus repastus found in 1147 for Maurepas, Dept. L'Yonne, v. Dictionnaire Topographique for that Department. It means 'ill feeding' and has its parallel in a good many other similar terms of reproach. The French name was probably due to the nuns of Rusper to whom the property belonged. Manorially it was an outlier of the Archbishop's manor of West Tarring and the French name might equally well be due to a Norman steward of his (W.D.P.).