Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• la Mustowe in bosc. de Dalle 1260 LegerBk

• la Mostow(e) 1268 Ch 1279 Nott 1306 Ass 1327 SR

• montem de Motstowehull, ideo sic dictum quia ibi placitabant c.1310 LegerBk

Etymology

Motslow (sic) Hill is la Mustowe in bosc. de Dalle 1260LegerBk , la Mostow (e )1268 Ch, 1279Nott , 1306Ass , 1327 SR, montem de Motstowehull , ideo sic dictum quia ibi placitabant c. 1310LegerBk . According to Dugdale (169) this was the meeting-place of the King's court “held for this mannour upon a hill, then and yet, called the Motstow-hill …having that appellation because of the pleadings there; the word Mote being to this day used in that sense by our Lawyers.” It may also have been used as the Hundred meeting-place. v. supra 152 and (ge)mot and stow .Cf. Mutlow (PN Ess lxii, 543). There is an artificial mound here 300 yards south-south-west of the church.