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.

Measand Becks & End

Early-attested site in the Parish of Bampton

Historical Forms

  • Mussaund 1265 Cl
  • Misand 1451 CWxxi,184
  • Mesand(e) 1308 Ass3 1476 CWxxi,184 1612 FF
  • Mesaunt 1476 Lowth
  • Meson 1619 FF
  • Meysand 1495 CWxxi,185 1592 Lowth
  • Measand(e) 1564 CWxxi,208 1591 PR(Sh) 1823 M
  • Measand(e) or Mell becks 1714 PR
  • -becks 1716 ib
  • Measond 1626 FF 1651 PR
  • Meason 1626 FF 1654 PR

Etymology

Measand Becks was a delta almost separating the two parts of Hawes Water (High and Low Water), but was submerged when the level was raised by a dam in 1927–1937; the TA map shows Measand Becks at grid 83–488153. The name means 'marsh sand-bank', v. mēos , sand ; cf. Mellbecks (infra ). W. G. Collingwood's suggestion that it is from ON  mjo-sund 'narrow strait' is improbable phonologically.