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.

Tunstead Hundred

Hundred in the County of Norfolk

Historical Forms

  • hundredum de Tunstede 1044–7 (13 Sawyer 1055) KCD 785
  • Ton(e)steda H', Tunesteda H', H' Tonsteda, H' Tunesteda, Tunesteda Hund', Hund' de Tonsteda, H' Stunetada, H' Consteda 1086 DB
  • Tunstede hundred 1101–7 Holme 1177to1194 P
  • Tunstedahundredum 1193 ib
  • Hundr' de Tunstall' 1198 Ass
  • hundredum de Tunstede 1206 Cur 1302 FA
  • h' de Tunstede 1210 P
  • Tunstede 1212 Fees 1231 Ch 1257 Ass 1346,1402,1428 FA
  • Tunsted' 1220 Fees
  • Hundr' de Tunsted 1250 Ass 1316 FA
  • hd of Thunstede 1265 Misc
  • hundr' de Thunsted' 1268 Ass
  • Tunsted 1275 RH
  • hd of Tonstede 1295 Pat

Etymology

OE  tūn-stede 'farmstead'. The hundred is named after the village of Tunstead. Arngart quotes W. Rye (Hundred Courts and Mote Hills in Norfolk , Norwich 1920: 33), who suggests that the meeting- place of this hundred was at the Hundred Hill on Bradfield Common, but since this hill is “on the very extreme boundary of Tunstead and N. Erpingham hundreds”, he thinks it is more likely that it marks the boundary of the hundred than its meeting-place (v. EHN I69 and note). Williamson (1993: 129) quotes Rye without any objections.