Lost place names of Minsterworth
I have always been intrigued by place names, especially long-lost place names and Minsterworth is not without some of its own.
Take Hampton for example. In the 12th and 13th centuries, a settlement with this name (it means a farmstead near a water meadow) is recorded as being within the lordship of Minsterworth, and even to have had a church of its own. At one point it seems to have belonged to the neighbouring manor of Highnam but towards the end of the 13th century it was described as a sub-manor of Minsterworth. Among historians there is a view that Hampton was the original centre of Minsterworth possibly until around 1300 by which time a new church was established where St Peter’s is today. It can reasonably be assumed that Hampton was located somewhere in the vicinity of Highgrove House. This impressive mansion was built in the 18th century by the then lord of Minsterworth manor Sir Charles Barrow on the site of an older manor house called Hampton House.
The site of the long-gone church of Hampton has never been established and all that remains on the map today to remind us of Hampton is the name of a farm in Watery Lane. It may be no coincidence that the area around Watery Lane and the Appletree is now known from recent archaeology to have been the location of settlement as far back as Roman times.
Another lost place name is Boyfield, a name thought to have derived from the de Bosco or de Boys family who held estate in Minsterworth in the early period. In the 1200s, a William of Boyfield was associated with Minsterworth and, in the early 14th century, “property in Hampton” was held first by a Roger of Boyfield and then his son Richard of Boyfield. Hampton House may have been the manor house of this Boyfield estate.
By the 17th century, Boyfield manor had combined with Morecote to form a single estate. The Boyfields were prominent in Gloucester: in 1327, John Boyfield was a wealthy tanner in Gloucester and also served for a time as Bailiff of the city. In 1377 a John Boyfield, possibly of the same family, was abbot of Gloucester.
Finally, there is Mortune which was traditionally thought to be the original name of Minsterworth. The name (meaning moorland farmstead) is in the Domesday Book (1086) which, under Westbury Hundred refers to lands in “Hamme (i.e. Churcham) and Mortune” belonging to St Peter’s abbey Gloucester. Somehow, antiquarians in the 1800s linked the name to Minsterworth and this notion stuck until quite recently. Modern scholars are now confident however that Mortune was an early settlement somewhere in Churcham parish and a 14th century mention of “Mortune next Birdwood” would seem to place it in the western part of Churcham – nowhere near Minsterworth.
Incidentally, we are all familiar with the place name Calcotts Green. It doesn’t actually appear in Minsterworth’s historical record however until as recently as 1830, and has been variously rendered also as ‘Calcuts Green’ and ‘Calcrofts Green’. ‘Cott’ is an old word for a ‘cottage’ and ‘croft’ a small piece of land with cottages. But who or what was ‘Cal’?
Terry Moore-Scott
September 2003/May 2020
Take Hampton for example. In the 12th and 13th centuries, a settlement with this name (it means a farmstead near a water meadow) is recorded as being within the lordship of Minsterworth, and even to have had a church of its own. At one point it seems to have belonged to the neighbouring manor of Highnam but towards the end of the 13th century it was described as a sub-manor of Minsterworth. Among historians there is a view that Hampton was the original centre of Minsterworth possibly until around 1300 by which time a new church was established where St Peter’s is today. It can reasonably be assumed that Hampton was located somewhere in the vicinity of Highgrove House. This impressive mansion was built in the 18th century by the then lord of Minsterworth manor Sir Charles Barrow on the site of an older manor house called Hampton House.
The site of the long-gone church of Hampton has never been established and all that remains on the map today to remind us of Hampton is the name of a farm in Watery Lane. It may be no coincidence that the area around Watery Lane and the Appletree is now known from recent archaeology to have been the location of settlement as far back as Roman times.
Another lost place name is Boyfield, a name thought to have derived from the de Bosco or de Boys family who held estate in Minsterworth in the early period. In the 1200s, a William of Boyfield was associated with Minsterworth and, in the early 14th century, “property in Hampton” was held first by a Roger of Boyfield and then his son Richard of Boyfield. Hampton House may have been the manor house of this Boyfield estate.
By the 17th century, Boyfield manor had combined with Morecote to form a single estate. The Boyfields were prominent in Gloucester: in 1327, John Boyfield was a wealthy tanner in Gloucester and also served for a time as Bailiff of the city. In 1377 a John Boyfield, possibly of the same family, was abbot of Gloucester.
Finally, there is Mortune which was traditionally thought to be the original name of Minsterworth. The name (meaning moorland farmstead) is in the Domesday Book (1086) which, under Westbury Hundred refers to lands in “Hamme (i.e. Churcham) and Mortune” belonging to St Peter’s abbey Gloucester. Somehow, antiquarians in the 1800s linked the name to Minsterworth and this notion stuck until quite recently. Modern scholars are now confident however that Mortune was an early settlement somewhere in Churcham parish and a 14th century mention of “Mortune next Birdwood” would seem to place it in the western part of Churcham – nowhere near Minsterworth.
Incidentally, we are all familiar with the place name Calcotts Green. It doesn’t actually appear in Minsterworth’s historical record however until as recently as 1830, and has been variously rendered also as ‘Calcuts Green’ and ‘Calcrofts Green’. ‘Cott’ is an old word for a ‘cottage’ and ‘croft’ a small piece of land with cottages. But who or what was ‘Cal’?
Terry Moore-Scott
September 2003/May 2020