Keith Briggs wrote:
>> Marlston House [...] first recorded sub-tenant of the manor was
>> Geoffrey Martel, in 1189-99
>
> Is it certain that the house was named from the man?
The surname is recorded at this location before the place-name. Balance of
probabilities?
> I would not have thought that new -ton names could be formed in the Norman
> period.
There is a faint suggestion of a change of place-name (that it was
originally 'earl's tun'), but Gelling doesn't take that seriously.
John Briggs
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