The name

 

Meshaw's name has changed over the centuries, only becoming recognisable to modern eyes in 1468. Mauessart probably meant "bad or infertile clearing", from Old French mal + assart, but, hey, nothing that a thousand or so years of hard farming can't fix.

 

Here is a list of names and the dates and works they were given in :

 

Mauessart 1085 Domesday Book
Malessart 1175 Pipe Rolls
Madisheue 1212 The Book of fees
Mausard(e) 1242 The Book of fees
Meusard 1298? Assize Rolls
Mausawe 1249 Assize Rolls
Menaschaf' 1253 Calendar of Inquisitions
Meus(h)aue 1291 Taxatio Ecclesiastica
Meushagh 1307 Calendar of Close Rolls
Meushathe 1342 Exeter copy of the Domesday Book
Meuschate 1370 Exeter copy of the Domesday Book
Meweshawe 1468 Inquisitiones post mortem