1787 engraving by thomas bonner of montacute house, somerset, viewed from east, with the iron age hill fort of ham hill, a large tribal fort of the durotriges (the "sharpness" of which is greatly exaggerated) at left (the summit of which is 620 metres south-west of the house). The fort was conquered by the roman legio ii augusta sometime around 45 ad. It became known at some time by the latin name of mons acutus, meaning "sharp mountain". The prominent de montagu family (later earls of salisbury) which came over from normandy with william the conqueror, held various manors in somerset, including shipton montacute and bishopton, situated 300 metres to the south-east of the summit of the hill. Bishopton later became the site of montacute priory, and the village and parish of montacute developed around it. The anglo-norman de montagu family is believed to have taken its surname from its manor of origin in normandy, now montaigu-les-bois. The french spelling "mont-aigu" means "sharp mountain", and the family's name was latinised as de monte acuto ("from the sharp mountain"). Sources differ as to whether the family was named after the hill in bishopton, or whether the hill, village, parish and priory, were named after the family, thus ultimately after montaigu-les-bois in normandy. Date: 1787.
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