▁the ▁meaning ▁probably ▁influenced ▁by ▁its ▁ON ▁relative ▁' vat n ' ." ▁ ▁( O E = Old ▁English ; ▁ON = Old ▁Nor se ). ▁ ▁History ▁Rem ains ▁of ▁agricult ural ▁settlement s ▁from ▁the ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁near ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁Con ist on ▁Water . ▁The ▁Rom ans ▁m ined ▁co pper ▁from ▁the ▁fell s ▁above ▁the ▁lake . ▁A ▁pot ash ▁kil n ▁and ▁two ▁iron ▁blo om eries ▁show ▁that ▁industrial ▁activity ▁continued ▁in ▁medieval ▁times . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁and ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries , ▁Con ist on ▁Water ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁source ▁of ▁fish ▁for ▁the ▁mon ks ▁of ▁F urn ess ▁Ab bey ▁who ▁owned ▁the ▁lake ▁and ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁land . ▁Co pper ▁min ing ▁continued ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁lake ▁was ▁formerly ▁known ▁as ▁" Th ur ston ▁Water ", ▁a ▁name ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁Nor se ▁personal ▁name ▁' Th ur ste inn ' ▁+ ▁Old ▁English ▁' wa eter '. ▁This ▁name ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁Con ist on ▁Water ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁Victor ian ▁artist ▁and ▁phil os opher ▁John ▁Rus kin ▁owned ▁Br ant wood ▁House ▁on ▁the ▁eastern ▁shore ▁of ▁the ▁lake , ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁it ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁Rus kin