E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Rotten Row.
Muster row. Camden derives the word from rotteran (to muster); hence rot, a file of six soldiers. Another derivation is the Norman Ratten Row (roundabout way), being the way corpses were carried to avoid the public thoroughfares. Others suggest Route du roi; and others the Anglo-Saxon rot, pleasant, cheerful; or rotten, referring to the soft material with which the road is covered.
