Herefordshire Placenames G

G

Gaines (Whitbourne).

1291 Gynes, Ep. Reg.
1326 Gynes, Inq. ad quod dam.
1346 Gynes, Ep. Reg.
1689 Gains, Tomb in Whitbourne Church.

There is a 'Gains Pleck' in Goodrich in 1722, and to-day a Baregains farm in Ledbury.

Gamage (Much Marcle).

Probably an outlying portion of the lands of the Gamage family, settled in Mansell in 12th and 13th centuries.

Gamber (brook).

circ.1130 Amyr, Amir, Humer, Lib. Land.

Runs through Llanwarne.

Ganarew.

circ.1150 Genoreu, Geof. of Monmouth.
1186 Gueneriu, Chart. St Florent and Monmouth.
1291 Generu, Gonore, Tax. Eccles.
1293 Genre, Ep. Reg.
1340 Genreu, Ep. Reg.
1341 Genorew, Non. Inq.
1345 Generiew, Ep. Reg.
1346 Genrew, Ep. Reg.
circ.1670 'Gunarew rectius Canon Row'! T. Blount.
1831 Gannerew, Ord. Map.

H.O. thinks that a Saint's name is involved. J. Hobson Matthews says Welsh genau'r-rhiw, 'the mouth (of the valley) on the slope'; on which Celtic scholars must pronounce.

Gannah (Holme Lacy).

There is a Gannow (Worcs.) which cannot be explained.

The Garn (Clodock).

Welsh carn, 'a heap', 'a hillock'. It is, in Ord. Map 1831, Garn caled, 'hard heap'. The last Welsh-speaking native of Clodock died there in 1880.

Garnons (Mansell Gamage).

1303 'terrarum que fuerunt Johannis Gernoun in Malmeshulle Gamage', F.A.

Garnstone (Weobley).

1282 Gernestone, Harl. MS.
1334 Gernestone, Ep. Reg.
1542 Garneston, Orig. R.

Robinson says (but does not give the reference, nor can I find it) 'Gerner's town from John Gerner, a benefactor to Wormesley Priory'.

Gar-an: both elements have been plausibly taken as Celtic river-roots - Gar akin to Yare (Norf., Yarmouth) and Yar (I. of Wight, Yarmouth): and -an = Onny, which see. But wise philologists like Wyld leave river-names severely alone.

Garraway (How Caple).

Garraway or Garway was a well-known Herefordshire family in 15th and 16th centuries; one of the name is buried in Weobley Church. They took their name from the next-mentioned parish; but may have given the name to this farm in How Caple.

Garway.

circ.1130 Lann Mihacgel super Mingui, Lib. Land.
1138 Garou, A.C.
1199 Langarewi, Chart. R.
1227 'Garewi in Wales', Chart. R.
1289 Garewy, Inq. p.m.
1312 Garwy, Orig. R.
1316 Garewy (cum membris), F.A.
1428 Gareway, F.A.

The Lib. Land. name is 'Church of St Michael above the Wye'. Eg. Phil. identifies it in the oldest portion of Lib. Land. as Lan Guorboe or Lan Gurvoe, which would give Gwrabwy or something like it in Mod. W. But he is afterwards doubtful of this identification. The 1199 form suggests a saint's name.

Gater Top (Hope-under-Dinmore).

1086 Gadredehope, Dom.
1123 Gatredehopa, Leom. Cart.
1243 Gaderedehope, T. de Nevill.
1303 Gaderildehope, F.A.
1322 Gaterildehope, R. and S.
1346 Gaderesdhope, F.A.
1428 Gaterildishope, F.A.
1431 Gatereldeshope, F.A.
1538 Gathertopte, Val. Eccles.

Evidently 'Godred's or Gadrid's enclosed valley'.

Gatley (Aymestrey).

1275 Gatleye, Ep. Reg.
1280 Gattelee, Inq. p.m.

T. de Nevill gives a Catesby held by Isabella de Pembridge. Since the Dan. ending -by is not found in Herefordshire, and T. de Nevill is notoriously wild in its spelling, I expect this is Catesleye. The first element may be O.E. geat, 'a gate', or it may be a personal name, Geat or Geot. (There is under Wigmore in 1302 (Quo War.) an unidentified entry Gatterlyth.)

Cf. Gateley (Norf. and Ches.).

Gatsford (Brampton Abbotts).

For first element see Gatley.

Gayton.

1086 Getune, Dom.
1348 Gaytone, Ep. Reg.

'Tun of Gaega or Gega'. In a Hampshire charter of 940 is Gaecges stapole, 'Gaega's market'.

Gazerdine (Munsley).

No old forms: but perhaps it is 'Gad's wardine'.

Gethenfield (Allensmore).

Gethen is a pers. name in Hereford at the present day.

*Giddis [in or near Goodrich].

1722 Giddis, Terrier.

Gilbertstone (Longtown).

There is also in Ewyas Harold a Gilbert's Hill. Gilbert is one of the five knights who hold land in Ewyas in Dom. And a later Gilbert, circ. 1200, gives lands to the Abbey of Dore.

Gillow (Tretire).

circ.1130 Cil Luck, Gillwc, Lib. Land.
1280 Kilho, Inq. p.m.
1350 Gilhou, Ep. Reg.
1370 Gyllogh, Ep. Reg.
1396 Gilloghz, Ep. Reg.
1459 Gyllough, Exchequer MSS.
circ.1480 Cillwch, Welsh Pedigree.

W. cil-llwch, 'a retreat by a lake', or 'a cell in a marsh'.

Gilva (St Margaret's).

1831 Gilfach, Ord. Map.

W. cil fach, 'little retreat'.

Glan-monnow (Garway).

So called in mid. 19th century by its new owner. It was previously Pen-y-fedw, 'hill-top with the birch-trees'.

Glewstone (Marstow).

1568 Glewston, Courtfield MS.
1722 Glewstone, Terrier.

Glybes (Michaelchurch Eskley).

Glynch (brook, Eastnor).

temp. Hen. III Glench, Inq. p.m.

It runs through Clencher's wood, past Clencher's Mill (Clenchmille in 1394); and the names are obviously connected. But, like all river-names, the origin is uncertain.

Gobbets.

There are four instances of this name, in places far apart: Peterchurch, Pudlestone, Stretton Sugwas, and Ullingswick. The Ullingswick Gobbets is quite close to Corbet's Bridge; the Corbet family held lands in Herefordshire in 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. We may have in this a suggestion as to the origin of the name, or it may not be so. In any case, I can find no early forms. There is a Gabbets in Lancs. which in T. de Nevill is Gerbot.

The Godway (Blakemere).

1232 Godweye, Dore Chart.

Golden Valley.

In Domesday it is always vallis stradelie. Dore Abbey was founded in 1147; and popular etymology says the Norman monks introduced by Robert Fitz-harold of Ewyas confused the name of the river (Dore, dwr) with the French d'or. But circ. 1130 we find Richard de aurea valle; so the confusion, if such it was, was earlier. In any case the name seems to have persisted from the 12th century until to-day.

Goldhill (Eastnor).

1275 Goldhulle, Ep. Reg.

In monastic documents 'gold' often appears as the name of a plant, and is usually taken as marigold. Hence 'hill on which marigold is found'.

Goodrich.

1144 Ecclesia sancti Egidii de Castello Godrici, MS. Chart.
1291 Ecclesia de Castro Godrici, Tax. Eccles.
1341 Ecclesia de Castro Godrici, Non. Inq.
1372 Goderychescastell, Inq. p.m.
1420 Goderichecastell, Inq. p.m.
1538 Goderich, Val. Eccles.
1671 Gotheridge, H'shire Hearth List.

O.E. Godric, a man's name without suffix. This is a rare type of place-name. We should have expected Castle Goodrich, or Godric's Castle (evidently the 14th and 15th century name) to have survived, on the analogy of Gothersley (Worcs.), which circ. 1400 is Godriches-ley.

Goosepool (Allensmore).

The first element may be a pers. name Gosa, but more probably it is the bird, as in Gosbrook (Staffs.). There is a Goose Lezowe in Aconbury in 1538 (Acon. Accts), and a Gosebach or Gosebroc in Lyde circ. 1215 (Her. Cath. MS.).

Old Gore (Foy, and Upton Bishop).

circ.1670 The old gore, Sil. Taylor.

A charter in Birch has 'on the olde gore', but not referring to Herefordshire. The O.E. gara (apparently related to gar, 'a spear') is used of any wedge-shaped strip of land, 'a small strip lying between larger divisions'. There is a Gore Farm in Woolhope. GRENDON85

Gorsley (Linton).

1291 Gorstleye, Tax. Eccles.
1831 Gorstley Common, Ord. Map.

O.E. gors, 'furze'. There is a Gorsley Close (St Weonards), a Gorsebrook (Bridstow) and a Gosford (Brimfield).

Gorsty Common (Clehonger).

Perhaps the Gosty Lesue of Aconbury Accts in 1538. There are also Gorsty Hill (Almeley and Kimbolton), and Gorsty Lane (Bodenham). There was a Gorsty Close in Goodrich in 1719.

Gouldevain (Crasswall).

Goytre (Walterstone).

Prob. corrupted from some word with the W. -tref ending.

Grafton.

1303 Crafton, F.A.
1341 Grafton, Non. Inq.

O.E. graf tun, 'grove-town'. The chief house in the parish is Graftonbury.

Greegs (Kilpeck, and Newton-in-Clodock).

W. craig, 'a rock'. A few miles away, above Grosmont (Mon.), is The Graig Hill.

Greencrize (Bullingham).

1831 Greencrise, Ord. Map.

Grendon.

1086 Grenedene, Dom.
1270 'Ego Warinus de Grendene', Glos. Cart.
1291 Grendene Waryn, Tax. Eccles.
1341 Grandnewaryn, Non. Inq.

O.E. gren dene, 'green valley'. There are three Grendons in different parts of the county. Grendon Bishop, a parish near Bromyard (which is Grendone in Ep. Reg. 1241), Grendon Warren (Pencombe), and Grendon Court in Upton Bishop. The Warwcs. Grendon is Dom. Grendon i.e. 'green hill'; and Grendon Bishop may be the same. The family of Waryn de Grendon held Grendon in Pencombe from early in the 13th to the end of the 14th century.

Greytree (Hundred).

1086 Greitreu, Greitrewes, Gretrewes, Dom.

'The upland down, the landmark tree, the "low" or burial mound, the familiar ford - these, and not the towns or villages were the scenes of these ancient assemblies'. J. H. R.

Gridall (Clodock).

The Grove (Sellack).

1291 La Grave, Chart. R.
1334 Grava, Ep. Reg.

O.E. graf, 'a grove'. There is a small holding in Ewyas Harold which has been Golden Grove since mid. 18th century.