Origins of The Name Goswell
In an age where most people can read and write, we forget that in the past the literate person was the exception. In early England, there would have been few times for the average person to need to spell his or her name; the obvious times being at the baptism of a child, at one's marriage and upon the death of a spouse. Those who could not write would require someone else to make these record and more than likely this person would generally spell the name the way he or she heard it. What ended up on paper would be a result of the listener's interpretation of the spoken name. Accents across Great Britain vary enormously and we have little way of knowing what the spoken word sounded like a thousand or fifteen hundred years ago. Consequently, research into the early family history has to take into account variations in spelling and, as well, even the mis-reading of early records by those who were very literate (see below). It would appear that the name "Goswell" may have been spelled with any of six vowels (a, e, i, o, u, y) in either syllable. An "e" might be present at the end of either syllable or both eg "Gosewelle". Historians state that the name of "Goswell" may have arisen from God's Well or Goose Well1. The reality is that the name may have arisen independently from both! To explain this, it is necessary to examine the family trees. There appear to be two distinct Goswell family lines. One is found mostly in Middlesex and Berkshire in England. The other family line occurs in Devon, England, close to such towns as Holne and Ashburton. The earliest records in Middlesex show a transition of Godewelle (Good Well or God's Well) to Gosewelle to Goswell. In Devon the lineage appears to be Goose Well to Goosewell to Guswell (possibly pronounced goosewell) to Goswell The Goswells of Middlesex
The earliest references to the name "Goswell" in the London vicinity come from Goswellestreete. This street was an early route into London from the north, arriving at Aldersgate (a gate on the north-west of the wall surrounding London). This route was originally a Roman road, there having been two Roman forts nearby, one each side. Goswellestreete became Goswell Street and then in 1894 it became Goswell Road and still exists by this name today. It ran from the city wall at the Aldersgate to Islington (then known as Iseldon). Later, the southern section became known as Aldersgate Rd and for a time part of the road between Ardersgate St and Goswell Rd, was called Picaxe St. Of interest the City University London is on Goswell Rd and ironically also the Society of Genealogists. The road is otherwise mostly occupied by offices and shops. The British Histoy Online tells us that Goswell Street was named after Goswelle, a garden owned by Robert de Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk, KG, (9 August 1298 to 4 November 1369) in the 1300s. It does beg the question as to whether the road was named after the garden or vice versa as the road may date back to very early times. The first reference to Goswellestrete that I have found so far is 1170AD. The earliest reference to Goswelle (the garden) that I have discovered so far is 1200AD***. The water supply for London at the time of the Romans was the River Thames and its tributaries (Fleet and Walbrook). As civilisation grew, these waterways became polluted as all waste was thrown into the street and hence washed into the rivers. Once the rivers were no longer usable, the wells became the source of fresh water, however over time these also became polluted. Eventually, London sourced its water from the north via conduits, and many of the wells fell into disuse and were filled in. The exact locations of most of the wells have been lost. The Fleet River was originally called The River of Wells because there were a number of fresh water wells/springs that flanked it and provided water which flowed into it. To the east of this river were the following wells: Sadlers Welle, Clerkes Welle (Clerken Well), Loders Welle, Gode Welle, Rads Welle, Fagges Welle and the Horse Hole. Gode Welle meant either God's Well or Good Well and subsequently was called Godeswelle. The location of Godewelle has not been easy to establish. Stow tells us that Tod's Well was close to Fagges Well and that at the time (1603), it had been lately dammed up. *** tells us that Stow misread God's Well and read it as Tod's Well. So God's Well was close to Fagges Well. Fagges Well was south of Clerks Well. A map portraying London in the time of Aethelred, shows Tod's Well as in a small valley. It is close to Fagges Well and Bads Well (Rads Well). It also shows, further to the east, Gowders Well. Stow, in The Survey of London (1598)2, makes reference to a "Guerades Well street", which one would guess was named after this early well as it appears to be in the same location. His reference has it running from the north end of Grub St to White Cross Rd, the route currently taken by Chiswell St. John Stow, in The Survey of London, dated 1598, states "And on this west side of Aldersgate street, by St. Buttolph's church is Briton street, which runneth west to a pump, and then north to the gate which entereth the churchyard, sometime pertaining to the priory of St. Bartholomew on the east side; and on the west side towards St. Bartholomew's Spittle, to a pair of posts there fixed.". This pump, one assumes, is one of the pumps used to draw water from one of the above-mentioned wells, thus enabling the location of one of these wells to be at the bend of Briton St (now Little Britain St). This location is close to the old city wall, making this well unlikely to be Gods Well, as Rads Well, Fags Well and the Horse Hole were south of Gods Well. However, it helps to narrow the location to somewhere between the priory of St John, the Chatreuse Monastry of the Charterhouse and the parish of St Botolph. The fact that the garden, Goswelle, was helb by St Botolp2 does not necessitate that it was within the parish precincts but would suggest at least its proximity. What we can know, however, is that Gods Well and Goswelle were fairly close to Goswellestreete. The Goswells of Devon
In an age where most people can read and write, we forget that in the past the literate person was the exception. In early England, there would have been few times for the average person to need to spell his or her name; the obvious times being at the baptism of a child, at one's marriage and upon the death of a spouse. Those who could not write would require someone else to make these record and more than likely this person would generally spell the name the way he or she heard it. What ended up on paper would be a result of the listener's interpretation of the spoken name. Accents across Great Britain vary enormously and we have little way of knowing what the spoken word sounded like a thousand or fifteen hundred years ago. Consequently, research into the early family history has to take into account variations in spelling and, as well, even the mis-reading of early records by those who were very literate (see below). It would appear that the name "Goswell" may have been spelled with any of six vowels (a, e, i, o, u, y) in either syllable. An "e" might be present at the end of either syllable or both eg "Gosewelle". Historians state that the name of "Goswell" may have arisen from God's Well or Goose Well1. The reality is that the name may have arisen independently from both! To explain this, it is necessary to examine the family trees. There appear to be two distinct Goswell family lines. One is found mostly in Middlesex and Berkshire in England. The other family line occurs in Devon, England, close to such towns as Holne and Ashburton. The earliest records in Middlesex show a transition of Godewelle (Good Well or God's Well) to Gosewelle to Goswell. In Devon the lineage appears to be Goose Well to Goosewell to Guswell (possibly pronounced goosewell) to Goswell The Goswells of Middlesex
The earliest references to the name "Goswell" in the London vicinity come from Goswellestreete. This street was an early route into London from the north, arriving at Aldersgate (a gate on the north-west of the wall surrounding London). This route was originally a Roman road, there having been two Roman forts nearby, one each side. Goswellestreete became Goswell Street and then in 1894 it became Goswell Road and still exists by this name today. It ran from the city wall at the Aldersgate to Islington (then known as Iseldon). Later, the southern section became known as Aldersgate Rd and for a time part of the road between Ardersgate St and Goswell Rd, was called Picaxe St. Of interest the City University London is on Goswell Rd and ironically also the Society of Genealogists. The road is otherwise mostly occupied by offices and shops. The British Histoy Online tells us that Goswell Street was named after Goswelle, a garden owned by Robert de Ufford, 1st Earl of Suffolk, KG, (9 August 1298 to 4 November 1369) in the 1300s. It does beg the question as to whether the road was named after the garden or vice versa as the road may date back to very early times. The first reference to Goswellestrete that I have found so far is 1170AD. The earliest reference to Goswelle (the garden) that I have discovered so far is 1200AD***. The water supply for London at the time of the Romans was the River Thames and its tributaries (Fleet and Walbrook). As civilisation grew, these waterways became polluted as all waste was thrown into the street and hence washed into the rivers. Once the rivers were no longer usable, the wells became the source of fresh water, however over time these also became polluted. Eventually, London sourced its water from the north via conduits, and many of the wells fell into disuse and were filled in. The exact locations of most of the wells have been lost. The Fleet River was originally called The River of Wells because there were a number of fresh water wells/springs that flanked it and provided water which flowed into it. To the east of this river were the following wells: Sadlers Welle, Clerkes Welle (Clerken Well), Loders Welle, Gode Welle, Rads Welle, Fagges Welle and the Horse Hole. Gode Welle meant either God's Well or Good Well and subsequently was called Godeswelle. The location of Godewelle has not been easy to establish. Stow tells us that Tod's Well was close to Fagges Well and that at the time (1603), it had been lately dammed up. *** tells us that Stow misread God's Well and read it as Tod's Well. So God's Well was close to Fagges Well. Fagges Well was south of Clerks Well. A map portraying London in the time of Aethelred, shows Tod's Well as in a small valley. It is close to Fagges Well and Bads Well (Rads Well). It also shows, further to the east, Gowders Well. Stow, in The Survey of London (1598)2, makes reference to a "Guerades Well street", which one would guess was named after this early well as it appears to be in the same location. His reference has it running from the north end of Grub St to White Cross Rd, the route currently taken by Chiswell St. John Stow, in The Survey of London, dated 1598, states "And on this west side of Aldersgate street, by St. Buttolph's church is Briton street, which runneth west to a pump, and then north to the gate which entereth the churchyard, sometime pertaining to the priory of St. Bartholomew on the east side; and on the west side towards St. Bartholomew's Spittle, to a pair of posts there fixed.". This pump, one assumes, is one of the pumps used to draw water from one of the above-mentioned wells, thus enabling the location of one of these wells to be at the bend of Briton St (now Little Britain St). This location is close to the old city wall, making this well unlikely to be Gods Well, as Rads Well, Fags Well and the Horse Hole were south of Gods Well. However, it helps to narrow the location to somewhere between the priory of St John, the Chatreuse Monastry of the Charterhouse and the parish of St Botolph. The fact that the garden, Goswelle, was helb by St Botolp2 does not necessitate that it was within the parish precincts but would suggest at least its proximity. What we can know, however, is that Gods Well and Goswelle were fairly close to Goswellestreete. The Goswells of Devon
- 1. Goswellestrete is mentioned in 1393 in Cal. L. Bk. H. p. 398
- 2. From the BHO - British History Online - "Robert de Uford, late Earl of Suffolk, held a garden in the parish of St. Botholpe called "Goswelle," containing 3 rods of land. Held of the church of St. Botolph by service of 12d. per ann., 43 Ed. III. (Ch. I. p.m.). Apparently St. Botolph, Aldersgate".
- Goswell Street is mentione in Charles Dicken's Pickwick Papers (1836-7). There Samuel Pickwick lodged with Mrs Bardell. When Pickwick arises on the first morning of his travels, he opens his chamber window and found, "Goswell-street was at his feet, Goswell- street was on his right hand as far as the eye could reach, Goswell-street extended on his left; and the opposite side of Goswell-street was over the way".
- In the Inquisitions Post Mortem, Richard II (File 22 British History Online), is referenced amongst the estate of William de Ufford - "He died seised of the under-mentioned shops and gardens in his demesne as of fee. Suburbs of London. 10 shops with gardens annexed on the west side of a street called "Goldynglane", together with a garden containing 2 a. land adjacent to the said gardens on the west side thereof. Goswelle. A garden so called, containing 3 r. land. All held of William Fulbourne, as of his prebend of Fynesbury, by service of 20s. rent yearly. Date of death as above. Heir not known" (Writ, sicut alias: 10 March, 5 Richard II, Inq. taken at Shordiche, Tuesday after St. Gregory, 5 Richard II).
- In the Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward III, (file 213, British History Online), in the estate of Robert de Ufford - "London. A garden containing 3 roods in the parish of St. Botolph in [the street] called "Goswelle", held of the church of St. Botolph by a yearly rent of 12d. He died on Sunday after All Saints last. William de Ufford, his son, aged 30 years and more, is his heir" (Writ, 8 November, 43 Edward III, Inq. (indented) taken at Smethfeld, Wednesday after St. Katharine, 43 Edward III).