Gamblesby
Major Settlement in the Parish of Gamblesby
Historical Forms
- Gamelesbi 1177 P 1564 AOMB
- Gamelesbia 1179 P
- Gamelebi 1180 P
- Gamelbi 1200 1201 Cur 1279 Ass
- Gamaleby 1235 Pipe
- Gamlesby 1246 FF
- Gamelsby 1273 Laner 1332 SR
- Gamolsby 1540 AOMB
- Gamblesby 1580 Border
Etymology
'Gamel 's bȳ.' A clue to the origin of this name and that of Glassonby (infra 194) is given by a writ of Henry I quoted in a plea of 1201 (Cur i, 388), stating that the king has given to Hildred of Carlisle and Odard his son terram que fuit Gamel filii Bern et terram illam que fuit Glassam filii Brictrici drengorum meorum . The identification of these holdings with Gamblesby and Glassonby is proved by the subsequent history of the estate, and there is no reason for doubting that Gamblesby and Glassonby actually derived their names from the drengs of whom king Henry speaks in his writ. Their names give an interesting illustration of the diverse elements of which the population of this district is composed. The name Gamel represents the ON Gamall , literally 'the old,' common throughout Scandinavia, and also in use among the Norsemen of Ireland; Bern is either the OE Beorn or, more probably, the ON Björn ; Glassam stands for the OIr Glas (s )án ; Brictric is the OE Beorhtrīc . The date at which the names Gamblesby and Glassonby arose is fixed approximately by an entry in the Pipe Roll of 1130 recording a payment by Hildred (of Carlisle) and Odard his son pro concessione terre Gamel filii Ber '. It is clear that names of the type to which Gamblesby and Glassonby belong were still coming into being west of the Pennines in the first half of the 12th century, and it is probable that the other names of the same type in this neighbourhood, such as Melmerby and Maughonby also belong to this period.