Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (æt) Gyssic 966–975 ASWills e12

• Gessic 1086 DB

• Gessich(e) 1183 P 1205,1215 ClR

• Gessich(e) Gentil 1236 FF 1240 Ch

• Gessich(e) Omnium Sanctorum 1242–3 Fees 1244 Cl 1282 Pat 14 Queens 1372 ChrP

• Gessing(') 1195 P 1231 Cl

• Gessiz 13 Queens 1212 Fees

• Gessi 1210,1211 P

• Gessigh(') Omnium Sanctorum 1245 Cl 14 Queens

• Gessege 1429 Pat

• Gersic 1091–1104 MontC p1305 MontC 1107–22 MontC p1305 MontC 1135–37 p1305 1152–58 p1305

• Gersich(e) 1100–18 p1305 Ch 1100–22 MontC 1270 1107–22 p1305

• Gersich(e) Omnium Sanctorum 1155 MontC p1305 MontC 1189–99 Queens p1305 Cur 1192 ClR 1221 FF 1227 Cl 1230 1232,1233

• Gersiz 1183–88,1194–95 P 1196 ChancR 13 Queens

• Gersihc ?1192,1198(15) ib

• Gersingg' 1222 ClR

• Gersis 1230 P

• Gersy 1232 Cl

• Gissig(') HyI Queens

• Gissig(') Regis 1281 Salis

• Gissich(e) 1217 ClR 1226–8 Fees 1244 Ass 1268 1275 Banco 1277 Queens

• 'Gissig(') All Saints' 1280 Ch 1288 1318 Queens 1346 FA 15 Queens 1412 FA

• Gissic 1219 Fees

• Gyssyk' 1244 Ass

• 'Gissik All Saints' 1258 Ch

• 'Gyssich(e) All Saints' 1273 Banco 1288 Ass

• Gyssich(e) Regis 1294 Queens 1406 Pat

• Gissinge Gentil, Gisich' Gentil 1280 Ass

• Gyssych(') Omnium Sanctorum 1281 Queens 1300 Pap 15 Queens

• Gissegge 1475 Pat

• Gyssege 1476 IpmR

• Garsic 1207 ClR

• Gussiz Regis e13 Queens

• Gussich(e) regis 13 1211 ClR 1244 FF

• 'Gussich(e) All Saints' 1245 Ch 1253 Ipm

• 'Gussich(e) All Saints' 1276 FF

• Gussich Regis 1285 FA

• 'Gussich(e) All Saints' 1445 Pat

• -All Saints' 1332 1374 Pat

• -Regis 1428 FA

• Gutsich' 1233 Cl

• Gusich(') 1254 Cl 1268 Ass

• Gusik' 1254 Cl

• Gussuch Regis 1291 Tax 1324 Pat

• Gusshich 1347 Cl

• 'Gusshich All Saints' 1389 ib

• Gussych(e) 1351 Weld1 1360 Ipm 1372 ChrP

• Gussych(e) Allhallows 1384 Cl

• Gussych(e) Omnium Sanctorum 1402 FA

• Gussynch 1407 Pat

• Gussehich All Saints 1425 ADIII

• Gusshigge Omnium Sanctorum 1432 BMI

• Gusshyche Sanctorum 1438 Queens

• All Hallow Gussege 1466 IpmR

• Gussege All Saints 1500 Pat

• Gussage Hy8 Queens

• Gussage Omnium Sanctorum 1535 VE

• All Saints Gussage 1618 Map

• Gussage All Snts' 1664 HTax

• Alhollowne Guusshedge Eliz Kelly

• Gussage All Saints (Lower) 1795 Boswell

• Cussigh' 1237 Cl

• Cussith 1291 Tax

• Cussich 15 Queens

• Kissich Gentil 1242 Ch

• Girsech' 1239 Cl

• Gostyche 1402 FA

• Gwyssych 1419 DLRent

• Gissic, Gersicg 871–877 (15) ShaftR

Etymology

For other spellings of the name Gussage, v. Gussage St Michael par. supra and Gussage St Andrew in Six. Handley par. infra (note especially Gissic , Gersicg 871–877 (15) ShaftR (S 357 (1 and 2)); early forms of the name without affix, where precise identification is uncertain, have been included here. Ekwall (DEPN, RN 187) is no doubt right in taking the name to be from an OE  *gyse 'a gush of water' (corresponding to OHG  gusi 'water suddenly breaking forth') and sīc 'a water-course, a small stream', with reference to the stream which rises at Gussage St Andrew and which flows through Gussage St Michael and this par. to join R. Allen. The Devon stream-names Gessage and Gissage Lake are probably analogous, v. PN D 6, cf. also Gisburn YW 6164 which may contain a related word OE  *gysel 'gushing'. The e -spellings for the first el. (Gessic , etc) are probably due to AN influence, v. Feilitzen 56. The -r - spelling in Gers - (frequent between the end of the 11th cent, and the middle of the 13th cent., and found also in the form Gersicg 871–877 (15) noted above), Gars - (once) and Girs - (once), is possibly inorganic, cf. Ekwall DEPN who notes that the spelling with rs is 'probably erroneous, but it seems to have had a certain vogue'; the frequent occurrence of -r - with -e -, as against its rarity with -i - and its non-occurrence with -u -, might suggest further AN influence, cf. Feilitzen 84. However, Professor Löfvenberg notes: 'The r -spellings are easily acco- unted for if we postulate an OE side-form *gyre 'gushing' formed in the same way as the masc. abstract nouns cyre , dryre , hryre , lyre . Such a form is actually suggested by Ekwall in Meijerbergs Arkiv 3 (1941) 38–39. It is not mentioned, however, in DEPN. There must also have been an OE  fem. noun *gyre 'dirt, mud', on which v. Löfvenberg 85'.

The affix Gentil is manorial: Robert le Gentil was chief lord of the fee of Gessich Gentil in 1236 FF, cf. Robert le Gentil (of Gessich ) 1242 Ch, John le Gentil (de Gessich )1244 Cl, FF. The affix Regis may belong to a different manor: the manor of Gissich ' was the King's escheat in 1227 Fees (p. 378). All Saints (Omnium Sanctorum , All Hallows , etc) is from the dedication of the church, v. infra . The late affix Lower (first noted 1774 Hutch1) is from its position relative to Gussage St Michael (Middle ) and Gussage St Andrew (Upper ).