Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gomeselle 1086 DB

• Gumesele 1156 P

• Gomeselve 1154 RBE

• Gomeshelve 1233 Cl 1295 Seldxxi 1313 Ass

• Gomeshulve 1279 Ass 1292–9 Ipm

• Gomeshelf 1342 Ass

• Gumeselva 1167 P

• Gumesilva 1178 P

• Gumesselua 1190 P

• Gumesselue 1202 P

• Gumessolve 1210–12 RBE

• Gumishill 1172 P

• Gumeshull' 1233 Cl 1255 Ass

• Gumisselua 1174 P

• Gumeshelve 1215 ClR 1217 Pat 1255 Ass

• Gumeschelve 1241 Ass

• Gumeshulve 1293–9 Ipm

• Gumshulve 1293–9 Ipm 1316 FA

• Gumeshelf 1241 Ass

• Gumshelf 1287 FF

• Gomeshelf, Gumshulf 1342 Ass

• Gomshulf 1388 Pat

• Gumshulf 1417 IpmR

• Gommeschulve 1298 BM

• Gumshylne (sic) 1342 BM

• Gumshull 1609 FF

• Gunshal 1675 Ogilby

Etymology

'Guma 's shelf or terrace of land,' v. scylf . Cf. Gumber (PN Sx 97). The place lies just below the steep scarp of the North Downs. In medieval times there were two Gomshall manors, Gomshall Netley (v. Netley Ho infra 251) and Gomshall Towerhill (v. Towerhill Fm infra 253), the latter so called because in founding the abbey of St Mary Graces near the Tower of London in 1376 the King endowed it with the reversion of this moiety of Gomshall.