Report on Historical Findings Surrounding the Giscombe Family- An Attempt to show that the Giscombes are Truly the Gissomes.
By: Lorel G. Morrison
Article Dated: August 21, 2013
Report Date: July 26th, 2014; Savannah, Georgia. USA
Since the last report to the family on July 22nd, 2011 in Miami, Florida, lots of air mileage has been added to our (Lorel’s and Kareen’s) worldwide travel, in quest of family history and data.
Research was conducted through the Internet, by land mail, telephone calls and on-site archival library document readings.
As reported on July 2011, we had stumbled across the name of one Elizabeth Gissome in Ancestry.Co.uk. This information has since lead us to Maidstone, Medway and Gloucester – all locations in England, in March 2013.
After a week of research, it occurred to us that a cousin by the name of Christine Giscombe who lives in England had sent us information some time back, on the Gissome family, pertaining to Bills of Complaint from Seventeenth Century Chancery Proceedings; for example a 1613 case – Gissome v. Shave C9/240/90 (corrected date as per Lorel is 1653). It is a wonderful sample to read as it points to some of the main issues, feelings, tensions and social family matters that brought these family members to court. These cases can be located at National Archives at Kew – in Charles I Chancery Index 1625-1649. James Gissome on behalf of himself and his sibling brought the cases to court. He sued different persons, including members of his family in an attempt to receive the inheritance their grandfather had left them.
These cases along with the birth, marriage and death records of the time seem to authenticate the existence of the Giscombes in England, under the name Gissomes before 1550.
The journey into the past came to light just after the renaissance period. A time when European culture blossomed and new ideas and ways of life burst onto the scene just after Christopher Columbus made his grand new discovery of the Americas.
Around 1500 A.D., England too flourished as the people exhibited art, letters and music – a given fact to the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer and William Shakespeare’s plays.
The heads of the English crown were mainly men with the exception of two women, Queen Mary I in 1553 and Elizabeth I in 1558. Men like Henry VII 1485 – 1509; his son, Henry VIII 1509 – 1547; his son Edward the VI 1547 – 1553 all ruled at various times. Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary, eventually helped to make England one of the most sophisticated cultures of Europe.
This royal group represented the core part of the family of Tudors. The members had family roots in France who incidentally continued to dominate the English crown like William the Conquerer in 1066.
One can most likely deduce that if the English Crown was so heavily influenced by France, then too French nobles, barons, fiefs and traders were also encouraged to migrate to England and be granted or purchase large tracks of land.
Hence by 1585 at Hoo on the Cliff, there appeared in the Anglican Church records of births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, the name of a family by Gissome, spelled as Gyffome in old English. One of the earliest names recorded, was that of a Thomas Gafsom, who was joined in matrimony unto Anne Wilson on the 9th or 10th of April 1587 (Item # 53 in Cityark-Medway. Gov –Po94-01-4). In subsequent records, a man by the name of William Gyssome appeared.
William who died in 1644, turned out to be the patriarch of that branch of the family in Higham and Cliff at Hoo, Kent. As per his will, he appears to be wealthy. He owned large tracks of farmland and pasture around Cliff and lower Highham, all districts in the county of Kent, England. William also owned different tenements (houses) in Higham.
His will spelled out who was to inherit what sections of land and who was to be given money.
The surname Gyssome seems to posses a French sound to it. Keeping in mind that it is already established that just before and during this period of history, England was being inundated with French families, one can likely deduce that the Gyssomes migrated to England as part of a war movement, commerce or royal decree. The family’s limited historical information does not speak strongly of royalty but more of military experiences. All this deduction is based on the marriages they conducted with other military families for example the Swinhoes of Northumberland.
The family of Gyssomes prospered during the reigns of Henry the VIII 1509 – 1547 through Oliver Cromwell during the commonwealth period of 1649 – 1653. By the restoration of Charles II as King of England in 1660, the Gyssome’s family name seems to have dwindled to just a few persons in and around Kent.
By the 1670s, the few family units with the name in spelling and phonics close to Gyssome seemed to have adopted a more Anglo-spelling. Names such as Guscombe, Giscome, Goscombe, Guiscombe and Giscombe sprang up in different places like Devon, Glouchester and even Barbados, the most precious English island in the blue waters of the West Indies.
From the Guiscombe, Giscomes or Giscombes of Barbados starting from 1668, it is clear that all persons with that name seem to come. It is now important to surmise or prove that all persons with that name and similar sound and spelling since 1558 have evolved or descended from the Gyssoms of Higham and Cliff, Kent, England.
The genealogical path is clear, starting from William Gyssome of Cliff and Higham. He had a son, also named William the Younger who died in 1641, before his father who died in 1644. The elder William in his will left land for Jane his latest wife. There are death records of a Dorothi, wife of a William Gyssome of Higham, who died in 1636 and was buried in or at the church at Cliff on the 25th day August, which implies that she was Williams’ of 1644, wife. William senior’s will, further stated that Jane his wife and a James a grandson who was just 5 or 7 years old at the time of William’s death were the sole executors.
Land was given to Jane the new wife and James one of the grandsons, while money was designated to two other grandchildren, a William and Dorothy in the sum of one hundred pounds each, currency of England. The tenements in Higham were given to Jane.
As the grandchildren grew older and reached age, which was twenty-one years old, Jane who was also their guardian successively married more than once and so intentionally or unintentionally did not grant or distribute especially the monies as per the will to William and Dorothy. James seemed to have inherited his portion of the estate in the form of land but, being the eldest grandson, sued Jane, her successive husbands and others in the family in a series of cases, on behalf of his siblings, record of which can be found in the Seventeenth Century Chancery Proceedings (see actual copies of case proceedings in supporting documents).
The cases seem to have lingered on for over twenty-five years.
The main plaintiff was James Gissome who happens to be the husband of the Elizabeth Gissome the young lady that died November 14th, 1668, at the age of 19 years old. We have now confirmed that Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter, also named Elizabeth, who was baptized on 21st March 1666. Elizabeth the mother went on to give birth to a son named James, baptized on November 25th 1668. In contrast to that date, Elizabeth the mother was buried on November 25th, 1668 in the St. Helen’s Anglican Church of Cliffe at Hoo, Kent England (Ancient records shows that a Saxon Church stood on that very church site in AD 747). In that church it is reported that there is a brass plaque with her effigy and burial information on it. A reference to the recorded document can be found in the Kent Archaeological Society’s Publication Archaeology Cantiana page 307- quote – Heare lyeth the body of Elizabeth Gissome late wife of James Gissome of this parrish who departed this life the 14 day of November 1668 being aged 19 yeares & 10 months Vivit post funere virtus- end of quote. A visit to the church proved that the plaque was possibly covered over with construction that took place in 1970s. But an image can be seen at Google Search under Kentish Brasses – William Douglas Belcher book 2 –under Cliffe inscription #115 in the book (also see attached). As one can view, the charcoal rubbing of the brass image shows the written inscription up top, with the image of a skull at the bottom.
At this juncture in time, a parallel was drawn between the surprising death of Elizabeth Gissome, as wife and mother and James Gissome the husband from the Bills of Complaints, and a theory in that the families of Gissome and Giscombe are the same.
It is clear that the name Gissome is spelled differently from Giscombe. The big question at this time is: Did the Gissomes become the Giscombes at a certain time in history? I, Lorel, Kareen and Christina do believe that is what indeed happened. The Gissome name was spelled, as Gyffom in old English and over the years seems to have gotten anglicized to Giscombe, especially with the adding of a ‘b’.
In fact we can see from a short history of the family around this period from c. 1580s through 1690 that different spellings of the Gissome name were used. Some examples in old English with the translation are as follows: Giffom = Gissom; Geifsom = Geissom; Gifsome =Gissome; Gossum = Gossum; Gafsom = Gassom; Gisham; and Gysfom = Gissom.
If our assumption is correct, that the Gissomes and Giscombes are the same, then we have finally discovered one of our family’s links in England.
The family links as follows will show two branches, with one lineage from the Swinhoes of Northumberland and the other from the Gissomes of Cliffe and Higham, Kent.
(Note: As per research by Christina Giscombe in England the first Swinhoes came to Northumberland, England with ‘William the Norman’ conquest in 1066. The name of that Swinhoe was Sir Gylbert de Swynhoe. Knight.)
The following information will attempt to convince the skeptical minds. At the end, one will notice that the ultimate link and proof is still missing between the Gissomes of Cliffe and Higham in the county of Kent, and the Swinhoes of Cornhill in the county of Northumberland; that is due to the missing fact of what was Elizabeth Gissome’s last name before her marriage to James Gissome. The following explanation will certainly repeat facts previously stated above, but now tries to expand the information to give a clearer picture.
The picture for the link to the Swinhoes, first starts to unfold with the Deeding of land to James Guiscombe in Barbados on the 6th of October, 1690- Ref# RB3- Vol 4 – page 616. In that document the grantor was Judith Swinhoe who clearly states that she, and I quote: ‘I Judith Swinhoe of the parish of St Lucies the (? Relict) and window of James Swinehoe deceased, [Judith had indeed became widowed as her husband James was killed in a duel with an Andrew Carr in Northumberland England in 1672] send greetings in our Lord God Everlasting. Now know ye that I the said Judith Swinehoe out of the natural love and affection which I bear unto my Grandson, James Guiscombe of the same place planter (as ?) in consideration of the sum of thirteen pounds current and lawful money of this island to me in hand paid by the said James Guiscombe and for (divers) other good causes and consideration me here unto moving have given granted bargained sold released and confirmed to by these present do for me my heirs executors administrators and assigns absolutely freely and clearly give grant bargain sell release and confirm unto the said James Guiscomb his heirs executors administrators and assigns for ever a certain part or parcel of land containing two acres be the same more or less’- end of quote.
A 2013 Google search for Swinhoes of Northern/Surtees which carries ‘The Publications of the Surtees Society- with the History of Northern England, starting on page 113, tells of a Lawrence Dalton’s, professionally called a Herald (recorder) visited the region in 1558 and recorded the Pedigree of a William Swinhoe, who was described in the present tense as if then living, was part of the King’s English force assembled at Berwick to keep the Scots in check. William was later slain at Cornhill, where he lay with his garrison on December 22nd 1558 (Queen Mary also died the same year- 17th Nov, 1558- the funeral took place in London on the 12th of Dec 1558). Pedigree links, historically had to be established before an individual was given the privilege to fight for the crown. Usually a shield of Arms is shown but is left blank in the manuscript in the case of the Swinhoes. In this document, Dalton interviewed a Gylberte Swynnoe who stated that his grandfather was Rauphe Swynnoe- born -1432, died 1470 and William as his father. The records indentified William’s siblings as William, Thomas, Sir Andrew a priest and Knight, Katheryn, and Margaret. Gylberte Swinhoe, who supplied the pedigree died 3rd June 1560, at Raine, North Durham (P.1840). Two of the sons of Gilbert namely William Swinhoe and Ralph Swinhoe each commanded 100 horsemen on the border of Scotland and England in 1558. The last named, Ralph, before he died, along with another brother named James, joined the rebellion in 1569, and were named in the subsequent ‘Act of Attainder’ but both escaped execution. (See pedigree chart).
From a Google Books search we confirm that James Swinhoe was really one of the 1569 rebels who later became the father of Gilbert Swinhoe of Chatton.
Information comes from ‘Records of the committees for Compounding ETC: With Delinquent Royalists in a Google Book search ‘ Yearly Value before the war Y.V.B.W. page 352, starting with Gilbert Swinhoe of Chatton’.
Also from www.Ebooksread- Great Britain – Committee for Compounding with delinquency we find Gilbert Swinhoe of Chatton. Cal.V. P.3250. Quote: 1646 April 16. Under the date, is a list of imperfect cases, i.e. of persons who petitioned to compound- (Then on Page 237)– Points to a pedigree of the family of Swinhoe of Goswick, in Islandshire, and Cornhill on Tweed – Gilbert, above was a son of James Swinhoe of Berwick by Margaret, daughter of George Orde of Easter New- bigg in gent, and grandson of Gilbert Swinhoe of Cornhill and Goswick. Gilbert married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Henry Tuevara or Guevara, Knight of Berwick, descendant of a Spanish mercenary who settled in England under Philip and Mary. Gilbert was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1642, and as such was included in the list of those who were charged with having raised the ‘Posse Comitatus’ against the Parliament, was by resolution of the House of Commons Oct 3rd, 1644, excluded from employment. The following year under circumstances that are not recorded he was taken prisoner and shipped to London, as appears by the Commons Journal, under the date Sept 27, 1645, whence it is stated that a letter from the Commissioners of both Houses, from Berwick, of Sept 16, was read, announcing that by Captain Robert Carre, in the (Samuel Journal)? of London, they had sent up a prisoner Mr. Gilbert Swinhoe, sometime High Sheriff of Northumberland, with a desire to have a special care taken of him, in regard of his interests and ill-affections. The house committed him to the tower of London, there to remain a prisoner during their pleasure- end of quote. He happened to die around that time, whether in jail or not, was not clear.
Gilbert the father and Sheriff had issue with Dorothy they were Dorothy, James and Gilbert. Gilbert the son became an author, his book ‘The Tragedy of the Unhappy Fair Irene’ was a well know play. James Swinhoe another son of Gilbert, as a Captain, was a (Marquis of Newcastle’s Foot) rose to the rank of Colonel and even took over on Colonel Clavering’s death.
James at the rank of Colonel and while married to Judith also appears to have lived in Barbados as a family: their children were a girl (name to be proven) and two boys George and Thomas. Whether they were born in Barbados or not is yet to be proven. This girl, I (Lorel) am quite certain is the mother of James Guiscombe, remembering that Judith refered to James as a grandson. This bit of history is yet to be proven that she was the young Elizabeth that died at the age of 19, and at the time was married to James Gissome of Cliffe.
Before I switch to the Gissome/Guiscombe lineage I must point out that James Swinhoe when he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the army in 1643, was appointed the executor of his mother’s estate who was Lady Dorothy Tuevara or Guevara of Duddo, she died on 7th of October 1630, as indicated in a her Will dated 29th September 1630 (Ref: DPRI/1/1630/G8/1-2 -7th October 1630). Probate granted at Wooler to James Swinhoe, to whom was also granted the tuition of Elloner Claveringe, granddaughter of the deceased and daughter of James Claveringe of Chatton Gentleman, executor, 10 Mar 1631 (Tuition was also granted to Dorothy Swinhoe –daughter to the deceased. James on a visit to Northumberland in 1672, possibly from Barbados, was pulled into a conflict with one Andrew Carre Gentleman and James’ brother, Gilbert the author. Carre, who happened to kill James on 23rd Feb at Chillingham, challenged James, who seemed to have defended his brother, to a duel (This statement was taken from a deposition by Richard Hendersone, details are also in Surtees. Soc. Pub. 40-P.187. Raine (111.l. Xortli Durham) End of Quote.
This sudden death of James Swinhoe seems to indicate the reason for a non-existence of a will in Barbados.
In an effort to present more evidence as to who was this James Swinhoe we take information once more from –www.ebooksred.com. Quote: James Swinhoe of Chatton. 1649. May 2. James Swinhoe compounds for his delinquency in assisting the forces raised against Parliament, in the first and last engagement. He has been beyond the seas for 6 months past. Particulars of his estate: For life, with various remainders, the manor of Barrington, Y. V. B. W (Yearly Value Before the War) 120 pounds, after expiry of a lease for 5 years; a tenement or messuage with several tenements and land called Cornhill, parish of Norham, Y. V. B. W. 10 pounds; a messuage or tenement and lands called Crookehouses, parish of Kirknewton, Y. V. B. W. 30 pounds; a tenement and lands in Chatton, Y. V. B. W. 10 pounds; a tenement and lands in Kirknewton, Y. V. B. W. 2 pounds; several cottages in Holy Island MD, Y. V. B. W. 1 pound, all in fee. Craves allowance of the following seems charged upon Berrington by deed dated June 22nd, 1637: 600 pounds to the Earl of Suffolk, with 12 years interest; 200 pounds to Thosmas Welford, Esq., with 7 years interest; 100 pounds to William Bradley with 7 years interest; 100 pounds to William Turney, gent, with 8 years interest; 100 pounds to Mark Bradley with 7 years interest; also one pound per annum for ever to the Castle of Norham, out of Cornehill; also his mother’s third, 31 pounds per annum, out of all the lands except Berrington, 1649 Aug 9, fine 393 Pounds, 13 shillings and 4 pennies.
1651, July 22nd- Compounder complains that, although he has paid his fine and had his discharge, he is threatened with re-sequestration by the (Court?) Commission unless he brings in his composition money to Mr. Ledgard of Newcastle, treasurer for compositions there. Order that he be no further molested, End of Quote.
To show the other lineage, we start with a 1644-probated Will for William Gyssom (the older) of Higham, Kent, who died in 1643-44. In his will (Ref: # DRB/PWr/22.601 (601 being the page #) or DRB/PW/31- from the records at Kent History and Library Center) he granted land as stated before, it seems to his wife at the time, named Jane (previous wife seemed to be a Dorothi who died 25th day of Aug 1636) and a grandson James Gissom; also one hundred pounds each to two other grandchildren William and Dorothy.
All grandchildren were minors at the time of William’s death. Jane and young James were appointed executors. Apparently Jane was expected to grant the grandchildren their portion of the estate when they grew up, meaning reaching the age of 21 years, but apparently she didn’t and so caused the series of suites for over 25 years with James trying to right the situation. The following is a list to date, of documented cases: 1613 Gissome Vs. Shave, wid. C9/240/90 (Corrected date by Lorel is 1653); 1668 Gissome v. Norton Widow .C9/130/119(Corrected date seems to be 1660); Gissom v. Cart. G4/16 and Gissom by Guardian v. Gissom. G12/60. In future, other cases might possibly come to light, as more information is uncovered.
William Gyssom was quite rich, with land holdings at Cliffe and Higham, and tenements at Higham. From the book, “Ancestral Trails, The complete Guide to British Genealogy And Family History-Second Edition by Mark Herber, there is a section titled ‘Kent Hearth Tax Assessment Lady Day 1664, Edited By Duncan Harrington. On page five there is a list of homeowners from Higham Lower Borough in which is listed William Gyssom as having a house with three hearts and taxed as such. His only son on record to date was also called William, but more correctly called William the younger. William the younger died Nov 8, 1641. William the younger had four children whom seem to have died very young. The ones that lived longer were James, William and Dorothy, all mentioned in the suites.
James Gissom one of the children mentioned above, was baptized on May 8th 1636, seem to have died in 1685 (see family chart). He was married to Elizabeth and had a daughter also called Elizabeth, baptized March 21, 1666, and a son James Gisom, christened Nov 25, 1668.
It is more of an assumption than fact that it seems with the sudden death of Elizabeth on the 14th of November 1668, James the father some short years later in 1679 shipped off his two young children to Barbados to live with their grandmother Judith Swinhoe.
I Lorel proposed that the young James christened Nov 25, 1668 is the same James Guiscombe that was granted land by his grandmother, Judith Swinhoe in 1690. James later appeared in the 1715 census in Barbados as James Giscom.
Our readers will note and question the birth date of James Guiscombe of 1668 verses the suggested date of 1665 as shown in the 1715 Barbados census. We can explain that difference, by pointing to the fact that most men of the time would round up their ages to the nearest tenth.
James went on to play a comprehensive roll in the life of the Giscome family and social matters, in Barbados, even up to his death in 1726 (see family trees).
In concluding, we propose that the Giscombes were once Gyssom, Gissom, Gussom and Gissomes. The records of the family by name of Goscombe that were discovered in Gloucester can well be an offspring of the Gissome, they were of a younger age. In subsequent years the ‘b’ was added to the name to Anglo – sized it. We think that the main root of the family of Gissome, did not spring from Cliffe or Higham, but possibly came from France with the coming or just after the arrival of William the Conquer in 1066 or Holland, as recent research now shows that the origin of the word ‘Combe’ is from that country. In the future we will continue to look at the records of Devon England and then on to France and Holland, in an effort to prove that theory.
