PARISH OF GISBURNE - Percy Fee

Oct 6, 2026

Ribblesdale and the parish of Gisburne are traced through Domesday survey, under the “Terra Wille’de Percy,” with early place-names preserved as yet intelligible. The text analyzes linguistic clues suggesting Roman routes, notes Domesday’s silence on the last Saxon holders, and explains Latinisation patterns in charters from Henry I to John. It reconstructs the foundation and endowment history of the parish church of Gisburne, its dedication, and rector lists, grounded in specific charter evidence.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages53

Reading Time2 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

PERCY FEE

Parish holdings under Domesday

Place-name origins and Latinised charters

Foundation and endowment of Gisburne church

Rectors of Gisburne

RIBBLESDALE. # PERCY FEE. PARISH OF GISBURNE.* HE whole of this parish belongs to the original Percy fee,and is surveyedin Domesday under the Terra Wille’de Percy,as follows:—IN CRAVE. 而In RENITONE(Renitone now Remington)VIII.car ad gtd.Croche.I.car.7B Mithope.I.ca.Stratesergum.I.car. 而InPACHENALE(Painley)7 Ghiseburne 7 Pathorp(Pathorne)Neuhufe(Newsome).7 B.Haluuidetorp(Elwinthorp)XII.car 7 dim ad gtd.In NAPARS(Nappy).car ad gtd.In HoRTVN III.car 7 dim ad gtd. All these names are yet intelligible;and all the places which they denominated yetremain.Stratesurgum,now contracted to Strasergh,carries something Roman in its sound.That the Roman“Street”from Ribchester to Ilkley passed through this parish has alreadybeen proved;t and that a station hereabouts,at the distance of seventeen or eighteen Italianmiles from Ribchester,might antecedently to all evidence be expected,is obvious. It is to be lamented that Domesday is silent with respect to the last Saxon possessorsof these estates. Gisburne is,I suppose,the Burne or Brook of Guy:but in the oldest evidences whichremain,excepting Domesday,it is lengthened into Gisleburna.It may be worth whileto observe that in our oldest class of charters,beginning with Henry I.and terminatingwith John,or the earlier part of the reign of his son,the proper names of places areLatinised and regularly declined;a practice which,in later charters of the same language,universally ceases. In this single instance I am enabled to trace the foundation of a parish church.Thetwo following charters,of which the originals are in Lord Ribblesdale's possession,leave [The parish contains the townships of Gisburn(with the hamlet of Gisburn-Cotes),Middop,or Midhope,Rimmington,Horton,Newsholme,Paythorne,and Gisburn Forest,in Clitheroe district;and the townships of Swindenand Nappa,in Settle district.According to the Ordnance Survey,the parish contains I8,I29 a.I r.13p.;the townshipof Gisburn alone 1,996a.3r.IIp.In 187I the parish had a population of I,345 persons,living in 293 houses.]十“History of Whalley,”additional corrections to Part I. Temp.Inst.Rectores.I2 kal.Sept.I229.D's Fordanzus de Byngall,Cl. 3 id.Oct.I252.D's Foh.de Knoll,Cl.6 kal.Apr.I305.D's Rad.de IHyginton,Pr.Kal.Aug.I309.D's Galfr.de Wiginton,Cl. See Ketelwell. no doubt with respect to that of Gisburne.“Adam fil.Normanni d.et c.Eccl.S.Mariede Gisleburne,pro excambio II bov.terre in Rimingtuna,quas pater meus Normannuseidem eccl.optulit quando ipsa eccl'ia dedicata fuit,totam terram inter Kenkersic etThrephou et inter Turberiam Monachor,&c.presbytero ejusdem eccl.annuatim celebrantiXII missas pro a'i'a patris,&c.Test.Radulpho Decano,Will'o pr’b'o de Boulton,Ric.Clerico de Prestun,Radulpho pr'b’o,Rog’o de Tornetun,Malg’o de Giselb.Walt.f.Uctr.Rob.f.Radulph,W'lI'f1.Orm.Ketel.f1.Uctred.Uctred.f.Aldred,&c. "Helyas fil.Normani d.et c.ecc.S'ce Marie de Giselb'in Crave x acr.t're de feodomeo,à Kenkersic,&c.tali conditione,qd Walter',pr’b’r fl.W¹l'i de Schadewell et her.teneant p'd'acr.de prescripta eccl.reddendo annuatim duas libras incensi suprad.eccl.Test.Adam decan.de Crave,H'nri Diacon,Tomas Diacon,W’lI's f.Orm.,H'bert.f.Berowaldi,&c." The parties to these charters are brothers. The mention of the Monks’Turbaryproves that the former is to be dated after the foundation of Sallay Abbey,or II47.Butthis is the older of the two,for Ralph*was predecessor of Adam,Dean of Craven,whoattests the latter,and was living in I186.Carrying back therefore the donation of Norman,the father,about forty years from the apparent date of the first,we shall fall in with thelast years of Henry I.,the great era of church-building in Craven. And the bulkycylindrical columns of the original structure,which yet remain at the entrance of the choirin Gisburne Church,are certainly of that period. The church of Gisburne was dedicated to the Virgin Mary,and given to the nunneryof Stainfield,co.Lincoln,which is supposed to have been endowed by William de

FAQs

What does the text say about Gisburne’s inclusion in the Percy fee?

It states that the whole parish belongs to the original Percy fee and was surveyed in Domesday under “Terra Wille’de Percy.”

What linguistic or historical evidence does the text use to discuss place-names?

It argues that many names remain intelligible and points out that one name may carry something Roman in its sound, suggesting a connection to a Roman “Street” through the parish.

How is the parish church’s foundation and patronage explained?

The text claims it can trace the foundation of a parish church, describes the dedication to the Virgin Mary, and details how it was given to the nunnery of Stainfield, with later assignments of the benefice fruits.

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by WPS_1790064749