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![Show Contents]() Gomershal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Gomershal family, who lived in the place called Gomersal in Western Yorkshire, which derived its name from the Old English personal name Gudmoer and the Old English word halh. The name Gudmoer was composed of the elements gud, which means battle, and moer, which means fame. The word halh means nook or recess. 1 This name was therefore formed under the Old English naming system, which gradually dissolved after the Norman Conquest. At this time, Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The surnames in England that were found shortly after the Norman Conquest were usually of Norman French rather than native English origins. Early Origins of the Gomershal familyThe surname Gomershal was first found in Yorkshire in the West Riding where they held a family seat at Gomershale, 2 later to become known as Gomersal. A knight's fee granted by William the Conqueror to Gilbert de Lacy was the first record of the place name from whom conjecturally the Gomersalls were descended. The grant of lands also included a mill and a manor at that time. Today Gomersal is a village in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire and not that long ago was originally known as Great Gomersal and Little Gomersal. Early History of the Gomershal familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gomershal research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1616, 1628 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Gomershal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gomershal Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Gomersal, Gomersall, Gommersal, Gommersall, Gomershall and many more. Early Notables of the Gomershal familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Roberts Gomersall (1602-1646?), English dramatist and divine, born in London in 1602. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, 19 April 1616. "Having taken holy orders he ‘became a very florid preacher in the university’ (Wood). In...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gomershal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Gomershal familyMany English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Gomershal or a variant listed above: William Gomersall arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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