Gisburn

Locality
Coordinate	53.930118, -2.265543
Adm. div.	West Riding of Yorkshire
Vicinity	In the Ribble Valley
Type	Settlement
Interest	Literary locale
Status	Extant
First Record	c. 1650

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Location of Gisburn.

Main Street in Gisburn / Humphrey Bolton (2009) via Geograph.

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2014-07-11. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2021-01-06.

Gisburn, formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire, now in Lancashire, is perhaps the most likely candidate for being the hometown of Guy of Gisborne of the ballad Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne (see Evidence below). The place-name is first mentioned, as 'Ghiseburne', in Domesday Book (1086). The name probably means 'Gushing stream', referring to a stream that has its origin in springs above the village. Nearby is Gisburn Forest.

Quotations

[c. 1650:]
I dwell by dale and downe quoth Guye
And I have done many a curst turne
And he that calles me by my right name
Calles me Guye of good Gysborne

Gazetteers

• Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 293-311.

Sources

• Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), p. 144 (st. 34).
• Smith, A.H. The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire (English Place-Name Society, vols. XXX-XXXVII) (Cambridge, 1961-63), pt. VI, pp. 164-65.

Maps

• 6" O.S. map Yorkshire 166 (1853, surveyed 1849-50)
• 6" O.S. map Yorkshire CLXVI.NW (1896, surveyed 1892-93)
• 6" O.S. map Yorkshire CLXVI.SW (1896, surveyed 1892-93)
• 6" O.S. map Yorkshire CLXVI.NW (1909, rev. 1907)
• 6" O.S. map Yorkshire CLXVI.SW (1909, rev. 1907)

Background

• Smith, A.H. The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire (English Place-Name Society, vols. XXX-XXXVII) (Cambridge, 1961-63), pt. VI, p. 167.
• Wikipedia: Gisburn.

Also see

• Places named Gisburn
• Place-names in Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne.

Notes

 West Riding of Yorkshire place-names 

 Yorkshire place-names 

 Place-names