Guyzance
Encyclopedia
Guyzance, historically Guizance, is a small village or hamlet
in Northumberland
, England. It is located south east of Alnwick
on the River Coquet
, several miles west of its mouth. Guyzance is one of only two places in Great Britain with a -zance ending; the other is Penzance
in Cornwall
. The similar names are co-incidence however.
family name "Guines", from an area of the same name near Calais. Other forms of the name recorded locally include "Gynis" (1242), "Gysnes" and "Gisyng".
The village of Guyzance has existed since at least since 1242, and was enclosed in 1685. In 1147, a Premonstratensian Order priory was founded at nearby Brainshaugh.
In 1885, Guyzance was described thus in Whellan's History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland:
feb2007.jpg)
Guyzance Hall is grade II listed.
The houses and chapel or priory mentioned in the above passage are still extant. Guyzance Mill, a ruined 19th century water powered corn and feed mill
is visible from the road. The village itself consists of one small street of facing cottages, several of which have previously been used as a school and a joiners workshop, and a number of scattered cottages, farms and large houses.
Nearby, towards Acklington Park
stands a building that was originally the Acklington Park Ironworks, and has since been used as a cloth mill, paint factory and private housing. The dam
constructed to power the works is considered to be one of the finest 18th-century dams in England, and was unfortunately the site of the so-called Guyzance Tragedy.
feb2007.jpg)
On 17 January 1945, ten soldiers drowned while taking part in a military exercise
at Guyzance, on the River Coquet. The river was in full flood and their boat was swept over the weir
and capsized. The men, all aged 18, were weighed down by full combat gear and drowned. In 1995, a memorial service was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy and a plaque was erected.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England. It is located south east of Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
on the River Coquet
River Coquet
The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England at Amble. Warkworth Castle is built in a loop of the Coquet....
, several miles west of its mouth. Guyzance is one of only two places in Great Britain with a -zance ending; the other is Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The similar names are co-incidence however.
History
The name Guyzance is thought to be derived from a NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
family name "Guines", from an area of the same name near Calais. Other forms of the name recorded locally include "Gynis" (1242), "Gysnes" and "Gisyng".
The village of Guyzance has existed since at least since 1242, and was enclosed in 1685. In 1147, a Premonstratensian Order priory was founded at nearby Brainshaugh.
In 1885, Guyzance was described thus in Whellan's History, Topography, and Directory of Northumberland:
"GUYZANCE, or GUYSON, is a township and village in this ShilbottleShilbottleShilbottle is a village in Northumberland, north-east England, located 3 miles south-east of Alnwick, and 5 miles from the coast and Alnmouth...
parish, the property of the Duke of NorthumberlandDuke of NorthumberlandThe Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
; Robert Delisle, Esq. the heirs of the late Thomas Fenwick, Esq., and Thomas Tate, Esq. The rateable value is £l,671 10s., and the tithes, which are the properly of Thomas Tate, Esq., are valued at £130 per annum. The number of inhabitants in 1801, was 172; in 1811, 186; in 1821, 173; in 1831, 197; in 184l, 205; and in 1851, 213 souls. THE VILLAGE of Guyzance is situated seven miles south by east of Alnwick. There was formerly a prioryPrioryA priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
here, which was annexed to Alnwick AbbeyAlnwick AbbeyAlnwick Abbey was founded as a Premonstratensian monastery in 1147 by Eustace fitz John near Alnwick, England, as a daughter house of Newhouse Abbey in Lincolnshire. It was dissolved in 1535, refounded in 1536 and finally suppressed in 1539. It was granted to the Sadler and Winnington...
, by Eustace Fitz JohnEustace fitz JohnEustace fitz John was a powerful magnate in northern England during the reigns of Henry I, Stephen and Henry II. From a relatively humble background in the south-east of England, Eustace made his career serving Henry I, and was elevated by the king through marriage and office into one of the most...
. We find from TannerThomas Tanner (bishop)Thomas Tanner was an English antiquary and prelate.-Life:He was born at Market Lavington in Wiltshire, and was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, taking holy orders in 1694...
's Monastica that it was endowed with a portion of the tithes, and two bovates of land, but as to any other portion of its history we possess no records. The remains of the old chapel are still here, with the burying ground, in which the Tate family are still interred. BANK HOUSE, the seat of Thomas Tate, Esq., is situated about a mile north of the village."
Present day
The houses and chapel or priory mentioned in the above passage are still extant. Guyzance Mill, a ruined 19th century water powered corn and feed mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
is visible from the road. The village itself consists of one small street of facing cottages, several of which have previously been used as a school and a joiners workshop, and a number of scattered cottages, farms and large houses.
Nearby, towards Acklington Park
Acklington Park
Acklington Park in the parish of Warkworth, Northumberland, England was the birthplace of John Rushworth who achieved fame in both England and during the formation of the United States of America for compiling a series of works called Historical Collections covering the English Civil Wars...
stands a building that was originally the Acklington Park Ironworks, and has since been used as a cloth mill, paint factory and private housing. The dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
constructed to power the works is considered to be one of the finest 18th-century dams in England, and was unfortunately the site of the so-called Guyzance Tragedy.
The Guyzance Tragedy
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
at Guyzance, on the River Coquet. The river was in full flood and their boat was swept over the weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
and capsized. The men, all aged 18, were weighed down by full combat gear and drowned. In 1995, a memorial service was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy and a plaque was erected.
External links
- A Millers Tale at the SINE Project Website.