What’s In A Name?
Have you ever wondered where your street name originated? In the following post we share our research into the origin of a street called Elgy Road in Gosforth.
When researching the history or a property it is interesting to consider the significance of a property or street name. You may find for example that the name has some link to a former building that stood on the site – Ashburton Road is named after the Ashburton Estate referred to in an earlier post about our research into the history of the Elgy Road property. A street name may have some association with the builder or developer or be related to its geographical situation.
Elgy Road Gosforth
Elgy Road is an unusual street name but we believe that we may have discovered its origins. Mackenzie’s Historical Account of Newcastle upon Tyne of 1827 contains a number of references to Elge or Elgy of Gosford. We have listed the references below:
Year 1170
In 1170 Robert Lisle, son of Otwell, married a daughter of Richard de Canville, and obtained a grant of his fathers’ South Gosforth estate. The superior lord, Walter Fitz William, sanctioned the transfer, which included “the church and the mill, and all liberties to the land belonging in, in wood and plain, meadow and pasture, road and path &c” Prior John of Hexham, Walter Lisle, Hugh Lisle and Elge de Gosford witnessed this deed, and King Henry II by a charter dated 1198 confirmed it.
Year 1248
In 1248 Elge de Gosford mentioned with reference to the rebuilding of the Tyne Bridge. He was witness to a deed where by the church granted indulgences to all who assisted in repairing it.
Year 1250
In 1250 an inquisition after the death of Otwell Lisle stated that he held Gosforth as “heir of Elgy, son of John.”
Elge of Gosford
The timespan of the references suggests that there was more than one person called Elge of Gosford, possibly generations of the same family. Research in this period is difficult. Survival of records is patchy and handwriting is difficult but we intend to try and discover more about Elge/Elgy.
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