THE BRITISH GOB*T PAGE
Ancestors of the GOB*T family (up-to-date information
at the end of this page)
In March 1999, I got an e-mail from Daniel GOBBITT from Cornwall who, together with a cousin of his,
David GOBBITT, have investigated (and still investigate) in England about their surname. Their
genealogical tree begins around 1710, when Daniel GOBBETT got married with Elizabeth WATLIN in
Cratfield, Suffolk.
Now, Daniel, David and I keep in touch and write about our findings. The following is part of
the information received from David:
Our ancestors certainly lived in the north of Suffolk, not far from Norfolk, early in the
18th century. They often used the name Gobbett or similar variants. Although it is highly
probable, I have not yet found proof that they were related to the families who used the
same names in nearby parishes during the previous century. So I cannot say whether we share the
blood of any of these earlier Gobets (etc.):
- Circa 1327/28: JOHN GOBET of Somerset (Exchequer lay subsidy.) He and the following four
examples are given in "A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames" by C. W. Bardsley,
1901.
- 1370: JOHANNES GOBET of Yorkshire. (Poll tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.)
- 1379: ELIZOTA GOBBETT of Yorkshire. (Ibid.)
- 1379: AGNES GOBET of Yorkshire. (Ibid.)
- 1379: RICARDUS GOBET of Yorkshire. (Ibid.)
- 1385/1392?: JOHN GOBET, vicar of Buxton,
Norfolk. (Mentioned in "Blomefield’s Norfolk …: An
Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk".)
- 1405: ROGER GOBET of Bury, Suffolk (Will proved
in the Archdeaconry Court of Sudbury (Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds) in 1405).
- 1486: JOHN GOBETT of Norwich, Norfolk (a weaver): will proved
in the Norwich Consistory Court (Norfolk Record Office, Norwich.
- 1499: MAUD GOBETT of Norwich (parish of St George Colgate), Norfolk (a widow):
will proved in the
Norwich Consistory Court (Norfolk Record Office, Norwich).
Richard Gobet, Member of the House of Commons during the high middle ages
The following information comes from Daniel:
From "The House of Commons 1386-1421" Volume iii E-O (C) Crown Copyright 1993:
Gobet, Richard of Devizes, Wiltshire.
"Gobet is first mentioned in the records in May 1372, when he acted as a
juror at an inquisition held in Salisbury on the Wiltshire lands of Thomas
de Vere, late earl of Oxford. He witnessed a Devizes deed in 1378, and in
1379 he paid as much as 2s towards the poll tax, his occupation then given
as 'butcher'. Having stood surety for the attendance of John Molleward at
the Parliament of October, 1382, and for that of John Bochard, another
representative of Devizes at both parliaments of 1384, Gobet apparently
acted as his own surety when he was returned in 1385."
"in about 1388 Gobet purchased 20 acres of land in Rowde, two miles
north-west of Devizes, and then conveyed them to John Peyntour and other
trustees. They were intended to finance an annual mass at St Mary's,
Devizes for the welfare of Gobet and Agnes his wife, and of certain other
townspeople, as well as their souls after death. On the same day as the
mass was said, a dole of 20s was to be distributed to the poor of the
town*. Gobet probably did not survive the institution of this charity, for
nothing is heard of him after his election in 1390."
* 'Gobet's dole' was still being distributed to the poor of Devizes in the
18th Century !
Origin of the surname
David GOBBITT also tells me:
I can only speculate on the origins of the surname. Many people have
thought that it came from France or Flanders with francophone
immigrants. Others have suggested German or even Spanish
connections. More likely British roots include Godoboldus (East
Anglia, 1086), Godbold, Godebert or Gottbet. Bardsley’s book
also mentions JOHN GOBAUD of Huntingdonshire (hundred rolls,
1273), who is cited as an ancestor in the study on the Goble
family web site.
During the 16th century, Gobet seems to have become much less common than
Gobbet(t) in Suffolk & Norfolk, and possibly elsewhere in
England.
I know of no Gob*t emigrants from Britain to the United States of America before the
20th century. You may be interested to see the numbers of entries
in the 1997 (copyright 1992-96) telephone listings of the U.S.A.
on CD-ROM:
- Gobart 9
- Gobat 23
- Gobbert 5
- Gobbett 12
- Gobbit(t) 0
- Gobert 382
- Gobet 10
- Gobets 3
- Gobetz 40
The 1997 Swiss CD-ROM has no entry for Gobbet(t), Gobett or Gobbert, and surprisingly only 15
for Gobert but 150 for Gobat and as many as 457 (including duplicates) for Gobet.
There is also a couple named Gobits.
Up-to-date information (April, 2001)
David
writes: I now have another book: "A
Dictionary of English Surnames" by P. H. Reaney, revised by R. M. Wilson
(Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1997). This gives us a new contender for
the world's earliest recorded Gobet: Robert Gobet, 1203, in the county of
Suffolk. He appears in the "Feet of Fines", a series of documents
recording the owners of land.
Reaney and Wilson confirm that the 1086 Domesday Book includes Godebert (of
Essex) and Robertus filius Goberti ("ib.": presumably also in Essex)
as well as Godeboldus (ancestor of Godbold). However, they suggest that
Gobbet(t) was probably a nickname from the Old French "gobet" (i.e.
lump or morsel) or perhaps sometimes derived from the Old English "gan,
bet" (go better).
Do you want to get in touch with David and Daniel ?
Just press on their name
Daniel GOBBITT
David GOBBITT
(April, 2001)
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