Gubbins One-Name Study

(Click on picture to enlarge) These are the 3 badges associated with the GUBBINS surname

Gubbins
One-Name Study

Topics

About the Gubbins One-Name Study
Variants
Origin of the surname
Distribution of the name
DNA project
Links
Contact Details

About the Gubbins One-Name Study

Initiated by some basic research commissioned by my grandfather, but accelerated by firstly the gift of copies of the research papers of William J. Gubbins (originally of Chipping Warden in Northants but later of Palmers Green, London) who conducted extensive research in the 1950s in conjunction with Maj.Gen. Sir Colin Gubbins, and Jervais Gubbins and secondly by that of Rev. John Manion Gubbins lately a senior RC Chaplain in the US Navy. My database currently holds some 7,790 records dating from around 1500 AD

Variants

My study includes the surnames: GUBBIN (mainly found in Northern Ireland in the Inishowen Peninsula) and in Devon/Cornwall; GUBBINGS (mainly of Glamorgan and East London) and GUBBEN

Origin of the surname

It would appear that among the Normans who came over with or followed William the Conqueror were a family named Gobion(s) who received grants of land located mainly in Essex, Herts, Beds, and Northants, These estates still bear the name and are shewn on old and modern maps, the spelling varying considerably on the different maps according to age. One such is mentioned in many old maps of Hertfordshire, and lies in the S.E. corner of the County not far from Potters Bar. Through Hawise co-heiress with her sister Elizabeth of Richard Gobion, it passed together with other lands to the de Boteler family, in the reign of Edward II, vide Historical Antiquities of Hertfordshire 1700 by Sir Henry Chauncey under the Manor of Gobions, also Clutterbuck’s History of County of Hertford. This was purchased by the More family and via his father, Sir John More, to Sir (Saint) Thomas More. The More family continued to live there for many generations before being sold in 1695. Finally, the Old Manor was pulled down about 1840 by Mr. Gaussen who built Brookman’s Hall. This, in turn, was burned down in 1891. The land thereabouts is still marked as 'Gubbins' and is still so referred to by locals. Similar attribution to 'Gubbins' has taken place in respect of Gobion-owned estates in Essex.

Of course, the similarity in name does not necessarily mean that Gubbins are direct descendants of the Norman Gobion family but that when it became necessary to adopt surnames in about the year 1300, the tenants and residents on the estates took the place name, or that of the lord of the manor, as their surname.

The first Gubbins to be found outside of England became established at the end of the 17th Century in Co Limerick in southern Ireland. Of these the mainly protestant Church of Ireland families are those of Maidstown Castle, Kilfrush and Kenmare Castle branches. There is also a very substantial RC set of families also in Limerick which possibly constitute sub-branches of the Kilfrush branch. However, the connection has yet to be found for certain. The many branches in the USA stem almost exclusively from the RC branches of Limerick which recent DNA analysis has confirmed.

Distribution of the name

The largest families of Gubbinses in England, some dating back from the early 1500s, are to be found in Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, around Stroud in Gloucestershire, in south Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and in a circle around Banbury encompassing many villages of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire together with a few of Buckinghamshire.

There are now well established branches of the family in Canada, USA, Chile, Peru, Australia and New Zealand.

One of the biggest collection of Gubbinses are to be found in Ireland, primarily in Co Limerick, Tipperary and Cork.

DNA project

Deborah Gubbins Curlanis, Moderator of the Gubbins Egroup site on Yahoo (see 'Links'), is currently running from her home in California, a DNA project, at her own expense, which has already provided some unexpected but key information regarding ancestry relationships.

Links

Much greater details of the research of myself and others, can be found on the Yahoo Egroup site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gubbins. After making free registration, a small library of files which include family trees, photographs, maps etc can be accessed.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mr Robert B Gubbins
133 Lovibonds Avenue,
Locksbottom,
Orpington,
Kent
BR6 8EN
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail:

This page last updated 8 March 2008.