SOURCE: Tercentenary Souvenir,
Gosselin Families 1652-1979, page 12 et ss.
Our name "GOSSELIN" is of Danish origin.
At the beginning of the 8th century, Gauzlins were already found in Normandy. In 724, a Gauzlin was bishop of Le Mans.
He was the son of Roger, Lord of Manceau, who usurped the County of Maine. Through his father's intrigues,
he was granted this bishopric in 724, and after being consecrated by the Archbishop of Rouen, in defiance of his Metropolitan,
he was installed in the see by force of arms and despite the opposition of the clergy and the people.
He maintained this dignity through all sorts of violence and injustice; but after a few years,
he was dispossessed by order of King Pepin, who subsequently returned him to his bishopric. He continued
to desecrate his character through the same disorders and died of apoplexy in the year 770.
His body was buried in the Abbey of La Couture.
In 922, another Gauzlin (or Goslin) is recorded as Bishop of Toul. In the Book of Miracles of St. Bercaise,
he is called "Pontifex nobillissimus," a prelate of illustrious birth; this can also mean a prelate
distinguished either by his merit or his virtues. Ordained bishop on March 17, 922, he governed this bishopric until 962.
He was raised at the court of Charles the Simple. At the beginning of this episcopate,
he had some difficulty submitting to King Henry the Fowler, to whom Charles the Simple had ceded the Kingdom of Lorraine.
He owned the abbeys of Noyenmoutier, Ossonville, Poulangy, in the diocese of Langres, and Varenne.
He died in 927, on September 7.
Finally, around the year 1000, we find another Gauzlin (Gauslin, Gauscelin), Archbishop of Bourges.
He was the natural son of Hugh Capet, later King of France, who had him raised in his earliest youth at the Monastery of Fleuri.
He was considered one of the great philosophers of his time.
His fine qualities, as well as his close blood, endeared him to King Robert. He granted him
the Abbey of Fleuri in 1009 and appointed him Archbishop of Bourges in 1013. He went to Rome
where Pope Benedict VIII received him with honor. He died in 1029.
After Charlemagne (from 819), Scandinavian pirates led by Viking chieftains (kings or warriors of the sea)
descended along the rivers of Continental Europe; they attacked Paris in 845. In 896, they settled at the mouth of the Seine.
They were called "Normans," meaning "Men of the North." In 911, King Charles the Simple ceded the future "Normandy"
to their leader Rollo (or Robert), and in 945, they were officially granted the Duchy of Normandy (Upper and Lower Normandy).
From this Rollo, who became Robert I, the first Duke of Normandy, was born a natural son,
William the Bastard (later called William the Conqueror) (Falaise 1027 - Rouen 1087).
William the Conqueror was Duke of Normandy (1035-1087) and King of England (1066-1087).
As King of England, he took land from the Saxons to create fiefs for the Normans.
Now, at this time, one of Rollo and William's chief lieutenants was a "Gozlin."
French history tells us that Paris was saved from a Norman attack in 1885 by the Bishop of Paris,
"Gozlin," and Count Eudes. However, the defenders perished from famine and disease. Gozlin himself succumbed.
Little by little, the guttural name "Gozlin" softened, as it was later written "GOSLIN,"
and finally "GOSSELIN" and "JOSSELIN." But it should be added that while Gosselins are found in England,
the name Gozlin or its equivalents are also found in Scandinavian countries, Ireland,
in England and the United States. Incidentally, Gosselin means "comrade" (according to N.E. Dionne,
in "Origin of French-Canadian Families").
Today, the name Gosselin is quite common in France. It is no longer found in Combray itself,
but the Gosselin Hamlet (in Combray) still exists. Locals tell us about
a house that was probably the ancestor's home.
American Gosselins wishing to travel to France, in addition to visiting Combray, should not forget to visit:
- The Notre-Dame-de-Grâces Chapel in Honfleur. There, they will find a plaque indicating that the Gosselin
ladies of Le Hâvre built the Carmelite monastery of Lisieux.
- The stained-glass window of the Kinship of Our Lady, in the Church of Martigny, near St-Hilaire du Harconet,
donated by the Gosselins of Martigny.
- The Church of St. Peter in Pierrefitte-en-Cinglais has a canopy with twisted columns,
coming from the Abbey of Val (now destroyed) in St. Omer, not far from Combray, founded by the Gosselin de la Pommeraye family.
- And also, greet Miss Andrée Jean, 6, boulevard du 30 juin 1944, 14220 Thury-Harcourt.
This young lady is descended, through her mother, in a direct line from Nicolas Gosselin and Marguerite Dubréal.
You will find other very interesting information in the following brochure:
Tercentenary Souvenir, Gosselin Families 1652-1979, Publisher The Gosselin Family Association,
Authors: Rev. Father Laurent Gosselin, M.S.C. and Abbot Raym
Change of the surname GOSSELIN
- by country, since the 13th century
| COUNTRY | SURNAME GOSSELIN |
| FRANCE | GOSSELIN - GOSS - GAULIN - GOSSIN |
| GERMANY | GOZSELIN |
| BELGIUM | GOSSELIN - GOSS - VANDER GOSS |
| IRELAND | GOSSELIN - GOSLING - GOSLIN - GOSLINE |
| CHANNEL ISLAND | GOSSELIN - GOSLING - GOSLINE |
| GREAT BRITAIN | GOSSELIN - GOSLING - GOSLIN - GOSTLIN - GUSLING - GOSLEN - GOSLINE |
| SCOTLAND | GOSLEN - GOSLIN - GOSSLINN - GOSLING - GOSLENE - GOSSLING - GOSLAN - GOZLING - GOSELING - GOZLIN |
| HOLLAND | GOSSELIN - Van DER GOSS - GOSS - GOSLING - GOSLINGS - GOSELINE - GOSLINGS LAND |
| MEXICO | GOSSELIN |
| U.S.A. | GOSSELIN - JUSSELIN - GOSCELIN - GOSLIN - GEESLING - GOSLINE - GOASLIND - GOSLING - GEESLIN - GOSNELL - GAUSLIN - GHOSLIN - GOSELINE - GOSLEIN - GOSSELAW |
| CANADA | GOSSELIN - GOSLING- GAUSCELIN - GAUSSELIN - GOSELIN - GOSSSELIN GOSSELINE - GOCELIN |
|
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR ANCESTORS
In the next table, you'll find the list of Gosselins I've tracked down over time.
I'll provide the name, date, location, and reference number for this information.
The information will be limited to Gosselin families before 1650. These traces can be found in several countries.
I am not necessarily establishing links between these individuals; I am simply providing you with the results of my research.
To establish a link between these individuals, you will need to delve deeper into the research and check the registers or archives of the parishes concerned.
REFERENCES:
- (TURK, Marion) THE QUIET ADVENTURERS IN NORTH AMERICA,
Marion Turk, Harlo, Detroit, 1983, 724 pages;
- (MORMONS) = http://www.familysearch.org/ Website of FAMILY SEARCH
- (KENCROUSE) = http://www.kencrouse.com/crouse/fam05880.htm
| NAME | FIRST NAME |
YEAR | PLACE |
REFERENCES |
| Gosselin | Hélier |
b./m. avant 1541 | Guernesey |
TURK, p 249 |
| Gosselin | ? |
1200s | Guernesey |
TURK, p 249 |
| Gosselin | ? |
1506-1524 | Guernesey/Jersey |
TURK, p 249 |
| Gosselin | ? |
1331-1607-1668 | St-Héliers, Jersey |
TURK, p 249 |
| Gosselin | François |
b. 1570 m.1590 | France |
KENCROUSE |
| Gosselin | Catherine |
b. 1522
m. 1561 | Channels Island |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Vincent |
b. 1602 | St-Martin, Vieux-Belesme, Perche, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Anne |
apr. 1580 | Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Anne |
19-08-1649 | Conde-Sur-L'Escaut, France |
MORMONS |
Gosselin
(Gaulin) | François |
b. 25-08-1630 | St-Martin Viel, Seez, Perche, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Guillaume |
b. 1536
m. 27-11-1571 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Guillemette (F) |
b. 1545
m. 19-09-1563 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jacob |
avant 1609 | Dieppe, Normandy, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jacqueline |
1624 |
St-Rémi, Bayeux, Normandie, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jean |
b. 17-01-1562 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jeanne (F) |
b. 16-11-1567 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jehan (M) |
b. 25-07-1568 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jesse (M) |
b. 13-01-1566 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Magdalene (F) |
b. 13-04-1571 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Marguerite |
b. 14-05-1627 | St-Martin, De Vieux-Belesme, Perche, France |
MORMONS |
Gosselin
(Gossin) | Marie-Marguerite |
b. 1631 | St-Benoit, Paris, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Marie |
abt 1633 | Paris, Seine, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Nicolas |
b. 1593 | Combray, Bayeux, Normandy, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Rauline (F) |
abt 1549 | Stcande Jeune, Roen, Normandy, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Robert |
b. 1540 | Caen, Calvados, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Augustin |
m. 29-10-1632 | antilly-Les-Marais, Charente-Maritime, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Genevianve-Salomee |
m. 29-10-1632 | antilly-Les-Marais, Charente-Maritime, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jean-Baptiste |
m. 29-10-1632 | antilly-Les-Marais, Charente-Maritime, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Gabriel |
b. 1620/1621 | Combray, Bayeux, Normandy, France |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Catherine |
abt 1522 | St-Clement, Jersey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Elisabeth |
b. 1597 | St-Pierre, Guernsey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jeanne |
abt 1526 | St-Clement, Jersey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Jeanne |
abt 1512 | St-Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Mister |
b.1470 m.1494 | St-Clement, Jersey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Mrs. William |
m. abt/1536 | St-Brelade, Jersey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Elie |
b. 1591 | Guernsey, Channel Isles |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Nicholas |
b. 1486 | St-Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Peter |
b. 1638 | Guernsey, Channel Isles |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Philippine (F) |
b. abt/1555 | Jersey, Channel Isles |
MORMONS |
| Gosselin | Anne |
abt 1630 | St-Peters Port, Guernsey, England |
MORMONS |
| This information must be verified in official records or archives before being considered authentic;
the reader is encouraged to consult libraries, national archives, and genealogy websites to confirm or deny this information. |
|