Guyzance

The name Guyzance is thought to be derived from a Norman family name "Guines", from the French town of Guînes 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, when Robert de Hilton was its owner. 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: <blockquote>GUYZANCE, or GUYSON, is a township and village in this Shilbottle parish, the property of the Duke of Northumberland; Robert Delisle, Esq. the heirs of the late Thomas Fenwick, Esq., and Thomas…

The village consists of one small street of single-storey facing cottages, and a number of scattered cottages, farms and large houses. Numbers 1, 2 and 4 are at the east end, on the north side of the street, and form a single terrace. They date from the 18th century, but were remodelled in the 19th century. There was formerly a fourth cottage, No. 3, but this has been incorporated into No. 4, and its front door blocked up. The left hand end wall of No. 4 includes two blind windows and there is a Victorian post box built into it. After two more recent cottages is the old school, which was probably originally a cottage, and is now the village rooms. It also dates from the 18th century, and…

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 Smeaton's weir, after which it capsized. The men, all aged 18, were weighed down by full combat gear. In 1995, a memorial service was held to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy and a plaque was unveiled. The campaign for a memorial had been spearheaded by Burnett Seyburn, who had been a lance corporal at the time of the original tragedy, and Vera Vaggs, a Northumbrian historian. As well as raising money locally, they obtained support from the National Lottery, the War Graves Commission, local landowner Sir Anthony…