Bickerstaffe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Bickerstaffe

What does the name Bickerstaffe mean?

The name Bickerstaffe first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in or near the village of Bickerstaffe, which was located near Ormskirk in the county of Lancashire. "In 1066 Bickerstaffe, under the name of Achetun, was one of the manors of Uctred, lord of Roby." 1

One of the first records of the family was Adam de Bickerstath whose son Ralph, held manor in 1212. "Adam de Bickerstath's name frequently appears in charters and other public acts of the time." 1 Adam de Bykerstaff was listed in Lancashire in 1289. 2 Alan de Birkestad de Bikerstath was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246. 3

Early Origins of the Bickerstaffe family

The surname Bickerstaffe was first found in Lancashire, at Bickerstaffe, a village and civil parish in the West Lancashire district. The village dates back to at least the 12th century when it was listed as Bikerstad and literally meant "landing place of the bee-keepers" from the Old English words bicere + staeth. 4

However, another reference claims the name came from the Old English word "bicker," meaning to skirmish or contend, as in bicker-staff, a weapon analogous to a quarter-staff. 5 This latter interpretation only occurs once through our research library and is mentioned here for reference purposes only as the former interpretation is more likely.

Early History of the Bickerstaffe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bickerstaffe research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1600, 1639, 1660, 1685, 1713, 1714, 1752 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bickerstaffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bickerstaffe Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bickerstaffe has appeared include Bickerstaffe, Bickerstaff, Bickerstath, Bickerstathe, Bickersteth and many more.

Early Notables of the Bickerstaffe family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Philip Bickerstaffe (1639-1714), an English merchant and politician, owner of Amble Works, Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1685...

Migration of the Bickerstaffe family to Ireland

Some of the Bickerstaffe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 147 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bickerstaffe family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bickerstaffe arrived in North America very early: Sarah Bickerstaff who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bickerstaffe (post 1700) +

Isaac Bickerstaffe (1735-1812), Irish playwright who at the age of eleven was appointed one of the pages to Lord Chesterfield, then lord-lieutenant of Ireland; his earliest production was 'Leucothoe,' a tragic opera, printed in 1756, but never acted 6
Rodney Kevan Bickerstaffe (1945-2017), British trade unionist, 2nd President of the National Pensioners Convention (2001-2005), 2nd General Secretary of UNISON (1996-2001)

Citations +

'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
Baines Thomas & William Fairbairn, Lancashire and Cheshire, Past and Present History of Counties London: William MacKenzie, 1867, Digital, 4 vols
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 June. 2019