Contents [hide]

Beam History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Beam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Beam family

The surname Beam was first found in Normandy where the family was formerly Beaumis, Beaumeys, or Beametz and are from Beaumetz, near Abbeville. Today this is a commune in the Somme department in the Picardie (Picardy) region of northern France. When they arrived in Britain is not known but one can safely assume shortly after the Conquest as Richard de Belmiz, Viscount of Salop (Shropshire) witnessed a charter in 1087 of Salop Abbey. Richards be Beaumez witnessed a charter of Henry I., in 1124. Richard be Belmiz was Bishop of London in 1172. 1

The stronghold of the family was in Durham at Beamish, a township, in the chapelry of Tanfield, parish of Chester-Le-Street, union of Lanchester, Middle division of Chester ward. The place name dates back to 1288 when it was first listed as Bewmys and literally meant "beautiful mansion." from the Old French words "beau" + "mes." 2 "It stands in the wooded vale of Team, which expands itself near the house of Beamish into a fine strath. The mansion, which contains some curious old portraits, is one of the best family residences in the county." 3 Beamish Hall was originally built as a present in 1268 for the wedding of Isabella de la Leigh and Guiscard de Charron.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Robert de Beaumeis, alias Beaumeis in Cambridgeshire; Roger de Beaumes in Shropshire; and Agnes be Beaumeys in Huntingdonshire. 4

Again in Shropshire, we found Richard de Beames, de Belmes in the Pipe Rolls for 1191-1192. And later Robert de Beaumeis was found in the Feet of Fines for Huntingdonshire in 1208. 5

Early History of the Beam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beam research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1797, 1816, 1823, 1825, 1872 and 1950 are included under the topic Early Beam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beam Spelling Variations

Although the name, Beam, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Beamish, Beemish, Beames and others.

Early Notables of the Beam family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

North Ludlow Beamish (1797-1872), military writer and antiquary, the son of William Beamish, Esq...
Beamish's professional abilities brought him to notice, and he received a half-pay majority in the following year...

Beam Ranking

In the United States, the name Beam is the 2,070^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Beam family to Ireland

Some of the Beam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beam migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Beam family name Beam, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Beam Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henrig Beam, who arrived in New York in 1709 7
Conradt Beam, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1755 7
Michael Beam, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1767 7
Peter Beam, who landed in North Carolina in 1767 7
John Adam Beam, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 7

Beam Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johan George Beam, aged 10, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 7
D W Beam, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
Andrew Beam, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 7
Earnest Beam, who landed in Ohio in 1889 7
Ellen Beam, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1893
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beam Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Carrie Beam, aged 49, who landed in America from London, in 1904
Edward Beam, who settled in America, in 1905
John C. Beam, who landed in America, in 1906
J N Beam, who settled in America, in 1907
John V. Beam, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beam migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beam Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Abraham Beam, "Boehm" U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 8
Mr. Jacob Beam U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 8
Mr. Jacob Beam, "Boehm" Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 8

Beam Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Beam, who arrived in Canada in 1830

Contemporary Notables of the name Beam (post 1700) +

Harry Peter Beam (1892-1967), U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1931 to 1942
Ernest Joseph Beam (1867-1918), American former professional baseball player
Herman Beam (1929-1980), American NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) driver and team owner
Jason Beam (b. 1973), American illustrator working in the Dark Art genre
Alex Beam (b. 1954), American writer and journalist
Theodore Lester "T.J." Beam (b. 1980), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
Jack Beam, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State Senate 32nd District, 1978 9
Harry Peter Beam (1892-1967), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois 4th District, 1931-42 9
Grant Beam, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Governor of Ohio, 1926 9
D. Sayre Beam, American Republican politician, Chair of Livingston County Republican Party, 1942 9
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html