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Show ContentsBennetts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Bennetts Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Bennetts

What does the name Bennetts mean?

History reveals the roots of the Bennetts family name in the ancient Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The Bennetts name is derived from the ancient Latin given name Benedictus, which means blessed.

Early Origins of the Bennetts family

The surname Bennetts was first found in Perthshire where "Benedictus, son of Walter de Sancto Edmundo, witnessed a charter of sale of land in Perth, 1219. Benedict the dean (decanus) witnessed the gift of the mill of Wystoun to the Hospital of Soltre in 1249. The fame of Saint Benedict (480-543) the patriarch of the Western monks made the name popular. " 1

Early History of the Bennetts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bennetts research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1200, 1249, 1250, 1300, 1402, 1459, 1527, 1563, 1588, 1594, 1603, 1604, 1652, 1743, 1793, 1795, 1797, 1822, 1836, 1872, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bennetts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bennetts Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Bennetts has been spelled Bennett, Bennet, Benett, Benet and others.

Early Notables of the Bennetts family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Bennett, Sheriff of London in 1594, and Lord Mayor (1603-1604); when he was knighted, he purchased the manor of Beachampton in Berkshire; W. Benett, who was the Mayor of Chester in...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bennetts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bennetts family to Ireland

Some of the Bennetts family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 125 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bennetts migration to the United States +

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them:

Bennetts Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louedy Bennetts, who landed in New York in 1832 2
  • Mr. Joseph Bennetts, (b. 1802), aged 35, Cornish miner departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 3
  • Mrs. Bennetts, (b. 1805), aged 32, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 3
  • Mr. Joseph Bennetts, (b. 1827), aged 10, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 3
  • Miss Grace Bennetts, (b. 1836), aged 1, Cornish settler departing from Falmouth aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 8th May 1837 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bennetts Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Charles Bennetts, (b. 1884), aged 19, Cornish miner, from Beacon, Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Saint Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 4th September 1903 en route to Central City, Colorado, USA 4
  • Mr. Thomas Bennetts, (b. 1876), aged 28, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd September 1904 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 4

Bennetts migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bennetts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • James Bennetts, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Theresa" in 1847 5
  • Richard Udy Bennetts, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1848 6
  • Matthew Bennetts, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 7
  • Thomas Bennetts, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Royal" in 1848 7
  • Mr. James Bennetts, (b. 1825), aged 24, Cornish carpenter from St. Just, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Julindur" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1849 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bennetts migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bennetts Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Celia Ann Bennetts, (b.1848), aged 14, Cornish settler departing on 3rd February 1862 aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 9
  • Mr. Edward Bennetts, (b.1823), aged 39, Cornish settler departing on 3rd February 1862 aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 9
  • Mr. Edward John Bennetts, (b. 1853), aged 9, Cornish settler departing on 3rd February 1862 aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862" 9
  • Mrs. Jane Bennetts, (b. 1825), aged 37, Cornish settler departing on 3rd February 1862 aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862" 9
  • Miss Jane Bennetts, (b. 1851), aged 11, Cornish settler departing on 3rd February 1862 aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862" 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bennetts (post 1700) +

  • John G. Bennetts, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 32nd District, 1948 10
  • Frederick B. Bennetts, American politician, Socialist Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 14th District, 1890; Socialist Labor Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York, 1896 10
  • Fred Bennetts, American politician, Delegate to Socialist National Convention from New York, 1920; Candidate for New York State Assembly from Westchester County 5th District, 1928, 1935 10
  • Annie Bennetts, American politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Westchester County 5th District, 1923 10
  • Colin James Bennetts (1940-2013), British Anglican bishop, Bishop of Coventry (1998-2008), Bishop of Buckingham (1994–1998)
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Leslie Arthur Bennetts, British Plumber 4th Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 11
  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. 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)
  3. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THERESA 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Theresa.htm
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE - 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Constance.htm
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PRINCESS ROYAL 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848PrincessRoyal.htm
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
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