| ![Show Contents]() Balshaw History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BalshawWhat does the name Balshaw mean? The surname Balshaw is generally thought to have been from Balshaw which "probably meant Bald(a)’s Wood from the Middle English shaw (e) + the Old English word scaga, a thicket, wood." 1 This is presumably one of the lost villages of England, as we can find no trace of it today. However, today Balshaw's Church of England High School is located in Leyland, Lancashire. Early Origins of the Balshaw familyThe surname Balshaw was first found in Lancashire, where they held a family seat from ancient times at Balshaw, near Lathom. 2 The record of the family was Robert de Balsagh who was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1246. Later, the same rolls recorded Robert Balshagh in 1401. 3 The Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lancashire included: Adam de Balshagh; and John de Balshagh as both holding lands there in 1332. Early History of the Balshaw familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balshaw research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1246, 1258, 1265, 1332, 1401, 1512, 1522, 1608, 1622 and 1628 are included under the topic Early Balshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Balshaw Spelling VariationsBefore English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Balshaw include Balshaw, Balshawe, Ballshaw, Balsagh, Balshagh, Balshay and many more. Early Notables of the Balshaw familyMore information is included under the topic Early Balshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Balshaw migration to the United States | + |
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:
Balshaw Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Susanna Balshaw, who landed in Maryland in 1674 4
| Contemporary Notables of the name Balshaw (post 1700) | + |
- Iain Robert Balshaw (b. 1979), English rugby union footballer
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
- 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)
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