Contents [hide]

Beale History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Beale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Beale

What does the name Beale mean?

The Beale surname is thought to have been created from one of the places so named (in Northumberland, and in West Yorkshire). The place name derives from the Old English "beo," meaning "bee" and "hyll," meaning "hill." There is also a Norman name Beale derived from the Old French "bel."

Early Origins of the Beale family

The surname Beale was first found in Northumberland. Today Beeley is a village and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of northern Derbyshire, near Bakewell. In the Domesday Book, the place name was listed as Begelie 1

Also in Northumberland, Beal with Lowlin is a township, in the parish of Kyloe, union of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, in Islandshire. 2 Bealon-the-Hill, is a hamlet in north Durham, close to the sea. "In Testa de Nevill it is spelt Behil, and it is recorded there that Gilbert de Behil held it of the see of Durham." 3 4

Raine's History and Antiquities of North Durham notes Thomas de Behil there in 1382 and Laurence Beil in 1517.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 noted Willelmus Beall as holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Beale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beale research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1541, 1601, 1608, 1621, 1632, 1651, 1660, 1664, 1665, 1674, 1683, 1684, 1697, 1699, 1813, 1816, 1820, 1840 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Beale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beale Spelling Variations

The name Beale, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Beal, Beale, Beall, Bealle, Beel, Beele, Beales, Bealer and many more.

Early Notables of the Beale family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Robert Beale (1541-1601), and English diplomatist and antiquary, said to have been descended from a family settled at Woodbridge in Suffolk. 5
William Beale (died 1651), was an English Royalist churchman, Master in turn of Jesus College, Cambridge and St John's College, Cambridge; John Beale (c.1608-1683), an English clergyman, scientific wr...
Mary Beale (1632-1697), was an English portrait painter, born in Suffolk in 1632 and was the daughter of the Rev. J. Cradock, vicar of Walton-upon-Thames. 5

Beale Ranking

In the United States, the name Beale is the 3,519^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6 However, in New Zealand, the name Beale is ranked the 813^rd most popular surname with an estimated 899 people with that name. 7

Beale migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Beale family, or who bore a variation of the surname Beale were

Beale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Beale, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 aboard the ship "Fortune" 8
Colonel Thomas Beale, on record in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634, who lived in York County, Virginia
Sara Beale, aged 28, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James" 8
Susan Beale, who landed in Virginia in 1637 8
John Beale, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beale Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Beale, aged 26, who landed in Maryland in 1714 8
Bridget Beale, a bonded passenger who arrived in Maryland in 1741

Beale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lieut. Beale, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 8
Mr. Beale, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
A Beale, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
S H Beale, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
Valentine Beale, who arrived in Virginia in 1884 8

Beale migration to Australia +

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

Beale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Beale, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
George Beale, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 10
J. Beale, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 11
Mr. James Beale, English convict who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. William Beale, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beale 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:

Beale Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Beale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tamar" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th January 1858 14
Mrs. Sussanah Beale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tamar" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th January 1858 14
Mr. John Beale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tamar" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th January 1858 14
Miss Arundel Beale, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tamar" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th January 1858 14
H. F. Beale, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Endymion" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Beale (post 1700) +

Wilson Thomas Moore Beale Jr. (1909-1997), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, 1965-67
William Beale, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 12th District, 1815-16
Truxtun Beale (1856-1936), American Republican politician, U.S. Minister to Persia, 1891-92; Greece, 1892-93; Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1912. Beale Park in Bakersfield is named for him
Richard Lee Turberville Beale (1819-1893), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Virginia State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Virginia, 1847-49, 1879-81 (8th District 1847-49, 1st District 1879-81); General in the Confederate Army during the Civil War
Phillip D. Beale, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, 1915
Lewis D. Beale, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1928
Joseph Grant Beale (1839-1915), American Republican politician, Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 27th District, 1907-09
Joseph Henry Beale (b. 1861), American Republican politician, Law professor; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1928
James Madison Hite Beale (1786-1866), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Virginia, 1833-37, 1849-53 (16th District 1833-35, 1st District 1835-37, 14th District 1849-53)
James Chesley Beale, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Virginia, 1928; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virginia, 1932
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Beale family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Edward Beale (1883-1914), English Second Class Passenger from London, England, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 15

Citations +

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.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN RENWICK 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837JohnRenwick.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Orleana.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html