Beedham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Beedham

What does the name Beedham mean?

The chronicles of the Beedham family suggest that their ancestors may have been Viking settlers. Their surname comes from a place name of Norse origins, from when they lived in Beetham in Cumbria. This place name is thought to come from the Old Norse "beth," meaning "embankment." 1 The parish was recorded as Biedum in the Domesday Book and at that time in Yorkshire and was land held by Roger de Poitou. 2 More recently, the parish had a population of 1,724 in the 2001 census. Interestingly, "in digging a grave near one of the pillars in the nave of the Church [of Beetham], in Aug. 1834, upwards of 100 silver coins, chiefly of the reigns of William the Conqueror and his son William Rufus, with a few of Edward the Confessor and Canute the Dane, were discovered." 3

Early Origins of the Beedham family

The surname Beedham was first found in Cumbria at Beetham, a parish, in the union and ward of Kendal, historically in Westmorland. 3

However, some of family were well established further south at Warton in Lancashire at early times. "Warton appears to have belonged to the lord of WoodPlumpton, by intermarriage with whose heiress the Betham family became connected with the property. The last of the Bethams was Roger, whose daughter married Sir Robert Middleton, of Leighton, in the reign of Richard III." 3

Placita de Quo Warranto listed Richard de Betham, Norfolk, 20 Edward I (in the 20th year of King Edward I's reign.) 4

Ralph de Betham, was a benefactor to Furness Abbey during the reign of Henry II. 5 Ralph de Bethum was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279; Robert de Bethum, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379; and Stephen Betham, was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1541. 6

Early History of the Beedham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beedham research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1599, 1632, 1642, 1659, 1665, 1684 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Beedham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beedham Spelling Variations

The spellings of Scottish names dating from the medieval era often bear little resemblance to those seen today. They vary enormously because scribes in that time spelled according to their ears. Some spelling variations of the name Beedham include Betham, Beetam, Beetham, Beatam, Beatham, Beetem, Beedham and many more.

Early Notables of the Beedham family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beedham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beedham migration to the United States +

The farms of Scottish settlers soon dotted the east coast of the colonies that would become the nations of the United States and Canada. Many of those migrants and their children went on to play important roles in the founding the great nations of North America. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name Beedham or a variant listed above, including:

Beedham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Rich Beedham, who landed in Virginia in 1638 7

Beedham migration to Australia +

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

Beedham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Beedham, English convict from Yorkshire, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on March 6, 1848, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
Mrs. Elizabeth Beedham, (b. 1822), aged 28, English house maid who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years for robbery, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 25th October 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9

The Beedham Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per ardua surgam
Motto Translation: I rise through difficulty.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land or Port Phillip, Australia in 1848 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1848
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia