Show ContentsBambridge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Bambridge is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the parish of Aysgarth in North Yorkshire. 1 2 3

The family originated in Bainbridge, which derives from the Old Norse words Beinn which literally means straight, and from the Old English word "Brycg" which means bridge. 4 According to tradition, a Saxon by the name of Bayn defended a bridge against the enemy.

Early Origins of the Bambridge family

The surname Bambridge was first found in North Yorkshire where Bainbridge is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district. This township holds about 14,210 acres, and takes its name from the river Bain. The Roman name for Bainbridge was Virosidum and the remains of a Roman Fort are located just outside the village. 5

"Bainbridge is a name that is also well represented in one form or another in the neighbouring counties of Yorkshire and Westmorland. The old family of Bainbrigg of the county of Durham dates back to the 15th century; and last century several mayors of the city of Durham bore the name of Bainbridge (S.), which is yet represented there. At present the name is mostly established in the Darlington district. In fact Bainbridge has been a Darlington name since the time of Elizabeth (Long.). It has also been established in Stocliton - on - Tees since the middle of the 16th century, when John Baynbridge was mayor. Bainbrigg, or Bainbrige, was the name of a High Sheriff of York in the time of Henry V., and of an archbishop of York and a primate of England in the time of Henry VIII. The Bainbrigge family of Derbyshire came from Wheatley, in the West Riding, in the 16th century; they represented Derby in the parliament during that century." 6

One of the first records of the family was that of Matilda de Baynbrigg who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. Later Robert Baynbryg was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 7

Bembridge is a village and civil parish on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight where the Bembridge Windmill is the only remaining windmill on the Isle of Wight and dates from around 1700.

Early History of the Bambridge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bambridge research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1301, 1462, 1511, 1514, 1545, 1556, 1582, 1583, 1606, 1636, 1643, 1646, 1703 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bambridge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bambridge Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Bambridge has been spelled many different ways, including Bainbridge, Bainebridge, Banbridge, Bainbrigg, Baynbrigg and many more.

Early Notables of the Bambridge family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Thomas Bainbrigg, Bambridge or Bembridge D.D. (1636-1703), was an English Protestant controversialist and William Bainbridge (died 1583), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Derby


Australia Bambridge migration to Australia +

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

Bambridge Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Bambridge, English convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 7 years transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Stephen Bambridge, aged 28, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Indian" 9

New Zealand Bambridge 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:

Bambridge Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Bambridge, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Telegraph" in 1863

Contemporary Notables of the name Bambridge (post 1700) +

  • Ernest Henry Bambridge (1848-1917), English footballer
  • Arthur Leopold Bambridge (1861-1923), English footballer
  • Edward Charles Bambridge (1858-1935), English footballer
  • William Samuel Bambridge (1820-1879), English school-teacher and explorer who accompanied Selwyn and Cotton on the Te Waimate mission, New Zealand, later returning to England where he became photographer to Queen Victoria
  • Thomas Bambridge (d. 1750), the notorious warden of the Fleet Prison in England found guilty of paying £5000 to John Huggins for the wardenship and committed to Newgate Prison 10
  • George Louis St Clair Bambridge (1892-1943), British diplomat
  • Christopher "Chris" Francis Bambridge (b. 1947), retired Australian football referee


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The INDIAN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Indian.htm
  10. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019


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