Bassford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Bassford surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Nottinghamshire having derived from the Old English word basaforde, which means the dweller by the birch-ford. Another reference suggests that the names was derived from the ford near the home of Bassa (Bassa's ford) or from the French expression le bas ford, meaning the lower ford. Today there are also towns named Basford in Cheshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire and the surname may indicate a person's residence in one of these places.

Early Origins of the Bassford family

The surname Bassford was first found in Nottinghamshire, near Nottingham where one of the first records of the name was found as Chaplain de Basford who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273.

Early History of the Bassford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bassford research. Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bassford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassford Spelling Variations

Before 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 Bassford include Bassford, Basford, Bassforde, Basforde, Bashford, Bashforde, Bashfield, Bashfeild and many more.

Early Notables of the Bassford family

More information is included under the topic Early Bassford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassford 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:

Bassford Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Bassford, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 1

Bassford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J Bassford, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 1

Citations +

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)