Show ContentsBathurst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bathurst is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Bathurst family once lived in the ancient manor named Bathurst, which was located near Battel Abbey in the county of Sussex.

Early Origins of the Bathurst family

The surname Bathurst was first found in Sussex, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The first record was in Bathurst, of that shire, not far from Battle Abbey which contains the records of the Battle of Hastings.

The church in the parish of Mixbury in Oxfordshire played an important role in the family's lineage. "The church has a Norman doorway with zigzag mouldings, leading into the south aisle; the nave and chancel are separated by a large Norman arch, and at the east end of the north aisle is the burial-place of the Bathurst family. Here are some remains of an ancient fortification, originally surrounded by a moat, and by the Normans called Beaumont." 1

Another branch of the family was found at Kirby Horton in Kent in early days. "Franks, the seat of the Bathurst family since the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth, is situated on the bank of the Darent, which flows through the village." 1 Monuments of the family can also be found in the church of Laverstock in Wiltshire.

Early History of the Bathurst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bathurst research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1607, 1620, 1659, 1684, 1704, 1712, 1772, 1775 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Bathurst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bathurst Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bathurst family name include Bathurst, Bathirst, Bothurst, Bethurst, Bothirst, Bathurrst, Bathurste, Bathurstt, Baithurst, Beathurst, Baathurst, Bauthurst, Bathearst, Bathearste and many more.

Early Notables of the Bathurst family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • John Bathurst (1607-1659), an English physician who attended Oliver Cromwell, and was twice Member of Parliament
  • Ralph Bathurst (1620-1704), an English theologian and physician

Ireland Migration of the Bathurst family to Ireland

Some of the Bathurst family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bathurst migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bathurst surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Bathurst Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Charles Bathurst, who landed in Maryland in 1679 2
  • Lancelot Bathurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1680 2
  • Charles Bathurst, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682
Bathurst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sir Francis Bathurst who settled in Georgia in 1734 with his wife, Frances, three daughters, and son Robert
Bathurst Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Bathurst, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1823

Australia Bathurst migration to Australia +

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

Bathurst Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William L. Bathurst, aged 22, a carpenter, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 3
  • William Bathurst, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Emily" in 1849 3

New Zealand Bathurst 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:

Bathurst Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • M. J. Bathurst, aged 27, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1874

West Indies Bathurst migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4
Bathurst Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mary Bathurst, who settled in Barbados in 1688

Contemporary Notables of the name Bathurst (post 1700) +

  • Brigadier-General Robert Marks Bathurst (1893-1964), American Attached to the Military Staff Commission, United Nations (1949-1950) 5
  • William H. Bathurst (1796-1877), English Anglican clergyman and hymnist
  • Walter Bathurst (1764-1827), English captain in the British Royal Navy who was killed at the Battle of Navarino, one of the thirty-six children of Sir Benjamin Bathurst MP
  • Henry Bathurst (1762-1834), 3rd Earl Bathurst, English statesman, President of the Board of Trade (1807-1812), Foreign Secretary in 1809, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1812-1827)
  • William Lennox Bathurst (1791-1878), 5th Earl Bathurst, English peer, Tory Member of Parliament and civil servant, Clerk of the Privy Council (1830–1860)
  • Seymour Henry Bathurst (1864-1943), 7th Earl Bathurst, English peer, soldier and newspaper owner
  • Allen Alexander Bathurst (1832-1892), 6th Earl Bathurst
  • Henry George Bathurst (1790-1866), 4th Earl Bathurst
  • Henry Bathurst (1714-1794), 2nd Earl Bathurst (created Lord Apsley in 1771)
  • Sir Frederick Bathurst (1807-1881), English cricketer
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Bathurst 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: Tien ta foy
Motto Translation: Kepp thy faith.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 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)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The EMILY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Emily.htm
  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  5. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Robert Bathurst. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Bathurst/Robert_Marks/USA.html


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