Beasly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Beasly name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Beesley, in the county of Lancashire. 1 The place name literally means 'woodland clearing' having derived from the Old English beos 'bent grass' + leah. 2

However, one source claims the family came from Baslow, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Bakewell, hundred of High Peak in Derbyshire. 3

Early Origins of the Beasly family

The surname Beasly was first found in Lancashire where Thomas de Besleg was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1246. 1

While this is the generally accepted place of origin, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had no mention of the family there in later years, as these rolls listed Hugh filius Basilie, Nottinghamshire; Alan Basel, Cambridgeshire; Richard Baseli, Oxfordshire; John Basely, Cambridgeshire; and Michael Basely, Buckinghamshire. 3

Early History of the Beasly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beasly research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1587, 1588, 1591, 1655 and 1729 are included under the topic Early Beasly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beasly Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Beasly has undergone many spelling variations, including Beazley, Beasley, Beasely, Beesely, Beesley, Bezley, Beasey and many more.

Early Notables of the Beasly family

Notables of this surname at this time include: George Beesley or Bisley (d. 1591), English Catholic missioner, born at a place called the Mount, in Goosnargh parish, in Lancashire. "Ordained priest in 1587 he was sent upon the English mission in 1588. Falling into the hands of the persecutors he was so frequently tortured by the notorious Topcliffe...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beasly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beasly family to Ireland

Some of the Beasly 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.

Beasly migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Beasly were among those contributors:

Beasly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Geo Beasly, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 4
William Beasly, who landed in Virginia in 1658 4

Beasly Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jeremiah Beasly, who landed in Virginia in 1714 4

Beasly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Beasly, who arrived in New York, NY in 1830 4

Beasly migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beasly Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Miles Beasly, who settled in Harbour Grace Parish, Newfoundland in 1821

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)