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Beswick History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Beswick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Beswick date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in one of two places named Beswick. One is located in the township of Berwick, in the parish of Kilnwick, in the East Riding of Yorkshire while the other is in Lancashire, where Berwick was a local to Manchester.

Early Origins of the Beswick family

The surname Beswick was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Beswick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beswick research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beswick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beswick Spelling Variations

Beswick has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Beswick have been found, including Beswick, Beswicke, Beswickt, Bestwick, Beeswick, Beswyck and many more.

Early Notables of the Beswick family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Beswick of Gristhorpe

Beswick migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Beswicks to arrive on North American shores:

Beswick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Beswick, aged 40, who landed in Virginia in 1703 1

Beswick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Beswick, aged 69, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 1
James Beswick, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 1
James Beswick who settled in Philadelphia in 1856

Beswick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beswick Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Beswick, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749

Beswick migration to Australia +

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

Beswick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Jonathan Beswick, English convict from Cheshire, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 2
Mr. William Beswick, (Balham), English convict who was convicted in Bolton, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Thomas Beswick, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hibernia" in 1851 4
Mr. Richard Beswick, British convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cornwall" on 28th February 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Beswick 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:

Beswick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Jefferson Beswick, (b. 1802), aged 45, English , settler born in Cheshire arriving as 1st detachment of Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 6
Mrs. Harriet Beswick née Rowland, (b. 1824), aged 23, Welsh , settler born in Flintshire, Wales travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 6
Miss Harriet Beswick, (b. 1834), aged 13, British , settler born in Bellary, India travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 6
John Beswick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hampshire" in 1853
Samuel Beswick, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hampshire" in 1853
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Beswick (post 1700) +

James William Beswick (b. 1958), American Major League Baseball outfielder
David Beswick (b. 1910), English footballer
Edmund "Ted" Beswick (1858-1911), English rugby union footballer
Bob Beswick (b. 1984), English-born, Irish international rugby league player
John Ewart Beswick (b. 1897), English footballer
Martine Beswick (b. 1941), English actress and model, best known for her roles in two James Bond films
Joseph Sutton Beswick (1831-1888), 19th century Member of Parliament in Canterbury, New Zealand
Marc Beswick (b. 1983), professional Canadian football cornerback
Bill Beswick, British sports psychologist
Richard John Beswick (b. 1937), former Australian politician and Deputy Premier of Tasmania
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Beswick family +

HMS Royal Oak

Henry William James Beswick (d. 1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 7

SS Caribou

Mrs. Pearl Beswick (b. 1917), British passenger from Quebec was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, she died in the sinking

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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HIBERNIA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hibernia.gif
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cornwall
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html