Contents [hide]

Beverley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Beverley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Beverley is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in Yorkshire. The Beverley family was originally found at the village and parish of Beverly, from which they took their name. Beverley, which literally means beaver stream, is located in the East Riding of Yorkshire. 1

Early Origins of the Beverley family

The surname Beverley was first found in Yorkshire. Undoubtedly, the first record of the name was John of Beverley (died 721), an East Anglian bishop. He was the Bishop of Hexham and then the Bishop of York. He went on to found the town of Beverley and building the first structure there, a monastery. John was associated with miracles during and after his lifetime, became a saint, canonized by the Catholic Church in 1037.

Leven in the East Riding of Yorkshire is another ancient family seat. "[Leven] is of considerable antiquity, a church being mentioned as existing here at the time of the Norman survey, when the manor was in the possession of the church of St. John de Beverley, which retained it till the Dissolution." 2

Philip Beverley or Ingleberd (fl. 1290), was an "Oxford benefactor, Rector of Kayingham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, is said to have been 'the most subtle Aristotelian in Oxford.' " 3

John of Beverley (d. 1414), was "a Carmelite of great theological fame, doctor and professor of divinity at Oxford, was born at Beverley, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He became a canon of St. John's, Church in that town, and from the few records left of him it appears that in 1367 he gave a chaplain and his successor forty acres of land in North Burton and Raventhorpe." 3

Early History of the Beverley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beverley research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1374, 1605, 1668, 1673, 1705, 1722 and 1728 are included under the topic Early Beverley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beverley Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Beverley has been recorded under many different variations, including Beverley, Beverly, Baverlay, Beverlee, Beaverley, Beverle and many more.

Early Notables of the Beverley family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Robert Beverley, Jr. (1673-1722), American-born historian of early colonial Virginia, he is probably best known for his "Beverley's History and Present State of Virginia," published originally in Lond...

Migration of the Beverley family to Ireland

Some of the Beverley 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.

Beverley migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Beverley or a variant listed above:

Beverley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Beverley, who arrived in Virginia in 1687 4
John Beverley, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 4

Beverley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Beverley, who landed in Virginia in 1716 4
John Beverley, who settled in Maryland in 1732
William Beverley, who arrived in Oxford, Maryland in 1747 4
William Beverley, who settled in New England in 1750
John Beverley who settled in New England in 1753

Beverley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Robert Beverley, aged 42, who arrived in New York City in 1919 aboard the ship "Colon" from Cristobal, Canal Zone 5
Margeret Beverley, aged 4, who arrived in New York City in 1919 aboard the ship "Colon" from Cristobal, Canal Zone 5
Pearl Beverley, aged 32, who arrived in New York City in 1919 aboard the ship "Colon" from Cristobal, Canal Zone 5
Eveline Beverley, aged 48, originally from Preston, England, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Carmania" from Liverpool, England 5
Eveline Beverley, aged 7, originally from Preston, England, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Carmania" from Liverpool, England 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beverley migration to Australia +

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

Beverley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Beverley, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Beverley 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:

Beverley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary J. Beverley, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "England" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th February 1867 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Beverley (post 1700) +

Brigadier-General George Hendricks Beverley (1897-1988), American Commanding Officer of the San Antonio Air Material Area, Kelly Field, Texas (1949) 8
Joshua Logan "J.B." Beverley (b. 1977), American musician
Trazana Beverley, American Tony award winning stage and film actress
Patrick Beverley (b. 1988), American professional basketball player
William Beverley (1917-1994), American Army Major General, who medals include the Distinguished Service Medal
Harry Beverley (1947-2022), English professional rugby league footballer from Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire who played in the 1970s and 1980s for England and Yorkshire
Henry Roxby Beverley (1790-1863), English actor, son of an actor named Beverley, at one time of Covent Garden Theatre, and subsequently manager of the house in Tottenham Street 9
Joseph "Joe" Beverley (1856-1897), English football player
Robert Beverley, Virginia colonial historian, author of "The History and Present State of Virginia" (1705)
Charles James Beverley (1788-1868), Scottish naturalist, the son of a soldier, born in August 1788 at Fort Augustus in the highlands of Scotland
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Beverley 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: Ubi libertas ibi patria
Motto Translation: Where liberty prevails there is my country.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) George Beverley. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Beverley/George_Hendricks/USA.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 June. 2019