Botham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Botham name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in an area with a broad valley, or a hillside. Bootham is a district near the center of the city of York, North Yorkshire. Blidworth Bottoms is a hamlet in Nottinghamshire. Angram Bottoms is a 24 acres biological site near to the village of Angram in the Yorkshire Dales. Today Pitt Town Bottoms is a historic town and suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.

Early Origins of the Botham family

The surname Botham was first found in Norfolk and North Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Dowe de Bothemes who was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1246. A few years later, Laurence de Biouthom who was listed in 1287 and a de Bothum who was listed in the Feet of Fines of 1303. Just five years later, Richard del Botham was listed in the Court Rolls in the Manor of Wakefield in 1307. 1

Early History of the Botham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Botham research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Botham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Botham Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Botham include Bottom, Botham, Bootham, Bodham and others.

Early Notables of the Botham family

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

Botham migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Botham or a variant listed above:

Botham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Margaret Botham, who arrived in Maryland in 1670 2

Botham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Botham, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 2
Isabella Botham, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 2
James Botham also arrived in San Francisco in 1852

Botham migration to Australia +

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

Botham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Botham, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Sea Queen" 3
Thomas Botham, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sea Queen" in 1850 3
Sarah Botham, aged 19, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sea Queen" in 1850 3

Botham 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:

Botham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Botham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1863 4
Mary Botham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gertrude" in 1863 4
Mr. Robert Botham, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gertrude" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th February 1863 5
Mrs. Mary Botham, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gertrude" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th February 1863 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Botham (post 1700) +

Sandy Botham, American women's basketball coach
Arthur C. Botham, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Pomfret, 1918 6
Liam Botham (b. 1977), English rugby union player
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE (b. 1955), English cricket player 7

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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 Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SEA QUEEN 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850SeaQueen.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ian Botham. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Ian Botham. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Botham