Contents [hide]

Beal History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Beal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Beal surname is thought to have been created from one of the places so named (in Northumberland, and in West Yorkshire). The place name derives from the Old English "beo," meaning "bee" and "hyll," meaning "hill." There is also a Norman name Beal derived from the Old French "bel."

Early Origins of the Beal family

The surname Beal was first found in Northumberland. Today Beeley is a village and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of northern Derbyshire, near Bakewell. In the Domesday Book, the place name was listed as Begelie 1

Also in Northumberland, Beal with Lowlin is a township, in the parish of Kyloe, union of Berwick-Upon-Tweed, in Islandshire. 2 Bealon-the-Hill, is a hamlet in north Durham, close to the sea. "In Testa de Nevill it is spelt Behil, and it is recorded there that Gilbert de Behil held it of the see of Durham." 3 4

Raine's History and Antiquities of North Durham notes Thomas de Behil there in 1382 and Laurence Beil in 1517.

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 noted Willelmus Beall as holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Beal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beal research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1541, 1601, 1608, 1621, 1632, 1651, 1660, 1664, 1665, 1674, 1683, 1684, 1697, 1699, 1813, 1816, 1820, 1840 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Beal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beal Spelling Variations

Although the name, Beal, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Beal, Beale, Beall, Bealle, Beel, Beele, Beales, Bealer and many more.

Early Notables of the Beal family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Robert Beale (1541-1601), and English diplomatist and antiquary, said to have been descended from a family settled at Woodbridge in Suffolk. 5
William Beale (died 1651), was an English Royalist churchman, Master in turn of Jesus College, Cambridge and St John's College, Cambridge; John Beale (c.1608-1683), an English clergyman, scientific wr...
Mary Beale (1632-1697), was an English portrait painter, born in Suffolk in 1632 and was the daughter of the Rev. J. Cradock, vicar of Walton-upon-Thames. 5

Beal Ranking

In the United States, the name Beal is the 1,639^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 6 However, in France, the name Beal is ranked the 1,082^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,991 people with that name. 7

Beal migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Beal family name Beal, or who bore a variation of the surname were

Beal Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Beal, who landed in Massachusetts in 1621 8
Joseph Beal, who landed in New Hampshire in 1630 8
Thomas Beal, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1634 8
John Beal from Old Hingham in England who settled and named Hingham, Massachusetts in 1636; he had five sons and three daughters
John Beal, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beal Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Beal, who arrived in New England in 1726 8
Henry Beal, who landed in New Jersey in 1750 8
Heinrich Beal, who landed in New Jersey in 1750 8
Benjamin Beal, who was on record in Mississippi in 1790

Beal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander B Beal, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 8
Mrs. A Beal, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
B W Beal, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
R L Beal, who landed in Mississippi in 1876 8
Bertram Noel Beal, who arrived in Colorado in 1894 8

Beal migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Beal Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Sami Beal, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Beal Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Frederick Beal, who landed in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Beal migration to Australia +

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

Beal Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Beal, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 9
Mr. Frederick Beal, (b. 1809), aged 18, British Baker who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Asia" on 19th November 1827, settling in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1855 10
Mr. George Beal, (b. 1791), aged 39, English ploughman who was convicted in Yorkshire, England for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1861 11
Mr. John Beal, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. John Beal, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beal 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:

Beal Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Elizabeth Beal, (b. 1847), aged 26, Cornish settler departing on 18th June 1873 aboard the ship "St. Leonards" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1873 14
Mr. Henry Beal, (b. 1843), aged 30, Cornish farm labourer departing on 18th June 1873 aboard the ship "St. Leonards" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1873 14

Beal 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. 15

Beal Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Edward Beal, who arrived in Jamaica in 1723

Contemporary Notables of the name Beal (post 1700) +

Harry Beal (1930-2021), American seaman, the first US Navy Seal
Williams Beal, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Victoria, 1949
Vera M. Beal, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1944, 1948
Richard T. Beal, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1948, 1964
Rice Aner Beal (1823-1883), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1872
Porter Beal, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 2nd District, 1898
Olive Beal, American politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Bedford County, 1926
Lena G. Beal, American politician, Mayor of Joplin, Missouri, 1973
Junius Emery Beal (1860-1942), American Republican politician, Newspaper editor and publisher; Real estate broker; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1888; Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Washtenaw County 1905-06; Member of University of Michigan Board of Regents, 1908-39;
Joseph R. Beal, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 13th District, 1891-92
... (Another 38 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Beal family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Andrew Thomas Beal (b. 1896), aged 45, English Petty Officer Stoker from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 16

HMS Repulse

Mr. Michael Beal, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 17

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.
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1827
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Auckland 1872-80 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html