Show ContentsBadesforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Badesforth comes from one of the family having worked as a coppersmith or a dealer in baterie, which is a term for beaten copper or brassware. The surname Badesforth is possibly derived from the Old French word bateor, meaning one who beats, a term which has been applied to a beater of cloth or fuller. The surname may also be a short form of the word orbatour, which means a beater of gold.

Early Origins of the Badesforth family

The surname Badesforth was first found in Suffolk, at Battisford, a parish in the union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Batsford, a parish in the union of Shipston-on-Stour, Upper division of the hundred of Kiftsgate, in the county of Gloucester. Today, Batsford is the site of the Moreton-in-Marsh and Batsford War Memorial which commemorates the village's dead of two World Wars. Batsford has traditionally been the smaller of the two locals with a population of 79 people in the late 1800s while the former Battisford had a population of 520 at that time.

ONe of the first on record was John de Batesford (d. 1319), an early English judge who was sent with William Haward as Justice of Assize into the counties of York, Northumberland, Westmorland, Lancaster, Nottingham, and Derby in 1293. "The commission of justice of assize was a temporary expedient intended to relieve the pressure of business, which began to weigh heavily upon the regular justices itinerant at the close of the reign of Henry III. The first commission was issued by Edward I in 1274, and was succeeded by others at irregular intervals until 1311, when the last of these special commissions was issued. " 1

Early History of the Badesforth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Badesforth research. Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1182, 1202, 1273, 1320, 1326, 1335, 1465 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Badesforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Badesforth Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Badesforth have been found, including: Batsford, Battisford, Batesford, Bateford, Batesforde, Batisford, Battsford, Batsforde,Botsford, Botsforth and many more.

Early Notables of the Badesforth family

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

Migration of the Badesforth family

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Badesforth, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were : Mary Battson, who arrived in Virginia in 1690; Thomas Battson, who arrived in Barbados in 1679; Amos Botsford, and his family, who arrived in Annapolis, Nova Scotia in 1782.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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