Ballow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Ballow family lived in Cheshire where they were first established at Moreton on the Wirral Peninsula. Originally, the name was a variation of the Old French belleau or bella aqua, which means good water or clear water and likely is derived from the name of any number of locations so named in Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Ballow family

The surname Ballow was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Moreton in the Wirral Peninsula. The name of the Norman noble who was granted lands at Moreton was interchangeably Bellet or Bellot of Callouville in Normandy, but emerged in the 12th century as Bellow or Bellows. The family held a family seat at Moreton at the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. Moreton is now a seaside resort. East Rudham, Norfolk was "anciently the property of the family of Belet." 2

"The Bellets were early seated in Norfolk, and became subsequently located in Cheshire by the marriage of John Bellet, Esq., temp. Henry VI., with Katherine, sister and heir of Ralph Moreton, of Great Moreton, in the Palatinate." 3

Michael Belet (fl. 1182), was an English judge, Sheriff of Worcestershire 1176-1181 and again in 1184, of Wiltshire 1180-1182, of Leicestershire and Warwickshire in conjunction with Ralph Glanvill 1185-1187, and alone 1189-1200. 4

Michael Belet (fl. 1238), another English judge, was the second son of the aforementioned Michael Belet; he is commonly styled Magister Michael Belet on account of his profession of civilian and canonist. 4

Wroxton in Oxfordshire was also and ancient family seat. "This place was distinguished for an extensive monastery, founded for a prior and brethren of the Augustine order, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, about the year 1230, by Michael Belet, who endowed it with the lordships of Wroxton and Balscot." 2

Early History of the Ballow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ballow research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1596, 1604, 1612 and 1663 are included under the topic Early Ballow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ballow Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Bellowe, Bellow, Bellows, Bellot, Bellet, Bellett, Bellowes, Beloe, Belloe, Bellough, Belloes, Beloes, Belloughs, Ballot, Ballott, Ballow, Ballowe, Ballows, Ballowes and many more.

Early Notables of the Ballow family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Bellows of Moreton. Stephen Bellott, a Huguenot, sued his father-in-law Christopher Mountjoy in what became known in British law as Bellott v. Mountjoy which was heard at the Court of Requests in Westminster on 11 May 1612. While the case is of little significance, interestingly William Shakespeare was called before the court and admitted that he had played...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ballow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ballow family to Ireland

Some of the Ballow 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.

Ballow migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Ballow or a variant listed above:

Ballow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Ballow, who settled in Baltimore Maryland with her two children in 1823
Julia Ballow, aged 32, who arrived in America, in 1895

Ballow Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry A. Ballow, aged 34, who arrived in America, in 1906
Mary R. Ballow, aged 70, who arrived in America, in 1907
Eugene Ballow, aged 31, who arrived in America, in 1907
Barton A. Ballow, aged 72, who arrived in America, in 1907
Rathbone Ballow, aged 30, who arrived in America, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ballow (post 1700) +

Jay N. Ballow, American politician, Representative from New York 2nd District, 1914 5
Frank W. Ballow, American politician, U.S. Consul in Kehl, 1884 5
Henry Ballow (or Bellewe) (1704-1782), English lawyer and author, believed to have authored A Treatise upon Equity (1737) 6

The Ballow 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: Vita et pectore puro
Motto Translation: With pure life and heart.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019