Bardsey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Bardsey date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the village named Bardsley in Lancashire. The village itself traces its name back to the Old English words Beornred's leah, which mean Beornred's wood or Beornred's clearing. The personal name Beornred means warrior counsel.

Early Origins of the Bardsey family

The surname Bardsey was first found in Greater Manchester at Bardsley where the earliest record of the place name was Berdesley in 1422. 1 Bardsey is a small village in the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire and dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Berdesei. 2 "Bardsley House, overlooking the glen of the Medlock, is the seat of John Jonah Harrop, Esq. Many generations of the Bardsley family held the estate, under the lords of Ashton, by the feudal payment of a rose and one penny, annually: the property subsequently came, by marriage, to the Tetlows." 3

Early History of the Bardsey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bardsey research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1640 is included under the topic Early Bardsey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bardsey Spelling Variations

Bardsey has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Bardsey have been found, including Bardsley, Bardsey, Bardsea, Bardsly, Bardesey and many more.

Early Notables of the Bardsey family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Nicholas Bardsey, secretary to Charles I

Migration of the Bardsey family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Bardseys to arrive on North American shores: William Beardsley, who came to New England in 1635 with Mary his wife and three children; Alexander Beardsley, who arrived in Delaware Bay in 1683 with his wife and daughter.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.