Show ContentsBatisforthy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The founding heritage of the Batisforthy family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Batisforthy comes from when one of the family worked as a coppersmith or a dealer in baterie, which is a term for beaten copper or brassware. The surname Batisforthy 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 Batisforthy family

The surname Batisforthy 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 Batisforthy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Batisforthy 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 Batisforthy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Batisforthy Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Batisforthy has been spelled many different ways, including Batsford, Battisford, Batesford, Bateford, Batesforde, Batisford, Battsford, Batsforde,Botsford, Botsforth and many more.

Early Notables of the Batisforthy family

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

Migration of the Batisforthy family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Batisforthys to arrive in North America: 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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