Show ContentsBawdesay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bawdesay is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived 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 Bawdesay family

The surname Bawdesay 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 Bawdesay family

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

Bawdesay Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bawdesay are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Bawdesay include: Bardsley, Bardsey, Bardsea, Bardsly, Bardesey and many more.

Early Notables of the Bawdesay family

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

Migration of the Bawdesay family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bawdesay or a variant listed above: 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.



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


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