Beachamp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Beachamp family lived in Bedfordshire, Buckingham, and Hertfordshire. The geographical roots of the name, however, were established prior to the family's presence in Britain, and stem from the Old French Beauchamps, which refers to towns of that name in Manche and Somme.

Early Origins of the Beachamp family

The surname Beachamp was first found in Bedfordshire, Buckingham, and Hertford, where the name was "introduced into England at the Norman Conquest by Hugo de Beauchamp, or de Bello Campo, to whom William [the Conqueror] gave 43 lordships, chiefly in the county of Bedford. " 1

Linslade in Buckinghamshire has a long-time association with the family. "This place in the reign of Henry III. belonged to William de Beauchamp [(d. 1260)], to whom, in 1251, that monarch granted the privilege of a market on Thursday, and a fair on Lady-day to continue for eight days." 2

Roothing-Beauchamp, a parish, in the union and hundred of Ongar, S. division of the county of Essex " takes the affix to its name from William Beauchamp, proprietor of the manor in 1262." 2

Another branch was found at early times in the parish of Shrawley in Worcestershire. "This place belonged to Ralph de Todeni, who was standardbearer to William at the battle of Hastings, and whose family held the lands till the time of Edward II., when they passed to the family of Guy Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick." 2

Also in Worcestershire, a branch of the family was found at Bengeworth. "The manor [of Bengeworth] anciently belonged to the Beauchamp family, whose baronial castle, situated near the bridge, was in the twelfth century destroyed by William d'Anville, abbot of Evesham, in retaliation for depredations committed by the owner on his monastery." 2

Walter de Beauchamp (d. 1236), was an English judge, son and heir of William de Beauchamp, Lord of Elmley, Worcester, and hereditary castellan of Worcester and sheriff of the county. 3

Robert de Beauchamp (d. 1252), was an early English judge, a minor at the death of his father, Robert de Beauchamp, Lord of Hatch, Somerset, in 1211-1212. "Adhering to John, he was appointed constable of Oxford and sheriff of the county towards the close of 1215, and received grants of land for his services to the king. " 3

Guy de Beauchamp , Earl of Warwick (d. 1315), was Lord Ordainer and succeeded his father, William, Earl of Warwick, the grandson of Walter de Beauchamp.

Richard de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick (1382-1439), was "a brave and chivalrous warrior in an age of chivalry, of an ancient family, whose ancestry was traced to the legendary Guy of Warwick, the son of Thomas, Earl of Warwick." 3

Early History of the Beachamp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beachamp research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1338, 1343, 1369, 1392, 1401, 1411, 1445, 1592 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Beachamp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beachamp 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 Beauchamp, Beauchamps, Beacham, Beecham and others.

Early Notables of the Beachamp family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was the Earls of Warwick, such as Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick (d. 1369), who was an English nobleman and a military commander during the Hundred Years' War; Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, (1338-1401), English medieval nobleman, and one of the primary opponents of Richard II, son of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beachamp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beachamp family

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 Beachamp or a variant listed above: Edward Beauchamp, a Huguenot and Freeman, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1643; James Beacham, who arrived in Barbados in 1685; John Beacham, who settled in New England in 1698.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print