Beauclerk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Beauclerk comes from when its first bearer worked as a learned or good clerk having derived from the Old French bon clerc.

Early Origins of the Beauclerk family

The surname Beauclerk was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat from the Middle Ages.

Early History of the Beauclerk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beauclerk research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1327 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Beauclerk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beauclerk Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Beauclerk include Bunclark, Bunclarke, Bonclark, Bonclarke, Bonclerke, Bunclerk and many more.

Early Notables of the Beauclerk family

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

Migration of the Beauclerk family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Beauclerk or a variant listed above: a number of settlers who arrived by the 19th century.

Contemporary Notables of the name Beauclerk (post 1700) +

Lady Diana Beauclerk (1734-1808), English amateur artist, born 24 March 1734, eldest daughter of Charles Spencer, second Duke of Marlborough
Lord Aubrey Beauclerk (1710-1741), British captain in the Royal Navy, the eighth son of Charles, first Duke of St. Albans
Lord Amelius Beauclerk (1771-1846), British admiral, third son of Aubrey, fifth Duke of St. Albans
Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Beauclerk Ellwood KCB, DSC, DL, RAF (rtd.) (1897-1992), English double ace fighter pilot in World War I and Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command (1947-1950) and (1950-1952)