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![Show Contents]() Becknell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient history of the Becknell name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in one of two places. Some bearers of the surname Becknell derive their name from the parish of Bickenhill, which lies seven miles from Birmingham in the county of Warwickshire. 1 Bickenhill Church is a parish, in the union of Meriden, Solihull division of the hundred of Hemlingford, N. division of Warwickshire. "This place is of considerable antiquity, and included Kington, or Kingsford, now partly in this parish and partly in that of Solihull." 2 Other members of the family come from the parish of Bickenhall, otherwise known as Bicknell, which is near Taunton in the county of Somerset. 2 Early Origins of the Becknell familyThe surname Becknell was first found in Somerset and Warwickshire, where Thomas de Bikenhulle was the first on record in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1214. Later, John de Bikenhull and Walter Bykenhulle were listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 3 Early History of the Becknell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Becknell research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1318, 1349, 1611, 1629, 1645, 1660, 1695, 1723, 1788, 1796, 1861 and 1948 are included under the topic Early Becknell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Becknell Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Becknell include Bicknell, Bicknall, Bickenell, Bickenall, Bickenhall, Bickwell, Bignell, Bignall, Bignold, Bicknoll, Bignal, Bignel, Bignoll and many more. Early Notables of the Becknell familyNotables of the family at this time include Henry Bignell (1611-1660?), English divine, born in the parish of St. Mary, Oxford, in July 161, son of Foulk Bignell of Souldern, Oxfordshire. In 1629 he became a servitor of Brasenose College, and subsequently entered at St. Mary's Hall. After taking the degree of B.A. he was ordained and set up as a schoolmaster. In 1645 he was made rector of St. Peter-le-Bayly, Oxford, but was ejected from his benefice for scandalous conduct...
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Becknell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Becknell family to Ireland
Some of the Becknell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Becknell migration to the United States | + |
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 Becknell or a variant listed above:
Becknell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- T. Becknell, aged 48, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Bar Marquis of Wellsby" in 1832 4
- P. Becknell, aged 29, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Columbia" in 1867 4
- Emly Becknell, aged 23, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "City of Chicago" in 1889 4
- Kate Becknell, aged 17, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Majestic" in 1890 4
Becknell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Clara Becknell, aged 44, Austrian settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Ile De France" in 1950 4
| Becknell migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Becknell Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century- Miss Becknell, settler from Genoa who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Carignano" in 1924 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Becknell (post 1700) | + |
- Leslie Becknell, American actress, known for Cultivision (Collapsing Stars) (2002) and Skipp'n the Heat (2015)
- Leanne Becknell, American musician, known for National Treasure (2004), Godzilla (1998) and The Guardian (2006)
- Christopher Becknell, American violinist, original member of Romantica are an Americana band formed in 2002
- Steve Becknell, American French horn player, known for his work on The Lion King (1994), I Am Legend (2007), I, Robot (2004) and Watchmen (2009)
- William Becknell (1787-1856), American soldier, politician, and freight operator who is credited by Americans with opening the Santa Fe Trail in 1821
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
- National Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
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Becknell migration to the United States 
Becknell migration to Australia 
England
Germany
Ireland
