Show ContentsBeeching History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Soon after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Beeching was recognized on the island as a name for a person who lived near a stream, or a person who lived near a prominent beech tree, or area wooded with beech trees. The two different landmarks were referred to by the same Old English root, beche.

Early Origins of the Beeching family

The surname Beeching was first found in London, where they had been granted estates by King William, their liege lord, after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Beeching family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beeching research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1568, 1574, 1600, 1628, 1640, 1667, 1674, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1709, 1713 and 1726 are included under the topic Early Beeching History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beeching Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Beecher, Beacher, Becher and others.

Early Notables of the Beeching family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beeching Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Beeching family to Ireland

Some of the Beeching family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Beeching migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Beeching or a variant listed above:

Beeching Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Beeching, who landed in West Indies in 1680 1

Australia Beeching migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Beeching Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • James Beeching, aged 35, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord of the Isles" 2
  • George Beeching, aged 28, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Oriental,"

New Zealand Beeching migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Beeching Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Beeching, British settler arriving as the 1st detachment of Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 3
  • Mr. M. Beeching, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Norfolk" arriving in Wellington, North Island, New Zealand on 18th June 1880 4
  • Mrs. Beeching, British settler travelling from London with 2 family members aboard the ship "Norfolk" arriving in Wellington, North Island, New Zealand on 18th June 1880 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Beeching (post 1700) +

  • J. R. Beeching, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Kansas 7th District, 1920 5
  • James Beeching (1788-1858), English boat builder who invented a "self-righting lifeboat"
  • John Charles Stuart "Jack" Beeching (1922-2001), English poet
  • Victoria Louise "Vicky" Beeching (b. 1979), English musician and religious commentator, known for her work on the American Christian rock scene
  • Lord Richard Beeching (1913-1985), Baron Beeching, English chairman of British Railways, known for his report "The Reshaping of British Railways", commonly referred to as "The Beeching Report"
  • Henry Charles Beeching (1859-1919), English clergyman, author and poet


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. South Australian Register Monday 14th August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord of the Isles 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/jamesfernie1854.shtml
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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