Beighton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Beighton is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Old English given name Batte, a pet form of Bartholomew. 1

Early Origins of the Beighton family

The surname Beighton was first found in Somerset, where the "family of Batten have been seated for nearly six centuries. They are considered of Flemish origin. Among eminent merchants of the staple (wool-trade) temp. Edward I., were several De Beteyns and Batyns." 2

The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 in Somerset include two entries for the family: Balin Bythemore; and Bathon Mayster. From these early spellings, the Feet of Fines of 1248 in Essex includes an entry for Walter Batun and later, Robert Batin was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1261. The Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire includes William Baton in 1275 and the same rolls for Staffordshire in 1327 lists John Batten. 3

"Batten is an estate in the parish of North Hill, Cornwall, where an ancient gentle family of the name once resided. The Battens are now established in the Honiton district, and the Battings in the Exeter district. There was a Joel Batin in the hundred of Wonford as far back as the 13th century. Somersetshire, however, would appear to be the ancient home of the name, and for six centuries the name has been established there, though now scantily represented." 4

Again in Somerset, we found the following early entries for the family as both a forename and surname: Thomas Batyn; Batin atte Vete; Batin Power; Batin Walkelayn: and Bathon Mayster. All were listed as 1 Edward III, in other words during the first year of the reign of King Edward III. 5

Early History of the Beighton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beighton research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1500, 1561, 1580, 1600, 1624, 1630, 1633, 1661, 1667, 1687, 1720, 1743 and 1774 are included under the topic Early Beighton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beighton 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 Batten, Battin, Battyne, Baten, Batin, Batton and many more.

Early Notables of the Beighton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Batten (c. 1600-1667), an English naval officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1667; and Henry Beighton (1687-1743), an English engineer and surveyor, Fellow o...

Migration of the Beighton family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. 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 Beighton or a variant listed above: Robert Batten who settled in New England in 1648; William Batten settled in Virginia in 1654; Mary Batton settled in New England in 1749.

Contemporary Notables of the name Beighton (post 1700) +

Sean Beighton (b. 1988), American gold and bronze medalist curler
Henry Beighton (d. 1743), English eminent surveyor and engineer who came from a family of yeomen which had been long settled at Chilvers Coton in Warwickshire 6
Thomas Beighton (1790-1844), English Protestant Christian missionary in Malaysia born in Ednaston, Derbyshire 6
Peter H Beighton (b. 1934), English medical geneticist from Lancashire who became a noted South African medical geneticist, recipient of the Order of Mapungubwe-Bronze in 2002
Nick Beighton (b. 1981), British adaptive rower who competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
T.D. Beighton, British Legal Remembrancer of the Government of Bengal, eponym of the Beighton Cup, one of the oldest field hockey tournaments founded in 1895

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 14 June. 2019