Bellize History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Bellize was first found in Durham, where they "gave their name to Bellasis,- more commonly Bellas - which 'they held from a period little later than the Conquest.' It is believed to have been a Roman station, and is now 'a farmhold, with stone walls of great thickness, and the remains of a regular moat, the usual defence of manor houses of the second class in a level country.' During the thirteenth century-probably before 1272 John de Bellasis surrendered the estate to the Prior and Convent of Durham, in exchange for Henknowl, near St. Andrew's, Auckland." 1

"This transaction was evidently highly favourable to the monks, and a local distich, still well remembered in the neighbourhood, speaks of it as an act of madness:"

"Johny tuth' Bellas, daft was thy poll.

When thou changed Bellas for Henknoll."

"It was in fact a sacrifice made on religious grounds. 'According to constant tradition, John de Bellasis, being minded to undertake the Crusade, found himself sorely let and hindered by his attachment to the estate of his ancestors. To remove this stumbling-block, he exchanged the green pastures and deep meadows of Bellasis with the Church of Durham for Henknoll. He lived, it seems, to return and repent of his bargain." 1

About 1313, one of his descendants acquired Houghton Le Spring, in the same county, through its heiress. She was the only sister of Sir John Le Spring, the last of his race, who was murdered in his own manor house by Robert Lascelles. This seems to have been in their possession for a short time only ; but they continued for more than two hundred years longer at Henknoll, till they were transplanted to a grander home in Yorkshire. 2

"Anthony Bellasis, a Master in Chancery, and one of the Council of the North, was a prudent, wary man, who laid the foundation of the future fortunes of the family. He was one of the King's Commissioners for visiting the Religious Houses, and obtained a grant of the site of Newborough Abbey in the North Riding, which he settled on his nephew, Sir Willam Belasyse." 1

Gregory de Belassis was found in Norfolk records in the 13th century. In Yorkshire, we found Robert de Beleassise there in 1305 and later, Peter Belassise was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1351. 3

Most people claim Scotland as their homeland. And in this case, the family claim descent from "the barony of the same name in the lordship of Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, which belonged to the monks of Jedburgh. The barony may have been named by some earlier owner from Belasis (so spelled also in 1305) in Northumberland, Bellasis (1345 Belasis) in Durham, or from Bellasis which is near Coulommieres in Seine-et-Mame department, France. " 4