The name Belyse reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Belyse family as they migrated following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Belyse family lived in
Durham, where they were established by the early Middle Ages.
Early Origins of the Belyse family
The surname Belyse was first found in
Durham where they held a
family seat. Belasius, a Norman Lord, attended William Duke of
Normandy at Hastings in 1066 when King Harold was defeated. Belasius became General of William's forces against the remnant of the Saxon Army commanded by the Princes Edwin and Morcar in the famous siege of the Isle of Ely. Morton-Grange in
Durham was home to a branch of the family. "This place formerly belonged to the family of Belasyse, to whom Cardinal Wolsey, in 1525, granted a lease of the manor and grange, and of whom was Sir William Belasyse, Knt., of Morton,
High Sheriff of the county under the see of
Durham from 1628 until his death in 1641."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. In later years. some of the family held a
family seat at Worlaby in
Lincolnshire. "This place, which is included in the duchy of Lancaster, was the seat of the Belasis family, one of whom, John, second son of the first Viscount Fauconberg, was lord of the treasury under James II., and was in 1644 created a
Baron, of Worlaby, or Worletby; a title that became extinct on the death of his grandson without issue."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Belyse family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belyse research.
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1627, 1577, 1653, 1614, 1689, 1661, 1673, 1627, 1700, 1648, 1717, 1678, 1689, 1689, 1701, 1691 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Belyse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Belyse Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of
spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Bellsize, Belsize, Belasyse, Bellasise, Belasize, Bellasize, Belasise, Belasis and many more.
Early Notables of the Belyse family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Charles Belasyse; Thomas Belasyse, 1st
Baron & Viscount Fauconberg, 2nd
Baronet (1577-1653), an English politician; John Belasyse, 1st
Baron Belasyse
PC (1614-1689), an English nobleman, soldier and Member of Parliament, Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of
Yorkshire (1661-1673), Governor of Tangier...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Belyse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Belyse family to the New World and Oceana
Because of the political and religious discontent in
England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Belyse name or one of its variants: Ralph Belasis who landed in North America in 1760.
The Belyse Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Bonne et belle assez
Motto Translation: Good and handsome enough.
Belyse Family Crest Products
See Also
Citations
- ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.