Benase History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The Benase family saga is rooted in the people of the Pictish Clan of ancient Scotland. The Benase family lived in the lands of Balneaves in the parish of Kinkell in Angus. The name is a topographic or local surname, which was given to a family who held a barony or lands, had houses, manors or estates in the area. Even today, there is a small farm in the area called Balneaves.

Early Origins of the Benase family

The surname Benase was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say before the eleventh century.

They held a family seat on the lands of Balneaves in the parish of Kinkell, the site is still marked by three aged trees, which are bounded by Kyrkness and Louchor. Laurence Balnaves attended the beating of the boundaries of his territories in 1395.

Early History of the Benase family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benase research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1513, 1538, 1539, 1542, 1579, 1587 and 1597 are included under the topic Early Benase History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benase Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Benase include Balneaves, Balnaves, Balnavis, Banese, Bannese, Bennase, Bennese, Benes and many more.

Early Notables of the Benase family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Henry Balnaves (d. 1579), Scottish reformer, usually described as of 'Halhill' after a small estate belonging to him in Fifeshire. "He was born in Kirkcaldy during the reign of James V of Scotland (1513-1542); but the exact date is unknown. He proceeded in very early youth to the university of St...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Benase Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Benase family

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Benase: Richard Benes who settled in Barbados in 1635; Bennett Bennes settled in Virginia in 1652; Ann Bennes settled in Virginia in 1654; John Bennes landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868..

The Benase 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: Hinc origo
Motto Translation: Hence our origin.