Benett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient Strathclyde Briton name Benett is derived from the ancient Latin given name Benedictus, which means blessed.

Early Origins of the Benett family

The surname Benett was first found in Perthshire where "Benedictus, son of Walter de Sancto Edmundo, witnessed a charter of sale of land in Perth, 1219. Benedict the dean (decanus) witnessed the gift of the mill of Wystoun to the Hospital of Soltre in 1249. The fame of Saint Benedict (480-543) the patriarch of the Western monks made the name popular. " 1

Early History of the Benett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benett research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1200, 1249, 1250, 1300, 1402, 1459, 1527, 1563, 1588, 1594, 1603, 1604, 1652, 1743, 1793, 1795, 1797, 1822, 1836, 1872, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Benett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benett Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Benett has been spelled Bennett, Bennet, Benett, Benet and others.

Early Notables of the Benett family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

W. Benett, who was the Mayor of Chester in 1652

Migration of the Benett family to Ireland

Some of the Benett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 125 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benett migration to the United States +

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them:

Benett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Benett, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" 2
Mrs. Katherine Benett, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Abigaile" 2
Mr. William Benett, aged 3 weeks, who arrived with his mother Katherine Benett in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Abigaile"
Mrs. Margery Benett, who landed in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Gift" 2
Tymothy Benett, who landed in Virginia in 1664 2

Benett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Benett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Charles Benett, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Eliza Benett, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750

Contemporary Notables of the name Benett (post 1700) +

Mary Jean Benett, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Arkansas, 1996 3

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html