The name Benisly arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Benisly family lived in Norfolk and Suffolk. The name is derived from an Old Norse phrase which means an area where beans were grown.
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Early Origins of the Benisly family
The surname Benisly was first found in Norfolk and Suffolk, where they had been granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest in 1066. They are descended from Benzelius, Archbishop of Upsal in the Viking kingdom of Sweden. Benzelinus accompanied William Conqueror into England. There are now 28 different forms of spelling of this name. 1
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Early History of the Benisly family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benisly research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1548 is included under the topic Early Benisly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Benisly Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Bensley, Bensely, Benseley, Benesle, Bensle, Benslie, Benslee, Benisly, Benslow, Beanslie, Binslie and many more.
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Early Notables of the Benisly family
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Benisly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Benisly family
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Benisly or a variant listed above were: Clement Bensley who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1813; John Bensle settled in Philadelphia in 1751.
England
