Bennitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient name Bennitt was first used by the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the ancient Latin given name Benedictus, which means blessed.

Early Origins of the Bennitt family

The surname Bennitt 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 Bennitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bennitt 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 Bennitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bennitt Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Bennitt has been spelled Bennett, Bennet, Benett, Benet and others.

Early Notables of the Bennitt family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir Thomas Bennett, Sheriff of London in 1594, and Lord Mayor (1603-1604); when he was knighted, he purchased the manor of Beachampton in Berkshire; W. Benett, who was the Mayor of Chester in...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bennitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bennitt family to Ireland

Some of the Bennitt 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.

Bennitt migration to the United States +

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:

Bennitt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Bennitt, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 2
Lawrence Bennitt, who landed in Maryland in 1663 2
Mathew Bennitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 2
Thomas Bennitt, who landed in Maryland in 1664 2
Willem Bennitt, who arrived in New York in 1687 2

Bennitt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Bennitt, who landed in Virginia in 1714 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Bennitt (post 1700) +

Noble Bennitt, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Milford; Elected 1902; Defeated, 1904 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, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html