Show ContentsBenthile History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Benthile is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Benthile family once lived in the county of Salop (Shropshire), where the Benthile family took their name from the parish of Benthall, near Much Wenlock. References to the family name in this area date back to the 12th century. Benthall Hall is a 16th century English country house is located there, a few miles from the historic Ironbridge Gorge. The Hall was built around 1580, on the site of an earlier 12th century medieval manor and manor house. It proudly retains much of its fine oak interior, and an elaborate 17th century staircase. Moreover, it is still occupied by the Benthall family, but has been owned by the National Trust since 1958. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Benthall, a village in Northumberland about 6 kilometers south east of Bamburgh. 1

Early Origins of the Benthile family

The surname Benthile was first found in Shropshire where Robert de Benethal was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1221. Later, again in Shropshire, Philip de Benedhal was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255. 2

"The Bendalls may derive their name from the Suffolk parish of Benhall. De Benedhal was a Shropshire name in the 13th century. The Bentalls are numerous in the Chelmsford district of Essex. Benhall is the name of a parish in Suffolk." 3

Early History of the Benthile family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benthile research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1221 is included under the topic Early Benthile History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benthile Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Benthile family name include Bendall, Bendell, Bendal, Bendel, Bendle, Bentall, Benthall and many more.

Early Notables of the Benthile family

More information is included under the topic Early Benthile Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Benthile family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Benthile surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Paul Bendle who settled in Torbay, Newfoundland before 1754; Josiah Bendal, who settled in Maryland in 1775; James Bendall settled in Virginia in 1663.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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