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![Show Contents]() Berdesley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancestors of the name Berdesley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Berdesley family lived in the village named Bardsley in Lancashire. The village itself traces its name back to the Old English words Beornred's leah, which mean Beornred's wood or Beornred's clearing. The personal name Beornred means warrior counsel. Early Origins of the Berdesley familyThe surname Berdesley was first found in Greater Manchester at Bardsley where the earliest record of the place name was Berdesley in 1422. 1 Bardsey is a small village in the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire and dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Berdesei. 2 "Bardsley House, overlooking the glen of the Medlock, is the seat of John Jonah Harrop, Esq. Many generations of the Bardsley family held the estate, under the lords of Ashton, by the feudal payment of a rose and one penny, annually: the property subsequently came, by marriage, to the Tetlows." 3 Early History of the Berdesley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berdesley research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1640 is included under the topic Early Berdesley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Berdesley Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Berdesley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Berdesley include: Bardsley, Bardsey, Bardsea, Bardsly, Bardesey and many more. Early Notables of the Berdesley familyMore information is included under the topic Early Berdesley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Berdesley familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Berdesley or a variant listed above: William Beardsley, who came to New England in 1635 with Mary his wife and three children; Alexander Beardsley, who arrived in Delaware Bay in 1683 with his wife and daughter.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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