| ![Show Contents]() Bestnie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Early Origins of the Bestnie familyThe surname Bestnie was first found in Huntingdonshire, where J. le Bestere was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. A few years later, R. Bestare was listed at Colchester in 1311. The name is generally believed to be derived from the Middle English word beste, meaning a herdsman. 1 Another source notes that name could have originated in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands at St. Albans, held by a steward of St. Albans Church who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. 2 Early History of the Bestnie familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bestnie research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1504, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bestnie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bestnie Spelling VariationsAnglo-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 Bestney, Bestnee, Bestknee, Bestnie, Besny, Besnie, Besnee, Bester and many more. Early Notables of the Bestnie familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bestnie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bestnie familyFor 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 Bestnie or a variant listed above were: Andreas F. Bester, aged 37, who arrived at Ellis Island from Colesburg, S. Africa, in 1912; and Andrew James Bester, aged 34, who arrived at Ellis Island from London, in 1903..
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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