Beston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Beston date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Beston family lived at Beeston Castle, in the county of Cheshire. Beeston is also a village near Leeds. Bayston Hill is a large village and civil parish in central Shropshire.

Early Origins of the Beston family

The surname Beston was first found in Cheshire, at Beeston, a township, in the parish of Bunbury, union of Nantwich, First division of the hundred of Eddisbury. "This place takes its name from a castle founded by Ranulph de Blundeville, about 1220, and which was made a royal garrison in the war between Henry III. and the confederate barons. Of the ancient mansion of the Beeston family, who long resided here, there are but small remains." 1

"The Shropshire Beestons possess the name of more than one Cheshire parish: they are also represented in Derbyshire and Stafford." 2

Early rolls revealed the family was scattered throughout ancient England in early times. William Bestone was listed in Norfolk in 1153-1166; Andrew de Bieston was entered in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1203; and Ralph de Bestune was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Cheshire. William Besteton and Ralph Biesteton were listed in Hampshire c. 1248.

Yorkshire had more records in various rolls: Herbert de Beston in the Assize Rolls of 1219; and Richard de Bestayn was listed as holding lands there in 1297. 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Radulphus de Beston, Esquier, of Beeston; Willelmiis de Beston; and Johannes de Beeston. 4

John Beston (d. 1428), was a theological writer, Prior of the Carmelite convent at Bishop's Lynn, and a doctor in theology both of Cambridge and Paris. "He was highly esteemed as a theologian and a philosopher, and also as a preacher. " 5

Early History of the Beston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beston research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1579, 1606, 1636, 1638, 1682, 1702, 1711 and 1793 are included under the topic Early Beston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beston Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Beston 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 Beston include: Beeston, Beaston, Beeson, Beason, Beestoun, Beson and many more.

Early Notables of the Beston family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beston migration to the United States +

Many 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 Beston or a variant listed above:

Beston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Beston, who arrived in Maryland in 1676 6
Sarah Beston, who landed in Maryland in 1676 6

Beston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Beston, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1864 6

Beston migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Beston Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mary Beston, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)