Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Bestwitch is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in one of two places named Beswick. One is located in the township of Berwick, in the parish of Kilnwick, in the East Riding of Yorkshire while the other is in Lancashire, where Berwick was a local to Manchester.
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Early Origins of the Bestwitch family
The surname Bestwitch was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.
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Early History of the Bestwitch family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bestwitch research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bestwitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Bestwitch Spelling Variations
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Bestwitch has been spelled many different ways, including Beswick, Beswicke, Beswickt, Bestwick, Beeswick, Beswyck and many more.
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Early Notables of the Bestwitch family
More information is included under the topic Early Bestwitch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Bestwitch family
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Bestwitchs to arrive in North America: Matthew Bestwick who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1834; James Beswick who settled in Philadelphia in 1856.
England
