Bettiscombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bettiscombe family

The surname Bettiscombe was first found in Dorset at Batcombe, a parish, in the union of Cerne, hundred of Yetminster or at Batcombe, a parish, in the union of Shepton-Mallet, hundred of Whitestone, E. division of Somerset. 1

Of the two parishes the oldest seems to be in Somerset as this parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was recorded as Batecumbe. 2 Known as Batancumbae in the 10th century, it was derived from the Old English personal name + "cumb" and literally meant "valley of a man called Bata." 3

Somerset was the home of the first entry in ancient rolls, that of John Batecumbe in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. 4

Early History of the Bettiscombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bettiscombe research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1451, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1539, 1541 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bettiscombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bettiscombe Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bettiscombe has appeared include Batscomb, Battiscombe, Batiscombe, Battiscomb, Batiscomb, Battiscumb, Battiscumbe, Batiscumbe, Batiscumb, Batscum, Batscumb, Bettiscomb, Betiscomb, Bettiscombe, Betscomb, Betscombe, Bettescombe and many more.

Early Notables of the Bettiscombe family

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

Migration of the Bettiscombe family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bettiscombe arrived in North America very early: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)