Bettle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bettle family

The surname Bettle was first found in Staffordshire 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. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Betley, Wulfwin, a Norman noble, who held these lands as under-tenant to the King and was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Bettle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bettle research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1296 and 1332 are included under the topic Early Bettle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bettle Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Bettle are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bettle include Betley, Bettely, Bettly, Battley, Batteley and others.

Early Notables of the Bettle family

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

Bettle migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Bettle, or a variant listed above:

Bettle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Josephine Bettle, aged 28, who arrived in America, in 1894
Mrs. Helen G. Bettle, aged 25, who arrived in America, in 1894
W.H. Bettle, aged 22, who arrived in America, in 1896
Mr. Bettle, aged 40, who arrived in America, in 1896
Mrs. Bettle, aged 32, who arrived in America, in 1896

Bettle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Samuel Bettle, aged 32, who arrived in America, in 1905
Samuel Bettle, aged 46, who arrived in America, in 1911
Griscom Bettle, aged 21, who arrived in America, in 1912
Helen Bettle, aged 44, who arrived in America, in 1913

Bettle 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:

Bettle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Ann Bettle, (b. 1826), aged 36, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 2
Mr. William Bettle, (b. 1826), aged 36, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 2
Mr. John Bettle, (b. 1858), aged 4, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 2
Mr. Joseph Bettle, (b. 1860), aged 2, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Bettle (post 1700) +

James F. Bettle, United States Antarctic Research Program meteorologist and scientific leader at McMurdo Station in 1962, eponym of Bettle Peak, Antarctica

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html