Show ContentsBidlake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bidlake family

The surname Bidlake was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Bidlake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bidlake research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bidlake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bidlake Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bidlake family name include Bidlake, Bidluck, Bidlak, Bidlook, Bedlake, Bydlake, Bylake and many more.

Early Notables of the Bidlake family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • the Bidlake family of Devon


Canada Bidlake migration to Canada +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bidlake surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Bidlake Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. Bidlake, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • A Bidlake, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Contemporary Notables of the name Bidlake (post 1700) +

  • John Bidlake, American politician, U.S. Consul in Barranquilla, 1897 1
  • John Bidlake (1755-1814), English author, artist and educator 2
  • Frederick Thomas Bidlake (1867-1933), English racing cyclist 3
  • William Henry Bidlake (1861-1938), English architect, Director of the School of Architecture at Birmingham School of Art (1919-1924) 4


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  2. John Bidlake. (Retrieved 2010, September 29) John Bidlake. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bidlake
  3. Frederick Bidlake. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Frederick Bidlake. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Thomas_Bidlake
  4. William Bidlake. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) William Bidlake. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bidlake


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