Blackgrave History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Blackgrave is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Blagrave, a tithing in the parish of Lambourn, Berkshire. 1 2

The place name is derived from the Old English word Blaca-graf, which literally means the black or dark grove. 3

Early Origins of the Blackgrave family

The surname Blackgrave was first found in Berkshire, where "in the 13th century, Alicia de Blackgrave held Bockhampton; and lands in Blagrave were held from William Fitz-Humphry (le Breton) by Nicholas Fitz-Hugh, which Henry III. in 1247 confirmed to Poghele Priory, Berkshire. " 4

Another source confirms the above, but has more details. In this case, the entry was for Alice be Blacgrava in the year 1220 and the entry was found in the Feet of Fines. 5

Early History of the Blackgrave family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blackgrave research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1540, 1591, 1603, 1610, 1611, 1630, 1640, 1660, 1662, 1668, 1670, 1682, 1688, 1704, 1705, 1811, 1817, 1821, 1823, 1824, 1830, 1833, 1834, 1837 and 1872 are included under the topic Early Blackgrave History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blackgrave 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. Blackgrave has been spelled many different ways, including Blagrove, Blagrave, Blackgrove, Blackgrave and others.

Early Notables of the Blackgrave family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Daniel Blagrave (1603-1668) English politician and regicide, Member of Parliament for the Parliamentary Borough of Reading between 1640 and 1660. "During the trial of Charles I he attended the high court of justice, and was one of those who signed the king's death-warrant. " 6 Upon the Restoration, he fled the country and settled in what is now Germany where he died.John Blagrave (d. 1611), was an English mathematician, the son of John Blagrave of Bullmarsh, near Sunning, Berkshire. He was born at Reading, but the date of his birth is unknown. "In...
Another 443 words (32 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blackgrave Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blackgrave 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 Blackgraves to arrive in North America: Ann Blackgrove who settled in Barbados in 1634 and later moved to the main land in St. Christopher; George Blackgrove, who settled in Virginia in 1654.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print