Batten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Today's generation of the Batten family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old English given name Batte, a pet form of Bartholomew. 1
Early Origins of the Batten family
The surname Batten was first found in Somerset, where the "family of Batten have been seated for nearly six centuries. They are considered of Flemish origin. Among eminent merchants of the staple (wool-trade) temp. Edward I., were several De Beteyns and Batyns." 2
The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 in Somerset include two entries for the family: Balin Bythemore; and Bathon Mayster. From these early spellings, the Feet of Fines of 1248 in Essex includes an entry for Walter Batun and later, Robert Batin was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1261. The Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire includes William Baton in 1275 and the same rolls for Staffordshire in 1327 lists John Batten. 3
"Batten is an estate in the parish of North Hill, Cornwall, where an ancient gentle family of the name once resided. The Battens are now established in the Honiton district, and the Battings in the Exeter district. There was a Joel Batin in the hundred of Wonford as far back as the 13th century. Somersetshire, however, would appear to be the ancient home of the name, and for six centuries the name has been established there, though now scantily represented." 4
Again in Somerset, we found the following early entries for the family as both a forename and surname: Thomas Batyn; Batin atte Vete; Batin Power; Batin Walkelayn: and Bathon Mayster. All were listed as 1 Edward III, in other words during the first year of the reign of King Edward III. 5
Early History of the Batten family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Batten research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1500, 1561, 1580, 1600, 1624, 1630, 1633, 1661, 1667, 1687, 1720, 1743 and 1774 are included under the topic Early Batten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Batten Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Batten, Battin, Battyne, Baten, Batin, Batton and many more.
Early Notables of the Batten family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- Sir William Batten (c. 1600-1667), an English naval officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1667; and Henry Beighton (1687-1743), an English engineer and surveyor, Fellow o...
- Adrian Batten (fl. 1630), was organist of St. Paul's, the dates of whose birth and death cannot be ascertained. He was educated in the choir of Winchester Cathedral under John Holmes. In 1624 he remov...
Batten World Ranking
In the United States, the name Batten is the 3,759th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Batten is ranked the 283rd most popular surname with an estimated 158 people with that name. 7
Batten migration to the United States +
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Batten or a variant listed above:
Batten Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Robert Batten, who landed in America in 1638 8
- Robert Batten who settled in New England in 1648
- William Batten, who landed in Maryland in 1651 8
- Margery Batten, who landed in Maryland in 1651 8
- William Batten, who landed in Virginia in 1654 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Batten Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Francis Batten, who arrived in New Jersey in 1702
- Christopher Batten, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1706 8
Batten Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Mr. Thomas Batten, (b. 1815), aged 25, English miner departing from England aboard the Ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 21st April 1840 9
- Mrs. A J Batten, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 8
- A J Batten, aged 33, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 8
- Antonia Batten, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 8
- Antonie Jacob Batten, aged 4, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Batten Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Mr. William Batten, (b. 1887), aged 18, Cornish driller travelling aboard the ship "Cedric" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 7th October 1905 en route to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA 10
Batten migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Batten Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Batten, (b. 1808), aged 23, English ploughman who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1868 11
- Mr. Thomas Batten, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
- Miss Elizabeth Batten, English Convict who was convicted in Bath, Somerset, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atwick" on 28 September 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
- William Batten, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Admiral" in 1838 14
- Ann Batten, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cleveland" in 1839 15
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Batten 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:
Batten Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- John Batten, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
- George Bolton Batten, aged 27, a wheelwright, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cuba" in 1840
- G B Batten, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
- George Batten, who landed in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1843
- William Batten, aged 28, a bricklayer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Renfrewshire" in 1878
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Batten (post 1700) +
- Jennifer Batten (b. 1957), American guitarist and songwriter
- James Batten (1936-1995), American journalist, who became chief executive officer of Knight-Ridder publishing
- John Charles Batten (1924-2013), English Physician to Queen Elizabeth II
- Raymond "Ray" Batten (1945-2020), English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s
- Frederick Eustace Batten (1865-1918), English neurologist and pediatrician, called the "father of pediatric neurology"
- Mr. Christopher Leslie Batten M.B.E., British HR Casework Legacy Manager for Department for Transport, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Public Administration 16
- John Batten (1903-1993), New Zealand actor
- Jean Gardner Batten (1909-1987), New Zealand airwoman, who made her record solo flight from England to Australia in 1934
Historic Events for the Batten family +
- Mr. Herbert William Llewllyn Batten (b. 1917), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Fareham, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 18
- Mr. Walter Batten, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 19
SS Southern Cross
- Mr. Joseph Batten (1880-1914), Newfoundlander from Foxtrap who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found
Citations +
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eleanor
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
- Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 23rd August 2020 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atwick
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ROYAL ADMIRAL 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838RoyalAdmiral.htm
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CLEVELAND 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Cleveland.htm
- "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
- HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
- HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html