Beevers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Beevers was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Beevers family lived in Berkshire. The family name, however, is of other geographical derivations, referring to any of several locations in Normandy called Beauvoir. The name is composed of the Old French roots beu, which means fair or lovely, and voir, which means to see, and indicates the bearer's residence in "a place with a fine view." 1 2
Early Origins of the Beevers family
The surname Beevers was first found in Yorkshire where Ralph de Belueeir was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1170. Later, John de Beauveir was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1204 and William Bever, de Beuver in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1207-1208. 3
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following: (Prior) de Beuver (Nottinghamshire), or Beauver (Leicestershire); John de Beauver, Yorkshire; and Thurstan de Beauver, Yorkshire. 4
Another early roll notes: John de Beauver, Yorkshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. 5
Early History of the Beevers family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beevers research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beevers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Beevers Spelling Variations
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Beaver, Beavor, Beavers, Beavors, Beavoirs, Beevers and many more.
Early Notables of the Beevers family
More information is included under the topic Early Beevers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Beevers migration to the United States +
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Beevers or a variant listed above:
Beevers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Beevers, aged 49, originally from Bradford, arrived in New York in 1897 aboard the ship "Campania" from Liverpool, England 6
Beevers Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- George Beevers, aged 39, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Santa Marta" from Santa Marta, Cristobal & Kingston 6
- Harry Beevers, aged 19, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Bakana" from Sierra Leone 6
- Charles Herbert Beevers, aged 47, originally from Harrogate, England, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Aquitania" from Southampton, England 6
- Eleanor L. Beevers, aged 40, originally from Harrogate, England, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Aquitania" from Southampton, England 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Beevers (post 1700) +
- Harry Beevers (1924-2004), English-born, American plant physiologist, noted for his discovery of the glyoxylate cycle in seedlings of plants, eponym of Harry Beevers Laboratory, Oxford University
- Craig Beevers, English professional Scrabble player and former World Scrabble Champion
- Mark Geoffrey Beevers (b. 1989), English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers
- Lee Jonathan Beevers (b. 1983), English footballer who plays for Lincoln City
- Joseph Charles "Joe" Beevers (b. 1967), English professional poker player, one of the pioneers of poker on television
- Martin Beevers (b. 1946), British fencer who competed in the team épée event at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- James Beevers (b. 1979), British fencer who competed in the individual foil event at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Geoffrey Beevers (b. 1941), British stage and television actor, known for Clash of the Titans (2010), The Edge of Love (2008) and Legend (2015)
- Cecil Arnold Beevers (1908-2001), British crystallographer who co-developed Beevers–Lipson strips, a computational aid for calculating Fourier transforms
- Graham "Ben" Beevers, British former professional rugby league footballer who played for Halifax from 1980 to 1989
Citations +
- 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)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result