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Origins Available: |
| England |
Betchwithey is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Betchwithey family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Betchwithey family lived in Surrey, where they held a family seat from very early times at the village of Betsworth.
The surname Betchwithey was first found in Surrey where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were conjecturally descended from Richard FitzGilbert, a Norman noble who was granted the Old Mill and Church at Becesworde (Betchworth) at Betworth, later to become known as Betsworth in that shire. The Church still has eleventh century fragments and the Old Mill was rebuilt in the 16th century.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Betchwithey research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1726 is included under the topic Early Betchwithey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Betsworth, Betesworth, Bettesworth, Betchworth and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Betchwithey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Betchwithey or a variant listed above: Francis Betsworth who settled in Virginia in 1780.