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| Origins Available: |
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The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Betchworde family lived in Surrey, where they held a family seat from very early times at the village of Betsworth.
The surname Betchworde 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 Betchworde research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1726 is included under the topic Early Betchworde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Betsworth, Betesworth, Bettesworth, Betchworth and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Betchworde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Betchworde or a variant listed above: Francis Betsworth who settled in Virginia in 1780.