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In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Beteforthey surname lived in the county of Bedfordshire, where the name was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as in "Godwidere and Osgar de Bedeford were tenants in capite, 1086. The former had held the same lands before the Conquest." 1
The surname Beteforthey was first found in Bedfordshire at Bedford, the county town and the administrative center for the wider Borough of Bedford. The place name dates back to the 9th century when it was listed as Bedanford in 880. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had evolved to Bedeford and literally meant "ford of a man called Bieda," having derived from the Old English personal name + "ford." 2
Bedfordshire (district of Bedford) is first referenced in the 11th century. Another reference claims the place name is derived the name of a Saxon chief called Beda + "ford." One of the first listings of the place name was a reference to the Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia who was buried in the town in 796.
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford probably built after 1100 by Henry I. Today only the base of the motte survives.
Further to the south in Devon, "Bideford is generally interpreted to mean ' by the ford,' and in name, at any rate, is therefore Saxon. Bideford was a place of some importance when it belonged to Brictric, its last Saxon owner; for at the Domesday Survey, when, like most of the other manors of that unlucky thane, it passed to Matilda, it had an numerated population of 52, while, as it then had a fishery worth 255. a year, the germs of its maritime character already existed. The manor is remarkable for having remained for nearly seven centuries in one family. " 3
By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the family was scattered: Jordan de Bedeford, Oxfordshire; and Robert de Bedeford in Huntingdonshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had only one listing for the family, that of Johannes de Bedforth. 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beteforthey research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1391, 1451, 1620, 1650, 1663, 1668, 1687, 1688, 1691, 1724 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Beteforthey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Beteforthey are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Beteforthey include: Bedford, Bedforde, Bedforth and others.
Distinguished members of the family include John Bedford (fl.1391), English politician, Member of Parliament for Lewes; and John Bedford (died 1451) English politician, Member of Parliament for Kingston-upon-Hull.
Arthur Bedford (1668-1745), was an English miscellaneous writer, born at Tiddenham in Gloucestershire 8 Sept. 1668. "At the age of sixteen he proceeded to Brasenose College, Oxford, graduated B.A. in February 1687-8, M.A. in July 1691, and was ordained in 1688. " 6
Hilkiah Bedford (1663-1724), was a...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beteforthey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Beteforthey or a variant listed above: Hon. John Bedford, who was Judge of Vice Admiralty Court in Barbados in 1805; Ann Bedford settled in Virginia in 1635; followed by Jane in 1638; Margaret Bedford settled in Nevis in 1660.