The name Bagshaw first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Derbyshire, where they were found since the early Middle Ages before the Norman Conquest in 1066.
We should take a moment to explore one source's claim that the name came from "Bagshot; a location name in Surrey, Wiltshire. " [1]
As far as the chapelry of Bagshot in Surrey is concerned, "this place, [was] formerly called Holy Hall. It was once a residence of the kings of England, who had a mansion here, and a park, which was laid open after the civil war in the reign of Charles I.: the house was occupied by the late Duke of Gloucester. On the borders of Bagshot Heath are some handsome villas. " [2] So one cannot deny that this would an agreeable and noble place to claim descent, the fact that "Holy Hall" was the original name of the chapelry seems to negate the possibility. That leaves the hamlet of Bagshot in Wiltshire as a possibility. We doubt this possibility too, as by the late 1800s, the hamlet's population was only 194. [2] Accordingly, we must defer to the aforementioned Derbyshire as the most likely place of origin.
The surname Bagshaw was first found in Derbyshire. The first record was of Nicholas Bagshawe who married Alice of the Hall. He was forester to the King. He acquired the lands of Wormhill, and later built Wormhill Hall. " Derbyshire is the great home of the Bagshaws, who have preserved a distinguished name since the 15th century, when they resided at Abney and Wormhill." [3]
Kirby's Quest notes some very early spellings in early rolls: Oliver de Bogeschaghe, Somerset and Richard de Boggeschaghe, Somerset 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign) [4]
Nicholas Bagshawe and Humphry Bagshawe were both listed in the Calendar of Proceedings in Chancery, temp. Elizabeth I. [5] In the 13th century the name of De Baggesoure occurred in Shropshire. [3]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bagshaw research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1696, 1721, 1563, 1604, 1886, 1589, 1662, 1640, 1644, 1625, 1593, 1629, 1671, 1628, 1702, 1657, 1629 and 1634 are included under the topic Early Bagshaw History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bagshaw has appeared include Bagshaw, Bagshawe, Bagshott, Bagshot, Bagshote and others.
Distinguished members of the family include Sir Richard Bagshaw, Sheriff of Derby and Nottingham; Edward Bagshaw (or Bagshawe) the elder (ca. 1589-1662), an English author and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1644, supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War.
Christopher Bagshaw (d. 1625?), was an English priest who came of a Derbyshire family. "Before going to Oxford he appears to have studied for a short time at Cambridge. "In 1593 he was confined with other priests and gentlemen in Wisbeach Castle. His fellow prisoners held him at first in great...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bagshaw Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Bagshaw family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bagshaw arrived in North America very early: