The origins of the Baithearst name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the ancient manor named Bathurst, which was located near Battel Abbey in the county of Sussex.
The surname Baithearst was first found in Sussex, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The first record was in Bathurst, of that shire, not far from Battle Abbey which contains the records of the Battle of Hastings.
The church in the parish of Mixbury in Oxfordshire played an important role in the family's lineage. "The church has a Norman doorway with zigzag mouldings, leading into the south aisle; the nave and chancel are separated by a large Norman arch, and at the east end of the north aisle is the burial-place of the Bathurst family. Here are some remains of an ancient fortification, originally surrounded by a moat, and by the Normans called Beaumont." [1]
Another branch of the family was found at Kirby Horton in Kent in early days. "Franks, the seat of the Bathurst family since the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth, is situated on the bank of the Darent, which flows through the village." [1] Monuments of the family can also be found in the church of Laverstock in Wiltshire.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Baithearst research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1889, 1607, 1659, 1620, 1704, 1684, 1775, 1712 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Baithearst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Baithearst were recorded, including Bathurst, Bathirst, Bothurst, Bethurst, Bothirst, Bathurrst, Bathurste, Bathurstt, Baithurst, Beathurst, Baathurst, Bauthurst, Bathearst, Bathearste and many more.
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Baithearst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Baithearst family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Baithearst family emigrate to North America: Sir Francis Bathurst who settled in Georgia in 1734; with his wife, Frances, three daughters, and son Robert; Charles Bathurst settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.