The ancestors of the bearers of the Barcott family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found near a gate that barred entrance to a town or city. Originally, the gate was formed of posts and a chain. Today Bargate is a building in the city center of Southampton, England. Built c.1180 as part of the fortified walled city, the Bargate was the main point of entry and exit to and from the north. Bargate Ward is an Electoral Ward in the Unitary Authority of Southampton, England.
The surname Barcott was first found in Worcestershire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barcott research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1500, 1607 and 1180 are included under the topic Early Barcott History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Barcott include Bargate, Bargett, Bargatt, Barrgate, Baregate and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Barcott Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Barcott or a variant listed above:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: