Barkus is a name that was formed by the Anglo-Saxon society of old Britain. The name was thought to have been used for someone who once worked as a worker at the bake-house. The bake-house was where all the people in a village would bake their bread in communal ovens.
The surname Barkus was first found in Cumberland and Durham, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barkus research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1894, 1554, 1626, 1598, 1601, 1593 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Barkus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Barkus include Backhouse, Baccus, Bachus, Bakehouse, Backas, Backhuse and many more.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barkus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Barkus family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Barkus were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Andrew Backhouse who settled by the Oswegatchie River in 1822; Henry Bachus arrived in Philadelphia in 1774; Joane Bakehouse settled in Virginia in 1654..