Basing History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEarly Origins of the Basing familyThe surname Basing was first found in Hampshire at Basing or Old Basing as it is sometimes known. This village and parish is in the union and hundred of Basingstoke. The first listing of this Saxon place name was found in 871 when it was listed as Basengum. An Anglo-Saxon tribe was known as the Basingas and some believe that is the true source of the village name as literally the place name means "settlement of the followers of a man called Basa." 1 "This place is remarkable for having been the scene of the defeat of King Ethelred I by the Danes, in 871." 2 The Battle of Basing was on the 22nd of January in 871. " At the period of the Norman survey, Hugh de Port held fifty-five lordships in the county, of which Basing was the head" 2 Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands who was recorded in the Domesday Book. Salomon de Basing was Lord Mayor of London in 1217 and years later, Adam de Basing was similarly Lord Mayor of London in 1251. John Basing or Basingstoke (d. 1252), Archdeacon of Leicester, takes his name from the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire. "He seems to have been one of the earliest Englishmen who possessed a real knowledge of Greek, and was probably one of the first natives of our islands - if we except the doubtful instance of Johannes Scotus Erigena - who perfected himself in this language by a sojourn at Athens. " 3 Early History of the Basing familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basing research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1216, 1243, 1251, 1306, 1510, 1558 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Basing History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Basing Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Basing, Basings, Bainges and others. Early Notables of the Basing familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Basing or a variant listed above: Basing Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
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