Bastion History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bastion family

The surname Bastion was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [1] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of St Columb Major who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Sebastian is a masculine given name that is derived from the Latin name Sebastianus meaning "from Sebastia" and is also a surname derived from Saint Sebastian (died c. 288), an early Christian saint and martyr.

Early History of the Bastion family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bastion research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1510, 1535 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bastion History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bastion Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Bastian, Basten, Bastin, Bastien, Bastion, Baston and many more.

Early Notables of the Bastion family

More information is included under the topic Early Bastion Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bastion migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bastion or a variant listed above:

Bastion Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Francis Bastion, who landed in Virginia in 1666 [2]

Bastion Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Bastion, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1762 [2]

Bastion Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Louis Bastion was a registered voter in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in the late 1800's
Antonio Bastion, aged 38, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1839 [2]
Sophie Bastion, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1892

Bastion Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Samuel Bastion, aged 33, who immigrated to America from Carn Brea, England, in 1913
Edith Bastion, aged 36, who landed in America from Redruth, England, in 1915
Frederick A. Bastion, aged 4, who landed in America from Redruth, England, in 1915
Edward Bastion, aged 22, who settled in America from Camborne, England, in 1923
Frederick Arthur Bastion, aged 14, who immigrated to the United States from St. Collomb, England, in 1924
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bastion migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bastion Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John W. Bastion, (b. 1839), aged 24, British blacksmith travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 [3]
Miss Charlotte Bastion, (b. 1841), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th February 1864 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bastion (post 1700) +

Brigadier-General Joseph Edward Bastion (1883-1971), American Commanding Officer Percy Jones General Hospital (1943-1947) [4]

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) Joseph Bastion. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Bastion/Joseph_Edward/USA.html