Show ContentsBeadsley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Beadsley date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Beadsley family lived in the village named Bardsley in Lancashire. The village itself traces its name back to the Old English words Beornred's leah, which mean Beornred's wood or Beornred's clearing. The personal name Beornred means warrior counsel.

Early Origins of the Beadsley family

The surname Beadsley was first found in Greater Manchester at Bardsley where the earliest record of the place name was Berdesley in 1422. 1 Bardsey is a small village in the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire and dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Berdesei. 2 "Bardsley House, overlooking the glen of the Medlock, is the seat of John Jonah Harrop, Esq. Many generations of the Bardsley family held the estate, under the lords of Ashton, by the feudal payment of a rose and one penny, annually: the property subsequently came, by marriage, to the Tetlows." 3

Early History of the Beadsley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beadsley research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1640 is included under the topic Early Beadsley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beadsley Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Beadsley are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Beadsley include: Bardsley, Bardsey, Bardsea, Bardsly, Bardesey and many more.

Early Notables of the Beadsley family

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


United States Beadsley migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Beadsley or a variant listed above:

Beadsley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Beadsley, aged 2, who landed in America in 1635 4
  • Joseph Beadsley, who arrived in America in 1635 4
  • Marie Beadsley, aged 4, who landed in America in 1635 4
  • William Beadsley, who landed in Massachusetts in 1638 4


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. 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)


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