Contents [hide]

Beames History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Beames History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Beames family

The surname Beames was first found in Normandy where the family was formerly Beaumis, Beaumeys, or Beametz and are from Beaumetz, near Abbeville. Today this is a commune in the Somme department in the Picardie (Picardy) region of northern France. When they arrived in Britain is not known but one can safely assume shortly after the Conquest as Richard de Belmiz, Viscount of Salop (Shropshire) witnessed a charter in 1087 of Salop Abbey. Richards be Beaumez witnessed a charter of Henry I., in 1124. Richard be Belmiz was Bishop of London in 1172. 1

The stronghold of the family was in Durham at Beamish, a township, in the chapelry of Tanfield, parish of Chester-Le-Street, union of Lanchester, Middle division of Chester ward. The place name dates back to 1288 when it was first listed as Bewmys and literally meant "beautiful mansion." from the Old French words "beau" + "mes." 2 "It stands in the wooded vale of Team, which expands itself near the house of Beamish into a fine strath. The mansion, which contains some curious old portraits, is one of the best family residences in the county." 3 Beamish Hall was originally built as a present in 1268 for the wedding of Isabella de la Leigh and Guiscard de Charron.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Robert de Beaumeis, alias Beaumeis in Cambridgeshire; Roger de Beaumes in Shropshire; and Agnes be Beaumeys in Huntingdonshire. 4

Again in Shropshire, we found Richard de Beames, de Belmes in the Pipe Rolls for 1191-1192. And later Robert de Beaumeis was found in the Feet of Fines for Huntingdonshire in 1208. 5

Early History of the Beames family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beames research. Another 62 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1797, 1816, 1823, 1825, 1872 and 1950 are included under the topic Early Beames History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beames Spelling Variations

The name Beames, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Beamish, Beemish, Beames and others.

Early Notables of the Beames family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was North Ludlow Beamish (1797-1872), military writer and antiquary, the son of William Beamish, Esq., of Beaumont House, co. Cork, and was born on 31 Dec. 1797. In November 1816 he obtained a commission in the 4th royal Irish dragoon guards, in which corps he purchased a troop in 1823. In 1825 he published an English translation of a small cavalry manual written...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beames Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beames family to Ireland

Some of the Beames family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beames migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Beames family, or who bore a variation of the surname Beames were

Beames Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Beames, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1651 6
Dennock Beames, who settled in Virginia in 1655

Beames migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Beames Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Beames, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 7
Clarissa Beames, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 7
John Beames, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 7
George Beames, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 7
Emma Beames, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Beames migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Beames Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Robert Beames who settled in Barbados and Jamaica in 1688

Contemporary Notables of the name Beames (post 1700) +

Margaret Beames (b. 1935), English-born, New Zealand author best known for writing children's books, repient of the Best Picture Book and the Children's Choice Award (2000)
Hewitt Pearson Montague "H.P.M" Beames (1875-1948), English Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway 1920-1922
Adrienne Beames (b. 1942), Australian long-distance runner
John Beames (1837-1902), British civil servant and author, Commissioner of Chittagong, India
Percy James Beames (1911-2004), Australian rules footballer
John "Jack" Robert Beames (1890-1970), Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FAIRLIE/FAIRLEE 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Fairlie.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies