Beardsmore is a name that was carried to
England in the great wave of migration from
Normandy following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Beardsmore family lived in
Dorset. The original derivation of the name, however, is not related to that area, but is probably a geographical reference to some lost town, village, or parish. It is plausible that this place was in
Staffordshire, as the name is extremely common in that area.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)Early Origins of the Beardsmore family
The surname Beardsmore was first found in
Dorset, where they had been granted lands by their liege Lord, William the Conqueror, after the
Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Beardsmore family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beardsmore research.
Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beardsmore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Beardsmore Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago,
spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Beardsmore include Beardmore, Beardsmore, Berdmore, Berdsmore, Birdmore, Beedsmore and many more.
Early Notables of the Beardsmore family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Beardsmore Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Beardsmore family to Ireland
Some of the Beardsmore family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Beardsmore family to the New World and Oceana
In
England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Beardsmores to arrive on North American shores: John Beardmore who arrived in Maryland in 1774.
Contemporary Notables of the name Beardsmore (post 1700)
- Russell Peter Beardsmore (b. 1968), English former footballer
- Colin Beardsmore (b. 1978), Canadian professional ice hockey player
- Susan "Sue" Beardsmore (b. 1955), British former BBC television presenter