The ancient
Normans that arrived in
England following the Conquest of 1066 are the initial ancestors from which the many generations of the Bearefitt family have grown. The name Bearefitt was given to a member of the family who was a person who was in the habit of going without shoes. Friars, pilgrims, and people doing penance often went shoeless. The Barford(e) variation was likely derived from one of the many places in
England so named in
Hampshire,
Norfolk,
Warwickshire and Bedfordshire.
Early Origins of the Bearefitt family
The surname Bearefitt was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain. Some of the first records of the name appears in the
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and they include: Norman Barfot in Lincolnshire; Robert Barefot in Oxfordshire; and Alan Barefot in
Cambridgeshire.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Henry de Bereford was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1204 and in Yorkshire, William de Bereford was listed there in 1325 and later John Berford was listed there in 1419. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Doora Barefield, or Doora and Kilraghtis, is a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, in County Clare, Ireland.
Early History of the Bearefitt family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bearefitt research.
Another 259 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1400, 1655, 1688, 1685 and 1686 are included under the topic Early Bearefitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bearefitt 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 Bearefitt include Barefoot, Barfoot, Barfitt, Barfit, Barford, Barefield, Barefred, Barefoote and many more.
Early Notables of the Bearefitt family (pre 1700)
Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bearefitt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bearefitt family to Ireland
Some of the Bearefitt family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 115 words (8 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 Bearefitt 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 Bearefitts to arrive on North American shores: James Barefoot who settled in Maryland in 1634; Thomas in Virginia in 1635; followed by another Thomas in Virginia in 1650; John in Virginia in 1634; Elizabeth settled in Maryland in 1743.