Beavil History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Beavil family

The surname Beavil was first found in Cornwall where conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Gwarnock, held by the Sir de Beville from the Earl of Moron, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. 1

"The Bevills, sprung probably from the Norman [(William the Conqueror)] of Hastings, were seated in Cornwall. Matilda daughter and co-heir of John Bevill, Esq. of Gwarnock, married Sir Richard Granville, of Buckland, Marshal of Calais, temp. Henry VIII., and had a son, Sir Richard Granville, a famous sea captain in the time of Elizabeth, whose grandson was the renowned Sir Bevill Granville, one of the boldest and most successful of the Cavalier commanders. His last action was at Lansdown Hill, near Bath, and there he terminated his gallant career by an heroic death." 2

"On a barton called Polterworgie, [in the parish of St. Kew] was a seat of the Bevilles, although at present nothing but a farm house remains." 3

They were descended from Le Sire de Beville from Beuville near Caen in Normandy. 4 The Sire married a Gwarnack heiress.

The Domesday Book of 1086 lists William de Beevilla as holding lands in Suffolk at that time and Matthew de Beyvill witnessed a charter of Henry II. (Mon. ii. 247). Richard de Bevill was seneschal of the Archbishop of York, 1301. 5

In those days the name became widely influential and populated throughout southern England in Essex at Wykes priory, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire was known in eleven different counties undertook a variety of spellings.

Early History of the Beavil family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beavil research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1075, 1165, 1179, 1286, 1301, 1316, 1317, 1348, 1350, 1381, 1390, 1430, 1432, 1434, 1480, 1487, 1510, 1511, 1517, 1533 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Beavil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beavil Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Bevill, Beville, Bevile, Bevell, Bevel, Bevil, Beavil, Beavill, Beaville, Biville, Buiville, Buivill, Boiville, Boisville, Boville, Boyville, Belville, Bovile and many more.

Early Notables of the Beavil family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard de Bevill who became seneschal to the Archbishop of York in 1301. One lineage includes: Sir Richard de Welles Bevill (c. 1286-1316); Robert de...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beavil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Beavil family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Beavil or a variant listed above: Edward Bevill, Robert Bevill, Noah Bevill, and James Bevill who all arrived in South Carolina between the years 1670 and 1684; John Bevill, a servant sent to Virginia in 1676.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)