The name Bechwithay first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived at Beckwith in the Yorkshire parish of Pannal, and it is from this location that the name Bechwithay is derived. The distinguished name Bechwithay is derived from the Old English word bece, which means beech, and the Old Norse word vior, which means wood. Thus the surname Bechwithay indicates the proximity of the town to a grove of beech trees. [1] The name of Beckwith is said to have been changed from Malbie in the 12th century. [2]
The surname Bechwithay was first found in Yorkshire, where "most of the armigerous families of the name spring from, and Beckwith, a hamlet in the parish of Pannal, in that county, is probably the cradle of the race. " [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bechwithay research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bechwithay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bechwithay has appeared include Beckwith, Beckworth, Beckworthe and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Bechwithay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bechwithay arrived in North America very early: Sir Marmaduke Beckwith of Aldborough who settled in Richmond County, Virginia in 1748; but he had been preceded by Matthew Beckwith who settled in Connecticut in 1635.