Beighton is one of the names carried to
England in the great wave of migration from
Normandy following the
Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Old English given name
Batte, a pet form of Bartholomew.
Early Origins of the Beighton family
The surname Beighton was first found in
Somerset, where the “family of Batten have been seated for nearly six centuries. They are considered of
Flemish origin. Among eminent merchants of the staple (wool-trade)
temp. Edward I., were several De Beteyns and Batyns.”
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Early History of the Beighton family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beighton research.
Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1500, 1600, 1600, 1667, 1661, 1667, 1687, 1743 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Beighton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Beighton Spelling Variations
Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to
England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Batten, Battin, Battyne, Baten, Batin, Batton and many more.
Early Notables of the Beighton family (pre 1700)
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beighton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Beighton family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Beighton or a variant listed above: Robert Batten who settled in New
England in 1648; William Batten settled in Virginia in 1654; Mary Batton settled in New
England in 1749.
Contemporary Notables of the name Beighton (post 1700)
- Sean Beighton (b. 1988), American gold and bronze medalist curler
- Thomas Beighton (1790-1844), English Protestant Christian missionary in Malaysia born in Ednaston, Derbyshire
- Peter H Beighton (b. 1934), English medical geneticist from Lancashire who became a noted South African medical geneticist, recipient of the Order of Mapungubwe-Bronze in 2002
- Nick Beighton (b. 1981), British adaptive rower who competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
- T.D. Beighton, British Legal Remembrancer of the Government of Bengal, eponym of the Beighton Cup, one of the oldest field hockey tournaments founded in 1895