Belknapp History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The Belknapp name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Belknapp, in the county of Warwickshire.

Early Origins of the Belknapp family

The surname Belknapp was first found in Warwickshire, at Griff, a hamlet, in the parish of Chilvers-Coton, union of Nuneaton, Atherstone division of the hundred of Hemlingford. This hamlet was held by the Giffard family since the reign of Elizabeth I and later passed to the Newdigates, of Arbury. ^[1]

According to Duchesne, in his publication "List of Conquerors of England," Belknape was one of the companions to William the Conqueror and is listed on the Roll of Battle Abbey. ^[2]

However, little else is known of the family in earlier times. The next earliest record of the family was found in the hamlet of Griff as a birth record of Sir John Belknap (1309-1367.) He was father of Sir Robert Belknap (1339-1399) who was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England. ^[3] His son was Hamon Belknap (1394-1429), also known variously as Bealknap and Beltoft. One of his sons was Henry Belknap, Lord of Oston (1435-1488.)

Important Dates for the Belknapp family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belknapp research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1374, 1388, 1428, 1420, 1404, 1471 and 1521 are included under the topic Early Belknapp History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belknapp Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Belknapp has undergone many spelling variations, including Belknap, Bellknap, Belknape, Belknappe, Bellknappe and many more.

Early Notables of the Belknapp family (pre 1700)

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Belknapp Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Belknapp family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Belknapp were among those contributors: Thomas Belknap who settled in Lynn Massachusetts in 1620; Abraham Belknap, the scion of the family from Warwickshire, also settled in Lynn in 1637. They became one of America's distinguished families..

Citations

1. ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
2. ^ Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
3. ^ Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print