|
![Show Contents]() Bellofago History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Early Origins of the Bellofago familyThe surname Bellofago was first found in Norfolk where they conjecturally descend from the tenant of the village and lands of Swanton Morely, held by William de Beaufou, a Norman Baron, son William de Beaufoe, Bishop of Thetford and Chancellor to the Conqueror, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. William Beaufeu (d. 1091), Bishop of Thetford, was, apparently, a son of Robert Sire de Belfou, who fought on the Conqueror's side at Senlac. 1 Robert de Beaufeu, Bellofago or Bellofocco (fl. 1190), was a secular canon of Salisbury. "At an early age, a reputation for learning, and became the friend of Giraldus Cambrensis, Walter Map, and other scholars. He is said to have written a work entitled 'Encomium Topographiæ,' " 1 Roger Beaufeu or Bello Fago (fl. 1305), was an early judge, probably of the same family as Nicholas de Beaufo of Beaufo's Manor, Norfolk, a contemporary of the judge. "One Radulphus de Bello or Bella Fago (both genders are found, though the masculine predominates) is mentioned in Domesday Book as holding extensive estates in Norfolk, and the bishop of Thetford also there mentioned we know from other sources to have been William de Beaufo, called by Godwin inaccurately Galsagus, and by others still more corruptly Welson. It may be mentioned in passing that many other varieties of the name are found, such as Belfagus, Beaufou, Beaufogh, Beaufour, Belflour, Beufo, Beufew, and, in the eighteenth century, Beaufoy. " 1 Early History of the Bellofago familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bellofago research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1306 and 1603 are included under the topic Early Bellofago History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bellofago Spelling VariationsEndless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Beaufou, Beaufois, Bellofago, Beaufloe, Beauflower, Bouffler, Beaufoy, Bowflower, Beauflour, Beauforest, Beaufor, Bofor, Bowfor and many more. Early Notables of the Bellofago familyAnother 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bellofago Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bellofago familyTo escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Bellofago or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
|
