Bencher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Bencher comes from when the family resided in Oxfordshire. The name is thought to be descriptive of someone who lived near a bank, or an area of raised ground, and is derived from the Old English word, benche, of the same meaning, although this derivation and meaning are by no means certain. Another source claims the "surname is derived from an official title. 'the bencher,' the banker.' Very early instances of some office in legal or exchequer matters." 1

Early Origins of the Bencher family

The surname Bencher was first found in Oxfordshire, where one of the first records of the family appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Roger de Bencher. The Writs of Parliament in 1298 list Robert le Banker and John le Bancker (London) in 1300. 1

Another source claims that Cheshire is the first place of origin as Albrice le Baunker was listed there in the Feet of Fines of 1245. Later, Thomas Bankar was listed in Northumberland in 1358. 2

Early History of the Bencher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bencher research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1296, 1500, 1665, 1674, 1695, 1696, 1707, 1709 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Bencher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bencher Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Bencher has been recorded under many different variations, including Bencher, Banker, Benchere, Buncher, Benchaire and many more.

Early Notables of the Bencher family

Distinguished members of the family include

Roger le Bencher, a prominent 13th century landholder in Oxfordshire

Migration of the Bencher family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bencher or a variant listed above: William Banker who arrived in New York in 1822.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)