Bencroft History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Bencroft surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived at or near an enclosure at a slope deriving its origin from the Old English phrase of the bank-croft. 1

Early Origins of the Bencroft family

The surname Bencroft was first found in Cheshire and south east Lancashire in the vicinity of Manchester where William and Henry Bancroft established estates, and erected monuments to the Bancrofts at various locations. Early records revealed that Bancroft was located "near Warrington, Cheshire" and the family were "a branch of the Lords of Boteler of Warrington." 2

Whilst this ancient local has been lost, today there is a Bancroft in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire but this is a recent residential district.

"The well - to - do family of the Bancrofts of Chellaston resided in that village for more than 300 years, and from this stock came Bancroft the poet, who flourished in the reign of Charles I. " 3

"The Cheshire Bancrofts have their principal homes in Cheadle, Stockport, and Marple, in which last place they have held land since the time of Elizabeth. " 3

Early History of the Bencroft family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bencroft research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1449, 1544, 1545, 1548, 1570, 1574, 1595, 1596, 1600, 1603, 1604, 1610, 1613, 1620, 1640, 1658, 1669, 1696 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Bencroft History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bencroft Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bencroft include Bancroft, Bancrofte, Bamcroft and others.

Early Notables of the Bencroft family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Bancroft (1544-1610), Archbishop of Canterbury in 1604 who supervised the production of the authorized version of the Bible. Thomas Bancroft (ca. 1596-1658), was a minor 17th-century English poet who attended to St Catharine's College, Cambridge (1613.) He was a native of Swarston, a village on the Trent, in Derbyshire. John Bancroft (died 1696), an English surgeon, best known for his work in drama at the Theatre Royal (Drury Lane.) He "was...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bencroft Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bencroft family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Bancroft who settled in Lynn Massachusetts in 1632; another John and Jane settled in Boston Massachusetts in the same year.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.