The name Benke is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the English personal name Bennett. That name is derived from the medieval name Benedict, which comes from the Latin Benedictus, meaning blessed. It owed much of its popularity to St. Benedict, who remained famous well into the Middle Ages.
The surname Benke was first found in Yorkshire where Ernisius filius Bence was first listed the Pipe Rolls of 1175. Three years later, Aernulfus flius Benze was listed in the the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1178. [1]
Osmund Benz was lord of six estates in Nottinghamshire in 1066 at the time of the Conquest. By the Domesday Book of 1086, his estates had been reduce to two, both still in Nottinghamshire. [2]
There may be a Norman connection as sources there show Robert and William Bence there (1180-1198) [3] The Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 list William Bence. [1]
"Kentwell Hall [in Long Melford, Suffolk], the residence of the family of Bence, is a venerable structure in the ancient domestic style, and contains much old painted glass." [4]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benke research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1622, 1688, 1659, 1676 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Benke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Benke has undergone many spelling variations, including Bence, Bense, Benche, Bencke, Bench, Benchley and others.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Benke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Benke were among those contributors: