Bensomb Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The Bensomb surname is a patronymic, created from the Medieval given name Benne, which comes from the Latin word "benedictus," which means "blessed." Some instances of the surname may also be derived from the name of the village of Benson in Oxfordshire (Bennesingtun in Old English).

Bensomb Early Origins

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The surname Bensomb was first found in Oxfordshire, where a Peter de Bensinton was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1208. Henry de Benson was recorded in that same county in Oseney, in 1269. A family of the name was established from ancient times in the vicinity of Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire. The Gildea, Gildee and other spellings were adopted in Ireland and are explained in more detail later.

Bensomb Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bensomb family name include Benson, Benison, Bensone, Bennison, Gildea, Gilday, Gildee, Bennsone, Bennisoun, Bennisone and many more.

Bensomb Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bensomb research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1326, 1200, 1332, 1393, 1667, 1640, 1676, 1731, 1711, 1713, 1829, 1896, 1883 and are included under the topic Early Bensomb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bensomb Early Notables (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include John Benson (died 1667), a London publisher, best remembered for an important publication of the Sonnets and miscellaneous poems of William Shakespeare...

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bensomb Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bensomb In Ireland

Some of the Bensomb family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 233 words (17 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bensomb surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Benson, Mary Benson and their two children, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638; Dirck Benson, who came to New York in 1648; Cutbert Benson, who came to Virginia in 1655.

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Si Deus quis contra?
Motto Translation: If God be with us who can be against us?.

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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)
^ Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)

Other References

Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison 2 Volumes. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968. Print.
Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1790. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Ingram, Rev. James. Translator Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1823. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Best, Hugh. Debrett's Texas Peerage. New York: Coward-McCann, 1983. Print. (ISBN 069811244X).
Hitching, F.K and S. Hitching. References to English Surnames in 1601-1602. Walton On Thames: 1910. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0181-3).
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Bede, The Venerable. Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History Of the English People). Available through Internet Medieval Sourcebook the Fordham University Centre for Medieval Studies. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin . Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
Burke, Sir Bernard. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Including American Families with British Ancestry. (2 Volumes). London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
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The Bensomb Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Bensomb Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 7 August 2016 at 09:26.