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 (Benington) in
Oxfordshire (Bennesingtun in Old English).
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. PrintWhile the parish dates back to ancient Roman and Saxon times, it was listed as Baenesington c. 900. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was known as Besintone. [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) Literally, the place name means "estate associated with a man called Benesa," from the Old English personal name + "ing" + "tun." [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Early Origins of the Bensomb family
The surname Bensomb was first found in
Oxfordshire, where a Peter de Bensinton was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1208.
[5]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) 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.
Early History of the Bensomb family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bensomb research.
Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1326, 1379, 1332, 1393, 1570, 1611, 1617, 1559, 1644, 1549, 1667, 1640, 1676, 1731, 1711, 1713, 1829, 1896, 1883, 1896, 1613, 1692, 1672, 1691, 1699, 1762, 1682, 1754 and are included under the topic Early Bensomb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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.
Early Notables of the Bensomb family (pre 1700)
Distinguished members of the family include William Benson (died 1549), an English Benedictine, the last Abbot of Westminster and first Dean of Westminster; John Benson (died 1667), a London publisher, best remembered for an important publication of the Sonnets and miscellaneous poems of William Shakespeare in 1640; Robert Benson (1676-1731), English...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bensomb Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bensomb family to Ireland
Some of the Bensomb family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bensomb family to the New World and Oceana
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.
The Bensomb 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?.