Benthall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Benthall is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in the county of Salop (Shropshire), where the Benthall family took their name from the parish of Benthall, near Much Wenlock. References to the family name in this area date back to the 12th century. Benthall Hall is a 16th century English country house is located there, a few miles from the historic Ironbridge Gorge. The Hall was built around 1580, on the site of an earlier 12th century medieval manor and manor house. It proudly retains much of its fine oak interior, and an elaborate 17th century staircase. Moreover, it is still occupied by the Benthall family, but has been owned by the National Trust since 1958. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Benthall, a village in Northumberland about 6 kilometers south east of Bamburgh. 1

Early Origins of the Benthall family

The surname Benthall was first found in Shropshire where Robert de Benethal was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1221. Later, again in Shropshire, Philip de Benedhal was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255. 2

"The Bendalls may derive their name from the Suffolk parish of Benhall. De Benedhal was a Shropshire name in the 13th century. The Bentalls are numerous in the Chelmsford district of Essex. Benhall is the name of a parish in Suffolk." 3

Early History of the Benthall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benthall research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1221 is included under the topic Early Benthall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benthall Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Benthall has been spelled many different ways, including Bendall, Bendell, Bendal, Bendel, Bendle, Bentall, Benthall and many more.

Early Notables of the Benthall family

More information is included under the topic Early Benthall Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benthall migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Benthalls to arrive in North America:

Benthall Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jos Benthall, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 4

Benthall migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5

Benthall Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Walter Benthall, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife and servants

Contemporary Notables of the name Benthall (post 1700) +

Dwinelle Benthall (1890-1931), American screenwriter
Michael Pickersgill Benthall (1919-1974), English theatre director, director of the Old Vic
John Benthall (d. 1887), English Vicar of Willen (1852-1887)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies