Benthombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Benthombe is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in the West Riding of the county of Yorkshire, where the Benthombe family settled near the village of Bentham, from which they took their name. The name is composed of the Old English words beonet, meaning bent grass, and ham, meaning settlement. 1

Early Origins of the Benthombe family

The surname Benthombe was first found in Yorkshire, where "there is not much reason to doubt that this name is derived from the parish of Bentham, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. " 2 Bentham was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Benetain. 3 Today, Bentham is a civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire and comprises Upper Bentham and Lower Bentham.

Early History of the Benthombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Benthombe research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1513, 1560, 1576, 1578, 1579, 1593, 1594, 1671, 1681, 1700 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Benthombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Benthombe 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. Benthombe has been spelled many different ways, including Bentham, Bentheim, Benthiem and others.

Early Notables of the Benthombe family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Bentham (1513-1578), English Protestant minister, one of the Marian exiles, who continued secretly ministering to an underground congregation in London, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1560-1579.) Joseph Bentham (1594-1671), the English...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Benthombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Benthombe family

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 Benthombes to arrive in North America: Matthew Bentham who settled in Barbados in 1679; James Bentham and family settled in South Carolina in 1820; Mary Bentheim settled in Edenton in North Carolina in 1820..

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)