Betham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The story of the Betham family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The Betham name comes from a place named by these Vikings and was used by a family who lived in Beetham in Cumbria. This place name is thought to come from the Old Norse "beth," meaning "embankment." 1 The parish was recorded as Biedum in the Domesday Book and at that time in Yorkshire and was land held by Roger de Poitou. 2 More recently, the parish had a population of 1,724 in the 2001 census. Interestingly, "in digging a grave near one of the pillars in the nave of the Church [of Beetham], in Aug. 1834, upwards of 100 silver coins, chiefly of the reigns of William the Conqueror and his son William Rufus, with a few of Edward the Confessor and Canute the Dane, were discovered." 3

Early Origins of the Betham family

The surname Betham was first found in Cumbria at Beetham, a parish, in the union and ward of Kendal, historically in Westmorland. 3

However, some of family were well established further south at Warton in Lancashire at early times. "Warton appears to have belonged to the lord of WoodPlumpton, by intermarriage with whose heiress the Betham family became connected with the property. The last of the Bethams was Roger, whose daughter married Sir Robert Middleton, of Leighton, in the reign of Richard III." 3

Placita de Quo Warranto listed Richard de Betham, Norfolk, 20 Edward I (in the 20th year of King Edward I's reign.) 4

Ralph de Betham, was a benefactor to Furness Abbey during the reign of Henry II. 5 Ralph de Bethum was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279; Robert de Bethum, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379; and Stephen Betham, was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1541. 6

Early History of the Betham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Betham research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1320, 1599, 1632, 1642, 1659, 1665, 1684 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Betham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Betham Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, no real standards were established to judge the accuracy of spelling and translation. They were done mostly by ear and intuition, and enormous numbers of spelling variations were the unsurprising result. Betham has appeared as Betham, Beetam, Beetham, Beatam, Beatham, Beetem, Beedham and many more.

Early Notables of the Betham family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Betham

Betham migration to the United States +

North America was far from Britain's oppressive monarchy. There, the Scottish found land and freedom, and many even the opportunity to pay back England in the American War of Independence. This brave heritage survives today largely in Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Betham family in North America:

Betham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mr Betham, who landed in Maryland in 1700 7
Robert Betham, who landed in Charles Town, South Carolina in 1745 7

Betham 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. 8

Betham Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Richard Betham, who landed in Barbados in 1683 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Betham (post 1700) +

Asa Betham (b. 1838), American sailor in the U.S. Navy who received the Medal of Honor
Sir Edward Beetham Betham (1905-1979), Governor of Trinidad and Tobago (1955-1960)
Sir William Betham (1779-1853), Ulster King of Arms from 1820 until his death in 1853
William Betham (1749-1839), English antiquary, born at Little Strickland, near Morland, Westmorland; his family seems to have been settled in the county from the twelfth century, and to have derived its name from the little village of Betham, near Milnthorpe
Mary Matilda Betham (1776-1852), English woman of letters and miniature painter, the eldest daughter of the Rev. William Betham, of Stonham Aspel, Suffolk, and rector of Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
John Betham (d. 1709), English Catholic priest, a native of Warwickshire, where his elder brother possessed a handsome estate
Edward Betham (1707-1783), English scholar and divine, educated at Eton, and in 1728 proceeded to King's College, Cambridge, Fellow of King's College in 1731
Matilda Betham -Edwards (1836-1919), English novelist, travel writer and francophile
Monty Betham (b. 1978), New Zealand rugby league player

The Betham 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: Per ardua surgam
Motto Translation: I rise through difficulty.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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