Show ContentsBettescombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Bettescombe family

The surname Bettescombe was first found in Dorset at Batcombe, a parish, in the union of Cerne, hundred of Yetminster or at Batcombe, a parish, in the union of Shepton-Mallet, hundred of Whitestone, E. division of Somerset. 1

Of the two parishes the oldest seems to be in Somerset as this parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was recorded as Batecumbe. 2 Known as Batancumbae in the 10th century, it was derived from the Old English personal name + "cumb" and literally meant "valley of a man called Bata." 3

Somerset was the home of the first entry in ancient rolls, that of John Batecumbe in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. 4

Early History of the Bettescombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bettescombe research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1451, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1539, 1541 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bettescombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bettescombe Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Bettescombe has undergone many spelling variations, including Batscomb, Battiscombe, Batiscombe, Battiscomb, Batiscomb, Battiscumb, Battiscumbe, Batiscumbe, Batiscumb, Batscum, Batscumb, Bettiscomb, Betiscomb, Bettiscombe, Betscomb, Betscombe, Bettescombe and many more.

Early Notables of the Bettescombe family

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

Migration of the Bettescombe family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bettescombe were among those contributors: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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