| ![Show Contents]() Bews History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Cornwall in southwestern England provides the original birthplace of the surname Bews. Nickname surnames were rare among the Cornish, they did occasionally adopt names that reflected the physical characteristics or other attributes of the original bearer of the name. The name Bews is a nickname type of surname for a handsome or beautiful person having been derived from the Old French word beau, meaning beautiful. The name could also have been a patronymic name created from the given name Hugh. Using the Welsh prefix ap or ab, the surname was Ab Hugh, which became Bugh, then Bew. Alternately, some instances of the name in Britain may have come with the Normans, perhaps deriving from the place name Bayeux in Calvados; and, it appears that the Scottish, or Northern English instances of the name may have Scandinavian roots. Early Origins of the Bews familyThe surname Bews was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat from early times. Early recorded instances of the name include Robert le Beu, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of County Somerset in 1200. Bew Castle, a ruined 12th century castle near the village of Bewcastle, Cumbria, adds credence to the suggestion that there may have been a Scandinavian source for this name in the North. Another branch claim descent from Normandy where "Ranulph de Bayeux was one of the Proceres of Normandy, 1050, in rebellion against Duke William. His descendants were great barons in Lincoln. The name continued long as Bayouse, Beyouse, and at last Bews." 1 Ranulph de Bayeux, who temp. Henry I. had great possessions in Lincolnshire "whereof five Knight's Fees were held of him by Peter de Gosla (alias Gousel) who, towards the latter end of that King's Reign founded the first Abbey of the Praemonstratensian Order in this Realm, called Newhus." Both he and his son Hugh were benefactors of this Abbey. The latter died in the early part of Richard Coeur de Lion's reign. 2 Early History of the Bews familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bews research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1218, 1224, 1225, 1234, 1249 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Bews History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bews Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Bewes, Bew, Bewe, Bews, Bewis and others. Early Notables of the Bews familyNotable amongst the family at this time was John de Bayeux (d. 1249), Justice Itinerant, otherwise called de Baiocis, a son of Hugh de Baiocis, a Lincolnshire Baron. ". He had property in Bristol and Dorset, but in 16 and 17 John forfeited it on outlawry for murder. In 1218 he paid a relief of 100l. and took possession of the family estates in Lincolnshire, and in the same year was judge itinerant for the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset, along with 'J. Bathon. et Glascon. Episc.' (Dugdale, Orig. Juridic. (Chronica Series), p. 7). Next year, 4 Henry III...
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bews Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Bews migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first North American settlers with Bews name or one of its variants:
Bews Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- William Bews, who settled in Savannah, Georgia, in 1774
- John Bews, aged 32, who arrived in Savanne(h), Georgia in 1774 3
- William Bews, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1775 3
| Bews migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Bews Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Samuel Bews, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
- Mr. Wemys Bews, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
- Mr. John Bews, (b. 1815), aged 33, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Subraon" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th April 1848 6
- Mrs. Eliza Bews, (b. 1810), aged 38, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Subraon" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th April 1848 6
- Mr. John Pinq Bews, (b. 1838), aged 10, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Subraon" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 12th April 1848 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Bews migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Bews Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Samuel Bews, (b. 1844), aged 30, Scottish settler, from Orkney travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Oamaru" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th February 1875 7
- Mrs. Betsy Bews, (b. 1854), aged 20, Scottish settler, from Orkney travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Oamaru" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th February 1875 7
- Miss Henrietta Bews, (b. 1872), aged 2 years 6 months, Scottish settler, from Orkney travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Oamaru" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th February 1875 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bews (post 1700) | + |
- Mary Ellen Bews (1856-1945), Scottish-born, New Zealand school principal and educationalist
- David Bews (1850-1891), Scottish-born, Australian newspaper editor and politician, Minister of Education (1890-1891)
- Andrew Bews (b. 1964), former Australian rules footballer, Geelong Football Club captain (1990-1991)
- Jed Bews (b. 1993), Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club
- Philip Bews (b. 1951), British sculptor
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: Major ab adversis
Motto Translation: Greater through adversity.
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
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Bews migration to the United States 
Bews migration to Australia 
Bews migration to New Zealand 
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