Bickersteth Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The present generation of the Bickersteth family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in or near the village of Bickerstaffe, which was located near Ormskirk in the county of Lancashire. "In 1066 Bickerstaffe, under the name of Achetun, was one of the manors of Uctred, lord of Roby." One of the first records of the family was Adam de Bickerstath whose son Ralph, held manor in 1212. "Adam de Bickerstath's name frequently appears in charters and other public acts of the time."

Bickersteth Early Origins

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The surname Bickersteth was first found in Lancashire, at Bickerstaffe, a village and civil parish in the West Lancashire district. The village dates back to at least the 12th century when it was listed as Bikerstad and literally meant "landing place of the bee-keepers" from the Old English words bicere + staeth. However, another reference claims the name came from the Old English word "bicker," meaning to skirmish or contend, as in bicker-staff, a weapon analogous to a quarter-staff. This latter interpretation only occurs once through our research library and is mentioned here for reference purposes only as the former interpretation is more likely.

Bickersteth Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Bickersteth include Bickerstaffe, Bickerstaff, Bickerstath, Bickerstathe, Bickersteth and many more.

Bickersteth Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bickersteth research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1639, 1714, 1685, 1713 and are included under the topic Early Bickersteth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bickersteth Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bickersteth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bickersteth In Ireland

Some of the Bickersteth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Bickersteth were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Sarah Bickerstaff who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bickersteth (post 1700)

Henry Bickersteth, 1st Baron Langdale, English law reformer and Master of the Rolls
Edward Bickersteth (1786-1850), English evangelical clergyman
John Monier Bickersteth (b. 1921), Bishop of Bath and Wells (1975-1987)
Robert Bickersteth (1857-1884), Bishop of Ripon

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Citations

^ 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.

Other References

Dunkling, Leslie. Dictionary of Surnames. Toronto: Collins, 1998. Print. (ISBN 0004720598).
Holt, J.C. Ed. Domesday Studies. Woodbridge: Boydell, 1987. Print. (ISBN 0-85115-477-8).
Burke, Sir Bernard. General Armory Of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Ramsbury: Heraldry Today. Print.
Elster, Robert J. International Who's Who. London: Europa/Routledge. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Samuelsen, W. David. New York City Passenger List Manifests Index 1820 - 1824. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1986. Print.
Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
Fairbairn. Fairbain's book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, 4th Edition 2 volumes in one. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1968. Print.
Skordas, Guest. Ed. The Early Settlers of Maryland an Index to Names or Immigrants Complied from Records of Land Patents 1633-1680 in the Hall of Records Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. Print.
MacAulay, Thomas Babington. History of England from the Accession of James the Second 4 volumes. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1879. Print.
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The Bickersteth Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Bickersteth Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 16 February 2017 at 14:27.