Biddell is one of the oldest family names to come from the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English
personal name Bita. Alternatively, the name could have been "derived from an official title, 'the beadle,' one who executed processes or attended proclamations."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)Early Origins of the Biddell family
The surname Biddell was first found in
Somerset, where John le Bedal, was recorded 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of Edward III) in Kirby's Quest.
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print. The
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Geoffrey le Bedel in
Kent, Martin le Bedel in
Norfolk and Walter Bidellus in
Lincolnshire.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Early History of the Biddell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Biddell research.
Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1615, 1652, 1615, 1662, 1750, 1778, 1738, 1779, 1774, 1775, 1786, 1844, 1745 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Biddell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Biddell 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 Biddell has undergone many
spelling variations, including Biddle, Biddell, Biddelle and others.
Early Notables of the Biddell family (pre 1700)
Notables of this surname at this time include: Henry Biddulph of Biddulph; John Biddle or Bidle (1615-1662), born at Wotton-under-Edge in
Gloucestershire, an influential English nontrinitarian, and Unitarian, often called "the Father of English Unitarianism"; Nicholas Biddle (1750-1778), one of the first five captains of...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Biddell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Biddell family to the New World and Oceana
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 Biddell were among those contributors:
Biddell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Henry Biddell, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1835
Biddell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- W Biddell, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
Contemporary Notables of the name Biddell (post 1700)
- Sir George Biddell Airy (1801-1892), English astronomer