Bidingfeul History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

When the ancestors of the Bidingfeul family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in the county of Suffolk, at Bedingfield which dates back to at least the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was recorded as Bedingefelda. 1 The place name literally means "open land of the family or followers of a man called Beda," from the Old English personal name + "-inga" + "feld." 2 Edwin Bedingefeld was recorded in Suffolk in 1095.

Early Origins of the Bidingfeul family

The surname Bidingfeul was first found in Suffolk at Bedingfield (Bedingfeld) a parish, in the union and hundred of Hoxne. "The living [of Bedingfield] is a discharged rectory, valued in the king's books at £8, and in the gift of J. J. Bedingfield, Esq., whose family received their name from the parish." 3 Early records show Peter de Bedingfeld gave property to Snape Priory in the 12th century.

Walkelin de Bedigfeld was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1198, Adam de Beddingefled in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1200 and Roger de Bedyngfeld in the Subsidy Rolls for London in 1332. 4

The family settled here soon after the Conquest and claim descendancy from Ogenus de Pugis, also called Longueville, a Norman knight who fought at the Battle of Hastings at the side of Duke William. 5

Descended from him was Sir Thomas and his brother Sir Peter, ancestors of the Bedingfields, who were living in 1350 at Ditchingham Hall in Norfolk. "The Bedingfelds of Ditchingham, in this county, are a younger branch parted from the parent stem as early as the middle of the fourteenth century. " 6

Early History of the Bidingfeul family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bidingfeul research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1479, 1509, 1523, 1553, 1554, 1583, 1586, 1593, 1595, 1613, 1632, 1636, 1648, 1651, 1654, 1660, 1661, 1680, 1686, 1687 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Bidingfeul History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bidingfeul Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Bidingfeul has been recorded under many different variations, including Beddingfield, Bedingfield, Bedingfeld, Bedingfeil and many more.

Early Notables of the Bidingfeul family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edmund Bedingfield or Bedingfeld (1479-1553), made a Knight of the Bath in 1523; Sir Henry Bedingfield (1509-1583), Lord Chief Justice of England; and his son, Thomas Bedingfield (died 1613), English gentleman pensioner (bodyguard) to Elizabeth I of England; Anthony Bedingfield (died 1651), an English merchant and politician; Philip Bedingfield (died 1660), an English landowner and politician who sat in...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bidingfeul Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bidingfeul family

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Bidingfeuls were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Walter Beddingfield who landed in America in 1750.

The Bidingfeul 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: Aquila non captat muscas
Motto Translation: The eagle is no fly-catcher.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.