Bletcher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bletcher family

The surname Bletcher was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1305 when Robert le Blacchere held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Bletcher family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bletcher research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Bletcher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bletcher Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Bletcher has been recorded under many different variations, including Blatcher, Bletcher, Bleacher, Bleaker, Blacher and many more.

Early Notables of the Bletcher family

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

Bletcher migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bletcher or a variant listed above:

Bletcher Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Bletcher, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1853 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Bletcher (post 1700) +

Arline Bletcher (1893-1992), American film actress and vaudeville entertainer
William "Billy" Bletcher (1894-1979), American actor, comedian, and voice artist, known for The Lost City (1935), The Wild Girl (1925) and The Silent Guardian (1925)

Sources +

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)