Bygerstaff History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe lineage of the name Bygerstaff begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they 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." 1 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." 1 Adam de Bykerstaff was listed in Lancashire in 1289. 2 Alan de Birkestad de Bikerstath was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lancashire in 1246. 3 Early Origins of the Bygerstaff familyThe surname Bygerstaff 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. 4 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. 5 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. Early History of the Bygerstaff familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bygerstaff research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1600, 1639, 1660, 1685, 1713, 1714, 1752 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bygerstaff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bygerstaff Spelling VariationsOnly 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 Bygerstaff has undergone many spelling variations, including Bickerstaffe, Bickerstaff, Bickerstath, Bickerstathe, Bickersteth and many more. Early Notables of the Bygerstaff familyAnother 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bygerstaff Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bygerstaff family to IrelandSome of the Bygerstaff family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Bygerstaff familyTo 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 Bygerstaff were among those contributors: Sarah Bickerstaff who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.
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