The name Bestead reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Bestead family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest
of 1066. The Bestead family lived in Hampshire
at Binstead, which dates back to the Domesday Book
of 1086 when it was listed as Benestede. CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Alternatively, the name could have originated on the Isle of Wight at Binstead which was also listed Benestede in the Domesday Book
. In both occurrences, the place name means "place where beans are grown," from the Old English words "bean" + "stede." CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Early Origins of the Bestead family
The surname Bestead was first found in East Hampshire
at Binsted, today a village and large civil parish or on the Isle of Wight at the village of Binstead. Of the two, Binsted in Hampshire
is generally thought to have been the most likely origin of the surname. Conjecturally, they were descended from Hugh le Port, a Norman noble, who held the lands of Binstead from the Monks of the Bishop of Winchester at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book
. They were also related to the Binsteads of Sussex
, from the place of that name. Early census records revealed: John de Benstede and Maud de Bensted listed in Norfolk; and William de Benstede in Kent
during the reign of Edward III. 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 Bestead family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bestead research.Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1333, 1937, 1297, 1308, 1305, 1306 and 1320 are included under the topic Early Bestead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bestead Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations
. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Bensted, Benstead, Binstead, Benestede, Bense, Benstede and many more.
Early Notables of the Bestead family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir John de Benstede, a prominent member of the English royal household, Prebendary of Sandiacre (1297-1308?) King's Secretary and Keeper of the... Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bestead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bestead family to the New World and Oceana
Because of the political and religious discontent in England
, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Bestead name or one of its variants: Matthew Benstead who settled in Virginia in 1650; Jo Benstedd settled in Barbados in 1635; Thomas Binstead settled in Virginia in 1730; John Binsteed settled in Virginia in 1642.