This is an English medieval locational name from either of two places called Beswick, one in Lancashire and the other in Yorkshire. The latter is first recorded as 'Baswic' in the 1086 Domesday Book, although the Lancashire village as 'Beswiche' is not found until the charters of 1202, in the reign of King John (1199-1216) It is believed that the first element of the name derives from an Olde English pre 7th Century, personal name "Beac" but it is just as likely to be from "boe" meaning a bee. The second element comes from the Olde English "wic" meaning an outlying farm, and therefore bee farm is quite logical as honey was the only source of sugar then available.
The surname was given either to the family of the Lords of the Manor, as seems to be the case with the Bestwycks of Lancashire, or more normally was given as identification after a person moved to another place. The Bestwyckes of Pike House, Lancaster were in circa 1600 granted heraldic arms of a red field charged with three bezants and a fess in chief, all gold, whilst the related Bestwicks of Yorkshire have a similar design. Examples of the surname recordings include William Bestwicke, who married Isabell Dosone at Prestbury, Cheshire, in 1589, and Roberte Bestwycke, who married Katherine Parkyns by civil licence in London in 1592. In the modern idiom, the name is normally recorded in the spellings of Beswick and Bestwick. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas de Bexwik of Manchester, which was dated 1332 in the "Lay Subsidy" by J.P. Rylands, during the reign of King Edward 111, known as the Father of the Navy, 1327 - 1377.
Discovering the historical origins of Bestwick is an incredibly exciting journey that takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who built this lineage. Like most surnames, the history of the surname Bestwick is a thorny and surprising journey into the past in order to find out the origin of the surname Bestwick, which leads us to have more knowledge about those who bear the surname Bestwick, their origin, their coat of arms, the bibliography in which it appears... It is possible to trace their genealogy and, in addition to the original places of Bestwick, we know where it is possible to find people with the surname Bestwick today.
View complete list of Bestwick in the world
The history of Bestwick is an interesting sequence of events that were protagonized by the people who have held the surname Bestwick throughout history, and it is possible to trace this history back to the first bearers of the surname Bestwick. Their feats, their way of life, the places they lived, their family relationships, the jobs they held... All of this is crucial for anyone who, like you, is interested in having more information about the historical, heraldic, coat of arms, and nobility of the surname Bestwick. In the following lines, you can find everything we have been able to compile about the surname Bestwick. However, if you have more information that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate your contribution to expand the knowledge of people who, like you, are looking to increase their knowledge about the surname Bestwick.
Unfortunately, we do not have any more historical information about Bestwick than the one we have provided with pleasure. We invite those who visit us on this website to analyze the recommended bibliography and to come back often, since we often receive valuable collaborations from other people interested in the origin and history of surnames that could have information of special interest about the surname Bestwick, and that we would update on this website as soon as possible (after a previous verification). Similarly, if you consider yourself one of those people, we urge you to support us and send us the information about Bestwick that is available to you, thanking you in advance for your detail.
There have probably been some significant Bestwick throughout the history of humanity, even if, for some reason, not all of their contributions were included in the chronicles of the time or their data has not come down to the present day. Unfortunately, not all of the important contributions of people who have carried the surname Bestwick were taken into account at the time by the chroniclers of the time. Although a surname has the ability to link a person to a famous lineage and a glorious coat of arms, it is individuals who, throughout their lives and by virtue of some outstanding or important achievements for the society in which they lived, give their surnames renown and it is possible to establish prominent lineages. For this reason, we want to highlight on this website those people with the surname Bestwick who, for some reason, have left their mark on the course of history.
Based on all the research we have been able to gather so far, we can say that there is information available about the history, genealogy, and heraldry of the surname Bestwick thanks to bibliographic sources. This means that we can discover more about its original meaning, origin, history, coat of arms, and heraldry. Our recommendation is to consult the following sources if you want to conduct research on the surname Bestwick, as well as many other surnames:
These sources are essential for taking a step forward in the study of Bestwick, and of surnames in general.