Welsh-Border Surnames from 'ab Edmond'

According to the 19^th century writer Samuel Meyrick⁽¹⁾, surnames did not develop in Wales and the Marches until the time of Elizabeth I. Before this period, names were used according to Welsh customs. We know that a lively Welsh language culture existed in the Welsh borderland in the 15^th century. Odes by the bard Owain ap Llywelyn ab y Moel⁽²⁾, written to the praise of local gentry families along the Powys border ⁽³⁾, reveal their family connections, and other topical associations of the time. In 'Owain ap Llywelyn' we have an illustration of the Welsh patronymic naming system, the particle 'ap' or 'ab'⁽⁴⁾, meaning 'son of', connecting the name of father with son. By successive linking of names, the descent is given generation after generation. An illuminating view of the transition from the Welsh patronymic system to the use of a surname in the English fashion may be obtained by reference to a Welsh border family living at Bachelldre⁽⁵⁾, in the borderland parish of Churchstoke.

The bard Owain addressed one of his odes to Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd of Bachelldre. In it he alluded to Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd's descent from Philip Dorddu, a Welsh land owner of the 13^th century, who was himself descended from Elystan Glodrydd, ruler of 'Rhwng Gwy a Hafren'⁽⁶⁾ at the close of the 10^th century. The ancestry and family connections described by Owain correspond with the pedigree of the family found in early genealogical sources⁽⁷⁾.

Edmond ap Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd of Bachelldre was born around the beginning of the 16^th century. He married Catherine Wigmore, and in due time the mantle of succession fell on their son, Hugh ab Edmond ap Cadwaladr⁽⁸⁾, who flourished in the second half of the 16^th century and died at its close.

Hugh ab Edmond came to prominence during a time of extensive change, in the wake of the dissolution of the monasteries and dispersal of monastic lands, the Union between Wales and England involving the formation of Welsh shires, and the general exercise of English law with appeal to English courts^(9-11). During this period of rapid change there was a decline in Welsh influence and culture in the March. As the 16^th century drew to a close the use of the patronymic system, which had been widespread in the border region, was in many cases to lapse^(12,13), and surnames were adopted commonly in the English fashion. Many of these were derived from Welsh patronyms, such that 'ab Owain' would become 'Bowen'; 'ap Rhys', 'Prys'; 'ab Evan', 'Bevan'; 'ap Hugh', 'Pugh'; and the surnames so formed were perpetuated by succeeding generations^(14,15).

Lewys Dwnn, the celebrated Welsh genealogist⁽¹⁶⁾, lived through this period of change. At the end of the 16^th century, he prepared a pedigree showing the ancestry of Edmond ap Cadwaladr of Bachelldre, whom he describes in his Welsh style as Iemwnt⁽¹⁷⁾. As we have noted, Iemwnt was succeeded by Hugh 'ap Iemwnt', whose son and heir Richard is given the surname 'Bemwnt' in Dwnn's manuscript. Dwnn's pedigree shows, therefore, as a contemporary record, the formation of this patronymic surname⁽¹⁸⁾.

The development of the surname is reflected in other sources. There are many deeds and other documents relating to Hugh ab Edmond, his son Richard, and others of this family^(19-26). These show that a surname was first used by Hugh before 1580. Sometimes the patronymic form 'Hugh ab Edmond' is found together with the surname. Mary his second wife, and the children from both his marriages, adopted the surname, although its spelling was not uniform, as illustrated in Hugh's will^(27,28). In it he is addressed as 'ap Edmond', his brother Mathew as Bedmond, his widow as Mary Bemond⁽²⁹⁾, as also is their son Hugh, and their son Nathaniell is given the surnames Bedmond and Beamond.

Jacob Chaloner, who died in 1631, prepared a pedigree of the Bachelldre family culminating in Hugh's offspring, along with their husbands or wives, and gave it the title "Beamond of Clunn"^(30,31). For a short period Clun was part of Montgomeryshire⁽³²⁾, and Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Wales⁽³³⁾, shows that impropriate tithes were payable from Bachelldre township to Clun. Chaloner tricked arms for the Bachelldre family, but the crest and a quartering of the arms⁽³⁴⁾ came from another Beamond family which by this time may have been extinct⁽³⁵⁾.

A further pedigree of the Beamond family of Bachelldre was prepared in the early decades of the 17^th century, probably by one of the Randle Holme family⁽³⁶⁾, whose work bears the claim: "This descent of Beomond is thus in an ancient rental of Castlewright manor"⁽³⁷⁾. The rental itself has not survived, but names of the family are to be found in the remaining manorial court books⁽³⁸⁾.

For a time patronymic name-forms continued alongside surnames established in earlier decades. This may be illustrated by reference to the Mainstone church registers embracing Castlewright township⁽³⁹⁾. At his marriage Mathew Beamond^(40,41) is referred to as 'ap Edmond', whilst in a separate entry of the same event, the surname alone is used. Both name-forms appear in Mathew's will which dates from the middle of the 17^th century, but a patronymic form is not seen thereafter. Mathew's children carried the surname Beamond⁽⁴²⁾, and in later generations both Beamond⁽⁴³⁾ and Beamand are encountered.

The surname Bemond was one of the forms used by Hugh ab Edmond and his son Richard. This is the spelling found in the Bishop's Teirtref court books, certain deeds, and entries in the Churchstoke parish register^(44,45), where Hugh and Richard were buried as Bemond. Descendants of Richard of Bachelldre have been traced into the 19^th century under the family name Bemand^(46-48). This form of the surname has been perpetuated to the present day, as has Beamond and Beamand.

The work of Guppy⁽⁴⁹⁾ suggests the spread of the family name under the variants Bemand, Beamond and Beamand, from origins on the Welsh border into neighbouring English counties. It may be noted that he does not list these surnames for any English county other than Shropshire and Herefordshire.

The range of spellings for surnames derived from 'ab Edmond' is illustrated by reference to parish registers of the border area, such as those of Churchstoke, Mainstone, and Chirbury, and other documents^(50,51). These reveal, as may be expected, obvious corruptions due to mis-spelling. However, one version of the name is distinctive. It bears the characteristic of an original patronymic form. As such, it is not a distortion of those surnames which may stem from Bemwnt, but was generated directly from 'ab Edmond', in the way that Bedward is derived from 'ab Edward'. In various documents we find instances of the family surname given as Bedmond. Examples may be seen in Catherine Wigmore's will of 1580^(52,53), Hugh ab Edmond's will of 1599⁽⁵⁴⁾ as above, in the Mainstone and Churchstoke parish registers, and in a range of deeds. Sometimes Bedmond appears as an alias to another form of the surname. The records show that this form, although not uncommon in the earlier part of the 17^th century, was not perpetuated by later generations of the Bachelldre family⁽⁵⁵⁾.

The early Anglo-French surnames Beaumond and Beaumont are more common than Beamond, Beamand and Bemand, particularly in certain English counties distant from Wales. Over the years, some branches of the borderland family have adopted the Anglo-French form, and their distinctive border-Welsh origin has become obscured. There are instances where Beamond has become Beaumond, and Beaumont has been taken in place of Beamand. The assumed form has then been borne by succeeding generations⁽⁵⁶⁾.

A detailed account of the development of Welsh surnames is given in T.J. & Prys Morgan, Welsh Surnames⁽⁵⁷⁾. Although many names are included in this book, it does not identify the patronymic surnames arising from 'Emwnd' or 'Edmond', which have been the subject of this article. T.E. Morris, in his extensive article "Welsh Surnames in the Border Counties of Wales" ⁽⁵⁸⁾, shows the rich variety of surnames which arose in the borderland. In his article, he identifies Beamond and like versions as Welsh surnames, and mentions the colloquial form Bemwnt. However, he does not support his proposition with a range of source material. The evidence we have given in the present article complements his work, provides the necessary sources, and supplements the excellent work done by T.J. & Prys Morgan.

Acknowledgements

The writer is much indebted to Dr. Peter C. Bartrum for identifying key sources of genealogical material on which this article is based, especially the Lewys Dwnn, Randle Holme and Jacob Chaloner manuscript pedigrees which he transcribed and interpreted, and for his advice so readily given on numerous points.

I should like to thank Dr. Prys Morgan who drew attention to the poems of Owain ab Llywelyn ab y Moel, kindly prepared an English translation of the ode to Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd with supporting comments, and pointed to other relevant material; also Dr. Michael P. Siddons for comment on the Arms of the Bachelldre family, especially on the depiction of early Welsh origins.

It is with particular gratitude that the writer records his debt to the late Professor T.J. Morgan for his interest, kindly encouragement, and cogent observations on the formation of the Welsh surname. It was at his suggestion that this article was written.

Notes and References

¹ Samuel Rush Meyrick (ed.), Heraldic Visitations of Wales and Part of the Marches by Lewys Dwnn, (Llandovery 1846).

² Eurys Rolant (ed.), Gwaith Owain ap Llywelyn ab y Moel,(Cardiff 1984), especially poem No.11 and notes on pp.70-71.

Note: Although Eurys Rolant points to inconsistencies in the family pedigree given by Peter Bartrum, these were resolved in a revision of Welsh Genealogies at ⁽⁷⁾ below.

³ Owain ap Llywelyn was the bard of families around Leighton, Marrington, and Churchstoke c.1485-1500. His pedigree is given in Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400, see ⁽⁷⁾ below, vol.4 p.717, under 'Moel y Pantri'.

⁴ 'ab' is used where the particle precedes a vowel, but in documents of the 16^th and 17^th centuries, Dr. Bartrum confirms that 'ap' is always used.

⁵ George Mountford, "Churchstoke and its Townships", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1928), vo1.40 pp.205-220, describes the townships of Bachelldre and Mellington, wherein the family held lands. They held lands too in the adjoining township of Castlewright, which lies in the neighbouring parish of Mainstone. Both Churchstoke and Mainstone are borderland parishes, each falling partly in Powys, (in the old county of Montgomery), and partly in Shropshire. The townships of Bachelldre, Mellington, and Castlewright lie at the northwesterly fringe of the lordship of Clun.

⁶ Elystan Glodrydd was head of the borderland royal tribe associated particularly with Maelienydd, a lordship in Radnorshire lying on the south and south-west of Clun, between the rivers Teme and Ithon; and Elfael, a lordship to the south of Maelienydd: see William Rees' An Historical Atlas of Wales (Cardiff 1951). The Cistercian foundation at Cwm Hir drew its support from the rulers of Maelienydd and Elfael. The lands of the Elystan dynasty were encroached upon from an early date by the house of Mortimer, so that by the 14^th century, the Mortimers had acquired complete possession of them.

The monastery of Cwm Hir possessed lands in the parish of Kerry, as did descendants of Elystan Glodrydd, and in the parish of Churchstoke, see Stephen W. Williams, "The Cistercian Abbey of Cwmhir", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1890), vol.24 pp.395-416, and Edward Rowley-Morris, "History of the Parish of Kerry", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1889), vol.23 pp.81-120.

⁷ Peter C. Bartrum, Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400, 8 vols. (Cardiff 1974), especially vo1.2 p.381, (Elystan Glodrydd 28).

⁸ Emyr Gwynne Jones, Exchequer Proceedings (Equity) concerning Wales, Henry VIII – Elizabeth, (Cardiff 1939), see p.287, deed 62/31 (37 Elizabeth).

⁹ E.A. Lewis, An Inventory of the Early Chancery Proceedings concerning Wales, (Cardiff 1937), see 'Introduction'.

¹⁰ Ifan ap Owen Edwards, A Calalogue of Star Chamber Proceedings relating to Wales, (Cardiff, 1929), see 'Introduction'.

¹¹ Hugh ap Edmond, will 1599, "Early Montgomeryshire Wills at Somerset House", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1888), vol.22 pp.296-297.

Notes: 1) The strength of the English connection may be seen from the references to attendance at Oxford University. (See also Foster's Alumni Oxiensis,(1891-2 p.105) Robert Bemund of Churchstoke, 1616).

2) Dr. Peter C. Bartrum observes that the pedigree on p.296 of the reference is incorrect. Hugh ap Edmond did not have Bowdler ancestry. See Welsh Genealogies at ⁽⁷⁾ above for the correct line.

3) The reference carries the note Ric'us Bemmond de Bacheldre, gen., Grand Jury 43 Elizabeth, & Ric'us Beamond de Bacheldre, gen., Grand Jury 15 James I.

¹² Edward Rowley-Morris, and H.L. Squires, Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1886), vol.19 p.6, give valuable comment on nomenclature, by reference to wills.

¹³ Edward Rowley-Morris, Montgomeryshire Records (Welshpool 1911), p.369, gives valuable comment on nomenclature, by reference to Lay Subsidies.

¹⁴ Prys Morgan, "The Rise of Welsh Hereditary Surnames", Nomina, 1986, vol.10 pp.121-135.

Note: This extensive historical survey complements the reference below, which is the authoritative study of Welsh surnames.

¹⁵ T.J. & Prys Morgan, Welsh Surnames, (Cardiff 1985).

¹⁶ S.R. Meyrick op. cit.⁽¹⁾

¹⁷ Lewys Dwnn, (Cardiff, South Glamorgan County Library, MS 2.36, p.327), c.1600.

Note: Lewys Dwnn predeceased Richard Bemwnt, whom he includes on this pedigree, by eight years.

¹⁸ Lewys Dwnn uses 'Edmond' in the form Iemwnt. Professor T.J. Morgan suggested to the present author that if the Iemwnt of Dwnn is a genuine version, it may be compared with the names Ieuan, Iorwerth, and Ifan (derived from Ieuan) in the use of the consonantal i, and as Iefan became Evan(s), it provides a pattern for Iemwnt/Emwnt. Lewis Glyn Cothi in his ode to Edmond, Earl of Richmond, uses Emwnt (see The Poetical Works of Lewis Glyn Cothi, Oxford 1837). Professor Morgan has pointed to the place name Tir Emwnt as an instance of Edmond in colloquial form. The form Emwnt is employed by T.E. Morris in his article on Welsh Surnames in the Border Counties of Wales, see ⁽⁵⁸⁾ below.

Dr. Bartrum observes that although Dwnn spells Iemwnt, which is not uncommon, Edmwnt is more common in the manuscripts he has seen. He adds that he has not seen Emwnt or Emwnd.

For comparison with Iemwnt we may note, in this borderland area, the names John Yemand, of the township of Goettre (Kerry), (Lay Subsidy of 1543, see ⁽¹³⁾ p.369), and Elizabeth Yemonds of Clun (Shropshire Hearth Tax Roll 1672, see ⁽⁵¹⁾).

¹⁹ Deeds relating to the Meadow's Estate in the Series SRO 445/38 – 156 deposited by the late Sir Jasper More, Linley, in the County Record Office, Shrewsbury.

Note: These date mainly from the second half of the 16^th century. They are valuable records in that they bear individual signatures including those of the Bachelldre family, particularly of Hugh and Richard, thus conveying the name directly, free from corruption by a clerk. From the transcriptions in the Record Office, we see that Bemond is the most common name, but an example of the spelling Beamound is also found. We may note the signatures Hugh Bemound 1579, and Hugh Bemond 1592; the latter form is used by Richard.

Dr. A. Basil Cottle indicates that in Welsh names of this style, we may expect the emphasis to be placed on the penultimate syllable.

²⁰ Montgomeryshire Records, (Welshpool 1911), see Feet of Fines, pp.409, 420, 453, 487, 501, 518, 537, 572, 576, 586, 595, 596, 626, also Bills and Answers, p.128.

²¹ Star Chamber Proceedings, see ⁽¹⁰⁾ above, references 64/2, 79/18, 80/13, and 204/5; and Exchequer Proceedings, see ⁽⁸⁾ above.

²² Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1890), vo1.24 "Enrolment of Exchequer Pleas", pp.155 & 156; and "Exchequer Deposition", pp.223 & 224.

²³ "Survey of the Manor of Halcetor 1609", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1915), vo1.37 p.38.

Note: Here Richard is given the surname Bymond.

²⁴ Rental of Overgorther Manor 1582, document 1092, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Note: Bachelldre township lay in the manor of Overgorther. Hugh ap Edmond is listed in the rental.

²⁵ Bishop’s Teirtref Court Books, 1582 – 1586 and 1600 – 1604, documents 1018-1092, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Note: The manor of Bishop's Teirtref comprises the townships of Castlewright, Mellington, and Aston, see ⁽³⁷⁾ below.

²⁶ Edward Owen, A Catalogue of Manuscripts Relating to Wales in the British Museum, Part iii, (Cymmrodorion Record Series 1900).

Note: Deed No.1510 relates to Edmond.

²⁷ Hugh ap Edmond, will 1599, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Public Record Office, London.

²⁸ Hugh ap Edmond, will 1599, see ⁽¹¹⁾ above.

²⁹ Peter C. Bartrum, Welsh Genealogies AD 1400 - 1500, 18 vols. (Aberystwyth 1983).

Note: The ancestry of Mary, daughter of Lewys ap Hywel of Weston, second wife of Hugh, is given in 'Elystan Glodrydd 47(G)' of this work. Further, the ancestry of Frances Powell of Edenhope, Hugh's first wife, is given in 'Elystan Glodrydd 31(A)'.

³⁰ Jacob Chaloner, "Beamond of Clunn", Harleian MS 1973 fo.17v-18, British Library, London.

Notes: 1) Jacob Chaloner gave Edmond ap Cadwaladr the surname Beamond. As Dr. Bartrum observes, this is clearly incorrect. Moreover, in other sources Edmond is described always only by his patronym, (see also ⁽⁵²⁾ & ⁽⁵³⁾ below). Chaloner died in 1631.

2) Hugh ab Edmond was using the surname 'Bemond', (see SRO 445/40-1, 1576 at ⁽¹⁹⁾), 10 years before the birth of Chaloner.

3) Dr. Michael Siddons writes that the family name of the Beamonds of Clun is certainly derived from 'ab Iemwnd', Edmund being often pronounced Iemwnd by the Welsh. In the same way as 'ab' before other names beginning with vowels gave surnames, as 'ab Owain' = Bowen, 'ab Ieuan' = 'ab Ifan' = Bevan, so 'ab Iemwnd' gave Biemwnd, which was only a small step away from Beamond. Professor T.J. Morgan suggested that in this instance, the respective Welsh and English surnames have merged.

4) Dr. Siddons observes that the coat is one from the late 15^th century, see ⁽³⁵⁾ below, attributed to a family called Beamond. The crest is undoubtedly taken from this coat. He suspects that the Beamond coat was added to the other quarterings of the coat with no other justification than the similarity of the names. He goes on to observe that this practice, although incorrect, has been followed frequently.

³¹ D.G. Bayliss, "A Survey of the Lordship of Clun 1603", Caradoc and Severn Valley Field Club, 1957-1960, vol.15 pp.128 - 132.

Note: This gives a useful account of the border area. The 1603 Survey is in Glamorgan Record Office, reference CL/MAN Box 7.

³² Edward Rowley-Morris, "History of the Parish of Kerry", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1891), vo1.25 p.24ff..

³³ Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 2 vols. (London 1848).

Notes: 1) Also see Richard Morgan, “The Territorial Divisions of Medieval Montgomeryshire”, Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1981-1982), vol.69 pp.9-44 & vol.70 pp.11-39.

2) Exchequer, Special Commissions E178 : Nos.2154 & 3077, Public Record Office, London, Anno.18 & 19 Eliz., may yield relevant information on land tenure and local boundaries.

³⁴ The surname 'Beamond' is not unique to the Bachelldre family. It has been recorded elsewhere, sometimes appearing as a variant of Beaumont. For example, the family 'Beamond' of Gittesham is recorded in The Visitation of the County of Devon (1564) ed. F.T. Colby (Privately Printed 1881), p.14 etc., whereas the same family is given the name Beaumont in A view of Devonshire in 1630, with a pedigree of most of its gentry, by Thomas Westcote, gent., ed. by Oliver and Jones, (Exeter 1845), p.499, as it is in the Visitation of Devon 1620 (Harl. Socy. 1872), p.21. Again, we find Beamond (1530); and Beamont, Beamounte & Beaumont, Treasurer of Westminster Abbey (1563); Index, Westminster Abbey Muniments Room.

In these examples the name would seem to have an Anglo-French rather than Welsh origin.

³⁵ Mr.P.Ll. Gwynn-Jones, (Lancaster Herald), has conducted a search for the 'Beamond' Arms among the muniments of the College of Arms.

He reports that the Arms in the name Beamond are found in

i) the Starkey Roll, 1460, (Vincent MS 164);

ii) MS L1 of c. 1510-1515, believed to have been compiled by Thomas Wall, who succeeded Wriothesley as Garter and died in 1536, and MS L2 (also 16^th century);

iii) MSS A18 and L10, where the name is 'Beaumond' - part of the Great Ordinary & Great Armory of Sir Thomas Wriothesley, Garter King of Arms from 1505-1534;

iv) Smith's Ordinary, end of 16^th century.

Mr.P.Ll.Gwynn-Jones advises that the Arms do not have the distinctive appearance of the early 16^th century, as manifest in the grant of new Arms under the influence of Sir Thomas Wriothesley. This implies, he says, that the Arms came into existence in the mid-15^th century, and possibly were borne by only one generation in the 15^th century.

Lancaster Herald adds that by the end of the 16^th century, the material in the Chaloner MS suggests that a Welsh family named Beamond may have appropriated these Arms without proper authority.

Notes: 1) Entries in respect of the surname and Arms are given in Sir J.B. Burke's General Armory, (1984 edition) p.63, and J.W. Papworth's Ordinary of Arms, (1961 edition) p.913.

2) Dr. Michael P. Siddons points out that when Robert Glover copied Starkey, see above, at i), it seems that he muddled some of the colours. Glover's MS is at The Queen's College, Oxford.

³⁶ Attributed to one of the Randle Holme family, Harleian MS 1978 fo.92v-93, British Library, London.

Note: From its content, it is judged by the present writer to be slightly later than the Chaloner MS.

³⁷ G. Melville Richards, Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units, (Cardiff 1969), see ⁽²⁵⁾.

³⁸ Bishop's Teirtref Court Books, see ⁽²⁵⁾ above.

³⁹ Mainstone Parish "General Register 1590 – 1660", document 3277/1/1, and "Draft General Register 1603 – 1641", document 3277/1/2, County Record Office, Shrewsbury.

Note: Transcripts of these may be consulted freely at the Local Studies Library, respectively volumes 1B and 1A of the transcribed register.

⁴⁰ C.S. James, "Mainstone Pewholders", Shropshire Archaeological Society Transactions, (Shrewsbury 1931/1932), vol.46 pp.150-153.

Note: The pedigree suggested by James on p.152, IV, seems doubtful. Taking other evidence, it appears more likely that John was the son of Rees, II on p.153, born at Clun.

⁴¹ C.S. James recognises the juxtaposition of Mainstone parish and Bachelldre township and hints at a connection between the respective 'ab Edmond' families. The inference to be made is that Mathew 'ab Edmond' alias Beamond may have been the son of Edmond Beamond, the third son of Hugh 'ab Edmond' and Frances, who married Eleanor Gwilt.

⁴² Mathew ap Edmond (Mathew Beamond), will 1653, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Public Record Office, London.

⁴³ C.S. James, see ⁽⁴⁰⁾ above.

⁴⁴ Churchstoke Parish Register 1558 - 1729, County Record Office, Shrewsbury, reference 4649/Rg/1.

⁴⁵ "Extracts from Parish Registers", copied by George Morris, principally from those of Rev. E. Williams and Wm. Mytton 1833, Churchstoke 1558-1728, Shropshire Public Libraries, MS 14, p.275, (Shropshire County Record Office reference 5067/10).

⁴⁶ William Hardwick, Shropshire Pedigrees, (MS 4645) vo1.1 pp.210-211, Local Studies Library, Shrewsbury.

⁴⁷ George Morris, Shropshire Genealogies, (MS 2794) vol.7 pp.407-415, Local Studies Library, Shrewsbury.

⁴⁸ Ralph Purton, Shropshire Pedigrees, (MS 4360), 'Bemand of Bacheldre and the Aldress', Local Studies Library, Shrewsbury.

Note: There are errors in the Hardwick, Morris, and Purton pedigrees. Those in the earlier years may be corrected readily, by reference to Dr. Bartrum's work, see ⁽⁷⁾ above.

⁴⁹ H.B. Guppy, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain, (London 1890).

⁵⁰ Surnames listed after 'Beaumont', Shropshire Parish Registers, Diocese of Hereford, Chirbury 1629 - 1812, vol.8, Index p.v, (Shropshire Parish Register Society 1911), viz. Beaumond, Beaumant, Beamound, Bewmont, Beamant, Beamond, Bemant, Bemmond, Bemmand, Bemond, Bemand, Beamand.

Notes: 1) Originally Churchstoke was a chapelry of Chirbury, see R. W. Eyton's Antiquities of Shropshire, vol.11 p.71.

2) Dr. P.H. Reaney drew on the Chirbury Churchwarden’s Account Book 1604 - 1783 to illustrate his discussion of Welsh surnames, in The Origin of Surnames, (London 1967), p.318.

⁵¹ W. Watkins-Pitchford, The Shropshire Hearth Tax Roll of 1672, (Shropshire Archaeological and Parish Register Society 1949).

Note: The names Beamon and Beamond are included.

⁵² Catherine Wigmore, alias Cadd'r., will 1580, Episcopal Consistory Court of Hereford, Hereford & Worcester County Record Office, Hereford.

Note: The will of Edmond ap Cadwaladr, 1543, is also held at Hereford. Robert Middleton married Edmond's sister Lowri. It is likely that his is the ancestry given in Welsh Genealogies AD 1400 – 1500, see ⁽²⁹⁾, Rhirid Flaidd 2(C1).

⁵³ ‘Early Montgomeryshire Wills at Hereford Registry’, Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1886), vol.19 p.49.

Note: Catherine Wigmore's will is described in the reference as a curious one. The nomenclature of Elinor and Katherine, whom we find named as daughters in Edmond's will (see vol.19 p.36), seems strange.

⁵⁴ Hugh ab Edmond, will 1599, see ⁽²⁷⁾ above.

⁵⁵ The name 'Edmond' was not uncommon in the border region in the 16^th & 17^th centuries. Other kinds of surname may have evolved. For instance, Alexander ap Edmond of Churchstoke appears sometimes as 'ap Edmond', (e.g. Montgomeryshire Collections (1890), vo1.24 p.69, and SRO 445/130), and at other times as 'Alexander Edmond', (e.g. SRO 445/127, and Montgomeryshire Records (1911), p.394). Also compare John 'ap Edmond' with John Edmond, Montgomeryshire Collections (1886), vo1.19, wills nos.84a(1598) and 106(1617).

The family 'Edmonds' was long-established in the region, see J.B. Willans' "A History of the Parish of Snead", Montgomeryshire Collections, (Welshpool 1909), vo1.35 pp.246-270.

⁵⁶ The name Beamond is misrepresented frequently; thus researchers dependent on document indices may be misled. For example:

Ifan ab Owen Edwards cites R'd 'Beaumond' in his Catalogue of Star Chamber Proceedings, James I, ref.79/18, whereas reference to the manuscript text in the Public Record Office shows that the name is in fact Beamond. Again, see Lodowick 'Beaumont', James I, ref.80/13.

Similarly, Edward Owen in his Calalogue of the Manuscripts relating to Wales in the British Museum, see ⁽²⁶⁾, p.348, describes the Randle Holme Beomond family (MS 1978 fo.92v) as 'Beaumont'.

Equally, in the Montgomeryshire Collections Index to Volumes 1-54, 1868-1951, (Welshpool 1962), Walter Beamond is given the name 'Beaumond'.

Again, turning to earlier times, in the Visitation of Shropshire 1623, p.223, we read "Lucia nupta Roberto Beaumont de Churchstoke", whereas correctly Lucy Harris married Richard Beamond.

⁵⁷ T.J. & Prys Morgan op. cit.⁽¹⁵⁾

⁵⁸ T.E. Morris, "Welsh Surnames in the Border Counties of Wales", Y Cymmrodor, 1932, vol.43 p.155.

Roger Hugh Beamond

May 1989

Additional Sources

⁵⁹ Edward Thomas Beaumont, The Beaumonts in History AD 850–1850, (Oxford 1929) gives further illustrations bearing on Ref.⁽³⁴⁾.

⁶⁰ Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames, (Oxford 1988) recognize that 'Beamond' may have a Welsh origin, as does T.E. Morris in Ref.⁽⁵⁸⁾. (In this Dictionary the adviser on Welsh surnames is Dr. Hywel Wyn Owen, Director, Clwyd Place-Name Council.) Also see Note 3 of Ref.⁽³⁰⁾.

⁶¹ Michael P. Siddons (Wales Herald Extraordinary) The Development of Welsh Heraldry 4 vols. (National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth 1991-2006) is the definitive work on Welsh heraldry. An entry on the Arms "Beamond of Clun" is included, c.f. Note 4 of Ref.⁽³⁰⁾ above.

June 2007

Publication

The article was published in The National Library of Wales Journal vol. XXVI no. 4 winter 1990 pp.345 – 352.

Errata: On p.347 of the published article, printed line 29, for 'Beamond' read 'Beamand', and on p.350 in the first line of "Ref. 18", for 'f.17v1-8' read 'f.17v-18'.

Website

This article is embedded in the author’s website http://www.users.waitrose.com/~brbeamond , which includes associated illustrations and web links.

(A pdf version of this article is presented in a companion website, http://www.users.waitrose.com/~rogerbeamond . A contact e-mail address is given therein.)