Beauchamp Family History

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The surname "BEAUCHAMP" started as a variant of the french name "de Bello-Champe" which means "one which come from beautiful plains." The English equivalent of "Fairfield". This name was brought to the European continent during the conquest of William the Conqueror. Hugh de Bel-Camp was granted 43 lordships during this conquest and the name stayed there for the next eight centuries. This name has been spelled many ways throughout France and England, including Beecham, Beacham, Beechamp, Beachamp, Beauchamp, Beauchampe, and Beauchamumpe. In the French language the pronunciation was "Bo-Shaump"; in the English language it was pronounced "Bee-Chum". Some men of note in the Beauchamp family have been William de Beauchamp in 1273 in Oxfordshire, England and Roger de Bello-Champo in Cambridge, England. The family who came to America has roots in one of the most influential men of London, Thomas Beauchamp. He married Miss Dorothy Clarke. To this marriage was born two sons, Edward and John. John became a wealthy merchant in London and was a principal sponsor in the Mayflower venture to Massachusetts. For his service he was granted many tracts of land in Massachusetts and Virginia. The Beauchamp family of Maryland are descended from Edmund. Edmund was evidently sent to the Eastern shore of Maryland by Governor Charles Calvert in the spring of the year 1666 as a person who her considered well qualified to exercise the office of clerk to the court. This local court accepted the recommendation of Governor Calvert in hope that Edmund would carefully discharge the duties of an office of so great a responsibility.

Edmund was proclaimed "clerk and keeper of the records of proceeding" by Governor Calvert on Aug 22, 1667 because he had served as interim position well from June of 1666 until Aug of 1667. Anyone who has had an occasion to study the records of Somerset County, Maryland from its beginnings throughout Beauchamp's years of service as clerk will fully realize the care and thought which this early worthy servant bestowed upon the duties of his office. A better or more splendidly kept set of records of court proceedings and deeds cannot be found elsewhere during the early colonial period. He was a veritable master of his craft. On June 11, 1668 Edmund Beauchamp married Sarah, the daughter........

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