The Origins Of Bickerton

The surname Bickerton is of local origin, that is, belonging to the category of surnames derived from the place where the initial bearer of this surname once lived or held land. In this instance, the name indicates "one who came from Bickerton", the name of several places in England. Bickerton is a township in the parish of Malpas in the county Cheshire, a township in the parish of Rothburg, county Northumberland, and also a township in the parish of Bilton, West Riding in Yorkshire. The toponym Bickerton is derived from the Old English "beocere", meaning "bee-keeper", and "tun" which originally denoted "a fence or enclosure", but which at an early date came to mean "enclosure round a house, homestead, village or town". Thus, the name can literally be translated as village of the bee-keeper.

From my own research I believe the Main Bickerton family moved from Bickerton to Marbury, Cheshire in about 1350 (Cheshire Records - DCH/A/79 "MARRIAGE SETTLEMENT, prior to the marriage of Hughe de Bykerton and Margerie daughter of Hughe de Cholmondelegh, between (1) William de Spurstow and Richard de Chelmndelegh and (2) the said Hughe de Bykerton. The latter gives all his lands and tenements in BYKERTON, and Wm. de S. and R. de Ch. give him £33. 6s.".)

The family appears to have lived in Marbury until about 1700 (after 1700 the church records of Marbury hold little information about Bickerton's) when the main family moved to Shropshire.

Rev. John Bickerton (from Shropshire, who's book is transcribed on this site) wrote in his book in 1777 "So far as I can learn, they descended originally from the Normans, and came into England with William the Conqueror."

In A Selection of Arms Authorized by the Laws of Heraldry published in 1860 it appears that more Bickerton's of Shropshire also believed they were descended from Normans:

"Concerning the antiquity of the Bickerton family it may be remarked, that about fifty years ago there lived at Edstaston Park, near Wem, county of Shropshire, an old gentleman by the name of Bickerton, who was uncle to the late Mr Richard Bickerton (Mr Rabett’s father in law), of Roden, or Roden Hall, county of Salop, and who had in his possession a very ancient sword, believed to have been brought over by the first Bickerton’s at the time of the Norman conquest. This ancient family sword was always hung up in his residence at Edstaston, as a family relic, or trophy of the first Bickerton’s. And a Mr Thomas Bickerton, of London, who died about two years ago at Cruckfield near Shrewsbury, about seventy years of age, to whom Mr Bickerton of Edstaston was great uncle, well remembered to have seen this ancient family sword of the Bickertons at Edstaston when he was a boy, and to have heard it’s history from his great uncle. And when the late Mr Bickerton, of Edstaston, died (unmarried), he was buried at Loppington, co. Salop, where numbers of the same family are interred; and his effects were sold by auction (including the old family sword); the aforesaid Mr Thomas Bickerton, of London (nephew of Mr Richard Bickerton, of Roden), being in the neighbourhood of Edstaston some time after the sale; made much enquiry concerning the fate of the old sword of the Bickertons, and found it had been purchased by a blacksmith, in the neighbourhood of Edstaston, who converted it into a carving knife, which proved useless, because the steel was not sufficiently good for that purpose."

The arms of the Bickerton's of Cheshire may support this theory as it closely resembles the arms of the Barons of Malpas (of Norman descent). Omerod says "The arms of Bickerton, Argent, on a chevron Sable, 3 pheons of the first, were either a badge of affection and dependency, or indicate connection with the barons of Malpas." The arms of the Barons of Malpas are "Argent, a lion rampant, Gules, between three pheons, sable."

Using the 1861 census for England and Wales and a surname distribution map, I believe the majority of Bickerton's originate from Bickerton in Cheshire. Using the Access to Archives Website I have found references to early documents witnessed by Bickerton's in Cheshire.

Humphrey de Bikerton - 1220
Hugh de Bykerton - 1230
Kenric de Bykerton - 1244
Phillip de Bikerton - 1248
(This is on a lease that states Phillip is the son of Kenwric who is the son of Alexander de Bikerton)
William de Bykertonn - 1272
Robert de Bikerton - 1314
Richard de Bykerton - 1372