Beecroft

Recorded in a number of spelling forms including Beecraft, Beachcraft, Beachcroft, Beacroft and Beecroft, this is an English locational surname. It originates from an apparently "lost" medieval village probably called "beo-croft" or similar from the pre 7th century Olde English words meaning a bee farm. Similar place names are those of Beeford in the county of East Yorkshire, seemingly a ford where bees were to be found (and avoided), Beeby in Leicester, also meaning the bee farm, and Beeleigh and Beeley in Derbyshire and Essex, both meaning the bees wood. As honey was the only reasonably easily available source of sugar in the ancient times, it is hardly surprising that many places included the bee in its name. Locational surnames are by their nature from names. That is to say names given to people as easy identfication, and nothing could be much easier than to call a person by the name of the place from whence they came. Spelling being at best erratic and local accents very thick, often lead to the development of "sounds like" spellings. In this case early examples of the surname taken from surviving church registers in the dioces of Greater london include Thomas Beecraft, at St Andrews Holborn, on October 3rd 1641, and Thomas Beecroft at St Katherines by the Tower (of London) on March 10th 1705.