Re: Where does the Beshears name come from?
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In reply to:
Where does the Beshears name come from?
6/19/01
Hi Michael,
In general, Beshears is a corruption of Brashears, which is itself an anglicization of Brasseur, a Huguenot name that came to VA c1635. Several of Capt Asa Brasher's children used Beshears as their surname in early TN, and two or three branches of descendants of Basil Brashear(s) and Ann Belt use Beshears and Boshears in KY, TN, AR, TX, etc. Some of Philip Brashear's descendants in IL, MO, AR, etc also used it. There are probably others, but I'm away from home at the moment and don't have my files (and books) in front of me.
Bra-SHEAR(s) was pronounced with a stong accent on the last syllable and an almost indeterminate vowel in the first. I remember pronouncing my own name "B'SHEAR" when I was a child. No wonder that clerks wrote down Bashear, Beshear, Bishear, Boshear, Bushear, and even Byshear, all with and without the "s" at the end and often with an "r" in the second position. The people did not themselves know how to spell their own name and probably prounounced it with a mumble.
I've found a number of cases where the surname was Beshears (or some such) for a generation or two, and then someone with a little more education restored the original spelling.
I don't believe I've seen "Beshear(s)" except as a derivative of Brashear(s). Maybe Kevin or someone else can corroborate or correct me in this?
Cheers,
Charlie Brashear
P.O.Box 38
Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423
707/998-1008
[email protected]
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Re: Where does the Beshears name come from?
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