One of the most famous names in English History was that of the venerable Bede, Bishop of Wearmouth in Northumberland and original author of the Anglo-Saxon chronicles, the story of Britain in the Dark Ages. Bede died in 735 A.D. and is buried at Jarrow. The name is a probably a descriptive personal name for one who practised religion as it means "Prayer" and is also found as "Beadman", as in William Bedman recorded in Somerset in 1327. The name development includes Robert Beda 1275, Warwick whilst John Bead sailed to Virginia in 1634, whilst Thomas Beed was baptised at St. Saviour, Southwark, London in 1776. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alanus Bede de Swainton. which was dated 1230, The Yorkshire County Pipe Rolls. during the reign of King Henry III, The Frenchman, 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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