Beeston Regis
Major Settlement in the Parish of Beeston Regis
Historical Forms
- Besentuna, Besetuna, Besetune 1086 DB
- Besenton 1185 P
- Beston 1198–9,1242–3 Fees 1209 Ass 1210,1219 FF 1275 RH 1287 Ipm 1302,1346,1401–2 FA 1311 Pat 1333 SR 1347 Fine 1348 Ch
- Beeston 1209 FF
- Bestun 1208 Wals
- Bestone 1257,1269,1286 Ass 1316 FA 1320 BM 1330 SR
- Beestone 1379 BM
- Beston iuxta mare 1382,1399 Pat 1441 FF 1494 NoVis
Etymology
OE *bēos 'bent grass, rough grass' and tūn, i.e. 'farmstead where bent grass grows'. OE *bēos is related to MLG bese , MDu biese . This name seems to be identical with other Beestons in Nf, for instance Beeston St Lawrence in Tunstead Hundred (v. PN Nf II 144). There are also Beestons in Bd, Nt and YW (dealt with by Ekwall in Studies1 54 ff.). In two of the oldest forms here the first element may be an adj. in -en , *bēosen , derived from the noun *bēos and meaning 'characterized by, growing with'.
Beeston Priory was founded in the time of King John for canons of the order of St Austin. Only ruins remain of the priory to the west of the parish church by Abbey Farm (Blomefield VIII92, Pevsner 86). The estate is recorded as being in the Crown at least from 1476 onwards, when it was the property of Elizabeth, Queen Consort of Edward IV, hence Regis . It remained in the Crown in Blomefield's time (ib 88).