This interesting surname, recorded in English church registers from the mid 16th Century under the variant spellings Badnall, Bidnell etc., is of English locational origin either from Bednall in Staffordshire or from Beadnell in Northumberland. The former place, recorded as Bedehala in the Domesday Book of 1086, and as Bedenhale in the "Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire", is so called from the Old English pre 7th Century personal name Beda, a derivative of "bed", prayer, plus the Old English "halh", a recess or retired and secret place; hence, "Beda's halh". The latter place, appearing as Bedehal in the 1161, Pipe Rolls of Northumberland, and as Bedenhala in 1177, is named with the same elements. In December 1574, John Bednell, an infant, was christened in Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, and on December 13th 1668 one, William Beadinall was christened in Bamburgh. The christening of John Bidnell took place and on July 8th 1770, John Bidnall and Susannah Wright were married in Tottenham, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Katherine Badnall, (christening), which was dated March 23rd 1566, Standon, Staffordshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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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