There is no evidence of the presence in England of any Beauchamp earlier than Domesday Book; and the only Beauchamp there mentioned by name is Hugh de Beauchamp of Bedford. But the Walter named as a subtenant of some property in Worcestershire, under Urse d'Abitot and others, may be identified, almost certainly, with the Walter de Beauchamp who married Urse's daughter^ and succeeded to his great estates, as also to the title and some of the lands of Urse's brother, Robert the Dispenser.^ No evidence of any relationship between Walter and Hugh has been adduced as yet.

Of the origin of the founder of the family nothing appears to be known. His name—de Bello Campo, Belcamp, or Beau Champ — is evidently taken from one of the several places of that name, the "Fair Field," in Normandy or Picardy. Mr. Round ingeniously suggests that it is to be sought in the Calvados.^

The Roman figures after the names of the Beauchamps refer to their position in the family table at the end of this memoir. The B. (standing for Bedford), is added after the figure, in order for the future to distinguish them from their contemporaries, the Beauchamps of Eaton Socon, who often bore the same fore-names; that family, it is hoped, will form the subject of a future article by the present writers