Guillaume de Bethencourt

Señor de Béthencourt, en Sigy, aparece nombrado en un documento del año 1206. Los de su apellido, establecidos en el Vermandois en el setecientos, aparecen viviendo en Normandía en la décima centuria. Los Béthencourt, de noble origen normando, toman el nombre del Castillo de Béthencourt en Normandía.

The Béttencourts of noble Norman origin took their name from the Castle of Béthencourt in Normandy, came to Portugal to the island of Madeira, and from there scattered to the Açores Islands and on to mainland Portugal and Brazil.

The first known Béttencourt is generally considered to be the Lord of Buttecourt, Buthencourt, or Béthencourt who accompanied William' the Conqueror', Duke of Normandy, in the invasion of England in 1066. He was killed in the Battle of Hastings and buried in Battle Abbey, Battle, Kent, England.

Between 1096-1100, Jean, Lord of Bethencourt, appears to have participated, along with Robert II, Duke of Normandy, in the First Crusade to the Holy Land. He is linked with the Bethencourts of Bethencourt, Sigy-en-Bray, because he used the same arms, argent, a lion sable, armed and langued gules.

By the end of the 13th century, the genealogical history of the Bethencourts becomes more precise. In the first years of that century, there lived a Guillaume de Bethencourt, Lord of the fief of Bosc-Asselin. In 1206, Guillaume was a witness to a sale made by Clotard to the pretor of Sigy. Unfortunately, none of these figures has as yet been linked directly to the following lineage.

Señor de Béthencourt, en Sigy, aparece nombrado en un documento del año 1206. Los de su apellido, establecidos en el Vermandois en el setecientos, aparecen viviendo en Normandía en la décima centuria. Los Bethencourt, de noble origen normando, toman el nombre del Castillo de Bethencourt en Normandía.