File:BestneyArms.svg

Arms of Bestney: Per pale sable and gules, a lion rampant guardant argent crowned or (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.78 "Bestney of Hertfordshire"). Pedigree of "Bestney of St. Albans, Hertfordshire" as reported to the 1634 Visitation of Hertfordshire, Appendix II, p.126[1]: Per pale sable and gules, a lion rampant guardant argent ducally crowned or. Descended from Edward Bestney "of West Bestney", Constable of Flint Castle in Wales. The Bestney family was probably seated at today's "Beesonend", in the parish of Redbourne, situated 4.7 km north of St Alban's Abbey and 3.3 km east of St Mary's Church in the village of Redbourne. Now suburban land, it is today memorialised by "Beesonend Lane", on which stand "Beeson End Cottages", "Beesend Farm", etc. It was at one time within the estate of the Earl of Verulam (i.e. Earl of St Albans), see Rev. C. More, 'Catalogue of field names occurring on the Hertfordshire estates of the earl of Verulam', Transactions of the St. Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society, 1927, pp.19-20[2] and is referred to variously in estate records as:

Beson End. Of various Manors. Mentioned in Windridge rolls thus:—Lands at Bedesone, 1322. The way from Bedesunta to Le Waterdell, 1331. Hen. Kentisshe holds Bedesoneslonds, 40 ac., 1492-3. Rob. Kentishes wood called Bedssounts Harriett 19 (heriot), 1596. In Redbourne deeds thus:— Beaston End 1609. Beston End 1617. Besons End 1630. Beason End, 1633-94. Bestney End (corrected to Beason End), 1700. Messuage or farm called Beason alias Bestney End, 1797. Sold to V(iscoun)t. Grimston with 99 ac. for £2800, 27 July. 1799. Beson End Farm, 153 1/4 ac., 1800. Bestney End. Of M. Redbourne. Lands at Bestney End, 1514. Hen. Bestney and w. Marie were tenants of M. Kingsbury, 1518. Wm. Roberts and w. Margaret surrender a messuage and half yardland called Roberdys, formerly Bestneys, 1520. A messuage and half yardland formerly of John Bestney ... . messuage called Bestenys, 1532. Adam Bestney formerly held lands at Bestney End : his third successor is admitted, 1532. Bestneys, 1659. Bestney End, 1667. Bestney (corrected to Beason) End, 1700. Beason alias Bestney End, 1797. (Possibly Bedesone was the first name, but a family of Bestney held lands there late in the 15th. century, when the name may have been changed, till eventually the old form revived as Beson End).