Baron Beauchamp

There is an extant Viscountcy of Beauchamp, held by the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford.

The name Beauchamp (French "beautiful/fair field"), Latinised to de Bello Campo ("from the beautiful/fair field" or "from the fair battlefield"), is borne by one of the most ancient Anglo-Norman families which settled in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066.

[5] The three main lines of the Beauchamp family were the Bedfordshire, the Somerset, and the Worchestershire branches.

(Descendants of the feudal barons of Hatch Beauchamp in Somerset) The barony was unsuccessfully claimed in 1924 by Ulric Oliver Thynne.

[7] They were seated at Holt Castle, Worcestershire, a junior branch of the senior Elmley line.

Map showing seats of the Beauchamp family in Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Elmley Castle (held from the Bishops of Worcester [ 1 ] ) was their origin, pre-1133, and became the caput of their feudal barony of Salwarpe , inherited from Urse d'Abetot , [ 2 ] with the hereditary offices of Sheriff of Worcestershire and Constable of Worcester Castle . The senior line moved to Warwick Castle in 1268, when younger brothers of the first Beauchamp Earl of Warwick established junior branches at Powick and Holt , ancient possessions of the family. [ 3 ] Alcester and Bletsoe (in Bedfordshire) were later acquired by the Powick branch. [ 4 ] The title Baron Beauchamp "of Kidderminster " was acquired by the Holt branch
Arms of Beauchamp of Hatch: Vair
Arms of Beauchamp of Elmley Castle , Earls of Warwick: Gules, a fesse between six cross crosslets or
Arms of Beauchamp of Bletsoe and Powicke: Gules, a fess between six martlets or
Arms of Beauchamp of Holt: Gules, a fess between six billets or
Arms of Seymour: Gules, two wings conjoined in lure or
Arms of Lygon: Argent, two lions passant double-queued gules