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In French, it is transliterated beaumont. In fact, the English is transliterated from the French. In high German it is Montbadden. Originally the name was singular, as in Beaumont and Montbadden. It was rendered Fayerbanke, and several other spellings, as the names had not yet been standardized. For our purposes, we will begin with Robert de Beaumont, who came across the English Channel in the Norman Invasion of 1066 with William the Conquerer. Robert was a nobleman of great stature, and enjoyed status and prestige in the Norman Kingdom as did his family in this and the subsequent Plantagenet Dynasty. The Plantagenet Dynasty lasted from Henry II to Edward, who was overthrown by a conspiracy. In the ensuing battles for supremacy among the contenders to the throne, the Beaumont family refused to support any other than the legitimate heir, but Henry Tudor won and established himself as king. Because of the presence of many of like mind as the Beaumonts in Parliament, Henry VII was forced to rule frugally, in order not to have to ask Parliament for additional funding, because he knew they would circumscribe his powers. During this period of time, William took the transliterated name Fairbanks to provide cover for his family, and to protect them from retribution from King Henry VII. So our first encounter with the name Fairbanks happens in 1492, when William "took land of the soil and waste of the Lord, in Sowerby, to hold according to the custom of the manor." (8th Henry VII) We know that William was a nobleman because of his taking land, a thing prohibited to the commoner. In 1504 he transferred land to his son John. Land transfers in 1526 and 1550 name Gilbert as a son of John.
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