Bearse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Bearse is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Bearse family lived in Wiltshire. The family name comes from a place in Normandy called Burcy, in the arrondisement of Vire, Canton of Vassy, Normandy. 1 In Devon, the name was often spelt Birhsie, having derived from the Old English word Beorhtsige. 2

Early Origins of the Bearse family

The surname Bearse was first found in Wiltshire where Serlo de Burci held lands in 1084. 2 Later, after the Norman Conquest, the Domesday Book of 1086 lists Serle Borci as holding lands in Somerset. 3 Still in Somerset, almost one hundred years later, Hugo de Burci was a Knights Templar in 1185. In Herefordshire, Rannulf Bursi was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195 and in Norfolk, Hugh Bursey was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275. 2

Early History of the Bearse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bearse research. Another 293 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1084, 1165, 1185 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Bearse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bearse Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Bursey, Burcey, Bursie, Boursey, Borsey, Bourcey, Borsie and many more.

Early Notables of the Bearse family

More information is included under the topic Early Bearse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bearse migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bearse or a variant listed above:

Bearse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. S Bearse, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Bearse (post 1700) +

Fred A. Bearse, American Republican politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Fifth Hampden District, 1905 5

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html