Bowdry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Bowdry is derived from "bow-dry, the bad or nasty dwelling; but the last syllable may be from dreath, draith, gravel, sand. Baudree was the name of a French Protestant family, and would seem to be from Baldric." 1 2

Another source claims the name is derived from the Old German name Balric, meaning "bold rule," common in the French forms Baldri, Baudri. 3

Another source presumes the name to be of Norman origin as "the Haia or Castle of Baldry is mentioned in Normandy, 1180, as is Anchetil Baldrie (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae)." 4

Early Origins of the Bowdry family

The surname Bowdry was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the ancient Latin form of the name Baldric was found. Hugo filius Baldrici was also found in the same source. 5 Another early Latin entry for the family was Baldricus who was listed at Holme, now known as Holme-next-the-Sea in Norfolk in a rolls that included entries from 1127-1154. Frequently seen as a forename and surname at this time, Baldri de Grendal was listed at Lincolnshire and Baudricus de Lawdecote was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Surrey in 1208. William Baldri was one of the famed Knights Templar in Hertfordshire in 1185. 3

Baldricus de Noneton was recorded Henry III-Edward I (during the reigns of Henry III to Edward I.) 6

In Wiltshire, Aluredus Balriht was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1197 and in Oxfordshire, we found Henry Belrich there in the Pipe Rolls of 1203. In Suffolk, Alexander Baudri was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205. Again, in Oxfordshire, we found Richard Balrich at Oseney in 1238. Worcestershire records show Walter Balrich in the Subsidy Rolls of 1275. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has two entries for the family, both in Huntingdonshire: Edward Baldri; and Matilda Baldri. 2 In Somerset, early records there show Alicia Balrich and Matylda Baldry, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of Edward III.) 7

We found this interesting early quote: "A power next to the king's was possessed, from the days of Centwine, in the southern parts of Wessex, by a king or sub-king Baldred, whose influence and importance . . . are rendered more manifest by the circumstance that the Welsh assign to a prince of Devon and Cornwall, living at the time, the Saxon name of Baldric.-Lappenberg-Thorpe, Anglo-Saxon Kings." 8

"The Baldrys of Ipswich possess a very ancient Suffolk name, which was well known in Ipswich and Stowmarket in the 15th and 16th centuries: some of the name served as bailiffs or mayors of Ipswich in the reigns of Henry VI. and Henry VIII. " 9

Early History of the Bowdry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowdry research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1097, 1481, 1500, 1504, 1510, 1512, 1515, 1523, 1525, 1595, 1600, 1665, 1754, 1780, 1783, 1785, 1793, 1794, 1810, 1818 and 1828 are included under the topic Early Bowdry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowdry Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Bowdry has undergone many spelling variations, including Bawdry, Bawdrie, Baudrie, Baudry, Bordery, Bawdery, Bauderie, Bawdrey, Baudrey and many more.

Early Notables of the Bowdry family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Thomas Baldry (c. 1481-1525) of Ipswich, Suffolk, an English politician. He was the son of Thomas Baldry (d.1500) of Ipswich and brother of Thomas Baldry, Mayor of London for 1523. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich in 1504, 1512 and 1515.Joshua Kirby Baldrey (1754-1828), was an English engraver and draftsman, practised both in London and Cambridge between 1780 and 1810, working both in the chalk and dot manners. Many of his works were printed in colours. He exhibited portraits at the Royal Academy in 1793 and 1794. Among his best works...
Another 106 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bowdry Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bowdry family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bowdry were among those contributors: Armand Baudry, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1922; Georges Baudry, aged 30, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1895; and L. Baudry, aged 34, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1892..

Contemporary Notables of the name Bowdry (post 1700) +

Paschal J. Bowdry, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Fort Worth, Texas, 1873-74 10

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html