Bure Surname History

Origins Available:
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Scotland
Ireland

Bure is an ancient Strathclyde-Briton name for a person who worked as a maker of bows. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word bower, which means bow maker.

Early Origins of the Bure family

The surname Bure was first found in Peeblesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd nam Pùballan), former county in South-central Scotland, in the present day Scottish Borders Council Area, where they held a family seat in the old manor of Bower in the parish of Drummelzier.

One of the first records of the family was "Lorence atte Bure of the county of Peebles, and William Oftherebure of the county of Roxburgh [who] rendered homage [to King Edward I of England] in 1296." 1

Early History of the Bure family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bure research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1317, 1387, 1449, 1479, 1489, 1615, 1664, 1671, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1689, 1702, 1705, 1706, 1718 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Bure History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bure Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Bure has appeared as Bower, Bowre, Bowyr, Bowers, Bowyer, Beauer and many more.

Early Notables of the Bure family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Walter Bower or Bowmaker (d. 1449), Abbot of Inchcolm, reputed continuator of Fordun's 'Chronica Gentis Scotorum,' as it appears in the volume generally known as the 'Scotichronicon.' Archibald Bower (1686-1766), was a Scottish author of the 'History of the Popes,' born on 17 Jan. 1685 at or near Dundee; according to his own account, he was descended from an ancient family which had been for several hundred years possessed of an estate in the county of Angus in Scotland. In 1702 he was sent to the Scotch college at Douay; afterwards proceeded to Rome...
Another 114 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bure Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bure family to Ireland

Some of the Bure family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bure migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Bure Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Lars Bure, who landed in Delaware in 1693 2

Bure Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Bure, who arrived in North America in 1783

Bure Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Bure, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1827

Bure migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bure Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Marie Bure, who settled in Quebec in 1665

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)