Show ContentsBuresh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Buresh family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Buresh comes from when the family lived near a town or fortress. Bury is an Old English word for town (modern borough) and means therefore at the borough. Bury is a place-name in counties Suffolk, Lancashire and Huntingdonshire, and the name could have been derived from any one of those place-names.

The Burress variant literally means "dweller near a stronghold or fortified place." 1

Henry Bederic or De Bury (fl. 1380), was an early English theologian, was "born at Bury, in Suffolk, from which place he derived his surname." 2

Early Origins of the Buresh family

The surname Buresh was first found in Devon where Geoffrey de la Burg and Richard de la Burg were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls lists Adam de la Bury and Richard de la Bury in Oxfordshire. Years later, William atte Berge and Richard atte Bury were listed as holding lands during the reign of King Edward III (1327 until his death.) 3

Arguably, the name could have had a Norman origin as one reference claims the name was derived from Bourry, near Gisors in Normandy, for it is here that Walbert and Richard de Bouri were listed in the Mangns Rotul. Scaccarii Normanniae in 1198. They are believed to be descended from Eustace de Bouri who was listed there in 1104. 4

Richard de Bury (1287-1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English bishop, writer and bibliophile, born near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Burray is "an island, forming part of the ancient parish of St. Peter, island of South Ronaldshay, South isles of Orkney, Scotland." 5

Early History of the Buresh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buresh research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1287, 1345, 1364, 1430, 1446, 1470, 1472, 1522, 1535, 1571, 1580, 1624, 1644, 1655, 1666, 1667, 1690, 1714, 1715, 1720, 1722 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Buresh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buresh Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Buresh has appeared include Bury, Burye, Burys, Buris, Burri, Burrey, Burry and others.

Early Notables of the Buresh family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bury (fl. 1430-1470), Canon of Windsor from 1446 to 1472; John Bury (died c. 1522), English politician, Member of Parliament for Cambridge; William Bury, a London draper; and his son, John Bury (1535-1571), an English translator; John Bury...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Buresh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Buresh family to Ireland

Some of the Buresh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Buresh family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Buresh arrived in North America very early: William Bury, who settled in New England in 1761; William Bury, who came to Maryland in 1775; and John and Priscilla Bury, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1822 with their four children..


Contemporary Notables of the name Buresh (post 1700) +

  • George F. Buresh, American politician, Farmer-Labor Candidate for U.S. Representative from Iowa 2nd District, 1934; Farmer-Labor Candidate for U.S. Senator from Iowa, 1936, 1938 6


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. 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)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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