Burcy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Burcy reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Burcy 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 Burcy family

The surname Burcy 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 Burcy family

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

Burcy Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Burcy family name include Bursey, Burcey, Bursie, Boursey, Borsey, Bourcey, Borsie and many more.

Early Notables of the Burcy family

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

Migration of the Burcy family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Burcy family to immigrate North America: Richard Bursey, who settled in Maryland in 1742; and Catherine Bursy, who arrived in America in 1752.

Contemporary Notables of the name Burcy (post 1700) +

Pierre Auguste François de Burcy, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 4

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)
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Pierre Burcy. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html