Bawerham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Bawerham comes from when its first bearer worked as a person who was the official bowerman, which means the servant who attended to the room of the bower. 1 2

Early Origins of the Bawerham family

The surname Bawerham was first found in Yorkshire where William Bureman was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1204. Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for Robert Boreman in Oxfordshire at that time. And later again, William Bourman was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. In the same year, Walter Burman was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire. 1

Another source notes that the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also includes Gilbert Burman in Oxfordshire; and Isabella Bureman in Essex. 2

Back in Yorkshire, Alice Bourwyman was found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1301 1 and Johannes Boureman was listed as holding lands in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

Further north in Scotland, "A barrowman is defined in the Dictionary of the Old Scottish Tongue as 'one who helps to carry a hand-barrow.' The name is spelled Barraman in Workman's MS. William Barrowman or Baroumane had a charter of the lands of Fortrie in the sheriffdom of Banff from David II (RMS., I, App. II, 1033. In the British Museum his name is spelled Borrowman)." 3

Reaney quotes Black's entry and adds "There can be no doubt that this is a late variant of Burowman." 1 The family coats of arms was recorded in Devonshire and Wiltshire, but no date is given. 4

Early History of the Bawerham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bawerham research. Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1506, 1572, 1590, 1627, 1631, 1632, 1633, 1634, 1635, 1660 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Bawerham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bawerham Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bawerham include Bowerman, Bowreman, Bureman, Bourman, Burman and others.

Early Notables of the Bawerham family

Distinguished members of the family include William Bowerman (died c. 1590) of Wells, Somerset, an English politician. He was Member of Parliament for Wells in 1572. Robert Boreman or Bourman (d. 1675), was an English Royalist divine, a member of a family which came originally from the Isle of Wight, and brother of Sir William Bourman, clerk of the green cloth to King Charles II. "He received his education at Westminster School, whence he was elected in...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bawerham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bawerham family to Ireland

Some of the Bawerham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 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 Bawerham family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bawerham or a variant listed above: Henry Bowerman who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1804; John Bowerman arrived in San Francisco in 1850.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D The General Armory of England Scotland, Ireland and Wales. London: Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, 1884, Print.