Blakbourne History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Blakbourne belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the town of Blackburn in the county of Lancashire. This place-name is derived from the Old English word burn, meaning stream, and referred to a stream in a dark area, or where the water was muddy. 1

Early Origins of the Blakbourne family

The surname Blakbourne was first found in Lancashire at Blackburn, a parish, and the head of a union, in the Lower division of the hundred of Blackburn. "This place takes its name from a small rivulet near the town, which, from the turbid state of the water, was anciently called Blakeburn, or "the yellow bourne." A castle is said to have been built here, probably by the Romans, which, after their departure from the island, was occupied successively by the Britons and the Saxons; but there are no vestiges of it, nor can even its site be distinctly ascertained. Blackburn was formerly the capital of a district called Blackburnshire." 2

The earliest record of the family was Henry de Blackeburn who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1206. 3

Early records of one branch of the family were found in Garston, Lancashire. "Robert de Blackburn held Garston for nearly forty years, dying about the year 1354; his wife Ellen is mentioned in 1332. He acquired various portions of land from the minor owners. Robert de Blackburn was succeeded by his eldest son John, who even before his father's death seems to have taken an active part in managing the estate. (fn. 35) He was lord of the manor for about fifty years, dying on 8 January, 1404-5, and during this long period seems to have been constantly acquiring fresh portions of land." 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Willelmus de Blakburn; Cristoforus de Blakeburn; and Johannes de Blakburn. A few years later, John de Blakeburne was listed in the Preston Guild Rolls of 1397. 5

Further to the north in Scotland, the name was derived from "one or other of several small places so named. Willelmus de Blakeburne was witness in 1243 to the ratification of the gift of the church of Lescelyn to Lundors. Robert de Blakeburne of Berwickshire rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England]. William de Blakburne appears as Abbot of Cambuskenneth, 1394. 6

Early History of the Blakbourne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blakbourne research. Another 152 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1243, 1296, 1501, 1652, 1658, 1669, 1683, 1690, 1700, 1705, 1741, 1743 and 1786 are included under the topic Early Blakbourne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blakbourne Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Blakbourne include Blackburn, Blackbyrn, Blackbirn, Blackburne, Blackborn, Blagburn, Blackbyrne and many more.

Early Notables of the Blakbourne family

Distinguished members of the family include Lancelot Blackburne (sometimes Blackburn or Blackbourne), (1658-1743), an English clergyman, who became Archbishop of York, and some believe to have been a pirate. He was the son of Richard Blackburne of London, whom the archbishop claimed to have been connected with the Blackburnes of Marricke Abbey. "Archbishop Blackburne was gay and witty. His enemies repeated the story that he acted as chaplain on board one of the ships engaged in buccaneering, and that he shared the booty, the joke running that one of the buccaneers on his arrival in England asked what had become of...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Blakbourne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Blakbourne family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Blakbourne were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Daniel Blackburn who settled in Virginia in the year 1640; James Blackburn settled in Virginia in 1624; Stewart Blackborn arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1857.

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
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)