Boarer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Boarer. It is a name for someone who works 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 Boarer family

The surname Boarer 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 Boarer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boarer 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 Boarer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boarer Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Boarer has been spelled Bower, Bowre, Bowyr, Bowers, Bowyer, Beauer and many more.

Early Notables of the Boarer 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 Boarer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boarer family to Ireland

Some of the Boarer 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.

Boarer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Boarer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Boarer, aged 27, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1874
Lydia Boarer, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1874

The Boarer Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ad metam
Motto Translation: To the mark.