Borough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Borough reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Borough family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Borough family lived in Hampshire. The name was given to settlements located near a hill, and is from the Old English beorg, which means hill. It is from one of many English settlements so named that this family take their name. 1

Early Origins of the Borough family

The surname Borough was first found in Hampshire where they were descended from Hubert de Burgh, who became Lord of the Manor of Tichfield in that county.

"Robert de Burgh, Earl of Moreton in Normandy, son of Harlowen de Burgh, by Arlotta, his wife, mother of William the Conqueror, participated with his half-brother in the triumph at Hastings, was created Earl of Cornwall, and received, as a further recompense, grants of seven hundred and ninety-three manors. This potent noble left one son, William Earl of Cornwall, who, rebelling against the first Henry, joined Robert of Normandy, and led the van at the battle of Tenchebray. In this conflict, after displaying great personal valour, he fell into the hands of his opponents and was sent prisoner to England, where he was treated with much cruelty, the king causing his eyes to be put out, and detaining him in captivity for life. " 2

The township of Middleton in Lancashire is of particular historical importance to the family. "In the reign of Henry III., Hubert de Burgh, (c. 1170-1243) Earl of Kent, Lord Chief Justice of England, had a grant of the whole of Wyresdale, with remainder to his heirs: he left two sons, from one of whom descended the Burghs or Borroughs, of Gainsborough; and it is probable that William de Burgh, of Middleton, who died about 1323, was descended also from the chief justice." 3

Again in Lancashire another early record was found: William de Burgh, rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire in 1374. 4

John Borough, Burgh or De Burgo (d. 1386), was an English divine, D.D. of Cambridge and rector of Collingham, Nottinghamshire. 5

"Borough, in Northam [Devon], made ever famous by Kingsley in its association with his Sir Amyas Leigh, was the seat of a family of the same name, which produced at least two very eminent Devonshire seamen Steven and William Borough. Steven Borough, though little known, is entitled to a very honourable place in the list of Devon worthies. Born in 1525, he was master of the largest vessel, the Edward Bonaventure, in Sir Hugh Willoughby's luckless voyage to the Arctic Seas, planned by Cabot, and which would have been an utter failure had not Borough and his comrade, Richard Chancellor, the pilot-major of the fleet, determined to prosecute their voyage after they had been separated from Willoughby by a storm. In 1556, Borough went again to the Northern Seas in a pinnace, to carry forward the intentions of the original expedition, and to find a way by the north-east to Cathay. He made the most remarkable voyage in the annals of Arctic exploration. The little vessel drew only four feet of water. She had for crew only the brothers Borough and eight others; yet she entered the Kara Sea, and reached a point beyond which no navigator went until our own days English, Dutch, and Russian failing each in turn." 6

Early History of the Borough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borough research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1243, 1259, 1271, 1320, 1440, 1465, 1472, 1500, 1525, 1536, 1579, 1584, 1587, 1599, 1600, 1620, 1630, 1634, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1646, 1650, 1660, 1663, 1673, 1677, 1685, 1691, 1692, 1703, 1709, 1713, 1764, 1787 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Borough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borough Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Borough include Burrough, Burgh, Borrows, Burrowes, Burroughs, Burrows, Burroughes and many more.

Early Notables of the Borough family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Benedict Burgh (fl. 1472), English clerk and translator, Rector of Sandon, Essex, in 1440, Archdeacon of Colchester in 1465, a prebendary of St. Paul's in 1472; Stephen Borough (1525-1584), an English...
Stephen's younger brother William Borough (1536-1599), was also an English navigator and author, born at Northam, Devonshire, in 1536. 5
Sir John Borough (d. 1643), was Garter King of Arms, "whose name is often incorrectly written Burroughs, was grandson of William Borough, of Sandwich, Kent." 5

Migration of the Borough family to Ireland

Some of the Borough family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 230 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borough migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Boroughs to arrive on North American shores:

Borough Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Borough, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Borough (post 1700) +

Ruben Borough, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Calhoun County 1st District, 1910
Joseph Borough, American politician, Delegate to Illinois State Constitutional Convention from Madison County, 1818
William Borough (1536-1599), English navigator
Steven Borough (1525-1584), English navigator

The Borough 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: Animo et fide
Motto Translation: By courage and faith.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
'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].
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)