| ![Show Contents]() Borsay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Borsay arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Borsay 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 Borsay familyThe surname Borsay 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 Borsay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borsay research. Another 293 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1084, 1165, 1185 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Borsay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Borsay Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Bursey, Burcey, Bursie, Boursey, Borsey, Bourcey, Borsie and many more. Early Notables of the Borsay familyMore information is included under the topic Early Borsay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Borsay familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Borsay or a variant listed above were: Richard Bursey, who settled in Maryland in 1742; and Catherine Bursy, who arrived in America in 1752.
- 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)
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