Bottrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Bottrey arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bottrey family lived in Cornwall. The family name originated in the village of Bottereaux, Normandy. Up until the 12th century, the name was frequently listed as De Boterillis but the family bore the same Arms. One of the first records of the name was Geoffry Boterel, brother of Alan, Count of Pentievre as listed in 1080. His son Hamon was father to William Botterill again mentioned in England in 1130. This William married Alice, a co-heir of Robert Corbet and through the family the Earl of Cornwall was descended.

Early Origins of the Bottrey family

The surname Bottrey was first found in Cornwall. However, there is records of Aston Botterell, which is a village and small civil parish in Shropshire, and according to the 2001 census it had a population of 74. During the reign of Henry III, it held the rank of a market town.

"This place derives the adjunct to its name from the family of Botterell, by whom the manor was held under the earls of Arundel in the reign of Henry III." 1 The manor at that time belonging to the family of the Botterells.

The parish of Minster in Cornwall is of some early significance to the family. "This parish, which is situated on the shore of the Bristol Channel, and includes a portion of the small sea-port of Boscastle, was distinguished for a castle built by the family of Bottreaux in the reign of Henry I., of which nothing but the site remains." 1

Continuing, "in the grounds of Worthyvale is a stone bearing some rudely-sculptured characters, brought from Slaughter Bridge, in the neighbourhood, and supposed to commemorate a battle fought near that place, in 525, between the Britons and the Saxons, in which King Arthur is said to have been mortally wounded." 1

"Reginald gave [the manor of ] Penheale [in the parish of Egloskerry, Cornwall] to William Botterell or Bottreaux, the husband of his aunt Alice Corbet ; and it was afterwards confirmed by him to William Botterell the son, who in 1199 gave a fine of 300 marks and two goshawks for livery of this manor and others in Cornwall. " 2

"The estate of Trevethow, [in the parish of Lelant, Cornwall] which is sometimes called the manor of Lelant and Trevethow, belonged at a very early period to the ancient family of Bottreaux; after which it became successively the property of Godolphin and Praed." 2

In Devon, "Molland, or Molland Bottreaux, had a dominant position in the hundreds of North Molton, Braunton, and Bampton. Before the Conquest it belonged to Harold, and it passed to William. Shortly after the Conquest it came to the Bottreauxs, whence its second name, and continued in that ancient house until the reign of Henry VI. The church was given by William de Bottreaux to Hartland Abbey. " 3

Early History of the Bottrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bottrey research. Another 323 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1104, 1115, 1120, 1130, 1147, 1155, 1158, 1164, 1193, 1197, 1198, 1203, 1273, 1277, 1302, 1337, 1367, 1389, 1391, 1395, 1415, 1462, 1500, 1643 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Bottrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bottrey Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Botterill, Bottreaux, Boterel, Boterell, Botterell, Botereus and many more.

Early Notables of the Bottrey family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Boterell, a prominent 13th century landholder in Shropshire; William de Botreaux (1337-1391), 1st Baron Botreaux, a prominent English West-Country baron; William...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bottrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bottrey family to Ireland

Some of the Bottrey 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.

Migration of the Bottrey family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bottrey or a variant listed above: John Botterill, who arrived in Ontario in 1846.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital