Bowrement History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient name of Bowrement finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a person who was the official bowerman, which means the servant who attended to the room of the bower. 1 2

Early Origins of the Bowrement family

The surname Bowrement was first found in Yorkshire where William Bureman was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1204. Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for Robert Boreman in Oxfordshire at that time. And later again, William Bourman was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. In the same year, Walter Burman was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire. 1

Another source notes that the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also includes Gilbert Burman in Oxfordshire; and Isabella Bureman in Essex. 2

Back in Yorkshire, Alice Bourwyman was found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1301 1 and Johannes Boureman was listed as holding lands in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

Further north in Scotland, "A barrowman is defined in the Dictionary of the Old Scottish Tongue as 'one who helps to carry a hand-barrow.' The name is spelled Barraman in Workman's MS. William Barrowman or Baroumane had a charter of the lands of Fortrie in the sheriffdom of Banff from David II (RMS., I, App. II, 1033. In the British Museum his name is spelled Borrowman)." 3

Reaney quotes Black's entry and adds "There can be no doubt that this is a late variant of Burowman." 1 The family coats of arms was recorded in Devonshire and Wiltshire, but no date is given. 4

Early History of the Bowrement family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowrement research. Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1506, 1572, 1590, 1627, 1631, 1632, 1633, 1634, 1635, 1660 and 1675 are included under the topic Early Bowrement History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowrement Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bowrement family name include Bowerman, Bowreman, Bureman, Bourman, Burman and others.

Early Notables of the Bowrement family

Distinguished members of the family include William Bowerman (died c. 1590) of Wells, Somerset, an English politician. He was Member of Parliament for Wells in 1572. Robert Boreman or Bourman (d. 1675), was an English Royalist divine, a member of a family which came originally from the Isle of Wight, and brother of Sir William Bourman, clerk of the green cloth to King Charles II. "He received his education at Westminster School, whence he was elected in...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bowrement Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bowrement family to Ireland

Some of the Bowrement family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bowrement family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bowrement surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Henry Bowerman who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1804; John Bowerman arrived in San Francisco in 1850.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Burke, Sir Bernard, C.B. LL.D The General Armory of England Scotland, Ireland and Wales. London: Harrison, 59, Pall Mall, 1884, Print.