Contents [hide]

Bowring History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Bowring History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished surname Bowring emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. Occupational surnames were derived from the common trades of the medieval era. The surname Bowring is an occupational name for a chamber-servant. The surname Bowring is derived from buring, which is a derivative of the Old English word bur, which means cottage, chamber, or bower. 1 The name may also be a local surname applied to someone who lived at such a cottage or chamber.

Alternatively, it could have originated in Beaurain, near Cambrai, Flanders as Wybert de Beaurain was later listed occurs in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae (1180-1198) in Normandy. 2

Occasionally, Bowring is a patronymic surname derived from the Flemish personal name Beauring.

Early Origins of the Bowring family

The surname Bowring was first found in Somerset where Walter Bowryng is considered to be one of the first records of the family. He was listed there as holding lands 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of Edward III.) 3

Another source notes another early record of the family in Cheshire, Henry Bourying as holding lands there in 1302. The same source notes Walter Bowryng in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327. 4 This could indeed be the same as the aforementioned.

In Devon, "Bowringsleigh was the property and residence of the ancient family of Bowring." 5 It is noted that the family were lords of the manor from about 1330 to the early sixteenth century. By example, Thomas Bowring (c.1440-1504), the English-born lawyer and judge who was Lord Chief Justice of Ireland held an estate near West Alvington, Devon and also acquired lands in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Like many Newfoundlanders from Devon, the famed Benjamin Bowring (1788-1846) moved to St. John's, Newfoundland in 1811 and founded Bowring Brothers Ltd. (Bowring) which later became one of the most prestigious group of Canadian retail stores.

Early History of the Bowring family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowring research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1327, 1516, 1778 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Bowring History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowring Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Bowering, Bowring, Bawering, Bawring, Bowerin, Bowrin, Boweren, Bowerring, Bourring and many more.

Early Notables of the Bowring family

Prominent in the family at this time was

Benjamin Bowring (1778-1846), an English watchmaker, jeweller, and businessman...
He established Bowring Brothers, one the largest steamship companies in Newfoundland at that time and founded the Bowring line of retail stores...

Bowring migration to the United States +

An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Bowring:

Bowring Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Bowring, who settled in Maryland in 1719

Bowring migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bowring Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Benjamin Bowring, an English clockmaker from Devon, England, settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1811 and founded Bowring Brothers Ltd in St. John's Newfoundland which at one time had over 100 gift shops in shopping malls across Canada and the US 6

Bowring migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bowring Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Thomas Bowring, British convict from Jersey, who was transported aboard the "Agincourt" on July 6, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7

Bowring 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:

Bowring Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alfred Bowring, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gypsy" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th October 1856 8
Mrs. Elizabeth Bowring, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gypsy" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th October 1856 8
Child Bowring, British settler born aboard the ship "Gypsy" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th October 1856 8
Mr. John Bowring, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th January 1858 9
Mrs. Louisa Bowring, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "William Watson" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th January 1858 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Bowring (post 1700) +

Eva Bowring (1892-1985), Nebraska politician
Eva Kelly Bowring (1892-1985), American Republican politician, U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 1954; Speaker, Republican National Convention, 1956 10
Benjamin Bowring (1778-1846), English watchmaker, jeweller, and businessman, founder of Bowring Brothers, in 1811
Charles R Bowring (1840-1890), English merchant, politician, manager of Bowring Brothers' operations in St. John's, Newfoundland, grandson of Benjamin Bowring
William Bowring (1874-1945), Newfoundland-born, West Indian cricketer
Sir John Bowring KCB (1792-1872), British diplomat, linguist, and writer, 4th Governor of Hong Kong (1854 to 1859) 11
Kevin Bowring, Welsh former rugby union player and coach
Edgar Alfred Bowring (1826-1911), British translator and author

Historic Events for the Bowring family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Sidney Bowring (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 12

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Charles Warren Bowring, English 1st Class Passenger returning from New York, New York, USA going to Liverpool, England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 13

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Agincourt voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 226 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agincourt/1844
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/