Brisbland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Originally, Brisbland was a nickname for a person who had sustained a broken bone. This surname derived from the Old French word, briser, which means to break, and the Old English word, bàn, which means bone. 1 This was also a nickname, given to a person who was often involved in fights, which resulted in the breaking of bones. Members of the Brisbland family were found in the county of Renfrew (now part of the Strathclyde region), in Scotland, where the family can trace its origin to shortly after the Norman Conquest, in 1066.

Alternatively, the name could have derived from "a place where courts were held; brys, a trial at law, and bann, a mount; breasban, the royal mount. The family of Brisbane is of considerable antiquity; the present descendants are in possession of an elbow chair made of oak, having the family arms, with the date 1357 carved on the back." 2

Early Origins of the Brisbland family

The surname Brisbland was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland.

"Probably the first of the name in Scotland was William Brisbone, whose name appears on a list of archers sent from Berwick to Roxburgh in 1298. Thomas Brisbane or de Birsbane had a charter in Aberdeenshire from Robert I. Alanus dictus Brisbane filius quondam Willelmi Brisbane shortly after 1334 obtained a grant from Donald, earl of Lennox of the land called Mucherach in the earldom of Levenax and of the land called Holmedalmartyne (Levenax, p. 61). In 1358 there is entry of a payment to Alexander Brysban (ER., I, p. 549), and in 1376 Herthornhill was leased to Thomas Brisbane (RHM., I, p. lxvii). Alan Brysban witnessed a charter of the lands of Ballebrochyr and Lechard, c. 1390-1400 (Lennox, II, p. 52). Another Thomas Brysbane, dominus de Latheris, in 1415 witnessed the charter of the barony of Cowie to William de Haya de Erole (SCM., II, p. 321), and in 1417 was present at a perambulation of the lands of Tarwas and Wldny (Udny) (RAA., II, 53). James Birsbane was proprietor of the lands of Reise and Akirgyll in Caithness, 1498 (Laing, 235). The surname is found in Aberdeen in 1401 (CRA., p. 382), in Perth, 1409 (REB., I, 26; II, 16), and in Edinburgh from 1610 onwards as Brisbain, Brisbaine, and Brisben (Edinb. Marr.). The Brisbanes of Bishoptoun acquired the lands of Killincraig and Goga in the parish of Largs, c. 1400. By a Crown charter, dated 1695, the estate was erected into the barony of Brisbane (Ayr Fam., I, p. 136), which thenceforth became the usual territorial designation of the family, 'Brisbane of Brisbane.' Alexander Bisbane, burgess of Dundee, 1674 (Brechin) was doubtless a Brisbane, and so likewise Agnes Bursbean in Colhowis of Dennie, 1622. 1

"In 1332, William Brisbane was Chancellor of Scotland." 3

Today Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland is pronounced "Brisbin." The city is named for the Brisbane River, which is in turn named for Sir Thomas Brisbane (1773-1860), the Scottish-born, 6th Governor of New South Wales at the time of the city's founding.

Early History of the Brisbland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brisbland research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1332, 1706, 1750, 1758, 1766, 1769, 1773, 1774, 1776, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1787, 1789, 1790, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1801, 1807, 1812, 1826, 1829 and 1860 are included under the topic Early Brisbland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brisbland Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Brisbland has appeared in various documents spelled Brisbane, Brisbine, Birsbain, Birsbaine, Brisblane, Birsben, Brisbin, Birsban and many more.

Early Notables of the Brisbland family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Margaret Brisbane, 5th Lady Napier (died 1706), née Napier, a Scottish peer.Sir Charles Brisbane (1769?-1829), rear-admiral, fourth son of Admiral John Brisbane, who died 1807, was in 1779 entered on board the Alcide, commanded by his father, was present at the defeat of the Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent, and the relief of Gibraltar in January 1780, and afterwards in the West Indies. In the end of 1781 he was placed on board the Hercules with Captain Savage, and was present in the action of Dominica, 12 April 1782, where he was...
Another 595 words (42 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brisbland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brisbland family

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Brisbland, or a variant listed above: Margaret Brisben arrived in Maryland in 1664; John Brisban arrived in New York in 1819; Mrs. Brisbane with two children who landed in New Orleans in 1822..

The Brisbland 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: Certamine summo
Motto Translation: In the battle's height.

Citations +

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)
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.