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Brownlie History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Brownlie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

An ancient Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first to use the name Brownlie. They lived in either of two settlements called Brownlee in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.

Early Origins of the Brownlie family

The surname Brownlie was first found in Scotland where "Wedow" Brounlees was tenant on lands under Newbotle Abbey in 1563. Later, "Gavin Brwnelie was heir to James Brwnelie in Kinpuntmyln, 1608 and Issobell Brounleis was tenant on lands of Kelso Abbey in 1567. Janet Brownlee or Brownlees is recorded in Ersiltoune, 1653, John Brounllyes in Chappell, 1659, and James Brounleyis there in 1661. Nathaniel Brounlie in Mauldslie, 1685, and John Brounlie in Toun of Belsraine, parish of Carluke, 1624, and five more are recorded in Lanark Commissariot Record. " 1

In England, Robert de Browlegh was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1310 and later, Cuthbert Brownles was a Freeman of York in 1485. This branch is from Brownlee, in Scotland, meaning "'dweller at the brown clearing" 2

Early History of the Brownlie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brownlie research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1553, 1560, 1567, 1583, 1591, 1606, 1637, 1638, 1886 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Brownlie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brownlie Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Brownlie has been spelled Brownlee, Brownlea, Brownlie, Brownlees, Brownley, Brownlow, Brownless, Brownlee, Brunlee, Brunlees, Brownleis, Brounley and many more.

Early Notables of the Brownlie family

Notable among the family at this time was Richard Brownlow (1553-1638), chief prothonotary of the court of common pleas, the son of John Brownlow of High Holborn, by a daughter of Sir John Zouch of Stoughton Grange, Leicestershire. "He was born 2 April 1553, and baptised 12 April at St. Andrew's, Holborn. In 1583 he was entered at the Inner Temple, and was treasurer of that society in 1606. On 9 Oct. 1591 he was made chief prothonotary of the court of common pleas, which office he continued to hold until his death, deriving from it an annual profit of...
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brownlie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brownlie family to Ireland

Some of the Brownlie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brownlie migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Brownlie Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Luke Brownlie, who settled in Virginia in 1639

Brownlie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Brownlie, aged 36, who arrived in New York in 1775 3

Brownlie 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:

Brownlie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Brownlie, Scottish settler from Glasgow travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 4
Mrs. Brownlie, Scottish settler from Glasgow with 2 sons travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 4
Miss Brownlie, Scottish settler from Glasgow travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 27th April 1860 4
Mr. William Brownlie, Scottish settler travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Sir William Eyre" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand in April 1863 4
James Henry Brownlie, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brownlie (post 1700) +

Noreen Brownlie (b. 1949), American writer
John Brownlie (b. 1952), Scottish football player
Jimmy Brownlie (1885-1973), Scottish football player
Royce Brownlie (b. 1980), Australian football player
Maurice Brownlie (1897-1957), New Zealand rugby union footballer
Sir Ian Brownlie CBE, QC, FBA (1932-2010), British barrister, specialising in international law
Cyril Brownlie (1895-1954), New Zealand rugby union footballer
Albert Brownlie, New Zealand Economist
Mr. George Brownlie Prentice B.E.M., British Welfare Officer for Edinburgh at Lothians and Borders Branch for RAF Association, was appointed Medallist of the British Empire Medal 29th December 2018 for voluntary service to ex-Service Personnel and to the community in Coldingham, Berwick 5

Historic Events for the Brownlie family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Thomas Brownlie, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Freeport, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 6
Mrs. Margaret Brownlie, (née McKennon), English 2nd Class passenger residing in Freeport, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 6

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/