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Show ContentsBrownrig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The rich saga of the Brownrig family begins in ancient Scotland among the clans of the Boernician tribe. They lived in or near one of the towns called Brownrigg, or Brownridge, in England. This surname comes from the Old English words brùn and hrycg, which mean brown and ridge, respectively. This surname was most commonly found in Yorkshire, however, the places called Brownrigg were found in Cumberland. This indicates that the bearer's of the surname Brownrig possibly moved from Cumberland to Yorkshire at some point.

Early Origins of the Brownrig family

The surname Brownrig was first found in East Lothian, where they held a family seat from very early times. "The lands of Alanshaw had as one boundary Burnerig (now Brounrig) in the time of Alan the Steward. " 1

Early History of the Brownrig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brownrig research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1089, 1592, 1642 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Brownrig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brownrig Spelling Variations

In the many years before the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries, names and other words were spelled according to sound, often differently with each person who wrote them. Spelling variations of Brownrig include Brownrigg, Brownridge, Burnrig, Brownrig and others.

Early Notables of the Brownrig family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Ralph Brownrigg or Brownrig (1592-1659), Bishop of Exeter (1642 to 1659), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge

Ireland Migration of the Brownrig family to Ireland

Some of the Brownrig 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 Brownrig family

In many cases, the ancestors of many of these Boernician-Scottish people are just now learning of their Scottish heritage. Since the trip was so arduous, and many were fleeing from poverty itself, settlers brought little with them and often had nothing of their personal history to hand down to their children. Clan societies and highland games have helped to correct this problem in the 20th century. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Brownrigs to arrive on North American shores: Mathew Brownridge settled in Virginia in 1637.

The Brownrig 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: Virtute et sapientia
Motto Translation: By virtue and wisdom.
  1. 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)
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