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

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The name Burdon was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. It comes from the Norman personal name Burdo, which is thought to be of Germanic origin.

Alternatively, the name was derived from a "bourdon, a palmer's staff, which, with his scrip, always received a solemn benediction from the priest before he set out on his journey." 1

"This name, no doubt given or assumed in memory of some pilgrimage, was common both in Normandy and England. During the latter half of the twelfth century it occurs several times in the Exchequer Rolls of the Duchy; and William Burdon, according to Duchesne, held of the Honour of Grentemesnil. Four Bourdons-Bourdon de Gramont du Lys, Bourdon du Lys, Bourdon du Quesnay, and Bourdon de Pommeret-were present in the Assembly of the Norman nobles in 1789." 2

In the co. Durham we find the family seated very soon after the Conquest. Roger Burdon witnesses a deed in Bishop Flambard's time (1099-1133); and Elfer and Amfrid de Birdan appear in the Domesday of the North, the "Bolden Buke" compiled between 1153 and 1194. The name is retained by two villages in the Parish of Bishop-Wearmouth, East and West Burdon (otherwise Old Burdon and Towne Burdon), and was frequent in the county. In 1320 Hugh Burdon of Ivesley-Burdon left Agnes his daughter and heir. 2

The family is found in many different parts of the country. Arnulph Burdon held a mansion in Winchester, 1148 (Winton Domesday): and Robert Burdon was Lord of Kingsteignton, Devon, temp. Richard I. (Pole's Devon). Burdon, near High Hampton, retains the name in the county. Robert Burdon was of Yorkshire, in 1255 (Roberts, Excerpta): and at about the same date, or a little later, Roger Burdon of Burdon's Hall, Boscomb, occurs in Wiltshire. 2

Early Origins of the Burdon family

The surname Burdon was first found in Essex where they were granted lands by King William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings. Baron Burden appears in the Role of Battel Abbey and the Domesday Book as holding lands held by the Count of Mortain and leased to Richard de Surdeval.

Burdon and Great Burdon are townships in Durham. "The ancient family of Burdon, of knightly dignity, derived their name from this place; which also gave name to a local family, who, however, never passed the rank of yeomanry." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included a variety of early spellings for the family: Nicholas de Burdon, Wiltshire; Lucya de Burdune, Devon; and Thomas Burdon, Yorkshire. 4

Other early rolls list Ralph Burdun in Norfolf (1128-1129) and Ilger Burdun in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1166. Arnulf Burdin was found in Winton, Hampshire in 1115 and Bruni Burdin was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Berkshire in 1180. Nicholas Burbein or Burdon was found in Warwickshire in 1242. 5

Up in Scotland, the name was "probably from the place now called Burdon in the county of Durham, where a family of the name are found shortly after the Norman Conquest. Thomas Burdun witnessed a charter by Ebrardus de Penkathleht to the church of St. Cuthbert of Durham in the reign of William the Lion. William de Bourdon witnessed a charter of Alexander 11 to Hugh de Abernethy, c. 1245. de Burdon witnessed a charter of Sir Ralph Noble of half the lands of Kenpunt to David Graham. Sir William Burdone swore fealty in 1291, and in 1296 Rogier de Burghdone of Blakeder in Berwickshire and Wautier de Burghdone of Roxburghshire rendered homage. The seal of the latter bears the legend S' Walteri de Bvrdvn." 6

Early History of the Burdon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burdon research. Another 341 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1115, 1128, 1166, 1180, 1217, 1273, 1337, 1357, 1467, 1497, 1574, 1597, 1758, 1764, 1782, 1786, 1788, 1797, 1798, 1806, 1808, 1817 and 1818 are included under the topic Early Burdon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burdon Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Burdon family name include Burdon, Burden, Bourden, Bourdon, Birden, Berden, Burdin, Burdin, Burdun, Burdon, Burdune, Burghdone, Burdoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Burdon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • William Burdon (1764-1818), English miscellaneous writer, born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and was educated at the free grammar school there, proceeded to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1782, and graduate...

Ireland Migration of the Burdon family to Ireland

Some of the Burdon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Burdon migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Burdon family to immigrate North America:

Burdon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Burdon, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 7
  • Thomas Burdon, who landed in Maryland in 1663 7
Burdon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hannah Burdon, who settled in Virginia in 1774
Burdon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Burdon, who settled in New York State in 1821

Australia Burdon migration to Australia +

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

Burdon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Burdon, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Julia Burdon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bussorah Merchant" in 1848 9
  • John Burdon, aged 43, a shoemaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 10
  • Robert Burdon, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Aliquis"
  • Mr. Arthur Henry Burdon, (b. 1870), aged 21, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Roma" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 22nd December 1891 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Burdon (post 1700) +

  • Hugh E. Burdon, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Ocean Falls, 1926 12
  • William Burdon (1764-1818), English miscellaneous writer, born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1764 13
  • Eric Victor Burdon (b. 1941), English lead singer of "The Animals" and later of "War"
  • Chris Burdon, British sound engineer, who earned an Academy Award winner in the category Best Sound for the film Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
  • Richard Burdon Haldane KT, OM, PC, KC, FRS, FBA, FSA (1856-1928), 1st Viscount Haldane, Lord Chancellor and 'Father of the Territorial Army'
  • Lieutenant George Burdon McKean (1888-1926), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross during the First World War 14
RMS Lusitania
  • Master Robert P. Burdon, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 15 15
  • Mrs. Ellen Burdon, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 15 15
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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)
  7. 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)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUSSORAH MERCHANT 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848BussorahMerchant.htm
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The EMILY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Emily.htm
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  13. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019
  14. George McKean. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) George McKean. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Burdon_McKean
  15. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
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