Contents [hide]

Burnet History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Burnet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland
Ireland

Burnet is a name that comes from the noble Boernician clans of the Scottish-English border region. It is a name for a person with brown or dark brown. Burnete was a high grade woolen cloth usually of dark-brown color.

Early Origins of the Burnet family

The surname Burnet was first found in Berwickshire an ancient county of Scotland, presently part of the Scottish Borders Council Area, located in the eastern part of the Borders Region of Scotland where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity.

The family seat was at Faringdon, where they held a manor and estates. One of the earliest records found was of Robert Burnett in 1128 but this reference may also refer to a Roger de Burnard who witnessed a charter in the same year at Kelso. In fact, one reference claims that the spelling of Bernard was used until 1409 when Robert Burnett made the change.

Later, an Alexander Burnard or Burnett went north with King Robert I and acquired lands in the forest of Drum. He was also granted the barony of Tulliboyll in Kincardine. 1

The Clan were hereditary foresters to the King of Scotland. Roger Burnard, Alexander's successor, had four sons, Goufrid, Ralph, Walter, and Richard. The Burnetts of Barns who gave name to Burnetland in the parish of Broughton, claim descent from Robertus de Burneville, during the reign of David I.

Early History of the Burnet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burnet research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1128, 1208, 1296, 1323, 1596, 1615, 1635, 1643, 1656, 1663, 1664, 1669, 1674, 1679, 1684, 1688, 1714, 1715, 1720, 1728, 1729, 1890 and 1951 are included under the topic Early Burnet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burnet Spelling Variations

Boernician names that evolved in the largely preliterate Middle Ages are often marked by considerable spelling variations. Burnet has been spelled Brunette, Burnnet, Burnette, Burnatt, Brunete, Bernett, Burnete, Burnet, Bunett, Bunnet, Bunnett, Bunet, Burnett and many more.

Early Notables of the Burnet family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Alexander Burnet (1615-1684), a Scottish clergyman, Bishop of Aberdeen (1663-1664), Archbishop of Glasgow (1664-1669) and (1674-1679), Chancellor of the University of Glasgow (1664-1669), (1674-1679)...
Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715), a Scottish theologian and historian, fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and Bishop of Salisbury
Thomas Burnet (c.1635?-1715), an English theologian and writer on cosmogony
Bishop Gilbert Burnet (1643-1715), Scottish prelate and historian, who wrote a "History of his Own Times

Migration of the Burnet family to Ireland

Some of the Burnet family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burnet migration to the United States +

Some of the Boernician-Scottish Clan families who came to North America were Loyalists who went north to Canada after the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border went on to found two of the world's great nations. This century, families with Scottish roots have rediscovered their heritage through highland games and clan societies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Burnet or a variant listed above:

Burnet Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Burnet, aged 17, who settled in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Paul"
Thomas Burnet, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1640 2
Eliz Burnet, who landed in Virginia in 1658 2
Larence Burnet, who arrived in Virginia in 1697 2

Burnet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Burnet, who landed in New York in 1720 2
William Burnet, who landed in New Jersey in 1730 2
Andrew Burnet, who arrived in South Carolina in 1752 2
Captain Burnet and his wife who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1768
Jannet Burnet, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1774 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burnet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Burnet, who landed in New York in 1819 2
Joseph Burnet who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1820

Burnet migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Burnet Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Burnet U.E. who settled in Kingston, Ontario c. 1783 3
Mr. Mathew Burnet U.E. who settled in Kingston, Ontario c. 1783 3
Mr. Thomas Burnet, "Burnett" U.E. who settled in Kingston, Ontario c. 1783 3
Mr. Thompson Burnet U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 3

Burnet migration to Australia +

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

Burnet Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Burnet, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Thomas Burnet, aged 15, a bricklayers labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Steadfast" 5

Burnet 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:

Burnet Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Catherine Burnet, (b. 1826), aged 36, Scottish settler, from Roxburgh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 6
Mr. Thomas Burnet, (b. 1826), aged 36, Scottish labourer, from Roxburgh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 6
Mr. Alexander Burnet, (b. 1852), aged 10, Scottish settler, from Roxburgh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 6
Miss Jane M. Burnet, (b. 1854), aged 8, Scottish settler, from Roxburgh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 6
Mr. William B. Burnet, (b. 1856), aged 6, Scottish settler, from Roxburgh travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Burnet (post 1700) +

William Burnet (1730-1791), American political leader and physician from New Jersey
David Gouverneur Burnet (1788-1870), American politician, President of Texas in 1836
Isaac Gouverneur Burnet (1784-1856), American politician, Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
David Gouverneur Burnet (1788-1870), American politician, President of the Texas Republic (1836)
John Burnet (1814-1901), Scottish architect who lived and practised in Glasgow
Sir John James Burnet FRSE FRIBA RSA RA (1857-1938), Scottish Edwardian architect, noted for a number of prominent buildings in Glasgow, Scotland and London, England son of the architect John Burnet
Jean Robertson Burnet (1920-2009), Canadian academic
Sir James William Alexander Burnet (1928-2012), British journalist and broadcaster
Thomas Burnet (1635-1715), English clergyman
Frank Macfarlane Burnet (1899-1985), Australian physician/virologist

The Burnet 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: Virescit vulnere virtus
Motto Translation: Courage grows stronger at the wound.

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)
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) STEADFAST 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/steadfast1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html