Contents [hide]

Burrough History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Burrough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Burrough is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Burrough family lived in Hampshire. The name was given to settlements located near a hill, and is from the Old English beorg, which means hill. It is from one of many English settlements so named that this family take their name. 1

Early Origins of the Burrough family

The surname Burrough was first found in Hampshire where they were descended from Hubert de Burgh, who became Lord of the Manor of Tichfield in that county.

"Robert de Burgh, Earl of Moreton in Normandy, son of Harlowen de Burgh, by Arlotta, his wife, mother of William the Conqueror, participated with his half-brother in the triumph at Hastings, was created Earl of Cornwall, and received, as a further recompense, grants of seven hundred and ninety-three manors. This potent noble left one son, William Earl of Cornwall, who, rebelling against the first Henry, joined Robert of Normandy, and led the van at the battle of Tenchebray. In this conflict, after displaying great personal valour, he fell into the hands of his opponents and was sent prisoner to England, where he was treated with much cruelty, the king causing his eyes to be put out, and detaining him in captivity for life. " 2

The township of Middleton in Lancashire is of particular historical importance to the family. "In the reign of Henry III., Hubert de Burgh, (c. 1170-1243) Earl of Kent, Lord Chief Justice of England, had a grant of the whole of Wyresdale, with remainder to his heirs: he left two sons, from one of whom descended the Burghs or Borroughs, of Gainsborough; and it is probable that William de Burgh, of Middleton, who died about 1323, was descended also from the chief justice." 3

Again in Lancashire another early record was found: William de Burgh, rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire in 1374. 4

John Borough, Burgh or De Burgo (d. 1386), was an English divine, D.D. of Cambridge and rector of Collingham, Nottinghamshire. 5

"Borough, in Northam [Devon], made ever famous by Kingsley in its association with his Sir Amyas Leigh, was the seat of a family of the same name, which produced at least two very eminent Devonshire seamen Steven and William Borough. Steven Borough, though little known, is entitled to a very honourable place in the list of Devon worthies. Born in 1525, he was master of the largest vessel, the Edward Bonaventure, in Sir Hugh Willoughby's luckless voyage to the Arctic Seas, planned by Cabot, and which would have been an utter failure had not Borough and his comrade, Richard Chancellor, the pilot-major of the fleet, determined to prosecute their voyage after they had been separated from Willoughby by a storm. In 1556, Borough went again to the Northern Seas in a pinnace, to carry forward the intentions of the original expedition, and to find a way by the north-east to Cathay. He made the most remarkable voyage in the annals of Arctic exploration. The little vessel drew only four feet of water. She had for crew only the brothers Borough and eight others; yet she entered the Kara Sea, and reached a point beyond which no navigator went until our own days English, Dutch, and Russian failing each in turn." 6

Early History of the Burrough family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burrough research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1243, 1259, 1271, 1320, 1440, 1465, 1472, 1500, 1525, 1536, 1579, 1584, 1587, 1599, 1600, 1620, 1630, 1634, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1646, 1650, 1660, 1663, 1673, 1677, 1685, 1691, 1692, 1703, 1709, 1713, 1764, 1787 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Burrough History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burrough Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Burrough has been recorded under many different variations, including Burrough, Burgh, Borrows, Burrowes, Burroughs, Burrows, Burroughes and many more.

Early Notables of the Burrough family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir John Borough (d. 1643), was Garter King of Arms, "whose name is often incorrectly written Burroughs, was grandson of William Borough, of Sandwich, Kent." 5
Jeremiah Burroughs (sometimes Burroughes) (c. 1600-1646), was an English Congregationalist and a well-known Puritan preacher; Isaac Barrow (1630-1677), was an English Christian theologian, and mathema...

Burrough Ranking

In the United States, the name Burrough is the 13,840^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Burrough family to Ireland

Some of the Burrough family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 230 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burrough migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Burroughs were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Burrough Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Burrough, who settled in Virginia in 1647

Burrough Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Phil. E. Burrough, aged 34, who settled in America, in 1896

Burrough Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William Douglas Burrough, aged 16, who landed in America from Langport, England, in 1908
Elsie Elizabeth Burrough, aged 23, who landed in America from England, in 1909
Henry Charles Burrough, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1910
Alex Burrough, aged 5, who landed in America from Corston, England, in 1910
Louise Burrough, aged 30, who landed in America from Corston, England, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burrough migration to Australia +

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

Burrough Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Matthew Burrough, British Convict who was convicted in Suffolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. John Burrough, British Convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 14 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eleanor" on 26th June 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Burrough 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:

Burrough Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Samuel Burrough, aged 28, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 10
Susan Burrough, aged 29, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 10
Ada Fanny Burrough, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Burrough (post 1700) +

John Leslie Burrough (b. 1972), former American NFL football defensive lineman
Thomas Harold "Junior" Burrough (b. 1973), American professional basketball player
Kenneth "Ken" Othell Burrough (b. 1948), American professional (NFL) football player
Marmaduke Burrough, American politician, U.S. Consul in Veracruz, 1834-41 11
Kenwich Burrough, American politician, Candidate for Missouri State House of Representatives from Cape Girardeau County, 1922 11
Edward Burrough, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Camden County, 1879-80 11
George Baker Burrough (1907-1965), English cricketer
Herbert Dickinson "Dickie" Burrough (1909-1994), English first-class cricketer
William Burrough, English cricket player
Sir James Burrough (1749-1837), British judge
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Burrough 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: Animo et fide
Motto Translation: By courage and faith.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eleanor
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html