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![Show Contents]() Burtown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
When the ancestors of the Burtown family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Burton which is the "name of no less than forty parishes and places in England." 1 The name literally means "fortified enclosure" or "fortified farmstead." 2 Early Origins of the Burtown familyThe surname Burtown was first found in Shropshire where they were descended conjecturally from Drogo de Beuvriere a kinsman of William the Conqueror who held lands at Burton Agnes, Burton Constable and a manor house or castle at Burton Pidsea. The surname "is derived from Boreton, in the parish of Condover, in Shropshire, an estate which remained in the family until the reign of James I. 'Goiffrid de Bortona' (Burton,) one of the foresters of Shropshire, in the reign of Henry I., is the first recorded ancestor." 3 Another branch of the family was found at Dalton in Lancashire in early times. "At the time of the Domesday Survey, the manor was held by a Saxon chief named Gilmichael, and it was afterwards annexed to the manor of Burton; soon after the time of Richard I. it seems to have been granted to the family of Burton." 4 "William Burton, the antiquary, and his brother Robert, author of the Anatomy of Melancholy, were natives of [Lindley, Leicestershire], the former born in 1575, and the latter in 1576." 4 William of Berton, (fl, 1376), was Chancellor of Oxford in 1380. "Berton's Chancellorship is important because of its connection with the Wycliffite controversy respecting the sacrament which then agitated Oxford. " 5 Early History of the Burtown familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burtown research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1300, 1350, 1354, 1575, 1600, 1609, 1622, 1632, 1645, 1656, 1659, 1661, 1668, 1681, 1682, 1714, 1748, 1853, 1890 and 1953 are included under the topic Early Burtown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Burtown Spelling VariationsThe 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. Burtown has been recorded under many different variations, including Burton, Birton, Byrton, Burtone and others. Early Notables of the Burtown familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Burton (died 1661), of Brampton Hall, Westmorland, English MP for Westmorland from 1656 to 1659; Hezekiah Burton (1632-1681), an English theologian; William Burton (1575-1645), an English antiquarian, best known as the author of the...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burtown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Burtown family to Ireland
Some of the Burtown family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Burtown familyTo 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. Burtowns were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: Richard Burton who settled in Virginia in 1624; John Burton settled in Barbados with his wife Elizabeth and son Charles in 1678; Joseph Burton settled in Portland Maine in 1820.
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: Lux vitae
Motto Translation: The Light is my guide.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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England
Ireland
