Burys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Burys is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Burys family once lived near a town or fortress. Bury is an Old English word for town (modern borough) and means therefore at the borough. Bury is a place-name in counties Suffolk, Lancashire and Huntingdonshire, and the name could have been derived from any one of those place-names.

The Burress variant literally means "dweller near a stronghold or fortified place." 1

Henry Bederic or De Bury (fl. 1380), was an early English theologian, was "born at Bury, in Suffolk, from which place he derived his surname." 2

Early Origins of the Burys family

The surname Burys was first found in Devon where Geoffrey de la Burg and Richard de la Burg were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls lists Adam de la Bury and Richard de la Bury in Oxfordshire. Years later, William atte Berge and Richard atte Bury were listed as holding lands during the reign of King Edward III (1327 until his death.) 3

Arguably, the name could have had a Norman origin as one reference claims the name was derived from Bourry, near Gisors in Normandy, for it is here that Walbert and Richard de Bouri were listed in the Mangns Rotul. Scaccarii Normanniae in 1198. They are believed to be descended from Eustace de Bouri who was listed there in 1104. 4

Richard de Bury (1287-1345), also known as Richard Aungerville or Aungervyle, was an English bishop, writer and bibliophile, born near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Burray is "an island, forming part of the ancient parish of St. Peter, island of South Ronaldshay, South isles of Orkney, Scotland." 5

Early History of the Burys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burys research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1287, 1345, 1364, 1430, 1446, 1470, 1472, 1522, 1535, 1571, 1580, 1624, 1644, 1655, 1666, 1667, 1690, 1714, 1715, 1720, 1722 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Burys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burys Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Burys family name include Bury, Burye, Burys, Buris, Burri, Burrey, Burry and others.

Early Notables of the Burys family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bury (fl. 1430-1470), Canon of Windsor from 1446 to 1472; John Bury (died c. 1522), English politician, Member of Parliament for Cambridge; William Bury, a London draper; and his son, John Bury (1535-1571), an English translator; John Bury...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Burys family to Ireland

Some of the Burys family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 46 words (3 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 Burys family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Burys surname or a spelling variation of the name include: William Bury, who settled in New England in 1761; William Bury, who came to Maryland in 1775; and John and Priscilla Bury, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1822 with their four children..

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.