Show ContentsCheesburay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Cheesburay is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Cheshire, a county in the northwest of England on the border with Wales. It is from the name of the county that the family name is derived. The name meant "a dweller in a town in Cheshire." This is because the suffix -borough indicated residence in a town.

However, one source disagrees. Reaney claims the name is from Cheeseburn, Northumberland, originally known as Cheseburgh in 1286. 1 Today Cheeseburn Grange survives near Stamfordham, Northumberland (Newcastle upon Tyne) and was the traditional home of the Widdringtons.

Early Origins of the Cheesburay family

The surname Cheesburay was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Cheesburay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cheesburay research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1427, 1430, 1431, 1526, 1594, 1611, 1649 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Cheesburay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheesburay Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Cheesburay has been spelled many different ways, including Chesbrough, Cheesebourgh, Cheesbrough, Cheseborough, Chesebrough and many more.

Early Notables of the Cheesburay family

Notables of this surname at this time include: David Cherbury or Chirbury (fl. 1430), Bishop of Dromore, a Carmelite friar, possibly a member of the Oxford house of his order, since he is recorded to have built its library. "He was made Bishop of Dromore, probably in 1427, but he must have...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cheesburay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cheesburay family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Cheesburays to arrive in North America: William Cheesebrough who settled in Boston Massachusetts and later moved to Salem, with his wife Anne, daughter Sarah, and three sons, Peter, Samuel, and Nathanial, in 1630..



  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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