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The name Barnié was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Barnié family lived in the hundred of North Greenhow, Norfolk where the town of Berney (Barney) was once found. 1 Looking back further, the family were Norman and claimed descent from Calvados, Normandy. "Ralph de Bernai, of Worcester and Hereford, witnessed a charter of Malmsbury Abbey, temp. William I., and was a tenant of William Fitz- Osborne, Earl of Hereford. In 1096, Robert de Bernay witnessed a charter of Stephen, Count of Aumerle, for the monks of Beauvais (Monasticon Anglicanum). The Baronets Berney derive their name from the English locality. " 2
Another source has a slightly different bent on the origin: "The baronet's family are asserted to have been seated at Berney, near Walsingham, co. Norfolk, at the time of the Norman Conquest-a great improbability, although their very early settlement there cannot be questioned. Bernays is of distinct origin, being a recent importation from Germany; it is supposed that the latter family were originally French, and that they derived their designation from the town of Bernay, in the department of the Eure, in Normandy." 3
The surname Barnié was first found in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Suffolk where Ralph de Bernai was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. 4 Many people claim descent from the Domesday Book, but truthfully few people do. This entry is particularly interesting as it is a record of a forename and surname, while in most cases only a surname is recorded.
Later Norfolk records show: Henry de Berney, 1268; Adam de Berney, 15 Edward I; Richard de Berney, 48 Edward III; Sir Thomas de Berney, of Reedham, 1389; and Roger Burney, vicar of Holm-by-the-Sea, 1451. 5
Sir Robert Berney (before 1365-1415) of Great Witchingham, Norfolk was Sherriff of Norfolk and Suffolk from 1406-1430. His father (d. 1374) was elected knight of the shire for Norfolk four times between 1346 and 1368, and in the course of his career he acquired a number of landed holdings in the county.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barnié research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1558, 1591, 1620, 1622, 1668, 1688, 1693, 1697, 1706, 1710, 1742, 1757, 1759, 1778, 1780, 1825, 1843, 1870, 1893, 1900, 1907, 1952 and 1975 are included under the topic Early Barnié History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Barney, Berney, Barny, Berny, Barnie, Bernie, Bernaye, Bairney, Bearnie, Bearny, Bernais, Berneys, Berneyes, Bearnay and many more.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Barney who was listed on the Register of the University of Oxford in 1591. 1
The Berney Baronets, of Parkehall include: Sir Richard Berney, 1st Baronet (died 1668); Sir Thomas Berney, 2nd Baronet (died 1693); Sir Richard Berney, 3rd Baronet (died 1706); Sir Richard Berney, 4th Baronet (1688-1710)...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barnié Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Barnié or a variant listed above: