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Origins Available: |
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Bearse is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Bearse family lived in Wiltshire. The family name comes from a place in Normandy called Burcy, in the arrondisement of Vire, Canton of Vassy, Normandy. 1 In Devon, the name was often spelt Birhsie, having derived from the Old English word Beorhtsige. 2
The surname Bearse was first found in Wiltshire where Serlo de Burci held lands in 1084. 2 Later, after the Norman Conquest, the Domesday Book of 1086 lists Serle Borci as holding lands in Somerset. 3 Still in Somerset, almost one hundred years later, Hugo de Burci was a Knights Templar in 1185. In Herefordshire, Rannulf Bursi was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195 and in Norfolk, Hugh Bursey was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bearse research. Another 293 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1084, 1165, 1185 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Bearse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Bursey, Burcey, Bursie, Boursey, Borsey, Bourcey, Borsie and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Bearse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bearse or a variant listed above: