The name Birun arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Birun family lived in Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. As a Norman name, they claim descent from Beuron, near Mantes, Normandy, where the family lived prior to coming to England with the Norman invasion. [1]
The name literally means "descendant of Byron (from the cottage); one who came from Byram (tumulus or cowshed), in Yorkshire." [2]
The surname Birun was first found in Yorkshire where "the poet's ancestors were of unquestioned Norman origin. Ernisius de Burun held 32 lordships in Yorkshire, and Ralph de Burun, 13 in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, at the compilation of Domesday [Book]." [3] [4]
"The Byrons belong to a very ancient and distinguished family of Nottingham, ennobled by James I.; and, as we also learn from Deering, Sir John Byron was constable of Nottingham castle in the reign of Henry VIII. Byron is still a Nottingham name." [5]
Delving more into Nottinghamshire records, we found at Hucknall-Torkard, "the church is an ancient edifice, containing several monuments to different members of the Byron family, lords of Newstead Abbey, about two miles distant. Here lie the remains of the late celebrated poet, who was interred here, on the 16th of July, 1824, in the family vault: in the chancel is a neat mural monument, with an appropriate inscription. There is also a monument to his ancestor, Richard, Lord Byron, who, with seven brothers, faithfully served Charles I. during the civil war, and sustained great losses and hardships on account of loyalty to that monarch." [6]
Back in Yorkshire, "this surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Byram,' a township in the parish of Brotherton, Yorkshire, formerly Byrom." [7]
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Roger de Birun, Yorkshire; Ralph de Birun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Byron, Nottinghamshire, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1397 listed Johannes de Byrom; Elena de Byron (Byrom); Roger de Birne (Monk Fryston); and Thomas de Byrne (Selby.) [7]
The family could have claimed decent from "the parish of Winwick, Lancashire. All the Lancashire Byroms hail from this spot. " [7] Again in Lancashire, but at Woolstone, with Martinscroft, a township, in the parish and union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby, we found: "in the 20th of Edward I., John Byrun claimed free warren here in right of his wife Alesia, heiress of Robert Banastre." [6]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Birun research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1324, 1498, 1788, 1824, 1812, 1501, 1503, 1488, 1576, 1523, 1524, 1527, 1528, 1542, 1543, 1551, 1552, 1526, 1600, 1606, 1679, 1636, 1695, 1679 and are included under the topic Early Birun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Biron, Byron and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Nicolas Byron, knighted by Arthur, Prince of Wales on his marriage, 14 November 1501 but died in 1503; Sir John Byron (c.1488-1576), an English knight from Colwick in Nottinghamshire, Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire 1523-1524, 1527-1528, 1542-1543 and 1551-1552...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Birun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Birun family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Birun or a variant listed above: Elizabeth Byron who settled in Barbados in 1664; Sunnell Byron settled in Virginia in 1663; William Byron settled in Virginia in 1776.