Bixberrey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bixberrey family

The surname Bixberrey was first found in Suffolk and Nottingham where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One source notes that the family could have been from Bigby, a parish, in the union of Caistor, S. division of the wapentake of Yarborough, parts of Lindsey, in Lincolnshire. 1

To the south in Devon, we found this interesting entry for the family: Bigbury [in the parish of Modbury] was held by lords of that name as early as the reign of John ; and after nine descents was brought by a coheiress to one of the Champernownes of Beer Ferrers, from whom it descended through the Willoughbys to the Paulets. There is a fifteenth-century Bigbury brass in the church." 2

Early History of the Bixberrey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bixberrey research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1695, 1792 and 1881 are included under the topic Early Bixberrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bixberrey Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Bixberrey has been recorded under many different variations, including Bigsby, Bixby, Bigby, Bigbury, Bigsbury and many more.

Early Notables of the Bixberrey family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Jeremiah Bigsby (1792-1881), English geologist and physician, eponym of the Bigsby Medal; and Sir Thomas Bigsby. Angel Bix (d. 1695), was a Franciscan friar, who "after filling the office...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bixberrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bixberrey family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bixberrey or a variant listed above: Joseph Bixby who settled in Massachusetts in 1620; Robert Bigsby settled in Virginia in 1731; Thomas Bigby settled in Tobago in the West Indies in 1775.

The Bixberrey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ad astra
Motto Translation: To the stars.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital