Borwach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Borwach family

The surname Borwach was first found in Berwickshire in Scotland and Northumberland in England, where "this surname is derived from the famous Border town of the same name. Rather curiously the surname is not uncommon at the present day in Fife. John de Berwic was rector of Renfrew in 1295, and in the year following Geoffry of Berewick, Burgess of Roxburgh, rendered homage [to King Edward I of England]. " 1

Further to the south in England, John de Berewyk (d. 1312), was an English judge, who "was entrusted with the charge of the vacant abbey of St. Edmund, 1278-1279, and of the see of Lincoln during the interval which elapsed between the death of Benedict, otherwise Richard, de Gravesend, 1279, and the appointment of his successor in the episcopate, Oliver Sutton, 1280-1281." 2

In Wiltshire, there were two early listings in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Sampson de Berwyk; and Philip de Berwyke. 3

Moving further north again, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Berwyk as holding lands there at that time. 3

Early History of the Borwach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Borwach research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1278, 1279, 1280, 1281, 1284, 1290, 1292, 1294, 1295, 1305, 1309, 1312, 1476, 1615, 1628, 1629 and 1728 are included under the topic Early Borwach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Borwach Spelling Variations

Although the name, Borwach, appeared in many references, from time to time, the surname was shown with the spellings Berwick, Bewick, Berwicke, Bewicke and others.

Early Notables of the Borwach family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was John de Berewyk (d. 1312), English judge who "was entrusted with the charge of the vacant abbey of St. Edmund, 1278-1279, and of the see of Lincoln during the interval which elapsed between the death of Benedict, otherwise Richard, de Gravesend, 1279, and the appointment of his successor in the episcopate, Oliver Sutton, 1280-1281. He acted as one of the asessors of the thirtieth for the counties south of the Trent in 1263, and in Michaelmas 1284 is mentioned as treasurer to Queen Eleanor. In 1294 he was one of her...
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Borwach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Borwach family

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of cholera, typhoid, dysentery or small pox. In North America, some of the first immigrants who could be considered kinsmen of the Borwach family name Borwach, or who bore a variation of the surname were William Berwicke who settled in Virginia in 1648; James Berwick who settled in New Orleans in 1821.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)