The name Bourten has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in one of many places called Boughton throughout England. Settlements named Boughton were found in Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Northamptonshire. Great Boughton is found in Cheshire, and Kent was home to settlements called Boughton Aluph, Boughton Malherbe, Boughton Monchelsea, and Boughton under Blean.
The surname Bourten was first found in Warwickshire, where this "family of good antiquity, traced to Robert de Boreton, grandfather of William, who lived in the reign of Edward III. " [1]
"Downton Hall [in Downton, Shropshire], the seat of Sir William Rouse Boughton, Bart., to whom the whole property belongs, is a handsome mansion, approached by a beautiful avenue two miles in length, on a gradual ascent, from which the scenery is extensive, romantic, and mountainous, embracing the Titterstone and the Clee hills." [2]
One of the earliest records of the family was Joan Boughton (d. 1494), the English martyr, who "was an old widow of eighty years or more, who held certain of Wycliffe's opinions. She was said to be the mother of a lady named Young, who was suspected of the like doctrines. She was burnt at Smithfield 28 April 1494. " [3]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bourten research. Another 204 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1760, 1780, 1747, 1821, 1791, 1794, 1893, 1963, 1600, 1656, 1628, 1680, 1632, 1683, 1663, 1716, 1689 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Bourten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bourten have been found, including Boughton, Bourton, Borton, Boughten, Bourten, Borten, Bouton, Broughton, Portan and many more.
Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Boughton, 1st Baronet (1600-1656) of Lawford in the County of Warwick; Sir Edward Boughton, 2nd Baronet (1628-1680); Sir William Boughton, 3rd...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bourten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Bourten, or a variant listed above: