Bowra Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The chronicles of Scottish history reveal that the first people to use the name Bowra were the Strathclyde- Britons. It was a name for a maker of bows. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word bower, which means bow maker.

Bowra Early Origins

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The surname Bowra was first found in Peeblesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd nam Pùballan), former county in South-central Scotland, in the present day Scottish Borders Council Area, where they held a family seat in the old manor of Bower in the parish of Drummelzier.

Bowra Spelling Variations

Prior to the first dictionaries, scribes spelled words according to sound. This, and the fact that Scottish names were repeatedly translated from Gaelic to English and back, contributed to the enormous number of spelling variations in Scottish names. Bowra has been spelled Bower, Bowre, Bowyr, Bowers, Bowyer, Beauer and many more.

Bowra Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowra research. Another 377 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1317, 1387, 1489, 1479, 1615, 1671 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Bowra History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowra Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 23 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bowra Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowra In Ireland

Some of the Bowra family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

In such difficult times, the difficulties of raising the money to cross the Atlantic to North America did not seem so large compared to the problems of keeping a family together in Scotland. It was a journey well worth the cost, since it was rewarded with land and freedom the Scots could not find at home. The American War of Independence solidified that freedom, and many of those settlers went on to play important parts in the forging of a great nation. Among them: Henry Bower who settled in Virginia in 1637; Robert Bower settled in Virginia in 1698; John Bowers settled in Virginia in 1663; Jonas Bowers settled in Virginia in 1637.

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 metam
Motto Translation: To the mark.

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Citations

Other References

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).
Martine, Roddy, Roderick Martine and Don Pottinger. Scottish Clan and Family Names Their Arms, Origins and Tartans. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 1992. Print.
Burke, Sir Bernard. Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, The Privy Council, Knightage and Compainonage. London: Burke Publishing, 1921. Print.
Skene, William Forbes Edition. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House, 1867. Print.
Le Patourel, John. The Norman Empire. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-19-822525-3).
Bolton, Charles Knowles. Bolton's American Armory. Baltimore: Heraldic Book Company, 1964. Print.
Innes, Thomas and Learney. Scots Heraldry A Practical Handbook on the Historical Principles and Mordern Application of the Art and Science. London: Oliver and Boyd, 1934. Print.
Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 Edited by Samuel Eliot Morrison 2 Volumes. New York: Russell and Russell, 1968. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Samuelsen, W. David. New York City Passenger List Manifests Index 1820 - 1824. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1986. Print.
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The Bowra Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Bowra Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 21 January 2017 at 08:34.