Burrish History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Burrish family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in East Sussex, where Burwash is a civil parish in the diocese of Chichester.

Early Origins of the Burrish family

The surname Burrish was first found in East Sussex at Burwash, a rural village and civil parish in the Rother District which dates back to the 12th century when it was first listed as Burhercse and literally meant "ploughed field by the fort," from the Old English words "burh" + "erse." 1

Rudyard Kipling lived here for almost half of his life but before that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the village was known for smugglers and highwaymen. Several smugglers' graves can still be seen in the churchyard of St Bartholomew's. As far as the surname is concerned, the family was descended from the Barons of Burghersh, from whom was descended Sir Bartholomew de Borways (Burghersh) the Elder (d. 1355) (whose successor was Sir Stephen Biorwash. 2

Lord Bartholomew Burghersh the Younger (d. 1369), son of Bartholomew Burghersh the Elder, adopted his father's profession of arms and rivalled him in military distinction. "His recorded career begins in 1339, when he accompanied Edward III in his expedition to Flanders and took part in the first invasion of French territory." 2

Henry Burghersh (1292-1340), was Bishop of Lincoln, third son of Sir Robert Burghersh, Lord Burghersh, whose family took their name from Burghersh or Burwash in Sussex. 2

The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III had two entries for the family: William de Burwarsh, Kent, 20 Edward I; and Henry de Burghersh, Nottinghamshire, 30 Edward I. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Robert de Burgheste in Sussex. 3

Early History of the Burrish family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burrish research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1320 are included under the topic Early Burrish History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burrish Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Burrish were recorded, including Burwash, Burwasch, Borways, Burghersh, Berwash, Barwash, Burways, Berways, Borghersh and many more.

Early Notables of the Burrish family

More information is included under the topic Early Burrish Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Burrish family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Burrish arrived in North America very early: Charles Burwash who arrived in New York in 1765.

Contemporary Notables of the name Burrish (post 1700) +

Alfred Burrish, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Birmingham, 1836-40 4

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html