Show ContentsBurtchill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Burtchill is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Burtchill family lived in Berkshire from a place of that name. The name is thought to have been originally Norman where "this family, probably foreign, descends from Sir Humphry Burghill or Burchell, a companion of Bernard de Neumarché in the conquest of Brecknock, 1088. About 1150 William de Burchall was witness to a gift to Hereford Abbey; and later, David de Burchall. " 1

Early Origins of the Burtchill family

The surname Burtchill was first found in Herefordshire where literally the name means "dweller at, or on, the hill of birch trees." 2

Early History of the Burtchill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burtchill research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1686, 1705, 1715, 1727 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Burtchill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burtchill Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Burchall, Burchell, Burchill, Burchhell, Burtchell, Burtchill, Burtchaell and many more.

Early Notables of the Burtchill family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Eustace Budgell (1686-1737), an English writer and politician who represented Mullingar in the Irish House of Commons (1715-1727.) "He was the son of Gilbert Budgell, D.D., of St. Thomas, Exeter, by his first wife Mary, only daughter of Bishop Gulston...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burtchill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Burtchill family to Ireland

Some of the Burtchill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Burtchill family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Burtchill or a variant listed above were: Ann Burchell who settled in Virginia in 1655; Andrew Burchell settled in Pennsylvania in 1773; Charles Burchill settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868 with his brother John..



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print


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