Busown History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Busown is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Busown family lived at Bryram, a township in the parish of Brotherton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1

Early Origins of the Busown family

The surname Busown was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Byrome, or Byram, with Pool, a township, in the parish of Brotherton, Lower division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash. "Byram Hall is a handsome mansion, in a fine and well-wooded park of about 200 acres." 2 3

However, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 point to scattered entries for the family: Roger de Birun, Yorkshire; Ralph de Birun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Byron, Nottinghamshire. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Elena de Byrom (Byrom); Roger de Birne (Monk Fryston); and Thomas de Byrne (Selby). (Barsley)

The variant Burien, Berian or Buryan has a most interesting origin. "There seems to be but one opinion among our historians and antiquaries, except that which has been introduced to notice by Hals. According to this historian, the name Berian or Buryan, is derived from a cemetery or burying-place for human creatures; and he asserts that an enclosure devoted to this purpose existed in this place long before the church was extant. St. Berian, or Burianna, according to Mr. Whitaker, Dr. Borlase, and others, was a holy woman, a native of Ireland, who came into this country about the year 460, in company with many others of exalted birth and dignity, she being a king's daughter, and landed near St. Ives." 5

Early History of the Busown family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Busown research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1692 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Busown History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Busown 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 Byrom, Byram, Byrum, Birom, Biram and others.

Early Notables of the Busown family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Byrom or John Byrom of Kersal or John Byrom of Manchester (1692-1763), an English poet and inventor of a revolutionary system of shorthand. "He was the second son and seventh of the nine children of Edward Byrom, by...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Busown Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Busown 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 Busown or a variant listed above were: John Byrom who settled in Virginia in 1656; William Byrom settled in Virginia in 1736; Benjamin, Brambley, Edward, James, Ralph, and Samuel Byram, all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1827 and 1844..

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print