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Buttress History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Buttress History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Buttress was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Buttress family lived in Cornwall. The family name originated in the village of Bottereaux, Normandy. Up until the 12th century, the name was frequently listed as De Boterillis but the family bore the same Arms. One of the first records of the name was Geoffry Boterel, brother of Alan, Count of Pentievre as listed in 1080. His son Hamon was father to William Botterill again mentioned in England in 1130. This William married Alice, a co-heir of Robert Corbet and through the family the Earl of Cornwall was descended.

Early Origins of the Buttress family

The surname Buttress was first found in Cornwall. However, there is records of Aston Botterell, which is a village and small civil parish in Shropshire, and according to the 2001 census it had a population of 74. During the reign of Henry III, it held the rank of a market town.

"This place derives the adjunct to its name from the family of Botterell, by whom the manor was held under the earls of Arundel in the reign of Henry III." 1 The manor at that time belonging to the family of the Botterells.

The parish of Minster in Cornwall is of some early significance to the family. "This parish, which is situated on the shore of the Bristol Channel, and includes a portion of the small sea-port of Boscastle, was distinguished for a castle built by the family of Bottreaux in the reign of Henry I., of which nothing but the site remains." 1

Continuing, "in the grounds of Worthyvale is a stone bearing some rudely-sculptured characters, brought from Slaughter Bridge, in the neighbourhood, and supposed to commemorate a battle fought near that place, in 525, between the Britons and the Saxons, in which King Arthur is said to have been mortally wounded." 1

"Reginald gave [the manor of ] Penheale [in the parish of Egloskerry, Cornwall] to William Botterell or Bottreaux, the husband of his aunt Alice Corbet ; and it was afterwards confirmed by him to William Botterell the son, who in 1199 gave a fine of 300 marks and two goshawks for livery of this manor and others in Cornwall. " 2

"The estate of Trevethow, [in the parish of Lelant, Cornwall] which is sometimes called the manor of Lelant and Trevethow, belonged at a very early period to the ancient family of Bottreaux; after which it became successively the property of Godolphin and Praed." 2

In Devon, "Molland, or Molland Bottreaux, had a dominant position in the hundreds of North Molton, Braunton, and Bampton. Before the Conquest it belonged to Harold, and it passed to William. Shortly after the Conquest it came to the Bottreauxs, whence its second name, and continued in that ancient house until the reign of Henry VI. The church was given by William de Bottreaux to Hartland Abbey. " 3

Early History of the Buttress family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buttress research. Another 323 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1104, 1115, 1120, 1130, 1147, 1155, 1158, 1164, 1193, 1197, 1198, 1203, 1273, 1277, 1302, 1337, 1367, 1389, 1391, 1395, 1415, 1462, 1500, 1643 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Buttress History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buttress Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Botterill, Bottreaux, Boterel, Boterell, Botterell, Botereus and many more.

Early Notables of the Buttress family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Boterell, a prominent 13th century landholder in Shropshire; William de Botreaux (1337-1391), 1st Baron Botreaux, a prominent English West-Country baron; William...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Buttress Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Buttress family to Ireland

Some of the Buttress family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buttress migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Buttress or a variant listed above:

Buttress Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J. Buttress, aged 30, originally from Birmingham, who arrived in New York in 1897 aboard the ship "Teutonic" from Liverpool, England 4
Fred Buttress, aged 30, originally from West Smethwick, who arrived in New York in 1899 aboard the ship "Aurania (1883)" from Liverpool, England 4

Buttress Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Culbert Buttress, aged 32, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mundelta" from Trinidad, British West Indies 4
Curtiss Buttress, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Mundetta" from Buenos Aires, Argentina 4

Buttress migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Buttress Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Buttress, (b. 1846), aged 30, English miner, from Yorkshire, England, UK travelling aboard the ship "Star of India" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 16th June 1876 5
Mrs. Amelia Buttress, (b. 1847), aged 29, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Star of India" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 16th June 1876 5

Buttress migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Buttress Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Buttress, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th March 1858 6
Samuel Buttress, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 7
Sarah Ann Buttress, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Buttress (post 1700) +

Mike Buttress (b. 1958), English former footballer who played for Aston Villa and Gillingham (1976-1978)
Wolfgang Buttress (b. 1965), English artist who designed the award winning United Kingdom Pavilion for the 2015 Expo in Milan
Dr Donald Reeve Buttress LVO, OBE, English architect who co-founded Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams Architects in Manchester, Surveyor of the Fabric at Westminster Abbey (1988-1999)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html