The name Byrun reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Byrun family lived in Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. As a Norman name, they claim descent from Beuron, near Mantes, Normandy, where the family lived prior to coming to England with the Norman invasion. [1]
The name literally means "descendant of Byron (from the cottage); one who came from Byram (tumulus or cowshed), in Yorkshire." [2]
The surname Byrun was first found in Yorkshire where "the poet's ancestors were of unquestioned Norman origin. Ernisius de Burun held 32 lordships in Yorkshire, and Ralph de Burun, 13 in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, at the compilation of Domesday [Book]." [3] [4]
"The Byrons belong to a very ancient and distinguished family of Nottingham, ennobled by James I.; and, as we also learn from Deering, Sir John Byron was constable of Nottingham castle in the reign of Henry VIII. Byron is still a Nottingham name." [5]
Delving more into Nottinghamshire records, we found at Hucknall-Torkard, "the church is an ancient edifice, containing several monuments to different members of the Byron family, lords of Newstead Abbey, about two miles distant. Here lie the remains of the late celebrated poet, who was interred here, on the 16th of July, 1824, in the family vault: in the chancel is a neat mural monument, with an appropriate inscription. There is also a monument to his ancestor, Richard, Lord Byron, who, with seven brothers, faithfully served Charles I. during the civil war, and sustained great losses and hardships on account of loyalty to that monarch." [6]
Back in Yorkshire, "this surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Byram,' a township in the parish of Brotherton, Yorkshire, formerly Byrom." [7]
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Roger de Birun, Yorkshire; Ralph de Birun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Byron, Nottinghamshire, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1397 listed Johannes de Byrom; Elena de Byron (Byrom); Roger de Birne (Monk Fryston); and Thomas de Byrne (Selby.) [7]
The family could have claimed decent from "the parish of Winwick, Lancashire. All the Lancashire Byroms hail from this spot. " [7] Again in Lancashire, but at Woolstone, with Martinscroft, a township, in the parish and union of Warrington, hundred of West Derby, we found: "in the 20th of Edward I., John Byrun claimed free warren here in right of his wife Alesia, heiress of Robert Banastre." [6]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Byrun research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1324, 1498, 1788, 1824, 1812, 1501, 1503, 1488, 1576, 1523, 1524, 1527, 1528, 1542, 1543, 1551, 1552, 1526, 1600, 1606, 1679, 1636, 1695, 1679 and are included under the topic Early Byrun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Byrun family name include Biron, Byron and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Nicolas Byron, knighted by Arthur, Prince of Wales on his marriage, 14 November 1501 but died in 1503; Sir John Byron (c.1488-1576), an English knight from Colwick in Nottinghamshire, Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire 1523-1524, 1527-1528, 1542-1543 and 1551-1552...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Byrun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Byrun family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Byrun family to immigrate North America: Elizabeth Byron who settled in Barbados in 1664; Sunnell Byron settled in Virginia in 1663; William Byron settled in Virginia in 1776.