Barch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Barch

The ancestors of the bearers of the Barch family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in an area close to a birch tree which is derived from the Old English word Birce, which literally means birch. The family gave their name to the village of Birch in Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Barch family

Early History of the Barch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barch research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1615, 1645, 1652, 1660, 1691 and 1710 are included under the topic Early Barch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barch Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Barch include Birch, Birche, Burch, Berch and others.

Early Notables of the Barch family

Notables of the family at this time include John Birch, Bishop of Hereford; and Colonel John Birch (1615-1691), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Leominster (1645-1660), who fought for the Parliamentary cause in the English civil war. He "belonged to a younger...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Barch family to Ireland

Some of the Barch family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 36 words (3 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 Barch family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Barch or a variant listed above: John Birch who settled in Dorchester Massachusetts in 1630; Mary Birch who settled in Maryland in 1739; Thomas Birch settled in New England in 1654.