Burgard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Burgard

What does the name Burgard mean?

The name Burgard was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Burgard family lived in Sussex. The name is derived from the Middle English word burge(i)s, or the Old French word burgeis which both mean "inhabitant and freeman of a fortified town." 1

This line are believed to be descended from the Barons Burghersh, which later became Burwash, a parish in that county. A line of the family also remained in Normandy, as Simon de Borgeis was noted there in 1195. 2 But originally the family was from Bourgeois in Picardy, France. This line of barons became extinct in 1369.

Early Origins of the Burgard family

The surname Burgard was first found in Sussex where one of the first records of the name was Ralph de Burgeis, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1195. Philip Burgis was listed in Leicestershire in 1199 and Philip Burges, Burgeis was listed in Oxfordshire in 1220, 1234. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex listed Walter le Borgeys in 1296. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Hawise Burgeys in Bedfordshire; Philip Burgeis on Oxfordshire; John le Burges in Southampton; and Thomas Burgeys in Norfolk. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 179 list: Adam Burgeys and Johannes Burges. 4

Further to the south in Cornwall, "the barton of Cuskease [in the parish of St. Erth] belonged formerly to the family of Burgess of Trethingey. From these it passed by an heiress to the Hoblyns of Nanswhyden, in whom it is still vested." 5

Early History of the Burgard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burgard research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1115, 1382, 1515, 1589, 1650, 1664, 1665, 1673, 1685, 1690, 1716, 1746, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Burgard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burgard Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Burgard have been found, including Burgess, Burgeis, Burghersh, Burges, Burgesse, Burgar, Bergiss, Bergess, Bargess, Bargeis, Bergeus, Burgeus, Burgeuss and many more.

Early Notables of the Burgard family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Berth de Borways; Cornelius Burges or Burgess, D.D. (ca.1589-1665), an English minister, descended from the Burgesses of Batcombe, Somerset; and Anthony Burges or Burgess (died 1664), a Nonconformist English clergyman, a prolific preacher and writer. On the infamous side, Captain Samuel Burgess (c. 1650-1716) was a member of Captain William Kidd's crew in 1690...
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burgard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Burgard family to Ireland

Some of the Burgard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burgard migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Burgard were among those contributors:

Burgard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Theodore H Burgard, who landed in Mississippi in 1876 6
Leonard Burgard, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 6
Elisabeth Burgard, aged 20, who landed in New York, NY in 1893 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Burgard (post 1700) +

George T. Burgard, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the American Volunteer Group, during World War II, credited with 10.75 aerial victories
John Burgard, American Republican politician, Chair of McDonough County Republican Party, 1950 7
Edward C. Burgard, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1916 7

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html