| ![Show Contents]() Bersey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BerseyWhat does the name Bersey mean? The name Bersey was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bersey family lived in Wiltshire. The family name comes from a place in Normandy called Burcy, in the arrondisement of Vire, Canton of Vassy, Normandy. 1 In Devon, the name was often spelt Birhsie, having derived from the Old English word Beorhtsige. 2 Early Origins of the Bersey familyThe surname Bersey was first found in Wiltshire where Serlo de Burci held lands in 1084. 2 Later, after the Norman Conquest, the Domesday Book of 1086 lists Serle Borci as holding lands in Somerset. 3 Still in Somerset, almost one hundred years later, Hugo de Burci was a Knights Templar in 1185. In Herefordshire, Rannulf Bursi was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195 and in Norfolk, Hugh Bursey was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275. 2 Early History of the Bersey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bersey research. Another 293 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1084, 1165, 1185 and 1582 are included under the topic Early Bersey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bersey Spelling VariationsEndless 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 Bursey, Burcey, Bursie, Boursey, Borsey, Bourcey, Borsie and many more. Early Notables of the Bersey familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bersey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Bersey 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 Bersey or a variant listed above:
Bersey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Jon Bersey, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 4
Bersey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Johan Jacob Bersey, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1752 4
| Bersey migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Bersey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Birckwood Bersey, (b. 1822), aged 20 born in Penzance, Cornwall, UK convicted in Bodmin on 18th October 1842, sentenced for 15 years for stealing money, transported aboard the ship "Cressy" in 1843 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 5
- Mr. John Bersey, (b. 1822), aged 20, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 18th October 1842, sentenced for 15 years for stealing money from innkeeper Samuel Thomas of St. Germans, transported aboard the ship "Cressy" on 28th April 1843 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 6
- Mr. John Brickwood Bersey, English convict who was convicted in Bodmin, Cornwall, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
- 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)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- 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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
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