A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Burness family of England.
Reg. 2679 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
spurKnighthood, and readiness to spur on
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
water bougetThe crusader's water carrier, and a journey made
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Or, on a fess az. betw. two spur rowels in chief and a hunting horn stringed sa. in base a water bouget of the field”
EssexGrove House · Essex, c. 1873
Where the Burness Arms Were Recorded
Essex
Map of England showing where the Burness arms are recorded
The Burness arms were recorded in Essex, c. 1873.
Essex lay close enough to London for City money to buy land there. Merchants who prospered moved out to estates within a day's ride, and a new landowner almost always wanted arms to go with the ground.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
Victoria
Sovereign of the period
Victoria
1837–1901
Reigning in England when the Burness arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Essex.
Origin & History of the Burness Family in England
The surname Burness is primarily rooted in the geography of Scotland, where it originated as a locational name derived from the Old English words for a stream and a headland. While the name is most famously associated with the ancestry of the poet Robert Burns, who was born into a family originally named Burness in Kincardineshire, branches of the family eventually migrated across the British Isles. By the late nineteenth century, records confirm that members of the family had established a presence in Essex, England. This movement was part of a broader trend of internal migration during the Victorian era as families moved toward industrial and agricultural hubs in search of new opportunities. The name has evolved through various spellings over the centuries, reflecting the way local dialects and regional accents influenced how names were recorded in official documents.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Burn
A small stream or brook of water.
This name
BurnessA person who lived near a small stream or a brook.
also spelled
Burns
Burn
Related arms
Burnvariant spelling
Burnsvariant spelling
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Black, George Fraser, The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History, 1946
General Register Office, Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871, The National Archives, Kew, Series RG 10
Reaney, Percy Hide, A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
spurKnighthood, and readiness to spur on
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
water bougetThe crusader's water carrier, and a journey made
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
spurKnighthood, and readiness to spur on
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
water bougetThe crusader's water carrier, and a journey made
