Scottish Surnames, Baillie to Burnett

BAILLIE
A bailiff.

Bailie, Isabel of Hawick. Singer. The only British singer to appear with Toscanini on three occasions. Toured New Zealand, Malaya and S. Africa.

Baillie, Matthew (1761-1823) of Shotts. Physician and Anatomist. Wrote the first treatise in English on morbid anatomy (1793.

BAIN
White, fair, pale.

Bain, Alexander (1810-77) of Watten, Caithness. Invented the chemical telegraph in 1843. He also invented an electric clock (1851) and a fire alarm system.

Bain, Alexander (1818-1903) of Aberdeen. Psychologist and writer on mental philosophy.

Bain, David (1855-1933) of Reay, Caithness. Carriage and wagon superintendent with the Midland Railway (1902-19). Controller of timber supplies, Min. of Munitions (1916-18).

Bain, Sir Frederick (1889-1950) of Banffshire. Director, Royal Insurance Co., Liverpool and Globe Ins. Co., Chairman Chemical Con-trol Board Min. of Supply (1941-44), Chemical Planning Commission Min. of Production (1943-44).

Bain, William Alexander (1905-) of Dunbar. Professor of Pharmocology, Univ. of Leeds (1946-47), Press editor British Journal of Pharmocology and Chemotherapy (1953-57).

BAIRD
An old tradition in this family records that William the Lion, while hunting in one of the southwest counties, happening to wander from his attendants, was alarmed by the approach of a wild boar, and calling out for assistance, a gentleman of the name of Baird, who had followed the king, came up and had the good fortune to slay the object of the monarch's alarm. For this signal service, William conferred upon his deliverer large grants of lands, and assigned him for his coat of arms, a boar passant, and for his motto: "Dominus fecit," which arms are to be seen upon an ancient monument of the Bairds of Auchmedden in the churchyard of Banff.

Baird, Sir David (1757-1829) of East Lothian. In 1805-06 he commanded an expedition which successfully wrested the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch.

Baird, John Logie (1888-1946) ofHelensburgh. Invented Television. First shown to the public in 1925.

BALDERSTON
Local: from Balderston in Linlithgowshire.

BALFOUR
Local: from the castle and barony of Balfour near the junction of the rivers Or and Leven. The family are descended from Sir Michael de Balfour, temp. William the Lion.

Balfour, Sir Andrew (1873-1931) of Edinburgh. Novelist and expert on tropical medicine and public health. Made several important discoveries in protozoology.

Balfour, Arthur James (1838-1930) 1st Earl Whittinghame, of E. Lothian. Prime Minister of Gt. Britain (1902-05).

Balfour, Sir Isaac Bayley (1853-1922), of Edinburgh. Botanist. Sherardian Professor of Botany at Oxford (1884-88). Elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1884. Editor of The Annals of Botany from 1887.

Balfour, John Hutton (1808-84) of Edinburgh. Botanist. Keeper of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Was Dean of the faculty of Medicine in Edinburgh for 30 years.

BALLANTINE
Local: from Baalen, and teine, fire, the fire of Baal. A place where Bal, or Belus, was worshiped by the Celts.

Ballantine, James (1772-1833) of Kelso. Editor and publisher. The first to introduce an improved style of printing into Scotland.

Ballantine, James (1808-77) of Edinburgh. Poet and painter. Revived the art of glass painting.

Ballantyne, Robert Michael (1825-94) of Edinburgh. Popular writer of books for boys; The Coral Island, The World of Ice, The Dog Crusoe, etc.

BANNATYNE
A hill where fires were kindled.

BANNERMAN
Assumed because of the family being hereditary standard bearers to the king; they bear in their arms a banner displayed argent, on a,canton azure, St. Andrew's cross.

Bannerman, William Burney (1858-1924) of Perthshire. Major-General, Surgeon-General, Madras (1911-18). Elected FRS.

BARBER
A dresser of the hair and beard.

BARCLAY
Originally Berkely. The name signifies a birchfield, and was from the town of Berkely in Gloucestershire. Roger de Berkely, a Saxon living at the time of the conquest was the grandfather of Theobald de Berkely, who settled in Scotland, and was the ancestor of the Barclays.

Barclay, William (1907-78) of Wick, Caithness. Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, Univ of Glasgow (1963-). Lecturer and broadcaster.

Barclay-ALLARDICE, Capt. Robert (1779-1854) Scottish soldier and sportsman. Walked 1,000 miles in 1,000 consecutive hours in 1809. He was the sponsor and trainer of Tom Cribb, the English prize-fighter who retired unbeaten. Drove a coach non-stop from London to Aber-deen for £1,000 wager.

BARON
A valiant man.

BARR
Local: from the parish of Barr in Ayrshire.

Barr, Archibald (1855-1931) from near Paisley. Engineer, who with William Stroud founded the firm Barr & Stroud, Scientific instrument makers and pioneers in Naval range finders.

Barr, Robert (1850-1912) of Glasgow. Novelist and journalist. Became the reporter on the Detroit Free Press in 1881. He collaborated with Jerome K. Jerome in founding The Idler.

Barrie, Sir James Matthew (1860-1937) of Kirriemuir. Playwright, journalist and author of considerable merit. Creator of Peter Pan in 1904. His other works incl. The Admirable Crichton (1902) and Dear Brutus (1912).

BAXTER
A baker.

Baxter, James (1886-1964) of Ayrshire. Philosopher and economist. Financial Sec. to the Egyptian Govt. (1925-28). Financial adviser to the Govt. of Siam (1932-35) and to the Govt. of Burma (1937-43). Financial and Economic Expert to the Egyptian Govt. (1943-46).

Baxter, James Houston (1894-1973) of Glasgow. Prof. of Ecclesias-tical History, Univ. of St Andrews (1922-). Sec. of the British Academy Committee on the Dictionary of Mediaeval Latin.

Baxter, Stanley (1926-) of Glasgow. Award winning actor on stage and TV. His Big Picture Show won an award for the best light entertainment programme of 1973, and his Moving Picture Show voted best comedy show of 1974 by the Broadcasting Press Guild and Soc. of Films and TV Arts.

Baxter, William T. (1906-) of Edinburgh. Professor of Accounting, London School of Economics (1947-). Prof. of Accounting, Univ. of Cape Town (1937-).

BELL
Bell, Alexander Graham (1847-1922) of Edinburgh. Went to America where he invented the telephone in 1875-76. Became Professor of Vocal Physiology at Boston Univ. in 1873. He also invented the photo-phone, a device for optically showing sound waves.

Bell, Alexander Melville (1819-1922) of Edinburgh. Teacher of elocution. Practised a system of visible speech, by which deaf-mutes could be taught to speak. Was the father of Alexander Graham Bell.

Bell, Andrew (1753-1832) of St Andrews. Clergyman and philanthropist. While superintendent of an orphanage school in Madras he introduced the system of 'Monitor assistants' which was later universally adopted.

Bell, Sir Charles (1774-1842) of Edinburgh. Anatomist and surgeon. Discovered the function of sensory and motor nerves. Facial paralysis, known as 'Bell's Palsy' is named after him.

Bell, John (1681-1780) of Stirlingshire. Traveller and physician to Russian and Persian Embassies (1715-18) and to China through Siberia (1719-22).

Bell, Sir John (1782-1876) of Fifeshire. General who distinguished himself in the Peninsular War. From 1828 to 1841 he was Chief Secretary to the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. He was Lieut.-Governor of Guernsey (1848-52).

Bell, John E. (1886-) of Edinburgh. Vice-Consul at Paris (1911), Boston (1912), Belgian Congo (1913-14), Magellans, Chile (1915-19), Santa Domingo (1920), Bahia, Brazil (1930-32), Basle (1932-34). Con-sul at Galveston, USA (1920-23), Portland, Oregon (1923-29). Consul General at Cologne (1934-39), Zurich (1939-42) and Strasburg (1945-46).

Bell, John Joy (1871-1934) of Glasgow. Novelist. His Wee MacGregor (1902) humorous sketches in Glasgow, sold 250,000 copies.

Bell, Revd Patrick (1799-1869) of Arbroath. Invented a mechanical reaper in 1826. He did not patent his reaper and made no money out of it.

Bell, Harry (1899-) of Aberdeen. Sometime adviser with UNESCO delegation, Florence. Produced many papers and articles on literary, historical and educational subjects.

Bell, Henry (1767-1830) of Torphichan Mill, Linlithgow. Pioneer of steam navigation with the 30 ton steamship Comet, launched in 1812.

BELSCHES
Local: From the barony of Belsches in Roxburghshire. The name has been written Belasis, Belases, Belshes, Belshaes, and Belsches. The family are descended from Ralph de Belasyse in Durham, who was settled there soon after the Conquest.

BENNETT
A contraction of Benedict, from Benedictus, blessed.

Bennett, James Gordon (1795-1873) of Keith. Journalist and editor. Issued the first number of the New York Times in 1835.

Bennett, James Gordon (1841-1918) son and successor of James aforementioned. In 1870 he sent Stanley to find Livingstone and with the Daily Telegraph, financed Livingstone's Congo Journey (1874-78). He also promoted polar explorations, yachting, motoring and storm warnings.

Bennett, John (1893-) of Ratho. Major-General, Director of Medicine and Consulting Physician to the Army (1947-51).

Bennett, Roland A. (1899-) educ. Stornoway and Edinburgh. Major-General, Consulting Physician to the Far East Land Forces (1946-49). Director of Medicine to the Army (1955-59) and Hon. Physician to the Queen (1955-59).

BERTRAM
Fair and pure.

BETHUNE
Local: from the town of Bethune in France. The Scottish branch of the family are descended from Robert de Bethune who came to Scotland in 1165.

BIGGAR
Local: from the town of Biggar in Lanarkshire.

BINNEY
The hill near the water, from bin, a hill, and ea, water.

BINNING
The family bear a wagon in their arms because of one of them having, temp. David II, gone as leader of a party in a wagon, covered with hay, and surprised and taken from the English the Castle of Linlithgow.

BIRNEY
Local: from the parish of Birney in Elginshire.

BLACK
Black, Adam (1784-1874) of Edinburgh. Publisher. Achieved fame through the purchase of the Encylopaedia Britannica in 1872, after Constable's failure, and of Scott's novels from Cadell's representative in 1851.

Black, Sir James (1924-) son of a Fife miner. Professor of Analytical Pharmocology. Inventor of beta-blockers which prevent heart attacks, etc. Based in London he has been described as an immensely gifted man. Has had many awards including the 1988 Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Black, Joseph (1728-99) of Edinburgh. Chemist. He showed that the causticity of lime and the alkalies is due to the absence of fixed air (carbon dioxide) presence in limestone and the carbonates of the alkalies. His fame rests chiefly in the theory of 'Latent heat' (which he evolved).

Black, William (1841-98) of Glasgow. Novelist and journalist. War correspondent during the Austro-Prussian War. He wrote over 30 books.

Blackie, John Stuart (1809-95) of Glasgow. Eminent writer, poet and philologist.

BLACKADER
Local: from the lands of Blackader in Berwickshire - they bear an adder sable for their crest.

BLACKBURN
The black stream.

Blackwell, Alexander (1704-47) of Aberdeen. Adventurer, agriculturist and self-appointed physician. Was beheaded in 1747.

BLACKWOOD
Local: from the lands of Blackwood in Lanarkshire.

BLAIR
A cleared plain, and as this was often the ground selected for combats and battles, Blair came to signify a battle. The family are descended from William de Blair, 1205.

Blair, Sir Chandos (1919-) Lieut.-General. Commanded 4th KAR, Uganda (1959-61), GOC 2nd Div. BAOR (1968-70). Governor of Edinburgh Castle (1972-).

Blair, Robert (1699-1746) of Edinburgh. Divine and theological writer. Author of The Grave (1743, a poem nearly 800 lines long).

Blair, Robert (-d. 1828) of Murchiston, nr. Edinburgh. naval Surgeon. In 1785 was appointed to the newly established Regius Chair of Astronomy at the Univ. of Edinburgh. He was the inventor of fluid-filled achromatic lenses for telescopes.

Blair-KERR, William (Mr Justice Blair-Kerr) (1911-) of Dumblane. Director of Weapons and Engineering, Air Ministry (1958-60). On British Defence Staff Washington (1960-63). Ex-Puisne Judge Supreme Court, Hong Kong.

Blair-OLIPHANT, David N. K. (1911-) of Blairgowrie. Air Vice-Marshal RAF, Vice President (Air) Ordnance Board (1963-).

BOGLE
A goblin.

Bogle, George (1746-81) from near Bothwell. British diplomat selected as Envoy to the Lama of Tibet in 1774. The first Briton to cross the Tsanpu in its upper range. Became a personal friend of the Lama.

BONAR
Local: from Bonare in Perthshire. The family are descended from Sir William de Bonare, Baron of Bonare, temp. William the Lion.

BORROWMEN
A carrier of barrows.

BORTHWICK
Local: from the lands of Borthwick on Borthwick Water in Selkirkshire. The family are descended from Thomas de Borthwick, temp. David II.

BOSWELL
Local: from bosch, a wood, and ville, a village. The family was established in Scotland, temp. David I.

BOWIE, James (c.1790-1836) of Scottish descent, a colonel in the Texas forces and hero of the Alamo. The Bowie knife is named after him, a knife of his own design first used by him in a fight in Mississippi in 1827.

BOWMAN
An archer. The family bear a bow in their arms, and also in their crest.

BOYD
Fair complexioned. The family are descended from Robert, surnamed Boyt on account of his fair complexion, living in 1205; he was the son of Simon the third son of Allan, Lord Stewart of Scotland.

Boyd, Sir John (1891-) of Largs. Brigadier and authority on tropical diseases and bacterial viruses. Hon. Secretary Royal Society of Tropical Diseases.

Boyd, Lachlan M. (1904-) of South Uist. Secretary for African Affairs (1951-55). Minister of Local Government, Uganda (1955-60).

Boyd, Thomas J. L. Stirling (1886-1973) of Edinburgh. Barrister-at-law, Chief Justice, Sarawak (1930-39); Air Ministry (1939-43). Chairman, Works and Traffic Committee, Westminster C.C. (1952-55) and Westminster Health Society (1956-59).

Boyd-ORR, Sir John, 1st Baron (1880-1971) of Kilmaurs, Ayrshire. Physiologist and nutritional expert. Director-General World Food and Agricultural Organization (1945-48). Awarded Nobel prize in 1940.

BOYES
Originally Bois, a wood, a forest.

BOYLE
Probably originally Boyville, from Bouville, a parish near Rouen, France. The Scottish family are descended from Richard Boyle of Kelburn in Ayrshire.

BRANDER
A gridiron.

BRASH
A rash or eruption.

BRECHIN
Local: from the town of Brechin in Forfarshire. Henry Brechin was created Lord Brechin by David I.

BREMNER, James (1784-1856) of Keiss, Caithness. Engineer, shipraiser, designer and constructor of harbours. Was mainly respon-sible and instrumental in refloating the grounded ss Great Britain in Dundrum Bay in 1847.

BREWSTER, Sir David (1781-1868) of Jedburgh. Philosopher, physicist and inventor of great scientific attainments. Invented the Kaleidoscope in 1816 and developed the Stereoscope. Made important discoveries on the polarization of light. Founder of the British Association. 'Brewster's Law' bears his name. Elected Fellow of the Royal Society.

BRICE
Descended from Rev Edward Bruce, a younger son of the Laird of Airth, who settling in Ireland early in the seventeenth century, changed his name to Bryce, since altered to brice.

BRIDIE, James (pen-name of Osborne Henry Navor), (1888-1951) of Glasgow. Author and dramatist. His first London play was The Anatomist (1931). He was for a time Professor of Medicine at Anderson Coll., Glasgow.

BRIMMER
A passionate man, from brim, to be violent.

BRISBANE
A place where courts were held; brys, a trial at law, and bann, a mount; breasban, the royal mount. The family of Brisbane is of considerable antiquity ; the present descendants are in possession of an elbow chair made of oak, having the family arms, with the date 1357 carved on the back. William Brisbane was Chancellor of Scotland in 1332.

Brisbane, Sir Thomas Makdougall (1773-1860) of Largs. General and astronomer. Governor of New South Wales (1851-60). Brisbane, the capital of Queensland is named after him. He built the first Australian observatory.

BRODIE
Local: from the lands of Brodie in Morayshire. The name signifies a precipice. The family are descended from Malcolm, Thane of Brodie, temp. Alexander III.

Brodie, George (c. 1786-1867) of East Lothian. Historian, remem-bered for his History of the British Empire from the Accession of Charles I to the Restoration.

Brodie, William (1815-81) of Banff. Sculptor. One of his major works is a statue of Queen Victoria in Windsor Castle.

BROOKS
A small river.

BROUGHAM, Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868) of Edinburgh. Law reformer, orator, debater and writer on an incredible variety of subjects, including Mathematical and Physical Science, Metaphysics, History, Theology and Romance. Became Lord Chancellor. The Brougham carriage was named after him.

BROWN
Originally Broun, and Le Brun - dark complexioned. The family have been free Barons of Colstoun in Haddingtonshire, since 1116. The family claim descent from the Royal family of France.

Brown, A. B. of Edinburgh. In 1870 patented a servo-motor for the hydraulic steering of ships by steam, air or oil.

Brown, Alexander Crum (1838-1922) of Edinburgh. Chemist who worked on chemical nomenclature and the application of mathematics to chemistry. The rule of substitution of benzine derivatives bears his name. Elected FRS in 1879.

Brown, Sir Arthur Whitten (1886-1948) of Glasgow. Aviator who with Capt. John Alcock made the first direct crossing of the Atlantic by aeroplane in 1919, in a Vickers Vimy bomber.

Brown, George (1790-1865) from near Elgin. General who distinguished himself in the Crimea, in the battle of Alma, and at Sebas-topol.

Brown, George, (1818-80) Scots-born Canadian statesman and journalist. Founded the Toronto Globe in 1844.

Brown, George Douglas (1869-1902) of Ochiltree, Ayrshire. Novelist son of a farmer. Best remembered for his novel The House with the Green Shutters (1901) which was written under the pseudonym 'George Douglas'.

Brown, George Mackay (1922-) of Stromness, Orkney. Poet and short story writer. Published his first vol. of poetry The Storm in 1954. Short story vols. incl. A Calendar of Love (1967) and A Time to Keep (1969).

Brown, John (1722-87) from near Abernethy. Herd-boy and pack-man who studied philosophy and became a preacher in 1750. He was the author of the Self Interpreting Bible.

Brown, John (1735-88) of Berwickshire. Physician. Founder of the 'Brunonian' system of medicine.

Brown, John (c.1825-83) of Crathie, Aberdeenshire. For thirty years was Queen Victoria's personal servant and confidant.

Brown, John of Paisley. About 1840 with William Polson produced a cornflour powder when they were trying to make starch for cloth from maize. Brown and Poison later became part of a world-wide concern with a large range of other food products.

Brown, Robert (1773-1858) of Montrose. Botanist famed for his discovery of the nucleus of living cells. In 1805 he brought home nearly 40,000 species of plants from Australia. It was his discovery in 1827 of the irregular movement of pollen grains and the physical concept known as 'Brownian motion'. Elected FRS in 1811.

Brown, Robert (1842-95) of Camster, Caithness. Botanist, geographer and author. Travelled Greenland, subarctic Canada, West Indies and the Barbary States. His books include The Countries of the World and Science for all.

Brown, Thomas. Scottish engineer who in 1977 invented a computer-linked 3-D electric eye scanner for viewing inside the human body.

Brown, Sir William Scott (1890-1968) of Kelso. Secretary to the Board of Revenue (1924-27) and to the Govt. Public Works Dept., Madras (1935-37). Chief Sec. to the Govt. of Madras (1946-47)

BRUCE
Local: from Bruys in Normandy; Robert de Bruys was one of the followers of William the Conqueror, and received from that monarch grants of ninety-four lordships in Yorkshire; his son Robert de Brus obtained from David I the lands of Annandale, and was the ancestor of the Scottish family of Bruce.

Bruce, Alexander Hugh, 6th Baron Balfour of Burleigh (1849-1921) of Kennet. Statesman, Lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria. Sec. Board of Trade (1889-92). Described as one of the most outstanding figures of his day in Scottish public life.

Bruce, Sir David (1855-1931) Melbourne-born Scot. Physician and naturalist. Discovered the causes of Malta fever and sleeping sickness. Elected FRS in 1884.

Bruce, James (1730-94) of Kinnaird, Stirlingshire. Explorer in Africa. First to find the source of the Blue Nile. Discovered Tississat Falls in 1770. His Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile (1790) was published in 5 volumes. Described as a formidable man, Bruce was 6' 4" in height and strong in proportion, had dark red hair and a very loud voice. He died as a result of tripping and falling downstairs when offering his hand to a lady.

Bruce, Sir John K., (1905-75) Surgeon. Lecturer on surgery in the USA, Canada, Australia, England and Copenhagen. Hon. Surgeon to the Queen in Scotland (1960). He was honoured by many institutions throughout the world.

Bruce, ROBERT THE (1274-1327) of Lochmaben or Turnberry Castle. King of Scotland. Remembered as Scotland's national hero. His memorable defeat of the English at Bannockburn (1314) was remark-able when by his superior generalship he deprived the enemy of their huge numerical advantage.

Bruce, Sir William (-d. 1710) of Kinross. Architect Royal to Charles II. Rebuilt Holyrood (1671-79).

Bruce, William Speirs (1867-1921), of Edinburgh. Naturalist, explorer and lecturer on geography, oceanography and zoology. Leader of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-04) when he discovered part of Coats Island. Took part in many polar and other expeditions and surveys in the Antarctic, Waddell Sea and Spitsbergen (1890-1920).

BRUNTON, Sir Thomas Lauder (1844-1916) of Hiltonshill, Rox-burgshire. Physician and Pharmacologist. His best known clinical con-tribution was the introduction of amyi nitrate in the treatment of angina pectoris.

BRYCE, David (1803-76) of Edinburgh. Architect (Scottish Baronial). Has been described as one of the greatest architects of his age. His honours incl. FRIBA, RSA and Grand Architect for Scotland.

BUCHAN
Local: from the district of Buchan in Aberdeenshire.

Buchan, Alastair F., born in 1918. 3rd son of novelist John Buchan, First Baron Tweedsmuir. Prof. of International Relations at Oxford (1972-). In 1958 became first Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies.

Buchan, Alexander (1829-1907) of Kinnesswood, nr. Kinross. Meteorologist. Pioneer of the Isobar System.

Buchan, John, First Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield (1875-1940) of Perth. Author and Statesman. Governor of Canada (1935-40). Best remembered for his novels Prestor John (1910) and The Thirty-nine Steps (1915).

Buchan, Peter (1790-1854) of Peterhead. Printer and ballad collector. His works incl., Gleanings of Scotch, Irish and English, Scarce Old Ballads (1825) and Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland (1828).

Buchan, William (1729-1805) ofAncarm, Roxburghshire. Physician. In 1769 he published the first edition of Domestic Medicine or the Family Physician, the first of its kind in this country.

BUCHANAN
Local: from the parish of Buchanan in Stirlingshire. The family are descended from Macoum de Boquhanan, whose name is on the Ragman's Roll, 1296.

Buchanan, Francis Hamilton (1762-1879) of Callander, Perthshire. Surgeon, agriculturist, botanist and zoologist. Was founder of India's first zoo. He carried out extensive route surveys across Mysore, Canara and Malabar in 1800, and later in Bengal and Bahar. His last post in India was Superintendent of Calcutta Botanical Gardens. Was a fellow of the Royal Society.

Buchanan, George (1506-82) of Killearn. Historian and scholar. Tutor to Mary, Queen of Scots (1562) and to Montaigne and James VI. Described as the most distinguished British humanist of his day, and had a reputation throughout Europe.

BURN
A brook.

BURNS, Sir George (1795-1890) of Glasgow. Philanthropist , founder of the Cunard Shipping Company with his brother James.

Burns, Henry S. Mackenzie (b. 1900-) of Aberdeen. Director Shell Oil Co. Inc., New York (1947) and of US Petroleum Instil (1947-60).

Burns, James (1789-1871) of Glasgow. Brother of Sir George and founder of the Cunard Shipping Company.

Burns, Robert (1759-96) of Alloway, near Ayr. Scottish Natic Bard of world-wide fame. One of the greatest of all writers of 1 songs. His vitality of expression was extraordinary. His works appea at least 37 languages, incl. Russian, Chinese and Punjabi.

Burns, William (b. 1884-) of Montrose. Economic Botanist to Bombay Govt. (1908), Principal, Poona College of Agricult (1922-32), Director of Agriculture, Bombay (1932-36) and Agricult Commissioner to the Govt. of India (1939-45).

Burns, William (b. 1909-) of Stonehaven. Professor of Phys ogy, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School (1947-). Member of Physiological Society, the Ergonomics Research Soc. and the Brii Assoc. for the Advancement of Science.

Burns, William C. (1815-68) of Forfarshire. Missionary to Chi Universally regarded as having

BURNSIDE
The banks of a brook.

BURNETT
A little brook. The family is of Saxon origin, but the Scottish branch have been seated for more than five centuries in the north of Scotland, and are descended from Robert Burnard, 1128. They bear a hunting horn in their arms, indicative of their office of king's foresters in the north.

If you have a web site devoted to any of the above family surnames, please e-mail me your web address for free inclusion on this page.

Return to Scottish Surnames