Bush
One-Name Study

Topics

• About the Bush One-Name Study
• Variants
• Origin of the surname
• Historical occurrences
• Data
• DNA project
• Contact Details

About the Bush One-Name Study

The study is still quite young, having been started in April 2008. The impetus to embark on the study arose when the proverbial 'brick wall' was reached in finding the birth details of my GGGGrandfather, James Bush, a Pipe Maker, who died in Carmarthen in 1865 but who was evidently born in about 1784 in Bristol.

The data collected so far - though substantial in itself - is probably of limited assistance to other Bush researchers at the moment. Nevertheless I will of course respond to any and every enquiry about the data collected to date. See the Data section below.

Variants

Although I am aware of a number of variants to the surname, such as Busch, Bushe, Byshe and Busk, these are not currently within the scope of the study. Given the size of the study for just the core name, to collect data on all variants is probably beyond the resources of any one individual.

Origin of the surname

The name comes either from the pre 9th Century Norse-Viking 'buskr', or perhaps the Olde English pre 7th Century 'busc'; in either case it is a topographical name for someone who lived by a particularly distinctive copse or thicket.

Historical occurrences

Perhaps the most notable figure in England was Paul Bush, created Bishop of Bristol in 1542, only to resign the Bishopric in 1554. He had married when it was allowed by King Edward VI - but when it was subsequently forbidden, his position as Bishop became untenable. He died in 1558.

Percy Frank Bush was Captain of Wales and Cardiff Rugby Club at the turn of the 19th century, while one of his brothers, Reginald Edgar James Bush was a noted painter and etcher of his time. These two are both first cousins (twice removed) in my own Bush genealogy.

More recently, the broader Bush family has provided two Presidents of the United States of America.

Data

England and Wales:

Births, Marriages & Deaths Index 1837 to 2006 complete ... 78,694 records

(n.b. The 2006 marriages have not been released by GRO)

Wales Census 1841 to 1901 complete

England Census 1841 complete ... 3866 records

England Census 1851 complete ... 4219 records

England Census 1861 complete ... 4918 records

England Census 1871 complete ... 5377 records

England Census 1881 work in progress ... 70% complete

England Census 1891 Index ... 7128 records

England Census 1901 Index ... 8156 records

England & Wales Census 1911 Index ... 9828 records

Channel Islands Census 1841-1901 Complete

Scottish OPR & Statutory Births Index 1553-2005 ... 470 records

Commonwealth War Dead (WW1 & WWII) ... 380 records

Index to the National Probate Calendar,

1861 to 1941 for England and Wales ... 1463 records

The 1891 and 1901 England Census data will be transcribed in due course, to be followed by overseas data.

DNA project

I have yet to engage in any DNA-based research but there is an existing project - based on the surname rather than having a specific one-name genealogy basis. This can be found at ...

http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/a/gah4/BushDNA/B1.html

I have no connection with that project at the moment.

Contact details

For further information, contact:

Mr Leslie Bush
E-mail:

This page last updated 31 August 2010.

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Profiles of other one-name studies registered with the Guild may be found here.