Contents [hide]

Brightwell History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Brightwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Brightwell dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in either of the settlements named Brightwell in Berkshire or Suffolk, or in the place called Brightwell Baldwin in Oxfordshire.

Early Origins of the Brightwell family

The surname Brightwell was first found in Oxfordshire, where the name is associated with the village of Brightwell Baldwin. In the Domesday Book survey of 1086 Brightwell Baldwin was recorded as lands held by William the Conqueror and the Bishop of Bayeux. During the 11th century it was the site of a mill. Robert de Brictewell was registered in Oxfordshire in 1205. Brightwell Castle was built in 1145 by King Stephen in the village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, but was destroyed in 1153 by his cousin Matilda's son during a civil war. He would later become known as King Henry II.

Years later, Thomas Bryghtwell or Brythwell (d. 1390), was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford and is chiefly known in connection with the proceedings against Wycliffe's followers taken at the council of Blackfriars in London in 1382. 1

Early History of the Brightwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brightwell research. Another 226 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1273, 1388, 1390, 1439, 1500, 1675, 1787, 1806 and 1811 are included under the topic Early Brightwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brightwell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Brightwell have been found, including Brightwell, Brightwelle, Britewell, Brihtwell, Brictewell, Brichtewell, Brichwell and many more.

Early Notables of the Brightwell family

Notables of the family at this time include

Thomas Brightwell DD (aka Brytwell), an English medieval college Fellow and Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1388-1390.)...

Migration of the Brightwell family to Ireland

Some of the Brightwell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brightwell migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Brightwell, or a variant listed above:

Brightwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Charles Brightwell, who landed in Virginia in 1660 2
Richard Brightwell, who landed in Maryland in 1663 2

Brightwell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Roynold Brightwell, who landed in Virginia in 1705 2

Brightwell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Constance Brightwell, aged 9, who immigrated to the United States from Colchester, England, in 1912
Emma Brightwell, aged 34, who settled in America from Colchester, England, in 1912
Evaline Brightwell, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Colchester, England, in 1912
George Brightwell, aged 37, who landed in America from Colchester, England, in 1912
Kate Brightwell, aged 44, who immigrated to America from Plymouth, England, in 1922

Brightwell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brightwell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Brightwell, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1749
John Brightwell, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mary Brightwell, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Bendict Brightwell, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
John Brightwell, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brightwell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Brightwell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Brightwell, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Brightwell (post 1700) +

Emily Brightwell (b. 1948), American pseudonym of Cheryl Arguile, an American writer
Juanita Brightwell, American educator
Theodore Brightwell, American politician, Member of Mississippi Territorial House of Representatives, 1809 3
H. P. Brightwell, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1920 3
Elza M. Brightwell, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Knox County Democratic Party, 1949 3
Charles O. Brightwell, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 2nd District, 1972 3
Robert "Robbie" Ian Brightwell MBE (1939-2022), India-born, English former Olympic track and field athlete
Cecilia Lucy Brightwell (1811-1875), prominent English author and artist, born at Thorpe, near Norwich, on 27 Feb. 1811, the eldest child of Thomas Brightwell (born at Ipswich 18 March 1787, died at Norwich 17 Nov. 1868) 4
Stuart Brightwell (b. 1979), English football midfielder
Ian Robert Brightwell (b. 1968), English former footballer
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019