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Broughton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Broughton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

When the ancestors of the Broughton family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Staffordshire, Lancashire, Lincoln, Northamptonshire and many other counties. The name probably derived from the name Boroughtown and is indicative of its bearer's residence one of many localities so named in Britain.

Early Origins of the Broughton family

The surname Broughton was first found in Staffordshire at Broughton. However, "the Broughtons descend in the male line from one of the most ancient families of the county of Chester, the Vernons of Shipbrook. Richard de Vernon, a younger brother of this house, was father of Adam de Napton, in the county of Warwick, whose issue assumed their local name from Broughton in Staffordshire." 1 Shirley continues "the pedigrees vary as to the exact point of connection, and, confused and contradictory as the Shipbrooke pedigree is at this period, there can be little hope of its positively identified; but the general fact of descent is allowed by all authorities." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had scattered listings of the family: Mathew de Brouchton, Buckinghamshire; Houel de Broton, Shropshire; William de Broucton, Huntingdonshire; and John de Brouhton, Oxfordshire. 2

Broughton Castle is a medieval fortified manor house in the village of Broughton. The castle was built as a manor house by Sir John de Broughton in 1300 where three streams met creating a natural site for a moated manor. The castle survives today as a Grade I listed building and is open to the public over the summer.

Early History of the Broughton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broughton research. Another 255 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1506, 1549, 1602, 1612, 1634, 1660, 1661 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Broughton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broughton Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Broughton has been recorded under many different variations, including Broughton, Browton and others.

Early Notables of the Broughton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Robert Broughton (died 1506), a landowner, soldier, and Member of Parliament for Suffolk, He was knighted at the Battle of Stoke
Hugh Broughton (1549 -1612), was an English scholar and divine, born at Owlbury, a mansion in the parish of Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. "In the immediate vicinity are two farmlands, called Upper and...
Richard Broughton (d. 1634), was a Catholic historian, born at Great Stukeley, Huntingdonshire, towards the close of Queen Mary's reign. "In his preface to the 'Monasticon Britannicum' he claims desce...
Andrew Broughton (1602-1687), was a Clerk of the Court at the High Court of Justice for the trial King Charles I of England. Upon the Restoration, he fled to the continent where he remained in exile f...

Broughton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Broughton is the 2,881^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3 However, in New Zealand, the name Broughton is ranked the 571^st most popular surname with an estimated 1,244 people with that name. 4 And in the United Kingdom, the name Broughton is the 968^th popular surname with an estimated 7,200 people with that name. 5

Broughton migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Broughtons were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Broughton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Broughton, who arrived in Virginia in 1618 6
Thomas Broughton, of Longden in Staffordshire, who migrated about 1630, settled in Boston, Massachusetts
Thomas Broughton, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Mr. Thomas Broughton, aged 19, from England who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "America" arriving in June 1635 7
William Broughton, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Broughton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Broughton, who landed in Virginia in 1700 6
Hugh Broughton, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 6
James Broughton, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 6

Broughton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Broughton, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
Edward Broughton, who arrived in New York in 1826 6
J Broughton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
A Broughton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
Charles F Broughton, who arrived in Indiana in 1852 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Broughton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Broughton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Broughton U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 171 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York 8

Broughton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Broughton Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Richard Broughton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Broughton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Margaret Broughton, British Convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Bartholomew Broughton, (b. 1792), aged 27, English sailor who was convicted in London, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1828 11
John Broughton, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Edward Broughton, (b. 1803), aged 23, English labourer who was convicted in Sussex, England for 14 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1831 13
Mr. James Broughton, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Broughton 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:

Broughton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Broughton, who landed in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1840
W. Broughton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of the Deep" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th June 1854 15

Broughton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16

Broughton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Henry Broughton, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 17

Contemporary Notables of the name Broughton (post 1700) +

Bruce Broughton (b. 1945), American composer of television theme music and film scores
James Broughton (1913-1999), American poet, playwright, and avant-garde filmmaker
Luke Dennis Broughton (1828-1898), American (English born) astrologer
Jane H. Broughton, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1972 18
Mrs. J. M. Broughton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1952 18
Gerald E. Broughton, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Cabell County, 1966, 1968 18
Gerald E. Broughton, American politician, Mayor of Marietta, Ohio, 1953 18
Esto Broughton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1932 18
Mrs. Esta Broughton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1952 18
Claudius V. Broughton, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Ontario County, 1820-21, 1825-26 18
... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Broughton family +

HMS Royal Oak

Alick Edward Broughton (d. 1939), British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 19

The Broughton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Spes Vitae Melioris
Motto Translation: Hope for a better life.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html