Show ContentsSeabright History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Seabright date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Seabright family lived in Sebright in the county of Essex which was later known as Great Seabright in Great Beddow in Essex. This surname is also of patronymic origin in that it was originally derived from the baptismal name Seabert, taken from the Old English personal name Saebeorht.

Sebert, Saberet or Saba (died 616?) was the first Christian king of the East-Saxons, son of Sledda, king of the East-Saxons. Sebert is said to have founded Westminster Abbey, but this is a late legend. "In 1308 a tomb, said to be that of Sebert, was opened in Westminster Abbey for the purpose of translating the relics, and the right hand and forearm of the body were found undecayed." [1]

Early Origins of the Seabright family

The surname Seabright was first found in Essex where "William Sebright of Sebright, in Much Beddow, living in the reign of Henry II is the ancestor of this ancient family who removed into this county (Worcestershire) at a very early period." [2]

Early History of the Seabright family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Seabright research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1645, 1658, 1668, 1679, 1692, 1702, 1706, 1729, 1736, 1764 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Seabright History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Seabright Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Seabright are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Seabright include: Seabright, Sebright, Seabricks, Sebricks and others.

Early Notables of the Seabright family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Edward Sebright, 1st Baronet (c. 1585-c. 1658) of Besford in the County of Worcester, High Sheriff of Worcestershire; Sir Edward Sebright, 2nd Baronet (c. 1645-1679); Sir Edward Sebright, 3rd Baronet (1668-1702)...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Seabright Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Seabright migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Seabright or a variant listed above:

Seabright Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Andrew, Elizabeth, George, Helen, James, John, and Samuel Seabright all, who arrived in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1762
  • Joseph Seabright who arrived in Maryland in 1774
Seabright Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Justice Seabright, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1880 [3]
  • Frederick Seabright, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1884 [3]

Canada Seabright migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Seabright Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Seabright was a fisher of Waldron's Cove (Fogo District), Newfoundland, in 1871 [4]

New Zealand Seabright 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:

Seabright Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Seabright, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 18th December 1861 [5]
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Seabright, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 18th December 1861 [5]
  • Miss Lucy Seabright, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 18th December 1861 [5]
  • Miss Elizabeth Ann Seabright, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 18th December 1861 [5]
  • Mr. George Seabright, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria aboard the ship "Dunedin" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 18th December 1861 [5]

West Indies Seabright 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. [6]
Seabright Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Richard Seabright, who settled in Barbados in 1635
  • Richard Seabright, aged 21, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 [3]
  • Mr. Richard Seabright, (b. 1614), aged 21, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 [7]


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  3. 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)
  4. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  7. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm


Houseofnames.com on Facebook