| ![Show Contents]() Bradsher History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Bradsher first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in one of the settlements named Bradshaw in Derbyshire, Lancashire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire. Early Origins of the Bradsher familyThe surname Bradsher was first found in Lancashire at Bradshaw, a chapelry in the parish and union of Bolton in the hundred of Salford, now part of Greater Manchester. The chapelry dates back to 1246 when it was listed as Bradeshaghe and literally meant "broad wood or copse" derived from the Old English brad + sceaga. 1 The chapelry is "where the Bradshaws have flourished from the time of the Saxons." 2 John de Bradshagh was rector of the church of St. Michael, Aughton, Lancashire in 1382. Years later the same church's records listed William Bradshagh as the rector in 1489, with Thomas Bradshagh as his patron. 3 One would presume that the rectors were related. There is another Bradshaw in the West Riding of Yorkshire. This ecclesiastical district, in the parish and union of Halifax is much larger than the Lancashire chapelry, but little was found in relation to the surname. Early History of the Bradsher familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bradsher research. Another 200 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1513, 1571, 1602, 1613, 1618, 1628, 1635, 1636, 1659, 1660, 1669, 1671, 1679, 1684, 1685, 1702, 1732 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bradsher History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bradsher Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bradsher has appeared include Bradshaw, Bradshay, Bradshaigh, Bradshawe, Braidshaw and many more. Early Notables of the Bradsher familyDistinguished members of the family include Henry Bradshaw (c.1450-1513), English poet; William Bradshaw (1571-1618), English Puritan divine, son of Nicholas Bradshaw, of a Lancashire family, born at Market Bosworth, Leicestershire; Richard Bradshaigh or Bradshaw (1602-1669), an English Jesuit, born in Lancashire; John Bradshaw (1602-1659), one of the judges to preside over the trial and subsequent death sentence of Charles I of England; Sir Roger Bradshaigh, 1st Baronet (1628-1684), an English politician, Member...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bradsher Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bradsher RankingIn the United States, the name Bradsher is the 18,323rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4  Migration of the Bradsher family to Ireland
Some of the Bradsher family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Bradsher migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bradsher arrived in North America very early:
Bradsher Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Earl L. Bradsher, aged 28, who immigrated to Columbia, Mo., in 1908
- Arthur Brown Bradsher, aged 40, who immigrated to Petersburg, Va., in 1923
| Contemporary Notables of the name Bradsher (post 1700) | + |
- Keith Bradsher, American business and economics reporter for The New York Times
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: Qui vit content tient assez
Motto Translation: He who lives contentedly has enough.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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Bradsher migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
