Brandane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Brandane surname lived in one of the settlements named Brandon in Durham, Norfolk, Suffolk, or Warwickshire, or in Brundon in Essex.

Early Origins of the Brandane family

The surname Brandane was first found in one of the many villages named Brandon or Brendon in England. The place names are frequent due to the literal origin of "hill where broom grows," from the Old English "brom" + "dun." 1

The oldest place name was Brandon, Lincolnshire which dates back to 1060 while the Suffolk, Warwickshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire locals are all listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 with various spellings used at that time: Brandona, Suffolk; Brandune, Warwickshire; Brandun, Norfolk; and Brandune, Lincolnshire. 2

Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG (c.1484-1545) lived in Westhorpe, Suffolk. "The Hall, a noble mansion, at one time the residence of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, was taken down about the middle of the last century; his royal consort, Mary, died here in 1533." 3

The same Duke of Suffolk also held lands and a family seat at Beckenham in Kent. "In the reign of Henry VIII., Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, entertained that monarch when on his journey to visit Anne of Cleves, with great pomp, at the manor-house." 3

There are many more notables of the name but for now we must pause to mention Richard Brandon (d. 1649) as he was the executioner of Charles I. He was the son of Gregory Brandon, a common hangman of London in the early part of the seventeenth century. 4

Early History of the Brandane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandane research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1484, 1485, 1514, 1516, 1517, 1519, 1534, 1535, 1537, 1545, 1547, 1551, 1559, 1649 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Brandane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandane 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 Brandane 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 Brandane include: Brandon, Branden, Brandan and others.

Early Notables of the Brandane family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir William Brandon (d. 1485), who was Henry Tudor's standard-bearer at the Battle of Bosworth; his son Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle (c.1484-1545), brother-in-law to Henry VIII; Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1516-1534); Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk (1517-1559), maiden name Lady Frances Brandon, niece of Henry VIII; Lady Eleanor Brandon (1519-1547), the third child...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brandane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brandane family to Ireland

Some of the Brandane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brandane family

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 Brandane or a variant listed above: Jacob Brandon who settled in Jamaica in 1741; John Brandon settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1715; William Brandon settled in Connecticut in 1630; Martin Brandon settled in Virginia in 1626.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print