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![Show Contents]() Brawton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The name Brawton came to England with the ancestors of the Brawton family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Brawton family 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 Brawton familyThe surname Brawton 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 Brawton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brawton 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 Brawton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Brawton Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Broughton, Browton and others. Early Notables of the Brawton familyOutstanding 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 Lower Broughton. His ancestry was old and of large estate; he had a brother a judge. He calls himself a Cambrian, and it is probable that he had a...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brawton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Brawton familyBecause of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Brawton or a variant listed above: Thomas Broughton, of Longden in Staffordshire, who migrated about 1630; and settled in Boston, Massachusetts. Another Thomas settled in Virginia in 1635.
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.
- 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)
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