Brayford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Brayford is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in Derbyshire, where they held a family seat in Brelsford. The place-name Brelsford was originally derived from the Old English broegelsford, which means manor on a hall near a fording place on a river. 1

Early Origins of the Brayford family

The surname Brayford was first found in Derbyshire at Brailsford, a parish, in the hundred of Appletree. "The manor, which in the reign of the Confessor had belonged to Earl Wallef, was one of those given by William the Conqueror to Henry de Ferrers, under whom it was held by Elsin, ancestor of the ancient family of Brailsford. From the Brailsfords the property passed by marriage to the Bassetts, and from them in the same way to the Shirleys: the manor now belongs to the Evans family." 2

Early rolls revealed some interesting early spellings. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Robert de Brailisford, Derbyshire and the Derbyshire Writs of Parliament listed Henry de Braylesford, 1301. 3

Early History of the Brayford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brayford research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1060, 1450, 1660 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Brayford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brayford Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Brayford family name include Braylsford, Braylford, Brayleford, Brailsford, Braylesford, Brawlford, Brawford, Brelisford, Brellisford and many more.

Early Notables of the Brayford family

More information is included under the topic Early Brayford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brayford migration to Australia +

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

Brayford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Brayford, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
George Brayford, English Convict from Yorkshire, who was transported aboard the "Aboukir" on December 24, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 5

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 18) Aboukir voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. [These convicts appear to have all landed in Van Diemen's Land], Australia in 1851 with 280 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/aboukir/1851