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Bromley History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Bromley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Bromley dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in Bromley Abbots or Bromley Bagots in Staffordshire. Bromley itself is derived from the Old English word bromleigh which means clearing where brambles are found. 1 2

Alternatively the name could have originated from the Old English words "brom" + "leah," and meant "woodland clearing where broom grows." 2 3

However, there are numerous villages and parishes named Bromley throughout Britain. One of the oldest was Bromley in Kent. "This place, which is supposed to have derived its name from the quantity of broom with which the neighbourhood abounds, was in the eighth century given by Ethelbert, King of Kent, to the bishops of Rochester, in whose possession it remained, with very little interruption, till the recent purchase of an estate in Essex for the see." 4

Early Origins of the Bromley family

The surname Bromley was first found in Staffordshire where one of the first records of the name was Geoffrey de Bromleye who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls list Robert de Bromlegh in Salop. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Johannes de Bromylegh. 5

Abbots Bromley in Staffordshire "derives its distinguishing name from a Benedictine monastery founded at Blythebury, in the neighbourhood, in the latter part of the reign of Henry I., or the beginning of that of Stephen, by Hugh Mavesyn, and dedicated to St. Giles. " 4

King's Bromley, again in Staffordshire, "was anciently called Brom Legge, and derived its present name from having been the property of the crown for nearly two centuries after the Norman Conquest, previously to which time it had been distinguished as the residence of the earls of Mercia. Leofric, the husband of the famous Lady Godiva, died here in 1057; and she was herself buried here." 4

"Wootton Hall [in Wooton, Staffordshire], the seat of the Rev. Walter Davenport Bromley, who is owner of the village, is built on a spot than which, in the entire range of the vale of Dove, there is scarcely one more adapted for a noble mansion: its situation is a lofty sloping bank rising from a forest-like seclusion; and the landscape of mountain, meadow, and sylvan scenery is almost unbounded." 4 "The ancient manor of Alvaston [in Cheshire] was possessed by the Bromley family, but no manor now exists." 4

The markettown and parish of Bromley in Kent "is supposed to have derived its name from the quantity of broom with which the neighbourhood abounds, was in the eighth century given by Ethelbert, King of Kent, to the bishops of Rochester, in whose possession it remained, with very little interruption, till the recent purchase of an estate in Essex for the see. The episcopal residence had become so ruinous in 1184, that Gilbert de Glanvill was obliged to expend a considerable sum in repairing it. " 4

Early History of the Bromley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bromley research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1555, 1579, 1587, 1652, 1664, 1682, 1699, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1717, 1718, 1732 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Bromley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bromley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bromley have been found, including Bromley, Bromiley, Bromily, Bromly, Bromely, Bromly, Bromleigh and many more.

Early Notables of the Bromley family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Thomas Bromley (d. 1555?), English judge of an old Staffordshire family, and a second cousin of Sir Thomas Bromley (1530-1587), son of Roger, son of Roger Bromley of Mitley, Shropshire
Sir Thomas Bromley (1530-1587) of Cheshire, was Lord Chancellor of England (1579-1587.) He was descended from an ancient family established since the time of King John at Bromleghe, Staffordshire. (NB...
John Bromley (c.1652-1707), of White River, St. Philip's, Barbados, and Horseheath Hall, Cambridgeshire, was an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Cambridgeshire (1705-1707.)
William Bromley (1664-1732), was Secretary of State and was descended from an old Staffordshire family, which traced its descent from Sir Walter Bromley, a knight in the reign of King John
His son was William Bromley (1699?-1737), an English politician. John Bromley (died 1717) from Shropshire, was an English clergyman, Catholic convert, and translator; and John Bromley the Younger (c.1...

Bromley Ranking

In the United States, the name Bromley is the 4,808^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Bromley migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Bromley, or a variant listed above:

Bromley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. David Bromley, aged 15, from England who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "America" arriving in June 1635 7
Alexander Bromley, who settled in Virginia in 1655
Alex Bromley, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 8
Andrew Bromley, who landed in Maryland in 1657 8
Nathaniel Bromley, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 8

Bromley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Bromley, who arrived in New England in 1720 8
Beury Bromley, who arrived in New York in 1798 8
Drury Bromley, who arrived in New York in 1798 8

Bromley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Bromley, aged 53, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
M Bromley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
John Bromley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1864 8
George Bromley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1871 8

Bromley migration to Australia +

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

Bromley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Bromley, British convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, the settlement was listed as abandoned and most of the convicts transported to Tasmania on the "Queen" in 1804 9
Miss Ann Bromley, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Thomas Bromley, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Edward Bromley, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 6th April 1824, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. James Bromley, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 3rd March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bromley 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:

Bromley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Bromley, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
James Hardsley Bromley, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
James Bromley, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Cath Stuart Forbes
Henry Bromley, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1851 14
Mr. Benjamin Bromley, (b. 1836), aged 22, English carpenter from Wiltshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1858 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bromley 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. 16

Bromley Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Launcelott Bromley, aged 44, who landed in Barbados in 1635 8
Mr. Launcelott Bromley, (b. 1591), aged 44, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 17

Contemporary Notables of the name Bromley (post 1700) +

David Allan Bromley (1926-2005), Canadian-American physicist, science advisor to President George H. W. Bush
J. H. Bromley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1912 18
Isaac W. R. Bromley, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Oregon, 1848-50 18
George T. Bromley, American politician, U.S. Consul in Tientsin, 1884 18
Charles D. Bromley (1899-1968), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Colorado, 1924, 1952 (alternate) 18
Charles B. Bromley, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Lisbon, 1897-98 18
Calvin D. Bromley, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Lisbon, 1903-04 18
Calvin B. Bromley, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 13th District, 1863 18
Bruce Bromley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1932; Candidate for judge of New York Court of Appeals, 1949 18
Berenice B. Bromley, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Vermont, 1944 (alternate), 1956 18
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bromley family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. William Henry Bromley, British Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 19

USS Arizona

Mr. Jimmie Bromley, American Seaman First Class from Washington, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 20
Mr. George Edward Bromley, American Signalman Third Class from Washington, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 20

The Bromley Motto +

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: Non inferior secutus
Motto Translation: Not following meaner things.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 26th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/exmouth
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html