Brommitch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Brommitch name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the settlement of West Bromwich in Staffordshire, or in the place called Little Bromwich in Warwickshire. Castle Bromwich is a suburb situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull.

All places essentially mean "dwelling or farm where broom grows," from the Old English words "brom" + "wic." 1

Another source provides more details about West Bromwich: " The name has been variously written at different periods as Bromwic, Bromwych, Bromich, Bromwhiche, and Bromwidge. It is derived from the broom supposed to have once grown plentifully in the neighbourhood, and wic, a Saxon word signifying village: West appears to have been added to distinguish the place from Castle-Bromwich, Little Bromwich, and Bromwycham, as Birmingham was once called. The parish is not mentioned in the Domesday survey; but it appears from other records to have belonged to the barony of Dudley, and in the time of Henry III. Walter de Everons, and his two coparceners, held the town of Bromwich of Roger de Somery." 2

Early Origins of the Brommitch family

The surname Brommitch was first found in Warwickshire, where Adam de Bromwiz was the first on record in the Assize Rolls for 1221. A few years later, William de Bromwic was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1225. 3

But from these 13th century entries, there is a loss until the 16th century when Thomas Bromidge from Berkshire was listed in the Register of the University of Oxford in 1581. 4

Atkyn's History of Gloucestershire includes an entry for John Bromage, patron of Bromsberrow Vicarage, Gloucestershire, 1583.

Early History of the Brommitch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brommitch research. Another 232 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1225, 1500, 1510, 1511, 1523, 1538, 1544, 1554, 1557, 1581, 1583, 1640, 1668, 1672, 1702, 1748 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Brommitch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brommitch Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Brommitch were recorded, including Bromage, Bromwich, Bromige, Brommage, Bromwiz, Bromwic, Bromidge and many more.

Early Notables of the Brommitch family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bromage, patron of Bromsberrow Vicarage in Gloucestershire during the 16th century; and Andrew Bromwich (c.1640-1702), an English Roman Catholic priest, founder of the Oscott Mission and survivor of the Popish Plot. Born at Old Oscott in Staffordshire, to a Roman Catholic farming family which, according to local tradition, had already produced several Catholic priests. He entered the English College, Lisbon in 1668, was ordained about 1672, and returned to Staffordshire to take up his mission. Thomas Bromwich (by 1523-1557 or later) was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Hereford in 1554. The...
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brommitch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brommitch family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Brommitch family emigrate to North America: Henry Bromage who arrived in Virginia in 1622 and Samuel Bromwich who arrived in America in 1763.

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.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)