Broon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Broon is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Broon comes from the name of a plant. The family name claims direct descent from the Earls of Anjou, who changed their name to Broome after a pilgrimage to the crusades and the Holy Land. As the story goes, the Earl of Anjou, wore a sprig of Broome as a symbol of humility. He then took the name of the plant as his name.

Early Origins of the Broon family

The surname Broon was first found in Kent where Eustace de la Brome was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same census lists William de Broom and Henry de Brom in Norfolk. 1 By the time of King Edward III (1312-1377), records of the name were found in Somerset: Nicholas atte Brome and William atte Brome.

Adam de Brome (d. 1332), was a "founder of Oriel College, Oxford, of whose early life nothing is known, was Rector of Hanworth in Middlesex in 1315, Chancellor of Durham in 1316, Archdeacon of Stow in 1319, and in the same year was made Vicar of St. Mary in Oxford. " 2

Indeed, he may have been one of the progenitors of the family found in the parish of Holton in Oxfordshire. "The church is a cruciform structure, with a chapel attached to the north aisle, and another to the south; the latter, which appears to be the less ancient, was built by William Brome, who in 1461 was buried in a vault underneath it. In the parish register is recorded the marriage of Ireton to Bridget, daughter of Oliver Cromwell, which took place June 15th, 1646, in the mansion-house of the Whorwood family, to whom the estate was conveyed by marriage with the heiress of George Brome." 3

Thomas Brome (d. 1380), was a Carmelite divine who was "brought up in the monastery of his order in London, whence he proceeded to Oxford and attained the degree of master, and also, as it seems, of doctor in divinity." 2

Early History of the Broon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broon research. Another 316 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1366, 1485, 1550, 1600, 1620, 1666, 1689, 1719 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Broon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broon Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Broome, Broom, Brome and others.

Early Notables of the Broon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Broome, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Alexander Brome (1620-1666), was an English poet, but by profession "an attorney in the Lord Mayor's court, according to Langbaine, and in the court of king's bench, according to Richard Smith's ' Obituary,' published by the Camden Society. During the civil wars he distinguished himself by his attachment...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Broon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broon migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Broon or a variant listed above:

Broon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J M Broon, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1871 4

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)