Show ContentsBroster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Broster was first used centuries ago in the region that was once the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. It was a name for a brewster or brewer. Broster is an occupational name, given to someone who held the occupation of a brewer of ale. The inclusion of the feminine suffix -ster, indicates that this was originally a woman's occupation. Members of the Broster family were originally found in Lanarkshire, where the family can trace its origin to shortly after the Norman Conquest, in 1066.

Early Origins of the Broster family

The surname Broster was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow. The Scord of Brouster is one of the earliest Neolithic farm sites in Shetland, Scotland dating back to 2220 BC. Some of the earliest records of the family include: Nicholaus, braciator regis (i.e. the king's brewer), was present at the perambulation of lands in 1219; Johannes the 'braciator' was one of the 'native men' of the Abbey of Dunfermline in the thirteenth century; and Thomas le Breuester of the forest of Passeley in the county of Lanark rendered homage in 1296. 1

Early History of the Broster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broster research. Another 155 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1379, 1382, 1480, 1560, 1599, 1620, 1623, 1644, 1645, 1653, 1656, 1659, 1663, 1671, 1674, 1698 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Broster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broster Spelling Variations

Spelling in the medieval era was a highly imprecise process. Translation, particularly from Gaelic to English, was little better. For these reasons, early Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. In various documents Broster has been spelled Brewster, Broster, Brouster, Brewester, Brostar and many more.

Early Notables of the Broster family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Robert Brewster (1599-1663), an English politician and officer who sat in the House of Commons between 1645 and 1659, he was a general in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War; Francis Brewster (1623- 1671), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1653 and 1656; and Elder William Brewster (c.1560-1644), Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher born in Doncaster...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Broster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Broster family to Ireland

Some of the Broster family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Australia Broster migration to Australia +

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

Broster Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Broster (post 1700) +

  • John Bertram Broster (b. 1945), American archaeologist, former Prehistoric Archeological Supervisor at the Tennessee Division of Archaeology
  • Lennox Ross Broster OBE (1889-1965), South African-born surgeon, honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1958
  • Ben Broster (b. 1982), English-born, Welsh international rugby union footballer
  • Dorothy Kathleen "D.K." Broster (1877-1950), British novelist and short-story writer


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle


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