| ![Show Contents]() Brownsmythe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Brownsmythe is an Anglo-Saxon name. The name was originally given to a worker in copper and brass. The surname Brownsmythe is derived from the Old English words brun, which means brown, and refers to the color of the metals used, and smith, which means smith. 1 2 Early Origins of the Brownsmythe familyThe surname Brownsmythe was first found in Yorkshire, where Thomas le Brounesmyth was registered at Wakefield in 1296. A short time later, William Brounsmyth was registered on the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 1 Kirby's Quest also lists the same person. 3 Back in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Willelmus Bronesmyth; and Simon Bronsmyth. 2 A William Brownsmith was rector of Stiffkey, Norfolk in 1559 4 and the Register of the University of Oxford includes William Brownsmith, Essex in 1581. 2 Early History of the Brownsmythe familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brownsmythe research. Another 194 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1327, 1349, 1369, 1379, 1447, 1559, 1581, 1694, 1809, 1829, 1838, 1848, 1853, 1857, 1859, 1862, 1865 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Brownsmythe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Brownsmythe Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Brownsmythe has appeared include Brownsmith, Brounesmyth, Brounsmyth, Bronesmyth, Bronsmyth and many more. Early Notables of the Brownsmythe familyNotables of this surname at this time include: John Leman Brownsmith, born in Westminster in 1809, and received his musical education as a chorister of Westminster Abbey under George Ebenezer Williams and Thomas Greatorex. On quitting the choir he pursued the study of the organ, and in a short time became not only an excellent player but acquired so perfect a knowledge of the structure of the instrument as to be able to build a small chamber-organ for himself. In 1829, on the death of Benjamin Jacob...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brownsmythe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Brownsmythe familyAt this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Brownsmythe arrived in North America very early: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.
- 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)
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
 |
