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![Show Contents]() Westbritch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Westbritch name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in one of the places called Westbrook in Kent, Berkshire, or on the Isle of Wight. The surname Westbritch belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Westbritch familyThe surname Westbritch was first found in Kent where one of the first records of the name was Reginald de Westbroc who in 1255 was listed in that county's Feet of Fines. A few years later, John de Westbroke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Over one hundred years later, Edmind Westbrook was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1440. 1 Another reference lists Richards de Westbrek in Surrey during the reign of Edward I 2. They were Lords of the manor of Elsted for many years. Early History of the Westbritch familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Westbritch research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1659, 1660, 1666, 1675 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Westbritch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Westbritch Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Westbritch has undergone many spelling variations, including Westbrooke, Westbrook, Westbrock, Westbrocke and others. Early Notables of the Westbritch familyAnother 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Westbritch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Westbritch familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Westbritch were among those contributors: John Westbrook who settled in West New Jersey in 1664; William Westbrook landed in America in 1772; William T. Westbrook settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1859.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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