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In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Branscoombe surname lived in Devon, where they held a family seat at Branscombe in the 9th century. Shortly after the Norman Conquest the estates of Branscombe were owned by the Bishop of Exeter and according to the Domesday Book, 1 150 sheep were part of the holdings contributed to the supplies of the Abbey of Exeter.
The surname Branscoombe was first found in Devon at Branscombe, a village that dates back to the ninth century. At that time, the village was named Branecescumbe but by the Domesday Book of 1086, it was listed there as Branchescome. The estates of Branscombe were owned by the Bishop of Exeter and the 150 sheep which was part of the holdings contributed to the supplies of the Abbey of Exeter. 1 The place name literally means "valley of a man called Branoc," for the Celtic personal name + the Old English "Cumb." 2 One of the earliest records of the surname was Walter Branscombe (Bronscombe, Branescombe, Bronescombe, Bronescomb c. 1220-1280), born in Exeter, an early English priest, Bishop of Exeter from 1258 to 1280; he is buried in Exeter Castle.
"The church [of Colon, Cornwall] is said to have been erected and endowed by Walter Bronscomb, bishop of Exeter, about the year 1250, and by him appropriated to the Augustine canons of his college of Glaseney near Penryn." 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branscoombe research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1327 is included under the topic Early Branscoombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Branscoombe are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Branscoombe include: Brancomb, Bronscombe, Branscom, Bronscom and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Branscoombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Branscoombe or a variant listed above: James Branscomb who settled in Barbados in 1692.