Brownridge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Behind the name Brownridge is a story that begins in the ancient Scottish-English border region among the clans of the Boernician tribe. The Brownridge family lived in or near one of the towns called Brownrigg, or Brownridge, in England. This surname comes from the Old English words brùn and hrycg, which mean brown and ridge, respectively. This surname was most commonly found in Yorkshire, however, the places called Brownrigg were found in Cumberland. This indicates that the bearer's of the surname Brownridge possibly moved from Cumberland to Yorkshire at some point.
Early Origins of the Brownridge family
The surname Brownridge was first found in East Lothian, where they held a family seat from very early times. "The lands of Alanshaw had as one boundary Burnerig (now Brounrig) in the time of Alan the Steward. " 1
Early History of the Brownridge family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brownridge research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1089, 1592, 1642 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Brownridge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brownridge Spelling Variations
Before the printing press and the first dictionaries appeared, names and other words were often spelled differently every time they were written. Brownridge has appeared under the variations Brownrigg, Brownridge, Burnrig, Brownrig and others.
Early Notables of the Brownridge family
Notable amongst the family at this time was Ralph Brownrigg or Brownrig (1592-1659), Bishop of Exeter (1642 to 1659), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge; and Sir...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brownridge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Brownridge family to Ireland
Some of the Brownridge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brownridge migration to the United States +
The Scots who crossed the Atlantic were often on the run from poverty as well as persecution. They brought little with them, and often had nothing of their home country to hand down to their children. In the 20th century, Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Boernician Scots to recover their lost national legacy. 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 Brownridge were among those contributors:
Brownridge Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Mathew Brownridge, who settled in Virginia in 1637
- Math Brownridge, who landed in Virginia in 1637 2
Contemporary Notables of the name Brownridge (post 1700) +
- Fergus Beck Brownridge (1889-1978), Canadian banker and politician who represented Stormont in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1934 to 1943
The Brownridge Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtute et sapientia
Motto Translation: By virtue and wisdom.
Citations +
- 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)
- 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)