Brabazon is one of the many new names that came to
England following the
Norman Conquest of 1066. The Brabazon family lived in the county of
Kent. The family name originates in the taken duchy of Brabant in
Normandy, it is from the
local that the village and parish of Braborne is named. Typically then the name was used by locals of the Brabant area. Their castle was called Brabacon. In
Normandy the surname had come to be associated with mercenary-style soldiering, and the family was renowned as valiant fighters, particularly in William the Conqueror's army at the Battle of Hastings. Another source claims that they assumed their surname from the Castle of Brabazon, in
Normandy and it was Jaques Le Brabason, nicknamed the Great Warrior who came to the aid of William the Conqueror in his conquest of
England and consequently appears on the role of Battle Abbey.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.Early Origins of the Brabazon family
The surname Brabazon was first found in
Surrey and
Kent where they settled at Bletchworth in
Surrey and Braborne in
Kent. They were from the village and Castle of Brabancon in
Flanders, their profession, professional soldiers.
Early History of the Brabazon family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brabazon research.
Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1580, 1651, 1977, 1625, 1645, 1715, 1682, 1737, 1684, 1685, 1763, 1686, 1763, 1688, 1751, 1691, 1772 and 1552 are included under the topic Early Brabazon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brabazon Spelling Variations
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of
spelling variations. When the
Normans became the ruling people of
England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Brabasson, Brabazon, Brabauzon, Barbazaun and others.
Early Notables of the Brabazon family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edward Brabazon, 1st
Baron Ardee (d. 1625), who represented County
Wicklow in the Irish House of Commons and served as
High Sheriff of Staffordshire; Chambre Brabazon, 5th Earl of Meath
PC (c...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brabazon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Brabazon family to Ireland
Some of the Brabazon family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 193 words (14 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Brabazon family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in
England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Brabazon or a variant listed above were:
Brabazon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Barnabas Brabazon, who settled in Barbados and Jamaica in the year 1700
Brabazon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Bernard Brabazon, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1861 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - John Brabazon, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1861 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Brabazon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Brabazon, aged 80 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Dykes" departing 23rd April 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 65)
Contemporary Notables of the name Brabazon (post 1700)
- Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906), English watercolor artist
- Chambre Brabazon (1645-1715), 5th Earl of Meath, English nobleman
- John Theodore Brabazon (1884-1964), English aviator and politician
- Ryan Brabazon (b. 1986), Australian rules footballer
- Francis Brabazon (1907-1984), Australian poet
- Gerald Hugh Brabazon (1854-1938), Canadian politician
- Brigadier-General Reginald Le Normand Brabazon (1869-1949), 13th Earl of Meath, known as Lord Ardee, an Anglo-Irish soldier
The Brabazon 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: Vota vita mea
Motto Translation: Prayers are my life.