England
IrelandThe Braddon history begins in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. Quite distinct from Devon, the adjoining county, Cornwall had its own spoken language until the late 18th century. The Braddon history began here. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames were derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. The Braddon family originally lived in South Northamptonshire at the village of Bradden.
The surname Braddon was first found in South Northamptonshire at Bradden, a village and civil parish which dates back the Domesday Book [1] where it was listed as Bradene. The name literally means "broad valley" derived from the Old English words "brad" + "denu" [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Braddon research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1724, 1683 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Braddon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Braddon, Bradden and others.
Notable amongst the family at this time was Captain John Braddon, Magistrate and Lieutenant of Cornwall.
Lawrence Braddon (d. 1724), was an English politician, the second son of William Braddon of Treworgy, in St. Genny's, Cornwall. "When the Earl of Essex died in the Tower in 1683, Braddon adopted the belief that he had been murdered, and worked actively to collect sufficient evidence to prove the murder. He set on foot inquiries on the subject in London, and when a rumour reached him that the news of the earl's death was known at Marlborough on the very...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Braddon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Braddon family to IrelandSome of the Braddon 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.
Braddon migration to the United States +Early records show that people bearing the name Braddon arrived in North America quite early:
