Bradge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bradge

What does the name Bradge mean?

The name Bradge is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived near a newly cultivated piece of land. The surname Bradge is derived from the Old English word bræc. 1

Early Origins of the Bradge family

The surname Bradge was first found in Shropshire where Peter de la Breche was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. A few years later, Peter de la Brach was listed in Surrey in 1248 and Philip atte Breche was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Later again, Rose atte Brache was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1309. Robert le Brechere was listed at Oseney, Oxfordshire in 1245, while William le Brechere was found in Cornwall in 1297. 1

Early History of the Bradge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bradge research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bradge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradge Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bradge family name include Breach, Brech, Britch, Breashears, Breashear and many more.

Early Notables of the Bradge family

More information is included under the topic Early Bradge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bradge family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Bradge surname or a spelling variation of the name include : William Breach junior who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1844; A. Breach arrived in San Francisco Cal. in 1852; Adam Brech arrived in Philadelphia in 1743.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)