Brathenghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The founding heritage of the Brathenghan family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Brathenghan comes from when one of the family worked as a maker of ropes or cords.

Early Origins of the Brathenghan family

The surname Brathenghan was first found in Norfolk, at Bradenham, a village and civil parish that dates back to before the Domesday Book where it was listed with the same spelling. [1] The place name literally means "broad homestead or enclosure" derived from the Old English words "brad" + "ham". [2]

The first record of the family was found here in the Pipe Rolls of 1177 when Suift de Bradenham was recorded as holding lands at that time. [3]

Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de Bradenham, Norfolk; and Alan de Bradinham, Huntingdonshire. [4] In 1337, Richard de Bradenham was also recorded in Norfolk. [5] The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III recorded William de Bradenham, Norfolk, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I.'s reign.)

Bradenham is also a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, near Saunderton. This village also dates back to the Domesday Book [6] where it was listed as Bradeham. Bradenham Manor is a grand red brick manor house that dates back to the 13th century when it belonged to the Earl of Warwick.

Bradnam Wood is a 12.5-hectare (31-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Maidenhead in Berkshire and is managed by The Woodland Trust.

Early History of the Brathenghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brathenghan research. Another 280 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1177, 1273, 1337, 1500, 1612, 1699, 1739, 1750, 1769, 1781 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Brathenghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brathenghan Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Brathenghan has been spelled many different ways, including Bradnam, Bradenham, Bradinham, Bradinam, Bradnem and others.

Early Notables of the Brathenghan family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Suift de Bradenham, a prominent 12th century landholder in Norfolk; and Matthew Brettingham (1699- 1769), known as Matthew Brettingham the Elder, an 18th-century Englishman who rose from humble origins to supervise the construction of Holkham Hall, Norfolk and eventually became one of the country's better-known architects. [7]His...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brathenghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brathenghan family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Brathenghans to arrive in North America: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print