Brelsford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient roots of the Brelsford family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Brelsford comes from when the family lived in Derbyshire, where they held a family seat in Brelsford. The place-name Brelsford was originally derived from the Old English broegelsford, which means manor on a hall near a fording place on a river. 1

Early Origins of the Brelsford family

The surname Brelsford was first found in Derbyshire at Brailsford, a parish, in the hundred of Appletree. "The manor, which in the reign of the Confessor had belonged to Earl Wallef, was one of those given by William the Conqueror to Henry de Ferrers, under whom it was held by Elsin, ancestor of the ancient family of Brailsford. From the Brailsfords the property passed by marriage to the Bassetts, and from them in the same way to the Shirleys: the manor now belongs to the Evans family." 2

Early rolls revealed some interesting early spellings. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Robert de Brailisford, Derbyshire and the Derbyshire Writs of Parliament listed Henry de Braylesford, 1301. 3

Early History of the Brelsford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brelsford research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1060, 1450, 1660 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Brelsford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brelsford Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Brelsford has appeared include Braylsford, Braylford, Brayleford, Brailsford, Braylesford, Brawlford, Brawford, Brelisford, Brellisford and many more.

Early Notables of the Brelsford family

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

Brelsford migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Brelsford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Brelsford, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Brelsford (post 1700) +

John Petsch Brelsford, American Republican politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 73rd District, 1992, 1994 5
E. M. Brelsford, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1920 5
Bill Brelsford, English footballer
James Brelsford (1855-1924), English cricketer

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html