The name Brichart was a
Welsh patronymic surname created from the
personal name Richard. The name was originally ap-Richard, the
Welsh patronymic prefix "ap-," meaning "son of." The use of the prefix has disappeared over the course of time.
Early Origins of the Brichart family
The surname Brichart was first found in
Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South
Wales, anciently part of the
Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Brichart family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brichart research.
Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1669, 1750, 1681, 1672, 1681, 1632, 1705, 1672, 1682 and are included under the topic Early Brichart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brichart Spelling Variations
Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of
spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of
Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when
Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of
Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique
Brythonic Celtic language of the
Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many
spelling variations of particular
Welsh names are very important. The surname Brichart has occasionally been spelled Pritchard, Prichard, Prickard and others.
Early Notables of the Brichart family (pre 1700)
Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Matthew Pritchard, O.F.M. (1669-1750) a Roman Catholic bishop; John Pritchett (died 1681), an English clergyman, Bishop...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brichart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Brichart family to Ireland
Some of the Brichart family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 127 words (9 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 Brichart family to the New World and Oceana
In the 1800s and 1900s, many
Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Brichart Charles Pritchard who settled in Virginia in 1663; along with Daniel, Thomas and Pallardary; William Pritchard settled in Maryland in 1734; Thomas Pritchard settled in New
England in 1679.