| ![Show Contents]() Bridport History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of BridportWhat does the name Bridport mean? The ancestors of the bearers of the Bridport family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Dorset, England where they "lived at the bridge," in market town and civil parish now known as Bridport. The town dates back to Saxon times when during the reign of King Alfred, it was one of the four most important settlements in Dorset. At that time, the town was called 'Brydian' which means 'place at the (River) Bride.' By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the town was known as Brideport. 1 Early Origins of the Bridport familyThe surname Bridport was first found in Dorset, England where one of the earliest records of the family was John de Bridport, who was the Archdeacon of Totnes during 1207. Giles of Bridport or Bridleford was "Bishop of Salisbury, a native of the town from which he took his name. As Dean of Wells, an office to which he was elected in 1253, he arbitrated in a dispute between the abbot and monks of Abingdon. In 1255 he was Archdeacon of Berkshire. " 2 The Battle of Bridport was fought on 14 June 1685, at the beginning of the Monmouth Rebellion in the town of Bridport, Dorset. The battle was a victory for the Royalist forces and the rebels were forced to march to Axminster. Early History of the Bridport familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bridport research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bridport History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bridport Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bridport include Brideport, Bridport, Bridgeport, Bridgport and others. Early Notables of the Bridport family- Lord Bridport of Nettleham
| Bridport migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bridport or a variant listed above:
Bridport Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- George Bridport who arrived in Philadelphia in 1818
- Hugh Bridport, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1832
- 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
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