Show ContentsBroadhurst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Broadhurst

What does the name Broadhurst mean?

The ancient roots of the Broadhurst family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Broadhurst comes from when the family lived in Cheshire where the name is derived from a now unknown place in the east of that county. The place-name Broadhurst is derived from the old English terms brade, which meant broad or wide, and hurst, a word that meant forest or wood. 1

Early Origins of the Broadhurst family

The surname Broadhurst was first found in Cheshire where "the Broadhursts have long been inhabitants of Prestbury and Gawsworth." 2 Alternatively, the name could have originated from "a manor in the parish of Horsted Keynes, co. Sussex" 3 or another source notes that the name was also "a location name in Lincolnshire." 4

Early History of the Broadhurst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broadhurst research. Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Broadhurst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broadhurst 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 Broadhurst has appeared include Broadhurst, Brodhurst and others.

Early Notables of the Broadhurst family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Sir James Broadhurst

Broadhurst Ranking

In the United States, the name Broadhurst is the 17,028th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5


Broadhurst migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Broadhurst arrived in North America very early:

Broadhurst Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Walter Broadhurst, who arrived in Maryland in 1638 6
  • Ra Broadhurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 6
  • Tho Broadhurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 6
Broadhurst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Broadhurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 6
Broadhurst Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Broadhurst who arrived in Philadelphia in 1816
  • Mary Broadhurst, who landed in New York, NY in 1845 6
  • W Broadhurst, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
  • S Broadhurst, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
  • Abraham, Charles, George, John, Joseph, Samuel, Stephen, and Thomas Broadhurst all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1845 and 1870

Broadhurst migration to Australia +

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

Broadhurst Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Broadhurst, (b. 1772), aged 28, British Convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1854 7
  • Joseph Broadhurst, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Joseph Broadhurst, (b. 1814), aged 23, English miner who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Mr. Joseph Broadhurst, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 12 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Miss Ellen Broadhurst, (b. 1842), aged 21, Cornish general servant departing on 23rd July 1863 aboard the ship "Theresa" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 28th October 1863 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Broadhurst migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Broadhurst Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Broadhurst, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1867
  • Sarah Broadhurst, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1867
  • Clara Broadhurst, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1867

Broadhurst migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Broadhurst Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Broadhurst, who arrived in Antigua (Antego) in 1737 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Broadhurst (post 1700) +

  • Kent Broadhurst (b. 1940), American actor
  • George Howells Broadhurst (1866-1952), Anglo-American theatre owner/manager
  • Michael Broadhurst, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2008 13
  • E. D. Broadhurst, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1916 (alternate), 1940 13
  • Basil Broadhurst, American Republican politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Franklin 1st Ward, 1956; Elected New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Franklin 1st Ward 1956 13
  • Arthur J. Broadhurst, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Fifteenth Essex District; Elected 2002 13
  • Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst (1905-1995), English Royal Air Force commander, head of Hawker Siddeley Aviation
  • Mark Broadhurst (b. 1974), English cricketer
  • Kevan Broadhurst (b. 1959), English footballer and football manager
  • John Charles Broadhurst (b. 1942), English priest Bishop of Fulham in the Diocese of London (1996 to 2010)
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Dennis C Broadhurst (b. 1912), English Wireman serving for the Royal Navy from Lemington Spa, Warwickshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14


The Broadhurst Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sapere et tacere
Motto Translation: To be wise and silent.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  8. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  11. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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