Bromich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Bromich surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the settlement of West Bromwich in Staffordshire, or in the place called Little Bromwich in Warwickshire. Castle Bromwich is a suburb situated within the northern part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull.

All places essentially mean "dwelling or farm where broom grows," from the Old English words "brom" + "wic." 1

Another source provides more details about West Bromwich: " The name has been variously written at different periods as Bromwic, Bromwych, Bromich, Bromwhiche, and Bromwidge. It is derived from the broom supposed to have once grown plentifully in the neighbourhood, and wic, a Saxon word signifying village: West appears to have been added to distinguish the place from Castle-Bromwich, Little Bromwich, and Bromwycham, as Birmingham was once called. The parish is not mentioned in the Domesday survey; but it appears from other records to have belonged to the barony of Dudley, and in the time of Henry III. Walter de Everons, and his two coparceners, held the town of Bromwich of Roger de Somery." 2

Early Origins of the Bromich family

The surname Bromich was first found in Warwickshire, where Adam de Bromwiz was the first on record in the Assize Rolls for 1221. A few years later, William de Bromwic was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1225. 3

But from these 13th century entries, there is a loss until the 16th century when Thomas Bromidge from Berkshire was listed in the Register of the University of Oxford in 1581. 4

Atkyn's History of Gloucestershire includes an entry for John Bromage, patron of Bromsberrow Vicarage, Gloucestershire, 1583.

Early History of the Bromich family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bromich research. Another 232 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1225, 1500, 1510, 1511, 1523, 1538, 1544, 1554, 1557, 1581, 1583, 1640, 1668, 1672, 1702, 1748 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Bromich History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bromich Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bromich include Bromage, Bromwich, Bromige, Brommage, Bromwiz, Bromwic, Bromidge and many more.

Early Notables of the Bromich family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Bromage, patron of Bromsberrow Vicarage in Gloucestershire during the 16th century; and Andrew Bromwich (c.1640-1702), an English Roman Catholic priest, founder of the Oscott Mission and survivor of the Popish Plot. Born at Old Oscott in Staffordshire, to a Roman Catholic farming family which, according to local tradition, had already produced several Catholic priests. He entered the English College, Lisbon in 1668, was ordained about 1672, and returned to Staffordshire to take up his mission. Thomas Bromwich (by 1523-1557 or later) was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Hereford in 1554. The...
Another 116 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bromich Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bromich family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Henry Bromage who arrived in Virginia in 1622 and Samuel Bromwich who arrived in America in 1763.

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.
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)