Bromwiz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Bromwiz comes from the family having resided 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 Bromwiz family

The surname Bromwiz 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 Bromwiz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bromwiz 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 Bromwiz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bromwiz Spelling Variations

Bromwiz has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Bromage, Bromwich, Bromige, Brommage, Bromwiz, Bromwic, Bromidge and many more.

Early Notables of the Bromwiz 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 Bromwiz Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bromwiz family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Bromwizs to arrive on North American shores: 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)