Brooombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Brooombe family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Brooombe is based on the name of a plant. The family name claims direct descent from the Earls of Anjou, who changed their name to Broome after a pilgrimage to the crusades and the Holy Land. As the story goes, the Earl of Anjou, wore a sprig of Broome as a symbol of humility. He then took the name of the plant as his name.

Early Origins of the Brooombe family

The surname Brooombe was first found in Kent where Eustace de la Brome was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same census lists William de Broom and Henry de Brom in Norfolk. 1 By the time of King Edward III (1312-1377), records of the name were found in Somerset: Nicholas atte Brome and William atte Brome.

Adam de Brome (d. 1332), was a "founder of Oriel College, Oxford, of whose early life nothing is known, was Rector of Hanworth in Middlesex in 1315, Chancellor of Durham in 1316, Archdeacon of Stow in 1319, and in the same year was made Vicar of St. Mary in Oxford. " 2

Indeed, he may have been one of the progenitors of the family found in the parish of Holton in Oxfordshire. "The church is a cruciform structure, with a chapel attached to the north aisle, and another to the south; the latter, which appears to be the less ancient, was built by William Brome, who in 1461 was buried in a vault underneath it. In the parish register is recorded the marriage of Ireton to Bridget, daughter of Oliver Cromwell, which took place June 15th, 1646, in the mansion-house of the Whorwood family, to whom the estate was conveyed by marriage with the heiress of George Brome." 3

Thomas Brome (d. 1380), was a Carmelite divine who was "brought up in the monastery of his order in London, whence he proceeded to Oxford and attained the degree of master, and also, as it seems, of doctor in divinity." 2

Early History of the Brooombe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brooombe research. Another 316 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1366, 1485, 1550, 1600, 1620, 1666, 1689, 1719 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Brooombe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brooombe Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Brooombe include Broome, Broom, Brome and others.

Early Notables of the Brooombe family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Henry Broome, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Alexander Brome (1620-1666), was an English poet, but by profession "an attorney in the Lord Mayor's court, according to Langbaine, and in the court of king's bench, according to Richard Smith's ' Obituary,' published by the Camden Society. During the civil wars he distinguished himself by his attachment...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brooombe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brooombe family

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Brooombes to arrive on North American shores: Roger Broome who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1635; Sarah and Francis Broome settled in Maryland in 1775; John Broome of Yorkshire, who settled in New York in 1732.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.