Brorten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Brorten family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Staffordshire, Lancashire, Lincoln, Northamptonshire and many other counties. The name probably derived from the name Boroughtown and is indicative of its bearer's residence one of many localities so named in Britain.

Early Origins of the Brorten family

The surname Brorten was first found in Staffordshire at Broughton. However, "the Broughtons descend in the male line from one of the most ancient families of the county of Chester, the Vernons of Shipbrook. Richard de Vernon, a younger brother of this house, was father of Adam de Napton, in the county of Warwick, whose issue assumed their local name from Broughton in Staffordshire." 1 Shirley continues "the pedigrees vary as to the exact point of connection, and, confused and contradictory as the Shipbrooke pedigree is at this period, there can be little hope of its positively identified; but the general fact of descent is allowed by all authorities." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had scattered listings of the family: Mathew de Brouchton, Buckinghamshire; Houel de Broton, Shropshire; William de Broucton, Huntingdonshire; and John de Brouhton, Oxfordshire. 2

Broughton Castle is a medieval fortified manor house in the village of Broughton. The castle was built as a manor house by Sir John de Broughton in 1300 where three streams met creating a natural site for a moated manor. The castle survives today as a Grade I listed building and is open to the public over the summer.

Early History of the Brorten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brorten research. Another 255 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1506, 1549, 1602, 1612, 1634, 1660, 1661 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Brorten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brorten Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Broughton, Browton and others.

Early Notables of the Brorten family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert Broughton (died 1506), a landowner, soldier, and Member of Parliament for Suffolk, He was knighted at the Battle of Stoke. Hugh Broughton (1549 -1612), was an English scholar and divine, born at Owlbury, a mansion in the parish of Bishop's Castle, Shropshire. "In the immediate vicinity are two farmlands, called Upper and Lower Broughton. His ancestry was old and of large estate; he had a brother a judge. He calls himself a Cambrian, and it is probable that he had a...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brorten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brorten family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Brorten or a variant listed above were: Thomas Broughton, of Longden in Staffordshire, who migrated about 1630; and settled in Boston, Massachusetts. Another Thomas settled in Virginia in 1635.

The Brorten 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: Spes Vitae Melioris
Motto Translation: Hope for a better life.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)