Eastbrooke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Eastbrooke

What does the name Eastbrooke mean?

The English name Eastbrooke is topographic in origin; that is, it was originally derived from geographic features of the region in which the first bearer of the name lived. The Middle English "Easter," meant "east," and the name meant "someone who lived to the east of the brook."

Early Origins of the Eastbrooke family

The surname Eastbrooke was first found in Somerset where they held a family seat. The first on record appears to be John le Eastbrook, who is mentioned in a volume called "Kirby's Quest for Somerset," as living in that county during the reign of Edward III, the Confessor (1042-1066). 1 The Saxon influence on English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066: the language of the courts was French for the next three centuries, but Saxon names survived.

Early History of the Eastbrooke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eastbrooke research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1254, 1296 and 1327 are included under the topic Early Eastbrooke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eastbrooke Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Eastbrooke are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Eastbrooke include: Eastbrook, Eastbrooke, Estabrooke, Easterbrook, Estbrook, Estbrooke, Eastbroke, Estabroke, Eastabroke, Estabroke and many more.

Early Notables of the Eastbrooke family

Eastbrooke of Somerset

Eastbrooke 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. 2

Eastbrooke Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Jacob Eastbrooke, a servant who was sent to a plantation in Barbados in 1660

Sources +

Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies