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![Show Contents]() Wistbrake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancestors of the bearers of the Wistbrake family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in one of the places called Westbrook in Kent, Berkshire, or on the Isle of Wight. The surname Wistbrake belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Wistbrake familyThe surname Wistbrake was first found in Kent where one of the first records of the name was Reginald de Westbroc who in 1255 was listed in that county's Feet of Fines. A few years later, John de Westbroke was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. Over one hundred years later, Edmind Westbrook was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1440. 1 Another reference lists Richards de Westbrek in Surrey during the reign of Edward I 2. They were Lords of the manor of Elsted for many years. Early History of the Wistbrake familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wistbrake research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1659, 1660, 1666, 1675 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Wistbrake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Wistbrake Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wistbrake include Westbrooke, Westbrook, Westbrock, Westbrocke and others. Early Notables of the Wistbrake familyAnother 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wistbrake Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Wistbrake familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wistbrake or a variant listed above: John Westbrook who settled in West New Jersey in 1664; William Westbrook landed in America in 1772; William T. Westbrook settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1859.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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