Braidbury History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Braidbury belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived in the county of Chester, where they derived their name from the town of Bredbury. The town's name is derived from the Old English words bred or brade which means broad and byrig, the original form of burh, which means fort. Thus, the name denotes the dweller at the broad fort.[1]CITATION[CLOSE]Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print

Early Origins of the Braidbury family

The surname Braidbury was first found in Greater Manchester at Bredbury, a suburban town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Historically a township, in the parish and union of Stockport, hundred of Macclesfield, N. division of the county of Chester, Bredbury dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Brethberie. [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)

"The manor was held under the Stockports, by the family of Bredbury, whose heiress brought a moiety of it to the Ardens." [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Another reference claims the place name meant "stronghold or manor-house built of planks," from the Old English words "bred" + "burgh." [5]CITATION[CLOSE]Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)

Some of the first listings of the family were found in Cheshire: Jordan de Bredbury in 1270; Adam de Bredbury in 1332. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)

Braidbury Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Braidbury include Bradbury, Bradberry, Braidbury and others.

Early Notables of the Braidbury family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include George Bradbury (d.1696), an English judge, appointed to the bench of the Court of Exchequer in 1688, and continued in office until his death; Thomas Bradbury (1677-1759), an English congregational minister; and Mary Perkins Bradbury (1615-1700) was tried, convicted and sentenced to hang as a... Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Braidbury Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Braidbury family to the New World and Oceana

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Braidbury were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Ellinor Bradbury who settled in Maryland in 1682; with her husband Roger, three sons and two daughters; Thomas Bradbury settled in Maine in 1630; and another Thomas Bradbury settled in Boston in 1700..