Brandreth: First records of surname
Early published examples of the surname are few with an early spelling being Brandreith in Staffordshire, England.1,2 The name holder held the Coat of Arms of a black field charged with five gold mascules forming a cross.1
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, James Brandreth was recorded in 1588 at Weeford in Staffordshire. The name Weeford comes from the Old English Wēohford or Wēoford, and means “holy ford”, or “ford by a heathen temple”. This very small village in the Lichfield district of Staffordshire had a population of 215 in 2011, showing an increase from 202 as recorded in the 2001 Census.1,3
The earliest progenitor of our Brandreth family branch, John Brandreth, who lived in the early 17th century, also had some association with Weeford.4 Whether our John Brandreth is a descendant of James Brandreth, recorded in the 16th century at Weeford, has not yet been established.
- Last name: Brandreth. http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Brandreth
- Brandreth surname, family crest & coat of arms. https://www.houseofnames.com/brandreth-family-crest
- Weeford. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weeford
- Burke, J. A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol IV. https://books.google.co.za