BRANTHWAITE, All

[jacobea]

Branwhite is pronounced "bran-white", which led someone to suggest it was an Anglo-Welsh joke once. I commonly get called similar names as well.

The link does not seem to work, by the way. When i clicked it it came up as the front page for cybersoup.com. 

[CK]

Hi,

Yes, I thought you may say it that way.  This is the site address taken straight from the site itself http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~branthwaite/ I don't know why Cybersoup should come up. You can email me through the site also, click on the email icon.

There are Branthwaites in Yorkshire and Sussex and if you look at the distribution of the surname in 1881 you can see that it was most in Cumberland. http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/

Cheers

ChristineK

[jacobea]

The Sussex Branthwaites are possibly a branch off of Rowland, from Thrapston, but that is just a guess. I know that in the late 1800s, my branch of the Branwhite family (typically the poorer branch) were moving into Essex and London by that time.   

[smudwhisk]

A plaque in the church in Lavenham apparently said that the Branwhite family could date their lineage back to 1032 (pre-Norman, explaining the Viking appearence). I am pretty sure my family came from Cumbria at some poin, but i struck a dead end at him.

I've never seen such a placque and have been in Lavenham church several times.  There are a number of Branwhite placques at the entrance end of the church but don't remember one stating this!  I'll have to have a look at the photos I have but ...Where exactly is it??

[jacobea]

I am not sure, to be honest. It was something i was told by dad, who actually had a proper look around the only time we visisted Lavenham. He might have seen it there somewhere, or been told about it by his dad. The most i can remember about the church is that several of the burials inside the church had been defaced at some point (I can only recall there being one identifiable Branwhite, called Brooke) so the plaque might even have been removed.

[smudwhisk]

Last time I was there which goes back a couple of years all the Branwhite placques were fully readable.  I think they must have cleaned them up in recent years.  I'll have to dig out the photos and cheque what's on them but I don't remember anything about a pre-norman connection.  My personal belief is also a Cumbrian connection via the variation Branthwaite.  Mind you my tree is sufficiently large now stretching almost 20m in length if printed off from FTW, if we can ever prove a connection with Cumbria it could get larger still!!

[jacobea]

At the very least, the Branthwaite/Branwhite name suggests a pre-Norman origin, even if there is no plaque or never was one. I believe there is definately a link between the Thrapston branch and the merchants who lived in Norfolk, however, and if it is so, that would almost certainly be the Cumbrian link. 

[LBpaton]

Hi
I have been doing my family history for years but only just came across the name of William Branthwaite in the last few weeks.  I know of this William as he is mentioned on the marriage of his daughter Agnes Branthwaite to William Plant in 1824.  I have not been able to find William Branthwaite on any census so have no idea where he originated from.

Has anyone else got Plants in their family?

Thanks

[JacobeaM]

Hi LBpaton,

No Plants in my branch of the family unfortunately, but the Lavenham Branwhites are a lot more numerous than I originally thought. Where were yours married?   

~ Jacobea