The Broughs Of Staffordshire

The "Brough" family of Staffordshire, England, takes its name from the geographical area of Brough (medieval "Burgh," Latin "Bur gum").  There is a hamlet in the south of Ranton (alias Ronton) Parish in South Pirehill Hundred of the County of Staffordshire, England. The present Brough Hall stands on the site of the ancient manor house of Brough, close to the ancient boundary with Gnosall Parish.

The first surviving reference to "Brough" is in the Doomsday Book of 1086. The book states: "The land of Robert de Statford: Robert himself holds in Bu(r)ghale one virgate of land which pertains to Halstone…." "Bu(r)ghale" is taken to represent the Old English "burh halh," or "Brough hamlet." "Burh" or "Brough" itself is a common English placename meaning "camp, fortification, or manorhouse." In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary of 1933 lists the following different meanings of the word "Brough": 1) a round tower; 2) the outer wall of a feudal castle; 3) a luminous ring or circle around a shining body, especially the moon; 4) a halo; and 5) several concentric circles, varying from one to fourteen feet in diameter, drawn around each tee (in the game of Quoit, which is somewhat like horseshoes, in which players throw rings at a peg—or tee—in an effort to encircle it).

In 1199, Philip fitz Bishop (a grandson of Robert de Limesi who was a Norman Bishop of Chester and Coventry) adopted the surname "de Burgo" from the area of Brough, and used the "de Burgo" surname when listed as a juror in the Staffordshire Assizes. Philip’s brother Hamon also adopted the "de Burgo" surname about this same period of time. In the mid-1200’s, the name "de Burgo" was changed to "de Burgh." In about 1400, the de Burgh’s settled in Brewood, and by the early 1500’s they had established themselves in Leek, Staffordshire. The name "Burgh" gradually changed to "Brough" by the late 1500’s.

From the early 1500’s to the present, the descendants of the Broughs of Leek have continued to live in Staffordshire and nearby counties. Between 1500 and 1650, the Broughs of Leek used the "Brough" Coat of Arms of "Argent (white), on a saltire (diagonal cross) of sable (or black), five swans of the first (five white swans)".

In the 1700’s, several Brough families moved from Leek into the nearby parishes of Ipstones, Wolstanton, Burslam and Trentham. By the late 1800’s, several descendants from these Brough families—including the descendents of Richard Brough and Mary Horleston--left England and emigrated to the United States and Australia.

Tell us about your roots by emailing genealogy@50connect.co.uk

By R. Brough

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