Brumfield

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from any of the places called "Bromfield" in Cumberland and Shropshire, or "Broomfield" in Essex, Kent and Somerset. Bromfield in Cumberland is recorded as "Brumfeld" in 1145, and that in Shropshire as "Brunfelde" in the Domesday Book of 1086. The places called Broomfield in Essex, Kent and Somerset appear in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Brumfelda", "Brumfeld" and "Brunfelle", respectively. All of these places share the same meaning and derivation, which is "(place at) the broom-covered open land", derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century "brom" meaning broom or gorse, with "feld" open country, land free from wood. One, William atte Bromeld appears in the 1296 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex and John de Bromfeld is noted in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk. The modern surname can be found as Bromfield, Broomfield and Brumfield. Jane, daughter of Richard Brumfield, was christened on February 21st 1612 at St. Dunstan's Church, Stepney, London and on May 24th 1635, Alice daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Brumfield, was christened at St. Mary Whitechapel, Stepney. A Coat of Arms granted to the family is gold, on a red bend three silver mullets, the Crest being a blue pheon. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hamo de Bromfeld which was dated 1275, in the "Hundred Rolls of Kent", during the reign of King Edward 1st, "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272-1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.