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The Origins Of The Name


I start by saying this is a compilation of various things I have been sent, There are many reason why people get there names, The father was call Robert, so his 1st son is called Robert, the grandad was called Frederick so throughout the generations below you find the name Frederick, you get my meaning.

It is believe in some quarters the name Brassett was French and came to the UK with the Huguenots in the late 17th century.

This may be as the Brassard and Brasseau spelling appear in French, Canada and the USA with connection to the name being spelt Brassett

The name has also been found to be Old English going back to the 12th and 13th centuries again is various spellings.

It is at this point we go into a short history lesson, In the 10th and 11th centuries there were no surnames, By the 12th century they came into use as it was easier for the Tax Man to identify people, Names like Cook, Porter, and Smith came into use coming for occupations there were also name that derived from relationships, Williamson son of William, Jackson son of Jack ect.

With this in mind names appear to come from anything or anyone connection to the person concerned that would then get passed down to there children and so as surname appears.

With only a few people being able to read and wright, it was the sound of the name that meant more than the spelling, you then find people move away from there family location, take the spelling with them and so a variation in the name appears. Lesson over

Some of the earliest records in use show a Richard Brassenhevede 1301 in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire. Hevede is the Anglo-Saxon word for head over the years this was corrupted to hed as in Roger Brassenhed, a freeman of Norwich in 1434 and Anna Brasshed of Bicester in 1608.

Reference to a Nicholas de Bras of Buckshie at the time of Edward III Walter Bras of Salopshire in the Poll Tax records of Howdenshire in 1379, the names of Juliana Brass and Johan Brasse appear in the Yorkshire Poll Tax record for the name for the same year.

All this does not give any clear indication as to were the name came from, but if you go back to these times unless you came from a noble family and had the ability to read and wright things are going to be hard to pin point

So from there we have various spellings, Bras,Brasse,Brasshed,Brassard, Braseau Brassa how long before Brassett appears.

In summing up it would appear Brassett means Right Hand, Strong, Forearm, Right Hand Man, this being and important servant, How did Brassett the servant get his name in the play Charlie's Aunt?

Brasset is also the name for the piece of armour that covers the upper right arm

Is this all true ? I dont Know, if you have some better suggestion let me know and I will add them to this.