Introduction

Interested in the name Brettle or Brettell, its origin, distribution around the world, connection to the Black Country and how to search for your Brettle or Brettell ancestors? I have been researching the Brettle side of my family for some time and along the way have found information on Brettle, Brettell and other variants on the name which may be of use to others who are similarly searching this rather unusual name. Throughout I use the name Brettle but it should be taken as covering the rather more common Brettell and also other variants, (see the page on Brettle Name Origin for more on this). This Brettle Family History site has information on the origin of the name, its distribution both in the UK and more widely around the world and also its place in the Black Country. The Black Country History page with a particular focus on the area around Rowley Regis, Halesowen, Stourbridge and Dudley may be of interest to Brettles or Brettells outside the UK who are less familiar with the area, a part of the UK from where their ancestors probably originated.

The site also contains some more detailed history of just one Brettle/Brettell family line (see My Brettle Family History) and information on searching for Brettle ancestors i.e. sources which may be useful to others performing similar searches. This of course brings up other Black Country families who intermarried with the Brettles, the most significant of which are Priest, Nock, Astbury, Cartwright, Cooper, Faulkner, Griffiths, Hackett, Hardeman, Harris, Johnson, Lowe, Morris, Moy, Oldfield, Page, Parks, Perry, Poole, Shilvock, Tromans, Wallis, Willetts and York.

Note: To navigate this site just click on the sidebar headings on this homepage to move between the pages. References, if they are available on the internet, are shown as underlined hypertext links or as buttons. Just click on the underlined text or button to get to the reference. The occasional paper based references are shown in the "References" at the end of a page.

Now for a disclaimer: I am not a genealogist or historian, just an amateur family history researcher. Much of the information contained here is obtained from internet searches and I can offer no guarantee of the accuracy of the original or my interpretation of it. This is particularly so where I have tracked a particular Brettle line as far as the late 18th century (see the "My Brettle Family History" page) where the easily searchable and reliable online information peters out and I have had to use a little more guesswork. Wherever possible I include warnings where I believe the information is particularly uncertain.

And a final comment: if you are looking for George Brettles Hosiery and Stocking Co. in Belper, and some of its history, you have come to the wrong place! I am afraid that I can't trace any connection of my Brettle line with that of the rather more famous Victorian clothing manufacturer. However to help: you can find more information on the history of the Brettles company here. If you are looking for more recent information I believe the company now trades under the Slenderella name.