This is a surname which is very strongly associated with the Lancashire - Cheshire region. The derivation is either from the Olde English 'Brend - haep' (the burnt heath) or 'brun-haep' (the brown heath), which probably had the same meaning of 'an area cleared by fire'. The usual spelling of the modern name is often 'Brandreth', although Brundred, Brundrit and Brundrett are all well recorded in the north West of England. The recorded examples include John Brundreth who married Elizabeth Grynne (possibly Green) at Prestbury church on April 25th, 1585, Edward Brundrith who married Margery Walker at Stockport on October 31st 1592, and Elizabeth Brundrethe, christened at St. Michael's Church, Macclesfield, on September 2nd 1594. On December 16th 1614, John Brundret married Elizabeth Booth at St. Michael's, Macclesfield in the reign of James I of England and VI of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of James Brundrett, which was dated May 27th 1561, a witness at Wilmslow Church, Cheshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, 'Good Queen Bess', 1558 - 1603. 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.