History of Birmingham Township (1881); Chester/Delaware County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson <ferg@ntelos.net>.

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from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, by Futhey and Cope (1881);
 
Birmingham was probably named by William Brinton,. one of the earliest settlers, 
who came from the neighborhood of the town of that name in England, and, as was 
common with the early settlers, selected for his wilderness home the name that 
would recall to his memory the early associations of his life.  It was surveyed 
about the year 1684 to various persons, in right of purchases made in England, 
and was organized as a municipal district in 1686, by appointment of John 
Bennett as Constable.
    Upon the division of the county in 1789, the greater part of the original 
township fell into Delaware Co.    Each division thereafter bore the name of 
Birmingham twp in its respective county.  Until the year 1856 the Street road 
was the Northern boundary of the twp of Chester co.  In that year it was 
enlarged by the addition to if of a portion of the southern end of East Bradford 
twp. 
    The Battle of Brandywine was fought in this twp.  The site of the field of 
operations at Chads' Ford is in Delaware Co, and tat at Birmingham Meeting-house 
in Chester Co.
    The name of the twp was originally pronounced Brummagem, and it is so given 
on Holme's map of the early settlements of Pennsylvania.  This pronunciation was 
brought by the early settlers from England, and is generally supposed to be a 
corruption of Birmingham.  That, however, is a mistake.  The name Brummegem is 
derived from Brunwycheham, the ancient name of Birmingham, and was used in 
common with Birmingham, which signifies the home of the descendants of Beorm, a 
Saxon chief.  Birmingham, in England, was formerly the great emporium for plated 
ware and imitation jewelry, and hence the word Brummegem came to signify 
anything trashy or common.