About This Project

Preserving Our Shared Heritage

This website was created to document and share the remarkable story of our family's origins — tracing the journey from a lost medieval village in Flanders to the worldwide diaspora of Pendegrafts, Prendergasts, and all the variant spellings in between.

The project began with a simple question: where does our family name come from? That question led to a fascinating discovery — that our surname traces back over a thousand years to a village called Brontegeest, which once stood near Ghent in what is now Belgium.

Though the village itself has been lost to time, its memory lives on in everyone who carries this name. This site is an attempt to preserve that memory and share it with family members around the world.

Our Mission

To research, document, and share the history of the Pendegraft/Prendergast family lineage, connecting descendants with their shared heritage and preserving our ancestral story for future generations.

About Us

This site was created by the Pendegraft family, descendants of the Brontegeest lineage who became fascinated with uncovering the family's origins.

What started as casual curiosity became a deeper dive into medieval history, Norman conquests, and the movement of peoples across Europe and eventually to America.

"We always knew we had an unusual name, but we never imagined it would lead back to a lost village in medieval Flanders. Discovering this connection to such ancient history has been an incredible journey." — The Pendegraft Family

Get In Touch

Are you a Prendergast, Pendergast, Pendegraft, or one of the many other variant spellings? I'd love to hear from you! Whether you have information to share, questions about the research, or just want to connect with a fellow descendant, please reach out.

Share Your Story

Do you have family documents, photos, or oral histories? Your contribution could help expand our understanding of the family's history.

Ask Questions

Curious about a specific branch, time period, or location? I'm happy to share what I've learned or point you toward resources.

Suggest Corrections

Found an error or have additional information that could improve the site? Your input is welcome and appreciated.

Connect with Family

Looking to connect with other descendants? Let me know and I can help facilitate connections within the family network.

Contact

Email: family@pendegraft.com

I typically respond within a few days.

Future Plans

This site is a work in progress. Here are some features and content we're hoping to add in the future:

Expanded Family Tree

As family members contribute their genealogical research, we hope to build out a more detailed and interactive family tree with individual profiles.

Photo Gallery

A collection of family photographs, historical documents, and images of family heirlooms contributed by descendants.

DNA Project

Potentially coordinating a DNA testing project to help verify family connections and trace genetic heritage.

Regional Meetups

Facilitating gatherings of Pendegraft/Prendergast descendants in various regions.

Acknowledgments

This project would not be possible without the work of countless historians, genealogists, and researchers who have documented the history of medieval Europe, the Norman conquests, and the movements of peoples across centuries.

Special thanks to the genealogical community whose work on surname origins provided the foundation for this research.

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Dedicated to all the descendants of Brontegeest — past, present, and future.