The Cambridgeshire Mordens Broket clan
1800-25

As had been the case through the previous 200 years, there were only a couple of Brockett families in Guilden and Steeple Morden at the turn of the 18/19th C. However the early 19th C saw the number increase dramatically. 8 sons born in the 10 years 1813-23 had families of their own—2 with more than 10 children. Most of the 8 stayed either in the Mordens or nearby parishes. Following are outlines:¹

1. John and Marianne COOPER of Guilden Morden 1813-1880
2. William and Fanny BONNETT of Ashwell/London/Stotfold 1815-1879
3. William and Sarah BONFIELD of Guilden Morden 1815-98
4. Thomas and Sarah RULE of Guilden Morden 1818-90
5. Alfred and Ann CHARTER of Steeple Morden 1820-1904
6. Samuel and Mary Ann GAYLOR of Therfield 1820-58
7. William and Amy TOOKEY of Bassingbourn/S Africa 1821-1901
8. John and Elizabeth BONNETT of Guilden Morden/London 1823-97

Censuses show how children contributed to the family income from a young age: daughters were often Straw Plaiters by 10, even 8, and sons were even recorded as Agricultural Labourers as young as 5.

1. John 1813-1880, married Mary Ann COOPER

1st son of John and Martha JERMIN, John was born 26 Jan 1814 Guilden Morden² and probably baptised 30 Jan. As Agricultural Labourer he married Mary Ann/Marianne COOPER 11 Nov 1833 in Ashwell, resided Little Green, Guilden Morden all his adult life. Occupation: Farm Labourer 1839, 71,³ Labourer 1843, 51, 67,⁴ Agricultural Labourer 1841, 51, 61.⁵ Mary Ann signed with her mark 1839, 1845,⁶ as did John 1867.⁷ John died 27 May 1880 and was buried in Guilden Morden churchyard at the base of the tower, next to his great-grandfather. Mary Ann died 21 Nov 1890, aged 74, and was buried with John.⁸

Census records for John and Mary Ann:

1841: “John Brockell, Ag. Lab, aged 25; Mary, 25; Ann, 2; Mary, 2 months”, at Little green, Guilden Morden—all born in the county.
1851: “John Brockett, Ag Lab, aged 37; Wife Mary, 35; Ann, 10, Straw Plaiter; Thomas, 7, ag Lab; [their second] Mary, 4″, at Little Green, Guilden Morden—all born in Guilden Morden except mother Mary in Ashwell, Herts.⁹
1861: “John Brockett , Ag Labour, aged 47; Wife Mary Ann, 45, and 3 children – Thomas, 16, Ag Labour; Mary 14, Plaiter; Sarah, 10, at home”, at Little Green, Guilden Morden—all b Guilden Morden.¹⁰
1871: “John Brockette, Farm Labourer, aged 58; Wife Mary Ann, 56, born Ashwell; daughter Sarah, 19, Unmarried, Servant”, at Little Green, Guilden Morden.
1881: “Mary Anne Brockett, Widow, aged 65 [ie b c 1816], b Ashwell, Domestic Nurse” in the Vicar John Robert Wilson’s house in Guilden Morden.

John and Mary Ann had 4 daughters and one surviving son, Thomas, who by having 7 surviving sons of his own ensured the continuance of John’s male line, and therefore the surname. Children:

1. Ann, b 17 Mar 1839 Guilden Morden.¹¹ Ann Matilda married, Spinster, Guilden Morden 17 Sep 1859 Beldem WILMOT, Labourer, bachelor of Orwell, both signed with their mark.
2. Mary, b 1841, Royston District;¹² d 1842;¹³ bur 12 Jul 1842, Guilden Morden, aged 14 months.
3. Thomas, baptised 20 Aug 1843, Guilden Morden, Royston District;¹⁴ d 25 Oct 1844 Guilden Morden aged 1 of ‘hooping cough’, son of John Brockett Labourer,¹⁵ bur 28 Oct 1844, Guilden Morden, aged 1 year. Thomas is to be distinguished from Thomas Brockett, baptised in London in 1843, and who later married Louisa MILLS, see the separate page. Another infant Thomas died in Guilden Morden in the 1840s, 1st cousin of this one, son of Thomas and Sarah RULE.
4. Thomas, b 12 Jan 1845, Guilden Morden. Married Mary Ann MUNSEY 1866 in Wrestlingworth. Died 1930 Hitchin. 7 surviving sons and 4 daughters, see the separate page.
5. Mary, b 1847, Royston District.¹⁶ Married 2 Mar 1867 in Tadlow Parish Church, Cambs, William NEWELL, 23, Bachelor, Labourer, residing Tadlow, she aged 20, Spinster, residing Guilden Morden, making her mark, as did witness John, Father.¹⁷ Mary Brockett, aged c 19 or 20, was probably a witness to brother Thomas’ marriage the previous year in 1866, since the other witness was William Newell.
6. Sarah, b 15 May 1851, Guilden Morden, baptised privately 3 Jun 1851, Guilden Morden, publicly 27 Jul 1851. In 1871 she was the last of the family still living with her parents, aged 19.¹⁸ Child:
   1. Ada Ann, b 24 Dec 1871, Royston District;¹⁹ baptised 10 Mar 1872, Guilden Morden ‘illegitimate daughter of John WATTS, Labourer, and Sarah Brockett’. Died 29 Sep 1885, aged 13, Bulwell, Nottingham²⁰

   Married Edward CRANE 10 Aug 1875 St Mary the Virgin and All Souls, Bulwell, on the western edge of Nottingham.²¹

2. William 1815-1879, married Fanny BONNETT

1st son of William and Mary BUTCHER, William was baptised 14 Nov 1815 Guilden Morden, and married Fanny BONNETT 2 Jul 1838 Ashwell. Unusually, the Ashwell Parish Register entry recorded the name of the groom’s father: William Brockett, Carpenter. Fanny bore 11 children over 26 years, aged 21-47. She signed with her mark 1838.²²

William was one of 3 young William Brocketts in Guilden Morden in the 1820s and 30s, all first cousins and later fathers of large families:

This William, husband of Fanny, was a Carpenter and Beer House Keeper,²³ Carpenter 1839, 1869,²⁴ and Builder 1871.²⁵ He was probably born at Hinxworth, his mother returning to her parental home for the birth of her first child. Neither could probably write, both signing with their mark in 1859.²⁶

Within a year or two of son Henry Serle’s death in 1850 the family moved to Battersea, Surrey—now London—where their last 3 children were born. William’s younger brothers Alfred, Solomon, Archer and David and families, also came around this time to Battersea St Mary, formerly called Battersea Rise. William died 11 Feb 1879 Stotfold, aged 63, of heart disease and dropsy, informant wife Fanny, signing with her mark.²⁷ By 1891 there were no Brocketts in Stotfold. Fanny died 1893 Wandsworth London, aged 73, ie b c 1820.²⁸

Census records for William and Fanny:    Read more

1. Anna, b 10 Oct 1838, Ashwell,²⁹ baptised 8 Feb 1839, Ashwell.³⁰ Probably died within 4 months of baptism because of namesake sister born 1839, but no GRO record of her death.
2. Ann/a, born 1839 Royston District,³¹ baptised 29 Mar 1840, Ashwell.³² Married 13 Feb 1859 St Luke Parish Church, Chelsea, London Thomas Henry MANSELL, both of full age residing St Luke Chelsea, he a Bachelor, Grocer, she a Spinster, witnesses her parents William and Fanny, both signing with their mark.³³ At 4 Bellevue Rd, the Post Office, Battersea, in 1871, Anna, aged 32, wife of Thomas, 33, Grocer employing 1 man and 1 boy, with 5 sons aged 9, 7, 5, 3 and 8 months, and sister Fanny, 20, Domestic Servant.³⁴
3. William, b 1841, Ashwell; d 1934. Married 1866 Elizabeth Mary ORBELL in London where they stayed. Elizabeth died in Edmonton District in 1922 aged 81, and William in 1934 aged 92. 5 sons and 2 daughters.
4. Charles, b 1844, Ashwell; d 1910. He married 1865 Emma SWAIN Chelsea. No GRO record of Emma’s death. He married 2nd 1895 Elizabeth SMITH Battersea. 2 daughters, 1 son. Did Elizabeth die 1908 Rochford Essex, aged 70, ie bc 1838.³⁵ Charles married 3rd 20 Dec 1908 Eliza Harriott BRIDGMAN Camden Church, Camberwell, London. Charles died by suicide when insane by taking oxalic acid 14 Feb 1910 at 107 Holmesdale Rd, South Norwood, N Croydon, aged 66, Carpenter, Coroner’s inquest 15 Feb.³⁶
5. Frederick, b 1846, Ashwell,³⁷ baptised 11 Oct 1846, Ashwell.³⁸ He would have died before 1859 when brother Frederick was born. He was most probably the Frederick who d 1854 Wandsworth.³⁹ There were no other Frederick deaths recorded in the GRO 1846-59.
6. Henry Serle, b 1849 Royston District,⁴⁰ baptised 28 Jan 1849 Ashwell.⁴¹ Died 1850 Royston District,⁴² aged 1 yr 10 months.⁴³ Buried 9 Nov 1850 Ashwell cemetery.
7. Fanny, b 1851 Ashwell,⁴⁴ baptised 9 Feb 1851 Ashwell.⁴⁵ A witness to brother William’s marriage in 1866. A Domestic Servant in sister Anna’s house in Battersea in 1871, aged 20. Married 27 Sep 1871 Edward Thomas GATLIFFE, Battersea Baptist Chapel, York Rd, Wandsworth, he aged 23, Bachelor, Commercial Clerk, she 21, Spinster, both residing the Post Office, Wandsworth Common, witness brother-in-law Thomas Henry MANSELL.⁴⁶
8. Henry George, b c 1852 Battersea, Surrey; married Mary PRUTTON 1875 in Arlesey, Bedford. Emigrated to Australia c 1883. Died 1929, Northcote, Victoria, Australia. 2 sons, 7 daughters.
9. Mark, b 1855 Wandsworth, London;⁴⁷ d of typhoid fever 30 Jun 1869 Arlsey, Beds, aged 15, informant Fanny DEVEREUX.⁴⁸
10. Frederick James, b 1858, Battersea; d 1942 Wandsworth. Married Emma Jane CURCHIN 1885 Battersea. Resided Althorpe Rd, Battersea. 2 daughters, 2 sons.
11. Herbert Thomas, b c 1864, Middlesex, London,⁴⁹ Limehouse, ⁵⁰ Battersea.⁵¹ No GRO birth. A late birth; his father was 50 and mother 46.+Census records for Thomas and family:    Read more
    
    

    1881	In Stotfold, Herbert T, 17, General Dealer, b London, Middlesex, the only child still living with his mother.
    1891	At the Cottage, Althorpe Rd, Battersea, in brother Frederick,’s house: Thomas, Brother, unm, 27, Asphalter (Road L[abourer]), b London Limehouse.
    1901	In Streatham, Thomas, 25 [actually 37], General Labourer, b London Battersea; Charlotta, 23, b London Tower Hill; Herbert, 3, b London Wandsworth; Annie, 7 months, b London Ladywell.
    1911	At 3 Dickens St, Wandsworth Rd, London, Thomas, 47, Head, General Labourer Building Trade, b Limehouse; Charlotte, 49, b Middlesex; Herbert, 13, at school, b Surrey; Anne, 10, at school, b Lewisham. Married 17 years, 2 children born alive, 2 still living. 2 rooms in the dwelling, including the kitchen [!]. Entry signed and written by Thomas.

    
    ?Married Charlotte POWELL, but no marriage recorded under Herbert or Thomas. She had married Thomas’ 1st cousin Alfred, son of Solomon and Jane MAY in 1894. 2 known children of Thomas and Charlotte:
    1. Herbert, b 12 Aug 1897, 21 Althorpe Rd, Battersea.⁵² Died 12 Aug 1976 Wandsworth London, aged 79.⁵³
    2. Annie, b 14 Aug 1900, 8 Chudleigh Rd, Lady Well, Lewisham, London.⁵⁴ Very unlikely that she was the Annie who married in Lambeth 1928. Did she die unm 1977 Wandsworth London c 77 c 1900?⁵⁵

    Herbert Thomas died accidentally 4 hours after poisoning by salts of sorril taken in mistake for gin on 9 Aug 1911 at 14 Dickens St, E Battersea, Wandsworth, aged 48, ie b c 1863, a General Labourer, Coroner’s inquest 11 Aug.⁵⁶ Charlotte probably died 11 Mar 1939 at St James’ Hospital, Battersea, with second name Hannah, aged 79, of 206 Cowick Rd, Tooting, Widow of Thomas, a General Labourer, of chronic bronchitis, informant brother E G ROWELL [mistake for POWELL?] of 60 Ormeley Rd, Balham.⁵⁷

3. William 1815-1898, married Sarah BONFIELD; Mary HOLLINGSWORTH

2nd son of John and Martha JERMIN, William was baptised 28 Nov 1815 Guilden Morden. He was another of the 3 first-cousins all called William in Guilden Morden in the 1820s and 30s. Married 1st Sarah BONFIELD 5 Jan 1837 in Steeple Morden,⁵⁸ d/o James and Mary BONFIELD, b 28 Feb 1808 Wallington, Herts. Sarah couldn’t write, signing with her mark 1854.⁵⁹ After marrying in Steeple Morden William and Sarah probably lived there for the baptism of their first 5 children and then moved to Guilden Morden around 1846, where son William was baptised. It’s possible they stayed in Steeple Morden and just had their next 2 children baptised in Guilden Morden Church, but by 1851 they were definitely living in Guilden Morden—with 7 children at home between the ages of 12 and 3 days.⁶⁰ She was buried 11 Feb 1858, Guilden Morden, probably dying in association with son Samuel’s birth. William’s occupation was recorded variously as Shepherd or Labourer, more often the former. On 17 May 1866, aged 50, he married Mary A HOLLINGSWORTH, Widow, aged 54, in New Meeting, Royston, she signing with her mark.⁶¹ Mary Ann was baptised 18 Nov 1810 Abington Pigotts, d/o Joseph and Mary JANAWAY. She married Guilden Morden 1831 Simpson HOLLINGWORTH and had children there: Martha b 1833, Moses b 1835, Mary b 1838, Emma b 1842. Simpson died 1842 and in 1851 and 1861 Mary Ann was living with them at Little Green, Guilden Morden.⁶² She died 14 Sep 1887, of senile decay, aged 75 [ie b c 1812, but she was baptised 1810, 75 was perhaps a round number for 77], residing Church St, Guilden Morden, Royston, Herts, informant Widower William, a Shepherd.⁶³ William died aged 81 on 3 Apr 1898 in Guilden Morden of acute bronchitis exhaustion, daughter Mary Ann DELLAR present.⁶⁴ Records of the family frequently spell the name Brocket.

Census records for William and family:    Read more

1. Thomas, b 6 Oct 1837, Steeple Morden;⁶⁵ bur 1 Nov 1837, Steeple Morden.
2. Sarah, b 1838, Guilden Morden,⁶⁶ baptised 11 Nov 1838, Steeple Morden. Most probably the Sarah who married 6 Nov 1862 John CHILDS in St Bartholomew’s Parish Church, Bethnal Green, London, he aged 25, Widower, Baker of Queens Row, she 24, Spinster of Queens Street, d/o William Labourer, witnesses Charles CHILDS, Elizabeth BUTTERFIELD.⁶⁷ The only 2 other recorded contemporary Sarahs were daughters of:
   1. William and Rebecca WRIGHT, baptised 1834 Blunham, but she married in Blunham in 1858
   2. John and Maria DARLING of Bedford, baptised 1841.
3. Elizabeth ‘Betsy’, baptised 18 Apr 1841, Steeple Morden. Probably the unnamed female b 1841.⁶⁸ Working as a Straw Plater in 1851 aged 10.⁶⁹ Informant of brother Samuel’s death 1858, signing with her mark. Married 17 Sep 1859, Guilden Morden, David WALKER, Labourer, she aged 19. In 1871 she was living at Little Green, Guilden Morden, aged 30, b Steeple Morden, with husband David, 33, b Guilden Morden, Farm Labourer, no children.⁷⁰ Her brother Thomas, aged 25, unmarried, Fossil Digger, also born Steeple Morden, was living there too. 5 sons and 2 daughters c 1862-75 all b Guilden Morden. In Guilden Morden for 1881, 91 and 1901 censuses.
4. Martha, b 1843,⁷¹ baptised 12 Mar 1843, Steeple Morden. Working as a Straw Plater in 1851 aged 8.⁷² Child:
   1. Samuel, b 6 Apr 1862, baptised 1 Jun 1862, Guilden Morden, recorded as the son of Martha Brockett, no father mentioned. He took on the surname Izzard.

   Married 13 Jun 1863, Samuel IZZARD, Labourer. They had a son David in 1871.

5. Thomas, b 1845 Guilden Morden,⁷³ and died there 1920. He married Sarah ROWLAND 1872 in Guilden Morden. A Farm Labourer and Shepherd. 6 daughters, 2 sons.
6. William, b 1847 Guilden Morden.⁷⁴ ?Died 1917. He married Edith MAISE 1869 in Guilden Morden. A Fossil Digger and Shepherd. 6 daughters, 4 sons.
7. Mary Ann, b 1849 Guilden Morden,⁷⁵ baptised 3 Mar 1849, Guilden Morden. Married 8 Feb 1868 Guilden Morden Parish Church, James DELLAR, aged 25, Bachelor, Labourer, she a Spinster, 20, both residing Guilden Morden, witnesses William Brockett, and Edy MISE [probably Mary Ann’s brother and future sister iin law], all 4 signing with their mark.⁷⁶ Children, b 1869-78: Sarah Ann, Alice Jane, Mary Elizabeth, William Alfred.
8. Alfred, b 1851 Guilden Morden; died 22 Jan 1922, buried Luton. He married Sarah THEOBALD 1879 in Guilden Morden. 3 daughters, 1 son.
9. Fanny, b 10 Aug 1853, Guilden Morden, baptised 18 Sep 1853, Guilden Morden; bur 14 Feb 1854, Guilden Morden.
10. David, b 1854 Guilden Morden;⁷⁷ died 1912 Twickenham, London.⁷⁸ He married Selina CLARK 1878 in Kilburn, London. 2 sons, 2 daughters.
11. Samuel b 14 Jan 1858, baptised 14 Feb 1858 Guilden Morden. Died 23 Apr 1858 Guilden Morden, aged 3 months, of marasmus [severe weight loss], no medical attendant, Elizabeth [sister, aged 17] in attendance,⁷⁹ bur 25 Apr 1858 Guilden Morden.

4. Thomas 1818-1890, married Sarah RULE; Mary IZZARD

3rd son of John and Martha JERMIN, Thomas was baptised 25 Jan 1818 Guilden Morden. He was admitted to the Guilden Morden Chapel from ‘The Meeting, Royston’ on 2 Jan 1845, aged 26. Thomas was living at Steeple Morden when he married Sarah RULE 15 Oct 1846 in Ashwell⁸⁰ d/o William RULE of Ashwell. 6 months later and 24 days after giving birth to son Thomas she died, aged 27. She was buried 14 Apr 1847 with son Thomas in Guilden Morden churchyard:

Her sister Martha REAVELL, who also died in childbirth about ten years later in 1856, aged 25, was buried with them. These poignant facts are on the brown gravestone next to the pavement, clearly readable by anyone walking down the street today. It is said that shortly before Sarah died Thomas was asked to resign from the Congregational Chapel because of the early arrival of his son. Thomas was a Master Butcher by trade. After Banns in Guilden Morden Church Thomas married 2nd Mary IZZARD there 30 Jan 1849 in Guilden Morden, Spinster, d/o Edward IZZARD, Publican. All their children were baptised in the Chapel. He died 5 Mar 1890 in Guilden Morden, aged about 72, and was buried in the churchyard near his first wife’s grave along with two of his children who died before him—Sarah Ann and Frank. Mary died Royston District 1909, aged 80 [ie b 1829]⁸¹ and was buried 26 Apr 1909, Guilden Morden cemetery—the churchyard was closed in 1897.⁸²

Census records for Thomas and Mary:    Read more

1. Thomas, b 17 Mar 1847 Royston District.⁸³ Baptised 16 Apr 1847 Guilden Morden Chapel, 6 days after his mother had died. Died 1848 aged 1 year Royston District,⁸⁴ buried in Guilden Morden churchyard 26 Mar 1848.
2. Wilfred, b 1852 Guilden Morden; died 1918 in Guilden Morden. He married Rebecca REAVELL1877 Farnham Surrey. Butcher and Cattle Dealer. Witness to sister Minnie’s marriage 1897. 1 son, 2 daughters.
3. Sarah Ann, b 21 Aug 1854,⁸⁵ baptised 29 Apr 1855, Guilden Morden Chapel; d aged 13, 1 Feb 1868, Guilden Morden.⁸⁶ Her brother Frank and father were buried in the same grave in Guilden Morden churchyard.
4. Agnes, b 12 Aug 1859, Guilden Morden, baptised 25 Mar 1860, Guilden Morden Chapel. Witness to brother Wilfred’s marriage 1877. Unmarried in 1881, aged 21, with parents, and in 1891, aged 31, with her mother. Married 30 Jul 1891 George RULE, Congregational Chapel, Guilden Morden, she aged 31, Spinster, he 39, Bachelor, Farmer, both residing Guilden Morden, witnesses brother Wifred and sister Minnie.⁸⁷
5. Mary Elizabeth, b 15 Jun 1862, Guilden Morden, baptised Guilden Morden Chapel 31 May 1894 ‘from Great Green’ aged 32. Married 4 Sep 1890 Frederick James TOMKINS, Guilden Morden Chapel, she aged 28, Spinster, Draper’s Assistant, residing Guilden Morden, he 27, Bachelor, Draper’s Assistant, residing Plumpton, Sussex, of the 7 witneses 4 were Brocketts: W., Alfred, Wilfred, Minnie.⁸⁸ 1 son b 1891 Plumpton, Sussex.
6. Frank, b 1 Mar 1866, Royston District,⁸⁹ baptised 15 Apr 1866, Guilden Morden Chapel; d 12 Feb 1868, Guilden Morden.⁹⁰ Buried in sister Sarah Ann’s grave.
7. Minnie, b 8 Dec 1871, baptised 14 Apr 1872 Guilden Morden Chapel. In 1891 she was living with her mother, aged 19, single.⁹¹ Witness to sister Agnes’ marriage 1891. Married 16 Sep 1897 Francis William Bertram PARRISH, at Ote Hall Chapel, Madsfield?, Lewes, Sussex, she aged 25, Spinster, residing Plumpton, Sussex, he 26, Bachelor, Cattle Dealer, of Guilden Morden, [brother] Wilford Brockett a witness, Minister [brother-in-law] F J TOMKINS.⁹² At Church St, Guilden Morden in 1901: Bertram, 30, Cattle Dealer; Minnie, 29; son Fred, 2; daughter Doris, 10 months; Mary Brockett, Widow, 72, M in Law.⁹³

5. Alfred 1820-1904, married Ann CHARTER

2nd son of William and Mary BUTCHER, Alfred was baptised 4 May 1820 Guilden Morden; married Ann CHARTER 1843 in Steeple Morden.⁹⁴ Occupation variously Carpenter and Builder. Had 3 acres of land.⁹⁵ Signed with his mark 1843, 78.⁹⁶ Like brothers William, Solomon, Archer and David and families, for a period between 1852 and 1861—at least from 1855-57—Alfred and Ann lived in Battersea St Mary, formerly called Battersea Rise. Ann d 1904 Cambridge⁹⁷ aged 82, and Alfred d 1904 Cambridge⁹⁸ aged 84.

Census records for Alfred and Ann:    Read more

1. William, b 1843 Steeple Morden; d 1932 Willesden. He married Emily SYMONDS 1868 St George Hanover Square, and they stayed in London. 9 sons, 2 daughters.
2. Jane, b 1847 Royston District,⁹⁹ baptised 10 Oct 1847 Steeple Morden,V Guilden Morden.¹⁰⁰ Married 3 Apr 1880 St Pauls Parish Church, Stratford, W Ham, Essex, John SPICER, he aged 39, Bachelor—sic, he had presumably married Jane’s sister Mary Ann 1865—General Dealer, she 31, Spinster, both of 12 Livingstone Rd.¹⁰¹
3. Mary Ann, baptised 13 Apr 1845, Steeple Morden.¹⁰² Not apparently in GRO. Married 24 Apr 1865 St Pancras Parish Church, John SPICER, Cook, both of ‘full age’,¹⁰³ Did she die before 1880, when her sister Jane married John SPICER? Was Alfred SPICER, born London c 1867, with Mary Ann’s parents for the 1871 census Mary Ann’s son?
4. Charles, b 1849, d 1893. Married Emily O’DANIELS 1879 in Pimlico, London, and they stayed in London. 3 sons, 1 daughter.
5. Emma, b 9 Feb 1852, Royston District,¹⁰⁴ baptised 25 Jul 1852, Guilden Morden Chapel. For the 1871 census she was in service in Cambridge. Married 4 Jun 1898 St Pancras Register Office, Frank FORSTER, he aged 47, Bachelor, Boot Maker, she 46, Spinster, both of 289 Great George Street. Was she witness to sister Susan’s marriage 20 years before as Emma FORSTER?
6. Alfred John, b 1854,¹⁰⁵ baptised 20 Aug 1854, Battersea St Mary.¹⁰⁶ To be distinguished from 1st cousin namesake, son of Solomon. Married 3 Jun 1895 Mary CHEETHAM in the Congregational Church, Marple Bridge, Glossop, he aged 39, Bachelor, Plate Layer on a Railway, she 38, Widow, both residing Lower Fold, Marple Bridge, Ludlow, Derbyshire.¹⁰⁷ +Census records for Alfred and Mary:    Read more
   
   

   1871	In Cock Hill, Sutton, Epsom, in the house of William MARCHANT, 49, Beer Retailer, Alfred, 16, Pot Boy, b Golden Square, London.
   1881	Not found. [Alfred had a namesake cousin, son of Solomon, who was 4 years younger, and it was probably he, aged 24, who was staying with his sister Elizabeth WRIGHT in Edmonton in 1881, rather than this Alfred John.]
   1891	Not found.
   1901	In Mayfield, Ludlow, Alfred, aged 44, Bricklayer’s Labourer, b Cambridge; Mary, 46, Cotton Weaver, born Ludlow, no children.
   1911	At 317 Rose Brow, Compstall, Marple Bridge, near Stockport, Glossop, Alfred, aged 52, Head, Bricksetter’s Labourer, b London; Wife Mary, 51, Calico Weaver, born Ludworth, Derbyshire. No children born alive; 4 rooms in the dwelling; entry written and signed by Alfred. Two teenage nieces, surnamed SAVAGE, b Ludworth, were living with them and also working in Cotton Manufacture.

   
   Alfred died 14 Mar 1927 Glossop, Derbyshire, aged 72¹⁰⁸ of 317 Rose Brow, Compstall, Derbyshire, will pr Derby 24 Jun by John YARWOOD, Blacksmith, and Thomas HALLAM, Assurance Agent, effects valued at £40 19s.¹⁰⁹ Mary died 10 Apr 1933 Glossop, aged 77¹¹⁰ of 85 Compstall Rd, Ludworth, Derbyshire, Admon London 24 Jun by Jessie HALLAM, wife of Thomas HALLAM, effects valued at £164.¹¹¹ The GRO recorded no baptisms in Derbyshire.
7. Susan, b 1856,¹¹² baptised 31 Aug 1856 Battersea St Mary.¹¹³ Married 24 Jan 1878 Cambridge Register Office, Joseph Turner BAILEY, he aged 28, Bachelor, Gentleman, of 31 Kingston St, Cambridge, she 21, Spinster, of Kingston St, Cambridge, witnesses father Alfred and ?sister Emma FORSTER.¹¹⁴

6. Samuel 1820-58, married Mary Ann GAYLOR

4th son of John and Martha JERMIN, Samuel was baptised 3 Dec 1820 Guilden Morden. Married Mary Ann GAYLOR 12 Nov 1846 in Royston Church, he a Bachelor, Labourer, she a Spinster, both of full age residing Royston.¹¹⁵ Labourer 1847,¹¹⁶ Farm Labourer 1854, 58,¹¹⁷ Publican 1858, ¹¹⁸ Sawyer.¹¹⁹ Died 16 Oct 1858 Royston, aged 37, of phthisis 2 years, Mary TOTT of Royston present.¹²⁰ This was 4 months after his son died of the same disease. In the marriage certificates of son Samuel Henry—born around the time his father died—Samuel’s occupation was given as Chemists Assistant and was named Samuel Henry in the first and Henry, deceased, in the 2nd.¹²¹ On 22 Mar 1861 Mary Ann married William ROSINDALE in the Royston Register Office, she aged 33, Widow, Licensed Victualler, he 22, Bachelor, Ostler, both residing Royston, witnesses Henry WESTON, Lucy GAYLOR.¹²² The Mary Ann who married in Royston District in 1859 was Samuel’s younger sister. In 1891 Mary Ann, aged 69, Widow, was living with son Samuel at 52 Havelock St, Islington, London, surnamed Brockett again.

Census records for Samuel and Mary Ann:    Read more

1. Alfred, b 1847 Therfield; d 1887 W Ham. He ?married Mary ROBINSON and Elizabeth WESTON. 3 daughters, 1 son.
2. Ellen, b c 1850.¹²³ Married 7 Dec 1874 Royston Register Office George PATEMAN, he aged 25, Fossil Digger, residing Litlington, she 23, Dressmaker, residing Royston.¹²⁴
3. Henry, b 3 Mar 1854 Therfield.¹²⁵ Died 9 Jun 1858 Royston, Herts, aged 4 of phthisis.¹²⁶
4. Samuel Henry, b 7 Aug 1858 Royston, Herts¹²⁷ d 1927 Lambeth. Married 1st in to Harriet ?LAVENDER 1884 Hailsham Sussex. 1 son b and d 1888. She d 1916. Married 2nd Lucy Florence CONSTABLE 1917 Lambeth. She d 1947.

7. William 1821-1901, married Amy TOOKEY

Son of Elizabeth d/o William and Ann HALL, William was baptised 13 May 1821 Guilden Morden. He was the third of the 3 first-cousins all called William in Guilden Morden in the 1820s and 30s. William was only about 6 years old when his mother died, and was presumably raised thereafter by his stepfather William JARMAN. The Guilden Morden Chapel records have 3 entries for William: ‘Admitted 30 Dec 1841. Departed 10 Jun 1842. Dismissed to Bassingbourn Independent Church 1 Mar 1849’. On 6 Apr 1847 William Brockett, aged 27, Bachelor, Farming Bailiff, residing Bassingborn, father’s name —-, married Amey TOOKEY, 26, Spinster, daughter of Thomas TOOKEY, Labourer, in “the New Meeting House, Royston, according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Protestant Dissenters of the Independent Denomination”, witnesses William and Susan REYNOLDS.¹²⁸ Amy signed with her mark on her sons’ birth certificates in 1854 and 55, her name given as Ann in the latter. William’s occupation: 1841 Agricultural Labourer,¹²⁹ 1847 Farming Bailiff,¹³⁰ 1851, 54 Farm Bailiff,¹³¹ 1853 Bailiff.¹³² Children:

1. Edward John, b 1848 Bassingbourn.¹³³ Married Margaret BILLSON in South Africa. Edward died 1882. Margaret died 1921. 2 daughters, 2 sons.
2. Elizabeth Tookey, b 1849 Bassingbourn.¹³⁴ Died “8 Mar 1853 in Bassingbourn, aged 4, fever 14 days, daughter of William Brockett Bailiff, informant present at death Susan PETTINGALE, Bassingbourn”.¹³⁵ Buried 12 Mar 1853 in the Independent/Congregational Chapel, Bassingbourn.¹³⁶
3. William, b 1851 Bassingbourn.¹³⁷ Married Annie RUSSELL in South Africa. William died 1898. Annie died 1933. 4 daughters, 2 sons.
4. Alfred Thomas, b 4 Sep 1854 Bassingbourn,¹³⁸ died 1854 Royston District, Herts.¹³⁹
5. Arthur, b 19 Sep 1855 Bassingbourn, father William’s occupation Farm Bailiff, mother, who signed with her mark, recorded as Ann.¹⁴⁰ Arthur married 1st Louisa NEWTON in South Africa. She died 1891. 2 sons, 1 daughter. Arthur married 2nd Eliza BAGSHAW nee PEARSON, who died 1919. Arthur died 1895.
6. 3 further sons not born in England.

Census records for William and Amy and family:

1841: In High St, Guilden Morden, William, aged 20, Agricultural Labourer, born in the County. Apparently on his own, perhaps in Thomas KEY’s house, Blacksmith, 30.
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1851: In Bassingbourn, William, aged 29, Farm Bailiff [Manager], b Guilden Morden; wife Amy, 30, b Royston, Herts; Edward J, 3; Elizabeth T, 2; William, 2 months—children all born Bassingbourn.

William, Amy and their three surviving children left England and sailed to South Africa, arriving 29 June 1861, with another son born on the way. They were progenistors of a large Broket clan there, see the separate page. If the family was still in England for the census that year, taken on the night of 7 April, none of them was recorded. Nor were any recorded again in the UK in later censuses or the GRO.

Emigration overseas from Cambridgeshire 19th C

Two studies of emigration in the second half of the 19th C from Cambridgeshire villages near Bassingbourn provide some good background reasons why families like William and Amy’s emigrated overseas:

1. Hudson, P and Mills, D R (1999) ‘English emigration, kinship and the recruitment process: migration from Melbourn in Cambridgeshire to Melbourne in Victoria in the mid-nineteenth century’, Rural History, 10, 1: 55-74. This is a study of emigration from the village of Melbourn, c 4 m E of the village of Bassingbourn.

“Melbourn is situated on the lower parts of the chalk plain approximately ten miles south of Cambridge, and just over forty miles to the north of London. Melbourn was situated in one of the low-wage corn-growing areas of England, where unemployment and seasonal underemployment must, in principle, have encouraged out-migration, especially after 1834 when poor law legislation was framed to reduce poor rates in such areas. Melbourn was also a good example of the ‘open’ type of village community, one in which a multiplicity of owners made tight poor law administration difficult before 1834 and encouraged small landowners to build cottage rows to accommodate poorly-paid labourers, some of them surplus to the labour requirements of ‘closed’ or estate villages”.¹⁴¹

See also by Mills D R (1978) ‘The Quality of Life in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, in the Period 1800-50’, International Review of Social History, 23, pp 382-404, published online by Cambridge University Press 18 Dec 2008. This notes that:

“In 1846, the [Melbourn] vestry meeting assisted three men to emigrate to Canada, and in 1848 two families were sent to South Australia and one family to Cape of Good Hope“.¹⁴²

2. Hitch D (2002) ‘Cambridgeshire Emigrants to Australia, 1842-74: A Family and Community Perspective’, Family & Community History, 5:2, 85-97. Search online for: 10.1179/fch.2002.5.2.002. This is a study of emigration from the village of Fowlmere, c 8 m E of the village of Bassingbourn. It notes that:

“Fowlmere had experienced substantial growth between 1801, when the census for the parish recorded 420 inhabitants, and 1841 when the number had increased to 610. Between 1842 and 1874, a sizeable proportion of the population emigrated to Australia from Fowlmere—almost 150 men, women and children.”¹⁴³

Abstract of the article:¹⁴⁴

“There was large-scale emigration from the agricultural areas of England in the mid-I9th century. The evidence from the village of Fowlmere in Cambridgeshire suggests two important local dimensions in this process: changes in the community and the role of the family. The community was affected both economically, by the impact of enclosures (especially the loss of commons rights), and socio-politically, by the harsh application of the I834 Poor Law in refusing outdoor relief to able-bodied men with only the workhouse for the family as an alternative. The role of the family was the medium through which various contributory factors flowed, among them emigrants’ letters home, kin links, remittances and the chains of family migration.

This article takes up some family and community dimensions of the large-scale emigration from the agricultural areas of England in the mid-I9th century, exploring these through the particular example of the Cambridgeshire village of Fowlmere. Who were the emigrants, what pushed and pulled them in their extensive movement to Australia, and how does this relate to the picture painted in the wider literature on emigration? This can be most effectively studied by a detailed investigation at the local level.”

What caused William and Amy and their young family to emigrate? Was it changes in the community or the role of the family?

8. John 1823-97, married Elizabeth BONNETT

3rd son of William and Mary BUTCHER, John was baptised 19 Jan 1823 Guilden Morden. He married 1st Elizabeth BONNETT 7 Jul 1849 in Guilden Morden, both of full age of the parish, he a Carpenter, one witness was Elizabeth Brockett—presumably John’s sister, aged 18.¹⁴⁵ Occupation Carpenter 1850,¹⁴⁶ Joiner 1867.¹⁴⁷ No record of Elizabeth’s death in the GRO 1853-67. John went to London, like several of his siblings. It appears that both his sons died in 1854.¹⁴⁸ Son William died of cholera.

Census records for John and family:    Read more

1. Edmund, b 4 Nov 1850 Guilden Morden,¹⁴⁹ baptised 13 Apr 1851 Guilden Morden Chapel. Died 1854?¹⁵⁰ Only in 1851 census.
2. William John, b 21 Jan 1853, baptised 27 Mar 1853 Guilden Morden Chapel. Died of cholera 14 Sep 1854 aged 1, at St George’s Hospital, Grosvener Place, St George’s Hanover Square, London.¹⁵¹

John married 2nd May Anne COCKAYNE 21 Jul 1867 in St George’s Hanover Sq, London, both of full age, he a Widower, Joiner, of Brewer St, son of William, Joiner, she a Spinster, of Chester Square.¹⁵² John died 27 Dec 1897 in the Central London Sick Asylum of hemiplegia, Tottenham Court, Pancras, London, aged 76, Occupation Carpenter, of 28 Lincolns Inn Fields, Holborn, informant wife M A Brockett.¹⁵³ Mary A probably died 1916 Guildford Surrey, aged 84.¹⁵⁴

Page Last Updated: June 27, 2022