Brokets of Central England - The Broket Archive

Brokets of Central England

A few families and individual Brokets have been recorded in the central areas of England, immediately north of London, in:

Leicestershire
Norfolk: see separate pages pre 18th C and post.
Nottinghamshire
Suffolk
Warwickshire
Worcestershire
Map

Leicestershire

Records have so far been found from 15th C Leicestershire of three individuals, all located with in a few miles of each other:

1. 1412 and 1415 John Broket of Burton St Lazarus Husbandman

1412: In the Easter term John Broket in person sued John Brygge and John Turnour for an alleged debt of 40s at the court of Common Pleas in Westminster, with instructions addressed to the sheriff of Leicestershire.1

1415: John Broket, Husbandman, was sued at the court of Common Pleas in Westminster in the Trinity term with 3 others, all from Burton Lazars for an alleged debt of £4 3s 4d they each owed the plaintiffs:2

John Broket of Leicestershire 1415
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Burton Lazars—or Burton St Lazarus as it was called then—is scarcely 2 miles N of Dalby Parva. It was an Augustine house, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Lazarus and consisted of a Master and eight brothers, and varying numbers of lepers and injured knights.4 The Master of the hospital is mentioned with Geoffrey Brokket in the next record from 1495.

2. 1415 Henry Broket of Dalby Parva

See the separate page.

3. 1495 Geoffrey Brokket

Along with 6 others, connected to Burton Lazers, Geoffrey sued at the court of Common Pleas in Westminster in the Hilary term of 1495 concerning an alleged theft they suffered. According to the plea, John Grey stole 12 cows and 11 calves of theirs to the value of £10. John Grey defended his actions and requested licence of interlocution, so the court ordered another sitting on 3 May 1495:5

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Although up to 3 generations later than Henry and John, Geoffrey was in all probability related to them. The locations are too close to suggest otherwise. But whether or not these Brokets were related to Thomas Broket of Kirkby Mallore, Leicestershire, recorded 1290-1319 is less certain, although possible. Kirkby Mallory is only 20 miles SW of Burton Lazars and Little Dalby, whereas they are nearly 50 miles SW of Stickney in Lincolnshire and S of Retford in Nottinghamshire where other Brokets were recorded in 1277, 1396 and 1416.

Nottinghamshire

Six records have been found so far, one of a William Broket, one of a Robert, and four of individuals called Thomas, the first two probably of the same man from 1536-7 and 1546—but who he was is not yet known—the third from 1557, and the fourth from 1616 but connected to the same place as the one from 1546—Annesley—so perhaps a relative.

1. 1416

In Easter term 1416 William Broket of Retford, Woolman, was sued in the court of Common Pleas for an alleged debt of £9, along with 5 others for other debts, by John Coton of Coventry, Wiredrawer:6+Read more


William being a Woolman residing in the market town of Retford, not far from Lincolnshire where Robert Broket was engaged in the wool trade in the 1430s and 40s, suggests he was connected to the Brokets of York, as Robert probably was.

2. 1420

In the Hilary term John Rowlay of Estretford Nottinghamshire Merchant made a plea at the court of Common Pleas at Westminster for a fourth day by his attorney to recover an alleged debt of £20 from Robert Broket of Whetlay Nottinghamshire Draper. He was ordered to appear on 16 Jun 1420.7 This was no doubt Robert of York, or his son Robert of Lincolnshire. Wheatley is 6 miles NE of Retford, where William above was recorded.

3. 1536-7

A lease—probably for 21 years—was granted in 1536-7 to Thomas Brokkette of Kyrkeby, Nottinghamshire of lands in Kyrkeby and Ashefeld, Nottinghamshire, previously held by FELLEY.8 Another possible reference to him is in TNA E315/209 f 46b. Kirkby in Ashfield is c 11m N of Nottingham centre and 11m W of Southwell.

4. 1546

1546 Hilary term.9 A plea was made at the court of Common Pleas held at Westminster that Thomas Brockett formerly of Annesley, Yeoman, forcibly broke into a meadow of Sir John Chaworth at Annesley and took grazing animals to the value of 100s, and had not come to defend himself. Annesley is c 9m N of Nottingham centre and a couple of miles S of Kirkby in Ashfield. The court ordered the Nottinghamshire sheriff to take Thomas and bring him to court on 9 May 1546:10+Read more

5. 1557

In his Will written 14 Aug 1557, Sir John Brockett I bequeathed all his property in Nottinghamshire to his third surviving son, Thomas Brokett the elder, who was b c 1540 so could not have been the Thomas of the two earlier Nottinghamshire records. He was styled Esquire in a royal licence of 17 May 1558 and died soon after.

6. 1616

On 4 May 1616, Thomas Brocket and Bridget Pymore, of Annesley, admitted to the Archdeacon of Nottingham’s Court “that marriage was solemnized betweene them the xth of November laste paste in the nowe dwellinge house of Thomas Fulwood of Estwood by Hughe Carte, Clerke, in the presence of Thomas Fulwood and his wife & John Fulwood & divers others.”11 Hodgkinson commented: “Between 1613 and 1623 there are entries of many clandestine marriages having been solemnized in the church of Hablesthrop or Hablesthorpe. This is one of the villages which have disappeared, and, from the parishes from which the various defendants came, must have been the parish now incorporated in the parish of North Leverton.”

Suffolk

The Brokets of Suffolk comprise 2 families who lived in or near Bramfield and Sudbury, and others elsewhere in the county. Of course Suffolk wasn’t an isolated island, and individuals moved readily to or from other counties, the closest being Essex and Norfolk.

1. Bramfield

This was the 16th and 17th C family of Robert of Bramfield, 4th son of John of Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridgeshire.

2. Sudbury

A family of three generations in the second half of the 17th C beginning with William Brockett, Rector of of Little Cornard. It’s possible that he descended from the gentry family of Robert of Bramfield, above, 50 or more m NE of Sudbury, however no evidence has been found of a relevant William among them. There’s more evidence to suggest that he sprang from the Yeoman Dunton clan of Bedfordshire, c 45 m E. There were also Braket families in Sudbury and Suffolk in general, and it’s probable that some Brokets came from them.

2.1. William Brockett of Little Cornard, c 2m SE of Sudbury, was the first recorded in this area. Probably bap 1624 s/o Edward of Dunton; matriculated from Trinity College Cambridge 1638; Scholar 1641; Rector of Little Cornard, Suffolk 1662;12 subscribed 16 Oct 1662—possibly for the first time—to royal and episcopal supremacy when the Restoration of the Monarchy occurred;13 married Joane GATTAWARD of Royston. Children:

  1. William [of Sudbury]
  2. Gatward lived in Colchester before 1686. Married Sarah NICHOLS 1685 St James Colchester,14 child: Edward Brockit bap 25 Nov 1688 St Botolph Colchester.15 See the separate page http://brockett.info/britain/england/essex/#18C
  3. Lydia Brocket married William MANN or MAN in Long Melford, c 2 m N of Sudbury.16
  4. Sivan married Jeffery POTTER, child: Brocket POTTER bap 11 Jan 1677 Assington. ‘Brooket’ in the IGI. Sivan and Jeffery had died before 1683.

A case was brought in the High Court of Chancery 19 May 1650?17 by William Brocket of Sudbury, Clarke, and Joane his wife, and Robert Gattaward, Joane’s brother—both grandchildren of Joan Gattaward, late of Royston, Herts, widow, and children of her son Robert Gattaward. Joan Gattaward’s estate in her will of 16 Oct 1640 was worth £1500. Her executor Thomas Archer had kept the estate in his own hands for 5 or 6 years, then died and it had gone to his wife Mary.

William of Little Cornard’s Will was nuncupative, written 10 May 1683, proved Bury St Edmunds 21 Jun 1683 on the oath of Executors Edward Pretty Clerke and son William:

Be it Remembered that William Brokett late Rector of little Cornerd haveing been long sicke and nowe fearing a deliquium we being present at the same time perceiving his memory to continue good though his Expressions were very broken tooke notice of these words from his mouth…
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he gave all his money Goods & personall Estate whatsoever unto his 2 sonnes Willam and Gatward Brockett and [daughter] Lydia wife of William Mann

2.2. Edward Brockett senior of Bures St Mary, Yeoman. Bures is c 3 m S of Little Cornard, 7 m NW of Colchester and 40 m E of Dunton. Edward was buried in Bures St Mary 30 Sep 1696.18 His Will of 1696,19 of which son Edward was executor, Edward left bequests of:

£20 to Edward of Colchester [probably s/o Gatward]
£20 to Ann Barnard [aunt of William of Sudbury]
£10 to Isaac son of Isaac
£5 to brother Robert

strongly suggesting he was a son of Robert of Millow and therefore baptised 1634. Edward probably arranged for his will to be proved at the PCC for status, like Robert, unless he feared it might be challenged—he also left 5s to William Brockett of Colchester on demand—perhaps his elder brother.

2.3. William of Sudbury Gent, son of William of Little Cornard, above. Married Sissilia/Cecilia PARSLEY 29 Oct 1678 in Long Melford,20—no issue? Will written 12 May 1686, pr Bury St Edmunds 19 Jun 1686 on the oath of Executors Anna Barnard widow and Joseph Wyatt junior.21 The will included bequests to:

—my Aunt Ann Barnard with whom I now dwell
Gatward Brockett late of Colchester in Essex the summe of one Shilling of lawfull money of England to be paid him within one Moneth after my decease by my Executors herein after named if the same be lawfully demanded
—Brockett Potter an Orphan Sone of Sivan Potter my sister shall have paid to some trusty and sure friend of his to his use the summe of fforty Shillings.

2.4. The following records from the area will also be connected:

1639: Mary Brocket married John Snape in Milden,22 c 7 m NE of Sudbury.
1657: John baptised? s/o Samuel Brockit, Assington,23 c 4m SE of Sudbury.
1666 2 Sep: — Brakett buried Long Melford.24 A correct transcription?
1666 28 Nov: Johanne Brocket buried Bures St Mary.25
1667: Anne Brocket married Moses BARNARD, Bures St Mary.26
1669 27 May: Samuel Brocket buried Bures St Mary.27
1669 28 Nov: Hester Brocket buried Bures St Mary.28
1670 12 Mar: Mary Brocket buried Bures St Mary,29 probably 1670/71.
1687 27 Feb: Elizabeth Brocket buried Bures St Mary.30 probably 1687/88.

Suffolk archives contain no Will of Ann Barnard 1670-1770s, nor do the online TNA or Norfolk Archives catalogues contain a relevant Will 1670-1750.31

3. Other Suffolk records 16-19th C

1604/5 16 Mar: Anne Brocket, buried Cookley.32 Probably christened 1578, a daughter of Robert of Bramfield, see the separate page.
1609: Dor Brocket married John Grise in Cookley.33 Probably christened Dorythie 1558, a daughter of Robert of Bramfield, see the separate page.
1613 15 Aug: Mary Brocket, buried Covehithe—34 c 3 m E of Frostenden and 12 m NE of Bramfield. Possibly a daughter of John, son of Robert of Bramfield, see the 1616 entry below.
1616 20 Jul: Mary, daughter of John and Mary Brockett, baptised in Frostenden—the only record there 1538-.35 Possibly a daughter of John, son of Robert of Bramfield, see the separate page.
1636: Joseph Brocket of Ipswich St Mary Elms, married Anne BIRD.36
1639/40 12 Feb: Susan Brockett of Ipswich St Clement, married Henry Warner of Wickham, Widower, in Ipswich St Clement.37
1665: Rebecca Brocket of Sudbury St Peter, married Jonathan BUNIAN.38
1690 10 May: Thomas Brockett, buried Halesworth.39 Possibly a descendant of Robert of Bramfield, see the separate page.
1707 2 Dec: Thomas Brockett, buried Ipswich St Clement.40
1721 24 Apr: John Brocket of Roydon, Suffolk, Wheelwright, Master, took payment for the apprenticeship of John Swan of ?Stook.41 This was probably the Roydon c 2 m E of Diss, now in Norfolk.
1747 4 Apr: Elizabeth, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth Brockett, baptised in the Archdeaconry of Sudbury.42 This couple are so far unknown. Were they Brakets?
1799 10 Feb: Ann Brockett, aged 1, buried Ipswich St Nicholas.43
1820 24 Apr: Susan Brocket married William HALLOCK in Stoke by Nayland—c 9m N of Colchester and c 9m SE of Sudbury.44
1828 7 Nov: Susanna Brocket of Haverhill—17m W of Sudbury—married John FARRANT in Great Wratting—2m N of Haverhill.45

Warwickshire

5 records have been found, some from neighbouring Staffordshire:

  1. A number of letters written by Isaac, Estate Manager for Lady Emma Child at Middleton Hall, Warwickshire, c 4 m S of Tamworth, 10 m NE of Birmingham.46 Evidence that Isaac was from the Dunton clan:
    • Apart from the 2 first cousins bap Dunton 1631 and 1632, and the son of one of them bap there 1661, the name Isaac is only otherwise recorded a few times from 1834 in the north of England.
    • The baptism in Dunton 12 Dec 1661 of Isaac s/o Isaac and Ellen
    • An Isaac son of Isaac was mentioned in Edward of Bures St Mary’s will 1696. He would have been a kinsman and it is likely that Edward was s/o Robert of Millow.
    • Tamworth is c 70 m NW of Dunton.
  2. Two marriages in Polesworth Parish Register:
    1. 27 Jan 1703 ‘Mr Brooket and Mrs Dabs married per licence’
    2. 11 Apr 1737 ‘The Revd Mr Lawry and Mrs Anne Brocket of Tamworth married by licence’
  3. 16 Aug 1734 Isaac, Bachelor of Tamworth, Co Stafford, m St Paul’s Cathedral Bridgett RYE of St Peter, Spinster, Northants, by Licence.47
  4. 7 Feb 1737 Isaac Brockett of Tamworth, Staffs, Gent and Bridget his wife brought a Complaint to Chancery.48 Bridget’s father, Lewis RYE the elder, late of Blakesley, Northants, Gent, through his wife Mary, his executrix in his Will of 27 Aug 1714, had left all lands etc. to his wife and heirs, and in 1721 Mary made a lease for her youngest son Edward RYE, Gent and Bridget. Bridget claimed she hadn’t received her inheritance.
  5. The 22 Sep 1824 baptism in Bordesley of Ann Swetkin, d/o Joseph and Ann BROWKETT.49 Bordesley comes under the parish of Aston, whose PR are held at Birmingham City Archives. This may have been an IGI transcription error, like the earlier 1809 record of George Browkett marrying Mary FARMER 31 Oct 1809 Holt, Worcester,50 where the name was actually BOWKETT, as checked in the original Parish Register. Holt is a small village c 4 m N of Worcester and 8 m S of Kidderminster, which is c 15m SW of the centre of Birmingham.

Worcestershire

Pre 1937 records:

  1. A Brocot family in Lindridge in the 1720s.
  2. A Brocket family in Kidderminster in the 1910s.
  3. A Brockett family in Kidderminster in the 1930s.

Page Last Updated: June 30, 2021

Footnotes

For full bibliographical details please see the sections Publications or Glossary.

Expand

[1] TNA CP 40/605 f113 (AALT). Easter 13 Henry IV.

[2] TNA CP 40/618 m 327 Trinity 3 Henry V; at https://bit.ly/2G4lHde (accessed 9 Apr 2019). Image reproduced by kind permission of the National Archives licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. For the original Latin contact the Archivist of this website.

[3] 13 Oct 1415.

[4] British History Online at https://bit.ly/2GciR7b (accessed 9 Apr 2019).

[5] TNA CP 40/931 Hilary 10 Henry VII. For the original Latin please contact the Broket Archivist.

[6] TNA CP 40/621 m. 301d Easter 4 Henry V, at goo.gl/tJZ3vk (accessed 10 Aug 2018). For the original Latin please contact the Broket Archivist.

[7] TNA CP 40/636 m.82 / f0167. Hilary 7 Henry V. For a full translation and for a transcription of the original Latin contact the Archivist of this website.

[8] Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/letters-papers-hen8 vol 13 Augm. Book, 232, f 46b accessed 30 Jul 2015.

[9] 37 Henry VIII.

[10] TNA CP 40/1127 d1684. For the original Latin please contact the Broket Archivist.

[11] Hodgkinson 1925, available at goo.gl/V1aE5n (accessed 6 Mar 2019).

[12] Venn & Venn 1922 p 222.

[13] NRO DN/SUB 1/1 p 301.

[14] IGI.

[15] Transcription on IGI and FMP accessed 20 Jun 2021.

[16] Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850, transcription © Society of Genealogists, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[17] TNA C3/435/43.

[18] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Not found on FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.

[19] TNA PROB 11/434.

[20] IGI; Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850, transcription © Society of Genealogists, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[21] BR14 213.

[22] Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850, transcription © Society of Genealogists, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[23] IGI transcription.

[24] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[25] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[26] Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850, transcription © Society of Genealogists, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021; IGI transcription.

[27] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[28] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[29] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[30] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[31] As of 29 Jun 2021.

[32] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Not found on FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.

[33] Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850, transcription © Society of Genealogists, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[34] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Not found on FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.

[35] According to the FreeReg transcription, accessed 29 Jun 2021.

[36] Boyd's Marriage Indexes, 1538-1850, transcription accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[37] Archdeaconry Of Suffolk Marriage Licences Vol I 1613-1674, published transcript, p 153, College of Arms Book 17 f 50, image accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Also Boyd's Marriage Indexes, 1538-1850, transcription accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[38] Boyd's Marriage Indexes, 1538-1850, transcription accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[39] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Not found on FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.

[40] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Not found on FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.

[41] TNA Board of Stamps: Apprenticeship Books: Series IR 1; Class: IR 1; Piece: 48, p 206, image accessed on Ancestry.com 20 Jun 2021.

[42] IGI transcription, accessed on FMP 29 Jun 2021.

[43] NBI, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021. Not found on FamilySearch or Ancestry.com.

[44] Suffolk Marriage Index, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[45] Suffolk Marriage Index, transcription © Suffolk Family History Society, accessed on FMP 20 Jun 2021.

[46] In Mi Av 143/12/4: Nottingham University Library's collection of Family and Estate Papers of the Willoughby Family, Lords Middleton, of Wollaton, Nottinghamshire, Middleton, Warwickshire and Birdsall, Yorkshire 12th-20th centuries.

[47] QMB.

[48] TNA C11/127/12.

[49] IGI.

[50] IGI patron.