Brokets of North East England 1550-1749
88 Broket marriages and 148 births/baptisms were recorded in the NE in the 200 years following the emergence of Parish Registers. In most parishes they were single families with only 2 or 3 families at the most at any one time in large centres like Newcastle, Tynemouth and Durham.1 They were probably descended from or related to the earlier Alnham clan.
- John and Peter of Co Durham 1569
- Berwick upon Tweed Brokets 1576-1639
- Robert of Tynemouth 1603
- Andrew of Newcastle 1613
- Earsdon line 1622-1826
- Rothbury line 1653-
- John ‘Brockett’ of Barnard Castle 1668
- George of Aycliffe 1735-
- Jacob of Sunderland 1742
- Jhone of Bedlington 1662
- John of Woodhorn 1685
- Laurence of Durham and Headlam 1665-1750
- Henry of Tynemouth 1697
- Thomas of Guizon 1742
- William of Durham d 1688
- William of Durham 1655-1705
John and Peter Brocket of Haswell and Whitburn 1569
John Brocket was recorded in the Haswell muster, Easington Ward, 28 June 1569, as one of 11 able men without armour or weapon.2 Haswell is c 10 m E of Durham City. Peter Brocket was recorded in the Whitburne muster, Chester Ward, 28 June 1569, as one of 11 able men without armour or weapon.3 Whitburn is c 11 m N of Haswell.
Berwick upon Tweed Brokets 1576-1639
1576 15 Nov: Edwarde Brocket married Jayne SMITH in Holy Trinity Church.4
1577 28 Oct: Anthony, son of Edwarde Brocket baptised in Holy Trinity Church.5
1607 13 Aug: Issabell, daughter of Clement Brocket baptised in Holy Trinity Church.6
1609 23 Jan: Jaine Brocket buried in Holy Trinity Church.7
1611 14 Jan: Cleoment Brockett married Marga[ret] WILSON in Holy Trinity Church.8
1614 3 Apr: Mabell, daughter of Clement Brocket baptised in Holy Trinity Church.9
1615 16 Nov: Jaine Brocket buried in Holy Trinity Church.10
1616/7 16 Feb: Frauncis, son of Cleo Brocket baptised in Holy Trinity Church.11
1619 5 Sep: Margaret, daughter of Cleoment Brocket baptised in Holy Trinity Church.12
1620 30 Mar: Cleomen Brocket buried in Holy Trinity Church.13
1622 24 Jun: Marga[ret] Brocket married Raphe KINGE in Holy Trinity Church.14
1639 2 Feb: Margaret Brocket married James CRAMPTON in Holy Trinity Church.15
Suggested reconstruction: Edward and Jane were the parents of Anthony and Clement. Clement married Margaret who remarried after he died. The following generation were children of Clement, the last recorded one Margaret married in 1639.
Robert Brockett of Tynemouth 1603
A 1603 bond re Robert Brockett of Tynemouth mentioned his wife and daughter, both Janet.16
Andrew Brocket of Newcastle 1613
The Will of William Dalton of St Andrew’s Newcastle, dated 19 Jul 1613 mentioned ‘a black quye’ he had bought of Andrew Brocket.17
Earsdon line 1622-1826
For over 2½ centuries there was a small continuing Broket presence in Earsdon, a parish c 4 m NW of North Shields, Northumberland, and 7 m from the centre of Newcastle. This is different from the Earsdon c 6 m N of Morpeth. The parish contained 9 townships, Earsdon itself and Blyth being 2. In those times most men were employed in the extensive coal mines there, and the IGI recorded 16 Broket marriages 1622-1826 and 21 baptisms 1702-1813. The clan then began to die out or move on and no marriages or baptisms occurred following civil registration in 1837.
| Year | Month | Name | Event |
| 1622 | 30 Jun | Johannes Brockett | married Isabel WILSON |
| 1631 | 30 Mar | John Brockett | married Isbel WILSON |
| 1702 | 23 Jul | Margaret | d/o Robert BROCKITT baptised |
The final member of the clan in Earsdon was John, b 1799, and recorded on his own in the 1881 census at 2 Middletons Yard, Earsdon, Rope Maker, unmarried aged 80, b Blyth. Not apparently in the 1861 or 71 censuses, nor anyone else in Earsdon—except perhaps Thomas aged 74 in 1871, ie b c 1797. John died 10 Feb 1883 in Middleton’s Yard, Blyth, aged 83, Rope Maker, from ‘shock resulting from fall over Quay into River Blyth, lived 16 hours’ as certified by an inquest.18
The IGI records the marriage of John BROCKETT Isabella MAUFLING at Earsdon by North Shields on Mon 2 Jul 1792 and the baptism there of Robert s/o John BROCKET and Isabella MAUFLIN on Sun 30 Oct 1808. Was he the Robert who committed suicide in 1869?
Around the same time as the 3 generations of Earsdon Ralphs—not a common name—there were by coincidence 3 generations of Ralphs in Durham City.
Rothbury line 1653-
A George Brocket, son of John, was baptised 11 May 1653 in Rothbury, Northumberland, and buried there 5 Nov 1654.19
John ‘Brockett’ of Barnard Castle 1668
The Durham University ms re John Brockett of Barnard Castle in 1668 is a catalogue error for John Brockell.
George Brokett of Aycliffe 1735-
George established a line in Aycliffe parish lasting till his great grandson moved to Wales. They lived in Preston, one of 4 townships in Aycliffe parish, some 5 m N of Darlington. The numbers of inhabitants were tiny—Aycliffe as a whole only had ………. in 1801.20 George was an uncommon Broket name, so he was possibly the George bap 27 Jan 1712 Woodhorn, Northumberland, s/o John.21 Roman Catholic …….. perhaps explains lack of completeness, e.g. George’s burial, ….
The entries in Aycliffe St Andrew Parish Register, indexed 1652-1797:
Thomas bap 4 Mar 1792 Aycliffe, s/o Thomas and Hannah LINCOLN was the one who emigrated to Wales. The Ann who died a Spinster in Darlington in 1874 aged 92, ie b c 1782,22 was probably bap 1781 in Aycliffe. It isn’t clear who the Ann, aged 30, and Jane, 35, Milliners of Albion Place, Darlington, both born in the County, in 1841 were.23 If, as is likely, the recorded ages were mistakes for 60 and 53, they were the daughters of John of Preston. Jane died 20 Feb 1853 Darlington, aged 64, Dressmaker, of disease of the heart and dropsy, Elizabeth THOMPSON of Victoria St present.24 No apparent further record of Ann in the GRO.
Jacob Brockett of Sunderland 1742
A single Sunderland record from the 18th C—the administration of the estate of Jacob son of Robert Brockett of Sunderland by the Sea, Blacksmith 20 Jul 174225—showed a family, perhaps a line, possibly descended from Newcastle Brocketts.
The family had all but died out by the early 19th C and the only records from Sunderland 1837-1945 appear to have been incomers:26
- James married 1852, from Durham City.
- Richard Hodgson married 1867, b Winston.
- Frederick married 1868, b Bromham and lived for a short while in Haltwhistle.
- Robert Edwin married 1900, b Whitby.
- Robert died 1906. Probably Robert Edwin who had married in Sunderland 1900.
- Sarah I, aged 29, Widow, née MORRIS, married Edward FITZSIMMONS 9 Oct 1910.27 Her earlier Brockett husband is unknown.
Apart from Sarah who was not a Brockett by birth, all these marriages were of grooms from elsewhere marrying Sunderland brides. There are no known Brocketts in Sunderland today.
Jhone Brocket of Bedlington 1662
Will and inventory of Jhone Brocket of Bedlington—c 11 m N of Newcastle—proved Durham 1662.28
John Brocket of Woodhorn 1685-1712
Woodhorn is c 14 m N of Newcastle. IGI records for Woodhorn suggest:
Isabel 1685 m John BROCKET m2 1702 Mary
STORY | | PATTISON
| |
________|_______ |_________
| | | | |
| | | | |
Isabel John Margaret George Mary
m 1706 b 1688 b 1696 b 1712 m 1736
Robert ?to Robert
HERRISON Aycliffe TURNER
Half a century before John’s 1st marrriage an Isabel married Roger SMITH there in 1637.
Laurence Brockett of Durham and Headlam 1665-1750
Son of William, Yeoman and Bailiff. Attorney of Hilton in Staindrop parish then of Headlam Hall by right of his wife, d 1750 buried Gainford, Will proved York 1751.29 Married Ann CLARKE, heiress of Ralph Clarke of Headlam, Gent.30 8 children. Further details here.
Henry Brockett of Tynemouth 1697
Administration of Henry Brockett of Tinmouth Castle (Tynemouth) 2 Nov 1697 to Thomas Lloyd, Samuel Gibson and David Jenkin.31
Thomas Brockett of Guizon 1742
Will of Thomas Brockett of Guizon (i.e. Guizance) c 3 m S of Shilbottle, Yeoman, written 11 Oct, proved 17 Nov 1742.32 £10 to daughter Jane Turner, £5 to daughter Hanna Shipherd, residue to James Watson, son-in-law and sole executor. Was he bap 21 Jun 1697 Saint Mary-Le-Bow, s/o William and Elizabeth COULSON?
William Brockett of Durham, Yeoman and Bailiff, d 1688
The first recorded Durham City Brockett. Married Mary who bore him 9 known children, including William 1655-1705 and Laurence 1665-1750, mentioned on this page. Further details here.
William Brockett of Durham, Plumber, 1655-1705
Son of William, Yeoman and Bailiff. Married Elizabeth COULSON, who bore him 11 known children, including Francis, Plumber and goaler 1691-1742, and Ralph, Surgeon, buried 1772 St Nicholas Durham. Further details here.
Page Last Updated: April 7, 2020
[1] Sources: Durham St Oswalds Parish Registers 1538-1751 indexed and published 1891 Durham by A W Headlam, Durham St Mary le Bow Parish Registers 1571-1812 indexed and published 1912 Newcastle by H M Wood.
[2] goo.gl/mjjSom (accessed 15 Sep 2018).
[3] goo.gl/xnUEBX (accessed 15 Sep 2018).
[4] FamilySearch & Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850, accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[5] Berwick upon Tweed 1574-1700, vol 369, p 7, image accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[6] Berwick upon Tweed 1574-1700, vol 369, p 66, image accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[7] NBI, transcribed by Northumberland & Durham Family History Society, accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[8] Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Transcriptions, and FamilySearch, both accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[9] Berwick upon Tweed 1574-1700, vol 369, p 77, image accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[10] NBI, transcribed by Northumberland & Durham Family History Society, accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[11] Berwick upon Tweed 1574-1700, vol 369, p 81, image accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[12] Berwick upon Tweed 1574-1700, vol 369, p 86, image accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[13] NBI, transcribed by Northumberland & Durham Family History Society, accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[14] Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Transcriptions, Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850 and FamilySearch, all accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[15] Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Transcriptions, Boyd's marriage index, 1538-1850 and FamilySearch, all accessed from FMP 24 Sep 2019.
[16] DUASC Bond 246.
[17] Wills and Inventories from the Registry at Durham 1929 p 77.
[18] Death certificate
[19] IGI (FamilySearch) accessed 14 Feb 2020.
[20] Whellan ...
[21] IGI
[22] GRO qtr 1; LPR
[23] Census
[24] Death certificate
[25] DPRI/3/1742/A57
[26] GRO
[27] Marriage certificate
[28] DUASC T 216
[29] Ebor 95/140
[30] Walbran 1846 p 106
[31] DPRI/3/1697/B169/1-2
[32] DUASC T 132