Broket Watson

Due to the Scottish tradition of giving children surnames of mothers, grandparents and other relations as second given names, the name Broket or Brocket survived through at least 4 generations coupled with the surname WATSON. By the 3rd generation it had become a hyphenated surname Broket-Watson.

The line began with Margaret chr 1785, eldest d/o James and Jean WILSON of Netherfauld House Farm, Lesmahagow. Margaret married James PATERSON 1808 in Lanark, and descendants of their daughter Jane/Jeanie lived in Paisley, London and Australia:

Notes and sources:¹

1. The parents of Janet Watson BROCKET who married John GIBSON 20 Feb 1846 Carnwath.² have not yet been identified. It isn’t known if she was related to this family.
2. Jeanie WATSON died 4 Aug 1866 at 4 Gauze St, Paisley, aged 52, ie b c 1814.³ Her parents were James PATERSON, Merchant, and Margaret PATERSON, formerly BROKET, deceased. Her husband, informant of the death, was Richard Norval WATSON, Newspaper Editor.
3. The birthdates for the family of Richard Norval WATSON—except Isabella’s—have been inferred from the 1841 census which recorded them in Buns Wynd Southside, Glasgow St Pauls: Richard Watson, aged 30, Newspaper Repr; Jane, 28; Isabella, 10; Margaret, 8; Christina, 7; Jane, 6; William, 3; all born in Lanarkshire.⁴ Isabella—called Isobel—was born 8 Feb 1831, baptised at Lanark 21 Apr 1831.⁵ In most censuses Isabella’s birthplace was recorded as Lanark but also as Jerviswood, an estate on the outskirts of Lanark.⁶
4. On 24 Feb 1880 Richard Norval WATSON, Newspaper Editor, Widower of Jeanie PATERSON, died at 4 Gauze St, Paisley, aged 67, ie b c 1813.⁷ His parents, both deceased, were given as Richard WATSON, Weaver’s Agent, and—oddly—Margaret WATSON, formerly BROKET. This must have been an error, made by son W B WATSON of 22 W Stewart St, Greenock, the informant. He supplied the Registrar with his maternal grandmother’s name, insted of the paternal one.
   Perhaps the latter was Christian NORVAL—both her names carried through—who in 1841 was head of a household in Wellgate, a town—ie suburb—of Lanark, aged 60, ie b c 1781, Lanarkshire. With her were Isabella NORVAL, aged 55, ?a sister, and Elisabeth WATSON, aged 35, ?an unmarried daughter.⁸ James PATERSON, aged 50, Merchant, was living in High St, Lanark at the time.⁹
5. On 9 Aug 1859 Isabella Norval WATSON, aged 26, of 4 Gauze St, Paisley, School Mistress (Spinster), aged 26, married Robert Pattison, aged 27 of Nitshill, School Master (Bachelor) at 4 Gauze St.¹⁰
6. On 16 May 1899 Isabella Norval PATTISON, aged 68, Widow of Robert Pattison, Ironfounders’s Cashier, died at Millbrae, Langside, Cathcart.¹¹
7. On 7 Dec 1856 Margaret Broket WATSON, of 4 Gauze St, Paisley, aged 22, ie b c 1834, married Charles SMITH, Pattern Drawer, 24, of 3 Garthland St, Paisley.¹² Her parents were Richard WATSON, Newspaper Editor, and Jane WATSON, formerly PATERSON. Margaret died 1867-9 and Charles married Margaret BRYCE 31 Dec 1869 Paisley.¹³ In 1881 Charles and Margaret were in Paisley with 10 children—and 3 servants—5 from his first marriage and 5 from the second.¹⁴
8. On 11 Aug 1857 William B WATSON, Compositor, of 4 Gauze St, Paisley, aged 19, ie b c 1838, married Janet BROWN, 17, of 21 Old Smith Hill, Paisley.¹⁵ His parents were Richard WATSON, Newspaper Editor, and Jane WATSON, formerly PATERSON. The witnesses were his brothers-in-law Alexander Thomson and Charles Smith.
9. In 1881 William Broket WATSON was Head of 22 W Stewart St, Greenock, aged 42, Letter Press Printer. Wife Janet BROWN, aged 40, was there and 3 children: Jeanie P, 17, ie b c 1864, William B, 12, ie b c 1869, and C N, 10, ie b c 1871. The last would have been the Christina Norval WATSON, b 1871, 4 Gauze St, Paisley. Was Jeanie’s 2nd name Paterson? The family wasn’t recorded in Renfewshire in 1891.¹⁶
10. In 1861 Richard WATSON, Newspaper Editor, aged 48, and wife Jane, 46, were at 4 Gauze St, Paisley, with daughters Christina, 24, unm, Jane, 21, married to Alexander THOMSON, 23, and their son Alexander, 1 month¹⁷ and a servant.
11. On 29 Dec 1898 Jessie BROCKET-WATSON was born at 18 Rainbow St, Camberwell, London, d/o William Brocket-Watson, Printer Compositor, and Fanny, formerly WATSON.¹⁸ As Jessie C Brockett-Watson, she married 1922 … WILSON in Camberwell.¹⁹ Jessie’s father would have been the William, s/o William Broket WATSON and Janet BROWN, b c 1869. When William moved from Paisley to London isn’t known, nor when he married Fanny. There is no record in Scotland or England under the name Brocket-Watson, nor of the family in the 1901 census.
12. Roderick William BROKET-WATSON was born Camberwell 27 Nov 1905.²⁰ The GRO doesn’t record his birth in Camberwell under Broket or Brocket; perhaps it was under Watson. In 1923, aged 18, he sailed 3rd class on the Euripides, arriving Albany, Western Australia 9 Dec.²¹ Four years later he enlisted in the Australian Navy on 4 Jan 1927 in Melbourne for 12 years, born Camberwell 27 Nov 1905, ht 5ft 8¾ in, brown hair, blue eyes, Irish complexion, next of kin Frances Broket-Watson.²² Was Frances Fanny, his mother? He enlisted again as Roderick William BROCKET-WATSON between 1939-48 in Subiaco, Western Australia, born London 27 Nov 1906, next of kin M Broket-Watson.²³ ‘M’ would have been wife Millicent. Many thanks to his former neighbour Russell Stewart for the following information: Roderick William Broket-Watson farmed at East Pingelly (near a location known as Markejin), Western Australia. He married Millicent Clair ALLEN in 1945 in Perth, Western Australia.²⁴ Roderick died 18 May 1962 aged 61 and is buried in Pingelly cemetery. “Grave No. 221 BROKET-WATSON, Roderick William. 18 May 1962. 61 Years. WX1744 Gnr 2/2 Fld Regt RAA. Husband of Millicent. Methodist.”²⁵ Millicent died 15 Sep 1994 aged 94 in Victoria Park (a Perth suburb) and is buried Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia.

Page Last Updated: November 27, 2021