The Broket DNA Project — North American participants
The ancestry of Clyde ‘Nat’ Waring Brockett Jr 1935-2015
Clyde was a lifetime resident of Norfolk, Virginia, and a Professor of Music/Musicology. He was interested in his family’s history and in and around 1997 he found several early references and documents relating to Brokets in the colony of Virginia. He was also among the first participants in the Brockett DNA project, see the separate page. However Clyde has not yet been matched by another participant—we need more participants who descend from southeastern US Brokets.
This page provides:
Evidence of Clyde’s ancestry
1st generation
2nd generation
3rd generation
2. Some analysis of Clyde’s Y-DNA results
Purpose:Read more
Quotations:Read more
1. Evidence for each generation back from Clyde
1st generation: Clyde Nat Waring Brockett 1935-2015
Among the documents Clyde found in 1997 was a half-torn 1703 Norfolk deed of sale by a couple—whom he read as—William and Mary Brockett. He took a photocopy of it and in 1998 Clyde sent a photocopy of his photocopy to Richard Nash, a keen Broket researcher (see the separate page), who made a photocopy of the photocopy of the photocopy and mailed it to this Broket Archive. Richard Nash suggested that William and Mary were Clyde’s earliest American ancestors according to the following descent through Redding Brockett:
As discussed on a separate page, in 2022 it was realised that William and Mary’s surname was not in fact Brockett, and Nash’s suggestion that William may have been the William who entered a 4 year indenture in Bristol, England, in 1668, bound for Virginia, and was possibly baptised 1654 in Wells, Somerset, was proven to be wrong. Other elements of the chart above are also speculative, but much more likely, including the line from Redding to Clyde. More Y-DNA tests of relatives will help.
Extracts from Clyde’s obituary:1
Born in Norfolk, Virginia
Died 23 Jun 2015, aged 80, buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery
Son of the late Clyde and Omeda Brockett and attended St Paul’s Episcopal Church, where he enjoyed singing in the choir. After attending Norfolk Public Schools, he received his undergraduate degree in Music at William and Mary. Soon after, he joined the Navy and ultimately attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander, serving multiple Mediterranean cruises aboard the USS Aucilla and USS Salamone. After active duty, he continued to serve in the Navy Reserve for the next 20 years. … Nat then attended Columbia University, earning his PhD in Musicology in 1962. Nat worked for 25 years at Christopher Newport University, teaching music appreciation and history. He retired as Emeritus Professor of Music/Musicology in 2003, but continued to research, attend conferences, and travel Europe for the next decade.
Clyde was recorded in the 1940 census as son of Clyde and Omeda Brockett as follows:
2nd generation: Clyde Waring Brockett 1891-1973
More than one Clyde Brockett lived in the US in the the late 19th to mid 20th C, and it’s necessary to distinguish them. There was the family unit of Clyde H and Myrtle Brockett in Arkansas in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, which included a Clyde jnr, born in Arkansas c 1925. That Clyde H was b c 1891 in Illinois. There was also Clyde, aged 18 in Manhattan in 1910, single, Black, b 1892 New York.2 As for this Clyde Waring of Virginia, his mother was also Myrtle Brockett, as shown by this first record of him so far found:
1900 2 Jun: The census recorded Myrtle Brockett, Widow, aged 33 [i.e. b c 1867], no occupation listed, as head of household in 352 Chapel St (a 4-room rented dwelling), Norfolk City, VA, born Oct 1866 in VA, both parents born in VA, with 3 children: J Byron, b Jul 1881 VA, Clerk; Gladys, b May 1887 NC, at school; and Clyde, b Jun 1891 NC, at school. Their father was born in NC. Myrtle was mother to 5 children, all living.3
Comment: Clyde’s father had died by the time Clyde was 9. If the dates of birth are correct, Myrtle gave birth to J Byron when aged only 14¾. Compare the 1880 census record below. Who or where the other 2 children were is unknown.
Other records of the family unit:Read more
1910 26 Apr: The census recorded Clyde Brocket, one of 10 Boarders in the house of G E Martin, Agent and his wife, Manager of a Boarding House, 128 Charlotte St, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, aged 20 [i.e. b c 1890], Single, White, b NC, Student at Business College, father and mother b NC.9
1917-18: Clyde Waring Brockett, b 1891, was drafted for World War I.10
1920 3 Jan: The census recorded Clyde W Brocket, one of 8 Boarders in the house of Widow E L Griffin, 35th St, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, aged 28 [i.e. b c 1892], Single, White, b NC, working as an Officer on a Steam Vessel, father and mother b VA.11
1926: 17 Apr. Marriage of Clyde H Brockett and Anne O DAVIS in Norfolk, VA, both described as White and Single, he aged 29, b 1892 Elizabeth City, she aged 29 [sic], b 1897 Norfolk. His father and mother given as J B and M A Brockett, hers as Taylor and Harrette DAVIS.12
Comment: Anne O presumably wasn’t the Omeda of later records. Is the ‘H’ correct?
1930 9 Apr: The census recorded Clyde W Brockett, head of a rented household in Westover Ave, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, aged 38 [i.e. b c 1892], White, b NC, Editor for a paper (but unemployed for the last 10 months), aged 34 at first marriage, father and mother b VA; with wife Omeda D, 34 [i.e. b c 1896], White, b VA, Book keeper for a steamboat company, aged 29? at first marriage, father and mother b NC.13
1940 10 Apr: The census recorded Clyde W Brockett, at 6160 Westwood Terrace, Norfolk City, (which was also where he lived in 1935), aged 48 [i.e. b c 1892], White, b NC, Reporter for a newspaper (earned $2500 the last 12 months, and received over $350 from other sources), owner of the home, valued at $7000; with wife Omeda D, 43 [i.e. b c 1897], White, b VA, Reporter for a newspaper (earned $2365 the last 12 months, no other income). Both worked 40 hours in the week 24-230 Mar 1940. With them was son Clyde W Jr, aged 5 [ie b c 1935], b VA.14
1973: 18 Feb. Clyde Waring Brockett died in Norfolk City, VA, aged 82, birth date 7 Jun 1891.15
Question: When did Omeda die?
Clyde Waring was the son of:
3rd generation: John B Brocket b c 1854, d by 1900
The only record of John found so far is the 1880 census for Elizabeth City, Pasquotank Co, NC, taken 4 Jun: John B Brocket, aged 26 [i.e. b c 1854], b NC, Grocer, White, parents both b NC; with wife Myrtie, aged 18 [i.e. b c 1862, b VA, White, Keeping home, parents both b VA; son John B, aged 10 months (July) [i.e. b 1879], b VA, father b NC, mother VA.16
Comment: If she gave her date of birth correctly, she would have been about 17 when her son was born, rather than the 14¾ suggested in the 1900 census above.
In son Clyde’s marriage record of 1926 his father and mother were given as J B and M A Brockett. Other records cited above show her to have been Myrtle A L Brockett, born in Virginia, remarried in 1902. The 1900 census for son Clyde and his siblings said their father (who was deceased) was born in N Carolina, as did the 1910 census. However the 1930 census record for son Clyde said both of his parents were born in Virginia. The B initial may have stood for Byron—John Byron Brockett was the name of their first son.
A record of them in the 1890 census hasn’t so far been found, nor for J B Brocket (with variants) 1850-70.
John B is said to have been the son of John A Brockett b c 1815-8 (Elizabeth VA), son of Redding Brockett b c 1765-75 d ?1834, son of John Brockett d ?1812, but—as of Oct 2022—the records have yet to be gathered together to verify this.
2. Some analysis of Clyde’s Y-DNA results
Haplogroup: R-M269
According to FTDNA: “Haplogroup R-M269 is 25,000 years old and its region is: Western Europe; with low frequencies in Turkey, and the Northern Fertile Crescent.”
Page Last Updated: October 24, 2022
[1] From his obituary in the Daily Press, Norfolk, available at goo.gl/7FPSsn and goo.gl/YHRXf8 (accessed 16 Oct 2018).
[2] US Federal Census 1910, Manhattan Ward 20.
[3] US Federal Census 1900, Norfolk Ward 1, p 98A, sheet no 3, NARA series 1241735.
[4] FMP dataset United States Marriages, Norfolk, Virginia (accessed 1 Nov 2018). Record not seen.
[5] FMP dataset United States Marriages, Norfolk, Virginia (accessed 1 Nov 2018). Record not seen.
[6] FMP dataset World War I Draft Registration Cards, Norfolk City No 2, Virginia (accessed 1 Nov 2018). Record not seen.
[7] FMP dataset United States Marriages, Pittsburg, Oklahoma (accessed 1 Nov 2018). Record not seen.
[8] US Federal Census 1930, Portland, Cerro Gordo, Iowa.
[9] 1910 US Federal Census for part of Ward 2, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, sheet 8B. Surname mistranscribed as Brockel in some databases.
[10] FMP dataset World War I Draft Registration Cards, Norfolk City No 3, Virginia (accessed 1 Nov 2018). Record not seen.
[11] 1920 US Federal Census for Monroe Ward, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, sheet 2A.
[12] FamilySearch 'Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940' database (accessed 5 Dec 2014) citing FHL microfilm 2,048,493. Record not seen.
[13] 1930 US Federal Census for Block 769, Precinct 19, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, sheet 8A. NARA series T626, roll 2470.
[14] 1940 US Federal Census for Blocks 669-70, Ward 26, Norfolk City, Norfolk, VA, sheet 5B. NARA series T627, roll 4314.
[15] FamilySearch online 'Find A Grave' Index and 'United States Social Security Death' Index (both accessed 13 Dec 2015).
[16] 1880 US Federal Census for Enumeration district 109, Elizabeth City, Pasquotank Co, NC, p 8, NARA film T9-0976.