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Feruary 10, 1999
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Our Brocklehurst
Family History
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Feruary 10, 1999
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The Brocklehurst Surname
George Brocklehurst & Jane
According to E.R. Seary's "Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland", Brocklehurst is "a surname of England from the English place name Brocklehurst (Lancashire)-the badger hole in the wood."
There are numerous accounts of the origins of the name, but Seary's is essentially correct, Brocklehurst being a word of three parts - "broc" (badger), "hol" (hole), and "hyrst" (wood). All three words are of Old English origin, and originally would have been used as a surname to identify someone who hailed from a place known as "Brocklehurst" (e.g. John of Brocklehurst). As with a great many surnames, this means it is likely that some Brocklehurst families may have not so much a common ancestry as a common ancestral home. Having said this, it's worth noting that by the 16th century it was commonplace for surnames to be hereditary.
George is the earliest Brocklehurst I can trace directly to our line. He
is mentioned in the Newfoundland newspaper record of his son's obituary, as follows...
The birth records of George and Jane's children (including Charles) are
also found in the Quarnford parish records, which is a little unusual,
since Charles' obituary saus his father was from (or lived near) Leek.
However, it was common practice for children to be baptised at the
mother's place of birth, or where she came from, so this suggests that
Jane may have been from Quarnford. The Quarnford records list their
children as follows...
It is worth noting that the account of the children's births from Frank
Brocklehurst does not exactly correspond with Charles Beswick
Brocklehurst's death notice, which says he was the FOURTH son of George.
As it is, Franks reconstruction puts George at age 26 at the birth of
daughter Jane, so while he would have been a relatively young man at the
time, it is conceivable that there are three additional sons born before
Jane which somehow have not made their way into Frank Brocklehurst's
reconstruction of the family.
George Brocklehurst & Jane
Brocklehurst, Charles J. Beswick, fourth son of the late George
Brocklehurst of Gambil Green, near Leek, Staffordshire, died July 11th
(1880), age 70, here 49 years.
It wasn't until I received correspondence from Frank Brocklehurst of England,
that I found that George was actually born on February 1, 1782, in
Quarnford, Staffordshire, England. This information was transcribed from
the Quarnford parish records by a member of a genealogical society
formerly headed by Frank Brocklehurst. From the records, we also know
that George Brocklehurst's wife was Jane (maiden name unknown).
The name "Beswick" appears to have been an important one in the
lives of the Brocklehurst family, as at least two surviving children were
given that middle name, and Samuel married a Beswick. In fact, Beswick,
Harris and Carter may have all been either names associated with either
George or Jane's families, or perhaps the names of very close friends.
...baptised "Jane", Oct.18, 1807. "Jane Carter
Brocklehurst" is the name that appears on her death notice,
according to Frank Brocklehurst. Carter may
have been her married surname, but is more likely a name
associated with either her paternal grandmother or her
mother's family, as Charles Beswick Brocklehurst also
named one of his daughters Mary Jane Carter
...married Ann Beswick, Dec.25, 1834, in Manchester Cathedral (from Frank
Brocklehurst). Family decendants eventually moved to Australia.
These last entries suggest the birth of three different children, at
least the first two of whom may have died.
To Be Continued.....
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