Rev Edmund of Luton and Graveley c 1565-1652/3

Edmund grew up as a third son in the comfortable surroundings of the estate of his gentleman father William of Essendon, a parish neighbouring Hatfield. He never knew his grandfather, but Edmund would have heard tales of him as Sheriff and MP, of the Wheathampstead dynasty and of Brockett Hall. Sir John II was Lord there till Edmund was into his 30s and other cousins were esquires in Wheathampstead all his life.

His eldest brother followed their father into the Law, but Edmund was destined for the Church. He matriculated at Peterhouse Cambridge 1581, gained a BA 1586 and may have studied further—he was later styled AM and 'Dr'. His first living was in Luton where he was Vicar for 22 years. Although this was in Bedfordshire it was only c 12 m from Essendon. For the remaining 30 years of his career he was Rector of Graveley with Chivesfield, Hertfordshire. As he probably knew before he went there, this was a parish that had been held by his ancestors.

It was presumably his father who set up Edmund in marriage to Mary of the main line of Brocas of Beaurepaire, a fine estate c 3m N of Basingstoke. She gave Edmund a large family and lifetime connections in Hampshire, further developed by two of his sons.

The last decade of Edmund's long life was engulfed by the trauma of the Civil War, during which he was ejected from his living, like so many others. He was buried 8 Jan 1652/3 in Bentworth, Hampshire, where son John had moved to be minister. A pointing finger was drawn in the parish register next to the entry recording Edmund's burial, aged 88. No will of Edmund has been found—most Hampshire wills seem not to have been proved in the Bishop’s or Archdeacon’s courts at that uncertain time.

1581 matriculated at Peterhouse Cambridge, graduating BA 1586; ordained Deacon in Lincoln 7 Oct, Priest 8 Oct 1593 (Venn and Venn 1922 p 222).

1595-1617 Vicar of Luton (Venn and Venn 1922 p 222). Throughout this period Wheathampstead cousins were [absentee] Lords of East Hide—part of Luton Manor—and until 1598 of Luton Hoo Manor and other lands nearby.

1610 One of 6 signatories to a 21 year lease of an orchard in Northend that had been given to the poor of Luton in 1602 (BRO AD791).

1611 Publication of the landmark Authorised or King James Bible, the first to be printed in modern Roman type.

1613-43/4 Rector of Graveley (Urwick 1884 p 578; Matthews 1948 p 197), perhaps to 1644/5 (Cussans 1870-81 vol 2 p 70 citing BL Add ms 15671 f 207; Cobbe 1899 p 196; Venn and Venn 1922 p 222).

1627 Edmund requested permission from the Court of the Archdeacon of Huntingdon to move the pulpit:

1636 Edmund was assessed £1 for ship money (Cussans 1870-81 vol 2 p 70).

1642-51: Civil war between Puritan Parliamentarians and Royalists. The pulpit was the most effective channel for diffusing propaganda, and large numbers of established clergy—naturally predominantly Royalist—were ejected from their livings. Puritans, persecuted previously in Archbishop Laud's time were now gaining power over the established Church.

Since the mid to late 1580s Edmund had been a close associate and advisor to his Royalist Brocas in-laws, Masters of the Royal Buckhounds. On 6 Mar 1643/4 Edmund was ejected from his living 'as scandalous in life & unsound in doctrine' (Matthews 1948 pp 197-8). He was about 79 and had been a priest for over 50 years, so it was not surprising that he did not go along with Cromwell, the Puritan leader. Son John took over as Rector of Graveley till his own resignation 4 Sep 1647.

In the mid to late 1580s Edmund was married to Mary BROCAS, 3rd daughter of Bernard Brocas of Horton, Buckingham and Beaurepaire Southampton Esq, d 1589 (Squibb 1991 p 200—where Edmund was described as 'a branch of Brocket of Brocket Hall'; Burrowe 1886—pedigree). Mary died 1646—on 9 Nov 'Mistress Brockett wife of Edm Brockett parson of Graveley [was] buried in the Chancell' of Graveley church (Parish Register).

Mary bore Edmund at least 15 children—13 are known. The couple came to Luton in 1595 with, it is said, 2 children, and then 13 were baptised there and 5 buried (Austin 1928 vol 2 p 17). Luton parish registers date from 1602 and recorded 9 of their children's baptisms, the first being their 5th known son. Regularly spaced pregnancies suggest that Mary could have given birth to 5 children in Luton 1595-1602.

Their first 3 surviving sons were recorded in the 1633-4 Visitation of London (Howard and Chester 1880 p 105) in a pedigree of 'Bernard Brokett of Faringdon Without', corresponding with the College of Arms ms C24/420v:

  William BROKETT of Wyldhill m
 
       ______________________| 
       |
       |
 
    Edmond   m  Mary d/o Bernard
 
 of Graveley |  BROCKAS of Barropeur
             |
    _________|_______ 
    |       |       |
    |       |       |
 
 William Edward  Bernard of   m Sisilla
 
 eldest        London 3 sonne |d/o William
                              |
 sonne         living 1634    |RUSSELL
                              |
                              |
 
                             Mary
                  

Bernard's arms were the cross flory differenced by a crescent, the mark of cadence of a 3rd son. From the heralds' point of view no further children needed mention.

Edmund and Mary's known children (recorded baptisms and burials all in Luton):

1. William b 1588-98—probably before 1595; d 1655; Colonel.
2. Edward b 1589-9. He lived to full age—a bequest of £20 in brother William's will shows him alive 1655—but no other records have been found. As second son of a wealthy clergyman he couldn't have been Edward of Ware, Smith.
3. Bernard b 1595-1600 Luton; m Ciscely/Cicella/Sisilla RUSSELL; children (IGI):
   1. Marie bap 29 Apr 1634 St Bride Fleet St London
   2. Susan bap 4 Aug 1635 St Bride Fleet St London.
   The Visitation suggests he was living as a gentleman in London.
4. John b by 1601 Luton; d 1662; Clergyman.
5. Edmund bap 22 Dec 1602 bur 23 Jul 1603. Probably Edmund and Mary's 7th child.
6. Ann bap 22 Apr 1604. Alive in 1616—Aunt Anne's will: 'I give vnto my Brother Edmund Brockettes eldest daughter my Goddaughter Ann Brockett Tenn Pounds'.
7. Edmund bap 7 Jul 1605; d 1677; Gentleman. Cobbe (1899 p 191) also gave an Edmund bap 7 Jul 1607—perhaps in error.
8. Gifford bap 10 Aug 1606. Jefferd married Elizabeth WEEKES 6 Oct 1640 St Andrew Plymouth Devon (IGI). Child:
   Edmond bap 21 Nov 1641 St Mary Whitechapel Stepney London (IGI); ?mar Frances BLAKE 3 Sep 1684 St Mary, Marylebone Road, London.
9. Marie bap 11 Mar 1607 bur 24 Mar 1607.
10. Samuel bap 2 Apr 1609; m Ann WESTLEY 10 Aug 1640 Graveley (Bishop's Transcript for Graveley p 25; IGI has 1641).
11. Frances bap 16 Sep 1610; m Clergyman Goddard SCOURFIELD 1635 (Matthews 1948 p 198), perhaps a son of John Scurfield. The IGI recorded it at Graveley 12 Mar 1634. Their daughter Jane was bequeathed £20 in uncle Rev John's will 1662.
12. Thomas bap 1 Mar 1611; m Ann CHILD 8 Nov 1643 Graveley and Watton at Stone, c 6 m SE of Graveley (IGI). Child:
    Edmond bap 22 Jan 1643/4 Graveley (Parish Register).
13. Robert bap 29 Sep 1616; bequeathed £10 in brother John's will 1662.

Despite this large family, no descendants from sons beyond one generation have been found, e.g. among later 17th C Bedfordshire or Hertfordshire Brokets. If there were any, perhaps they went to London. Rapid decline in wealth is always possible.

On the death in 1571 of Sir Richard Pexsall, his Hampshire Beaurepaire estate became subject to a series of lawsuits and settlements between his widowed second wife and the 4 daughters of his first wife and their heirs—in particular Anne's son Pexall Brocas who was Sir Richard's designated heir once he came of age (VCH Hampshire vol 4 p 166). Mary—or Mercy—a daughter of Anne married the minister Edmund Brockett about a dozen years later and so began a close connection between Edmund and the affairs of the Brocas family for the rest of his life—as also of his son Edmund's after him.

 
  Sir Richard PEXSALL      Robert BROCAS of Horton
 
  of Beaurepaire d 1571      and Buckingham d 1558
 
   ____|______           _______|_____ 
             |           |
             |           |
 
           Anne   m  Bernard BROCAS of Horton
 
          heiress |  Buckingham and Beaurepaire
                  |
          d 1591  |        d 1589
                  |
       ___________|_______________ 
       |                   |
       |                   |
 
    Sir Pexall           Mary m Dr Edmund
 
    d 1630                    | BROCKETT
                              |
       |                   ___|__  1652
       |                      |
       |                      |
 
    Thomas                Edmund BROCKETT
 
    d 1663                d 1677
 
       |__________________________ 
       |                      |
       |                      |
 
    Robert                 Thomas
 
    d 1643                 d 1650
 
       |                      |
       |                      |
       |                      |
 
     Jane  m Sir William   Thomas
 
    heiress  Gardiner      1650-1715
 
    b 1641   Bart	
                  

Edmund and Edmund were advisors and trustees of the estate during its troubles and appear as joint vendors and purchasors on deeds (Burrowe 1886 pp 207, 258, 346). Indeed in his capacity as surviving trustee Edmund the son was actuallly the sole owner, as shown by his will in which he resolved the long-running dispute by leaving all the estates to Thomas Brocas [b 1650] (Burrowe 1886 pp 243-4). They were 'best trusted friends'.

4. William of Kinsale, Cork d 1655

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William was Edmund and Mary's eldest surviving son, probably born 1588-94. A military man, he became Colonel and Governor of Kinsale in Southern Ireland for Parliament and the Puritans during the Civil War 1642-6. Kinsale was a strategically important harbour c 10 miles W of Cork. This is an example of an eldest son of a Royalist being a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War.

Hine (n d pp 139-42) transcribed the following records:

1. 19 May 1642. Colonel Brockett landed at Kinsale with 460 men of Sir John Pawlett's Regiment of foot.
2. 1644. A Manifestation directed to the Parliament in England from Lieutenant Colonel William Brocket Governor of Kinsale.
3. 1645. Kinsale fort was commanded by Capt. William Brocket by the appointment of the Parliament in the place of Captain Kittleby who was displaced for his loyalty to the King. But on Feb 10 1648 Prince Rupert arrived in Kinsale, his brother Maurice having arrived a fortnight before; he brought with him 16 frigates. 'The news of the King's martyrdom having arrived Prince Rupert proclaimed the new king at Kinsale with all the solemnity the place was capable of & put himself & all his officers in mourning, & even the Ensigns, Jacks and Streamers of all the fleet were altered to a colour suitable. Hereupon Parliament sent Admirals Blake and Dean to block up this fleet in Kinsale harbour which they effectually did all the summer.' The Royalists appointed another governor of Kinsale.
4. Captain William Brocket 'being ordered by the Marquis of Ormond to surprise sixteen ships of war in the Parliament service, instead of doing so, feasted the captains, and warning them of the danger they all escaped' (Chas. Smith M.D. note in History & Present State of the County & City of Cork 2nd edn 1774).
5. 1645. A list of the present strength of horse and foot in the province of Munster as appears by the muster roll given in by the Lord President includes Col. W. Brockett's Regiment in 4 Companies 37 officers 264 foot in toto 301. The total force was 848 horse and 4,313 foot (State Papers Ireland vol 261 f 62). The total of the horse and foot in all Ireland was 26,124.

In 1640 Captain William Brocket was besieged in his house in Hitchin by mutinous soldiers demanding wages, until he ran through the leader with his sword (Hine 1929 vol 1 p 178 citing A Kingston's Hertfordshire during the Great Civil War and the Long Parliament, and a Star Chamber proceeding).

William's younger brother Rev John had married him to Jane MORDANT 20 Mar 1634 in Hertingfordbury (Urwick 1884 p 548 n 1). Four months later on 14 Jul 1634 William [Brockett of London Esq] presented John as Rector of Ellisfield, Hampshire (Baigent 1889 p 406). William probably bought the advowson in order to provide John with a parish. It was a Puritan strategy to buy up the rights to ordain priests and install their own men.

William and Jane apparently had no surviving issue. His will, written 12 Jul 1655, proved PCC 13 Sep 1655 PROB 11/246, mentioned only his wife Jane, brother Edward and Edmond:

The following decade brother John owned 'Coppyhold lyeing in Essex in the parrish of Saffron Walden called Wills Alley & Pottles' (will l 18). Was it formerly William's?

John was Edmund and Mary's 4th son, and followed his father's profession. He was a clergyman at Hertingfordbury and Graveley in Hertfordshire and at Ellisfield and Bentworth in Hampshire; for a couple of periods holding two or more benefices at once. The diary of Rev Ralph Josselin of Essex 1617-1683 vividly described a contemporary priest's way of life (Macfarlane 1970).

The Civil War 1642-6 was a turbulent time for priests and while his father was a Royalist, John had Puritan political connections. But it was a political revolution rather than a social one and did not prevent Edmund spending the end of his life with John. It was probably John who drew the pointing finger in the parish register in 1652/3 next to the entry recording his father's burial, itself probably in John's hand: 'Mr. Edmund Brokett Minister of Graueley in Hartfordshire aged 88 yeares. Buryed. Jan:8.'

HRO Bentworth 25M73/PRI, reproduced with kind permission from the Hampshire Record Office

John married Susan ... 3 sons were alive in 1662 according to John's will, the same whose baptisms were noted by Urwick (1884 p 548 n 1):

1. John bequeathed £20; bap 6 Nov 1629
2. Christopher bequeathed £250; bap 20 Dec 1631
3. Edmund bequeathed £200; bap 11 Sep 1634.

It is not known what became of any of them, although all were of marriageable age by 1662. John moved to Hampshire soon after the youngest was baptised, but none appear in Hampshire records. The Hertingfordbury parish registers are lost before 1679, so Urwick's source for their baptisms must have been HALS D/EP/T 3757—a rental relating to families of the tenants of the Manor—which preserved selected entries from the registers 1541-1641.

John was admitted 1617/8 to Peterhouse College, Cambridge:

The recorded age of 15 in October 1619 was probably an underestimate. Based on the 1602 baptism of his next brother, John would probably have been born by 1601. The death date of 1630 was certainly erroneous.

1629 Hertingfordbury: 12 Oct John was instituted following the death of the Rector John Scurfield (Urwick 1884 p 548). Father Edmund's influence can be seen in the appointment:

• Hertingfordbury is only about 10 m S of Graveley, where Edmund was Rector 1613-43/4.
• Edmund probably had close connections with the previous Rector. In 1635 Edmund's younger daughter Frances had married the clergyman Goddard Scourfield, perhaps a son of John.

John Brockett is said to have resigned from Hertingfordbury after 4 months and William Buckner was instituted as Rector 13 Feb 1629/30, but details about the incumbents and curates between 1627-47 at least are unclear. In 1631 John was still signing the Parish Register as curate and indeed till March—perhaps October—1634 (Urwick 1884 p 548 n 1; Hennessy 1918 left the end date open). Meanwhile, on 14 July 1634 John was instituted as Rector of Ellisfield, Hampshire, and John's connection with Hertingfordbury probably terminated by the end of the year.

1643/4-7 Graveley: 6 Mar 1643/4 or 1644/5 John succeeded his father as Rector here after his ejection (Urwick 1884 p 580; Matthews 1948 p 197). He held Graveley for three and a half years, relinquishing the living by 4 Sep 1647 (Urwick 1884 p 579 n 1 citing BL Add ms 15671 f 193; Matthews 1948 p 197). It is probable that John remained in Hampshire where he was an active Rector of both Ellisfield and Bentworth at the time and was only an absentee Rector of Graveley as Edmund's heir.

1646: 63 Hertfordshire ministers signed a petition to the House of Lords (Urwick 1884 p 121 n 1):

John's mother was a Brocas of Beaurepaire and John would have visited Hampshire from childhood.

John appears to have held livings in Herts for about 8 years and in Hampshire for about 28. For much of the 28 brother Edmund was nearby and his father would have been a frequent visitor.

1634: 14 Jul John was instituted as Rector of Ellisfield—c 15 m NE of Winchester and c 3 m S of Basingstoke—on the presentation of William Brockett of London Esq, presumably his brother (Baigent 1889 p 406). John may still have been performing baptisms at Hertingfordbury till October 1634, so during that time would have had 2 livings.

1641 Appointed to the Sir James Deane's Lectureship (Baigent 1889 p 406).

The Vicar of Basingstoke was an anti-Puritan and prevented John from using the pulpit to lecture. But the corporation were Parliamentarians and upon a petition from the mayor obtained an order by the House of Commons 12 Mar 1641/2 that:

1643: Apr 4 the Ellisfield parish registers recorded an Order agreed at a Vestry:

A year later John replaced his father Edmund upon his ejection as Rector of Graveley in Herts and held it till September 1647. During that time he had 2 livings: Ellisfield and Graveley.

1640s: G Smith (1988) said John bought the site of his Bentworth property in the early 1640s. Bentworth is c 4 m SE of Ellisfield. If he was still Rector of Ellisfield till 1648 and of Graveley 1644-7 did he have 3 livings in the mid 1640s?

1646: Between 21 Jun and 13 Sep the handwriting in the Bentworth parish registers changed. If this was when John took over, it was some years after he bought the Bentworth land, according to G Smith. The hand would compare with the 1646 extract above.

1647: He was definitely minister of Bentworth by this time, when the will of Martin Hide of Bentworth, Carpenter, was signed in John's presence: ‘And I desire my faithful pastor Mr John Brockett and my loving brother Raynold Hide to be overseers’ (HRO 1727 B30/1).

1648: John may have resigned the Ellisfield Rectorship and perhaps the Sir James Deane's Lectureship at the same time, but he did not die this year (Baigent 1889 pp 23 n, 406).

1652: Mentioned in the Sheriff’s Return for Hampshire (HRO TNA E 339 cited in G Smith n d). The record of 'J Brocket in 1652' (Matthews 1948 p 185) as Rector of Bentworth doesn't refer to an appointment but to a survey from that year.

In addition to his own family, John made bequests in his will to his youngest brother Robert and niece Jane Scurfield, daughter of sister Frances:

What became of Susan is not known. There is a will of a widow Susanna Broket of Watford, Herts, pr 1686, but it is unlikely she was this Susan; she was bap 1634 and could scarcely have married John before 1655.

According to an entry in the 1672 Court Baron of the Manor of Bentworth Hall alias Bentworth Place (HRO 25M75/M3 cited in G Smith n d) the Bentworth property had been sold by his son and heir:

Susan had either died herself by then, or had passed the property on to her son. It is possible that the manorial court made a mistake with the name of the son. The courts were only held every few years and so relied on people’s memory for some events. By the time of the 1672 manor court the Brockett heir did not live locally, so someone could have misheard or misremembered. The previous recorded court was 1658 and all the happenings since the 1650s would have had to have been reported at the 1672 one. The sale could have been at any time between 1662-72 as transactions could take place out of court and be noted at the next one.

The previous decade elder brother William had owned property in Saffron Walden (will l 13). Had John inherited it?

Edmund was Edmund and Mary's 5th surviving son, bap 7 Jul 1605, d 1677. His mother was a Brocas of Beaurepaire and Edmund would have visited Hampshire from childhood.

Edmund is known to have had dealings with the Brocas family from at least 1632. Bramley Church is only a mile or so from Beaurepaire, and c 7 m N of Ellisfield where elder brother John was Rector from 1634.

1632: Assignment of the lease of 'the Greene tree', a tenement, close and parcel of land in Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, by William Brockett and Edmund Brockett of London, Gents, presumably on behalf of Thomas Brocas of Beaurepaire (HRO 2M30/737 and 8).

1663-9: Owner and? occupier of 'a Lodge House and garden at the end of Beaure paire Parke, [in] the manors of Beaure paire alias Barraper and Bulsdens cum Bentworth, and land in Sherbourne St John, Panber, Bramley, and Basing' (HRO 10M54/76). Wyther's map of 1613 showed a lodge on the lane from Bramley to Sherborne at the entrance to the main drive up to the Tudor Mansion 'Bewrepar Hovse' (Burrowe 1886). Edmund Brokett Gent was mentioned again in a title deed relating to these premises and others in 1678 (HRO 79M79/E/T4).

1654: A writ of execution Brockett v Broias (sic, PRO C202/39/1) probably concerned Edmund.

1655: Witnessed brother William's will.

1662: Witnessed brother John's will.

In his capacity as surviving trustee of the Brocas estate, Edmund became sole owner. The residue of the estate had in fact been left to the Brocketts, on condition that they took the name of Brocas (Burrowe 1886 p 221); which Edmund did not do. He resolved the long-running dispute by leaving all the estates to his 'deare kinsman Thomas Brocas Esquire' [b 1650] whom he constituted sole Executor (Burrowe 1886 pp 243-4). Edmund mentioned no wife or children in his will:

Edmund was buried Sherborne St John 27 Mar 1677 (Burrowe 1886 p 244; HGS BI 2002)—the last record found of this family in Hampshire.